The Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack: Jared Williamson, New Albanian Brewing Company

For each Brewers of Indiana Guild festival, a ReplicAle recipe is selected. For the 2011 Winterfest, the recipe was created by New Albanian Brewing Company's Jared Williamson. In advance of the ReplicAle tapping at the Tomlinson Tap Room on February 23rd (see details below), we decided to ask Jared about the recipe and the ReplicAle program:

What can you tell us about the Ackerman brewery?

Ackerman’s, also known as The Southern Indiana Brewing Company, operated from 1933 to 1935 at the site of the former Paul Reising Brewing Company premises on the corner of West 5th and Spring Streets in New Albany. NABC has recreated several of the historic beers created at that location including Kaiser Pre-Prohibiton Pilsner and Hop-O Common.

How did you find out that Ackerman did a Double Imperial Stout?

We have had a copy of the label for as long as I have worked at NABC, and it is also mentioned in Louisville Breweries: A History of the Brewing Industry in Louisville, Kentucky by Peter R. Guetig & Conrad D. Selle.

How did you determine the recipe for the re-creation?

Based on info found in the book, and what types of malt were common in that era, the recipe design was meant to replicate American brewers going extreme during that time period. So several specialty malts were chosen to provide a depth of character to the body. The inclusion of smoke malt was not to make a smoked stout, but rather to add the notion that dark roasted malts inevitably had a bit more smokiness back then due to the roasting techniques than their modern counterparts. With the hops, I figured that brewers of that era often had to use what they had available instead of being able to pick and choose varieties like modern brewers, so it was left to the participating brewers to decide. And for a final touch, I decided to cask condition the entire NABC batch to keep with the historical nature. I also have a Bourbon barrel filled with Ackerman's, because being as close to Kentucky as they were, they probably had a few Bourbon barrels hanging around.

What did you think of the final result?

The beer has a full, robust body with just a slight hint of smoke lingering in the background. It has the characteristics of what would have been a very big beer by historical standards, but more tame by modern extreme beer standards. Which for me was the intent. Yes, we could have made a 14% monster stout, but that would have been taking the original idea way out of its historical context. In the end, I am quite pleased with results and feel the stout is a honorable tribute to our brewing forefathers.

Have you had a chance to try others' ReplicAles?

I did get to try several of the replicales at Winterfest and was impressed at the overall similarities found in each. Of course my palette was overloaded that day so I look forward to tasting these again at the Tom Tap room event.

What do you think about the ReplicAle program? Why is it a good program to have? And what should the drinking public discover with ReplicAles?

I'm a big fan of looking back and recreating historical beers, and was honored that the Guild wanted to go with my suggestion. Indiana has a wonderful brewing history and there are so many beers that could and should be recreated. With our ever expanding Guild, it may be some time before NABC gets to design another, but I look forward to seeing what my fellow brewers dig up and bring to the table for future replicales.

And to me that is the essence of the project: knowing and replicating our past brewer's achievements, and allowing the public to share in our collective celebration of brewing treasures of yesteryear. We really have an amazing brewing culture here in Indiana.

There will be a tapping of Indiana Winter 2011 ReplicAles on Wednesday, February 23rd at 6pm at the Tomlinson Tap Room in the City Market, 222 E. Market Street, Indianapolis. The recipe is a recreation of the Imperial Double Stout that was brewed by the defunct Ackerman’s Brewery in New Albany. Jared Williamson from New Albanian Brewing Company will be on hand to talk about recreating historical beers.

Along with tapping a firkin of New Albanian’s Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout, other versions will be on tap, including: Broad Ripple Brewpub, Crown Brewing, Great Crescent Brewing Company, People’s Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant – both College Park and Downtown, Sun King Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, and other Indiana breweries to be confirmed.

The Indiana ReplicAle program is presented by the Brewers of Indiana Guild with support from Brewers Supply Group and Briess Malt & Ingredients Company.

***

Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout recipe, as recreated by Jared Williamson and Jess Williams:
Original Gravity: 20 degree Plato
Alcohol By Volume: Circa 8%
International Bittering Units: 35 – 40

Grist Bill: 80% Rahr 2-row Pale Malt
5% Briess Aromatic Malt
5% Briess Dark Chocolate Malt
5% Briess Roast Barley
2.5% Briess 80-degree Caramel Malt
2.5% Briess Cherry Smoked Malt

Hops: Single addition at boil of your choice of hop, to achieve 35 - 40 IBU

Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack Interview Special Edition: Gil Alberding on Broad Ripple Brewpub

It's an amazing fact: there have only been four brewers in the twenty year history of Broad Ripple Brewpub. Gil Alberding, Brewing Business Unit Leader for MillerCoors in Eden, North Carolina, was Broad Ripple Brewpub's first brewmaster. As we approach BRBP's 20th Anniversary Party on Sunday, we are happy to present a six pack interview with him.

1.) During what time period were you at BRBP and what positions did you hold?

From 1990 to late 1991. In 1990 I met John through a home brew meeting he held at the Corner Wine Bar. John liked the beer that I had brewed. I knew I wanted to brew for a living, so I asked him if I could work at the brewery he was planning on opening. A couple weeks later, John called and invited me to go to Portland and Seattle to visit the Hood River Brewing Company. We also went to other brewpubs in the area. We had a great time and learned a lot during our stay. When we got back, John offered me the job of head brewer. Things just took off from there.

2.) Prior to BRBP, what sort of jobs did you do? What brought you to BRBP?

BRBP was my first real job.

3.) What did you do/where did you go after BRBP? How did your time at BRBP affect your career path/choices?

I went to back to school at Weihenstephan-Technical University of Munich. After I earned a Diplom-Braumeister degree in 1994, I went to Stroh and worked there 5 years. When I left Stroh, I joined Anheuser-Busch and was there for 10 years. I’ve been with MillerCoors now for almost 3 years. Positions with those companies have taken me to Tampa, St. Paul, Portland, Fort Collins, St. Louis, Williamsburg, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, and now Greensboro.

The BRBP gave me the confidence that I could brew a good glass of beer. The BRBP gave me my start.

4.) Tell us about the challenges of a new brewpub specializing in English beers blazing the craft beer trail in Indiana.

We just brewed beers that we liked to drink. I like most beer styles and John definitely wanted English beers. I would typically brew 5 gallons batches in Bloomington and bring them up to John to try on the weekends. I remember when John liked a batch, he would become excited because he knew we could scale it up to 7 bbls. The first one we made was the porter. The Red Bird Mild, ESB and Pale Ale were next. When we won the gold medal the Great American Beer Festival in 1990, we were proud and glad that we had been recognized for all our work.

5.) What are your favorite things about BRBP, past and present, when it came to beer, food, people, etc.?

I enjoyed working with John and the people the best. It was a great atmosphere because we were truly doing something that hadn’t been done in Indiana yet. It was all genuine and John was really pragmatic about doing things the right way. I admired that.

6.) I know that you have John Hill stories. Please share one. Or two. Or ten.

John and I worked well together. I remember once when I was filtering a batch on our new filter, the beer was much darker coming out of the filter than we expected it to be. Then about a third of way through filtering, the fermenter emptied. John and I didn’t know what had happened. It emptied too soon. When I opened the fermenter we figured out what had happened. There was a huge block of ice in the cone of the fermenter because the beer had frozen. John tasted the beer that had been filtered. His face lit up. John really liked the beer he had just tried. Instead of being a problem, John immediately saw it as an opportunity. The beer was exceeding strong because it had gone through a reverse distillation! John purchased a set of small beer glasses and sold the new creation as “Wee Heavy” beer. The limit was two glasses to any customer, given its strength. Wee Heavy was an instant success, and it no time we sold it all.

Another time, a glycol valve stuck open. This time the fermentation had not yet completed. Given we were using ale yeast, the fermentation stopped too soon. This time, John was worried he had lost a batch of beer. I had an idea and called the Indianapolis Brewing Company. They were brewing lager beers at the time. I asked them if I could borrow a carboy of lager yeast. They were hesitant, but once I explained the situation and assured them I didn’t plan on brewing any lagers, they supplied us their yeast.

The lager yeast was added to the stuck fermentation and the beer started to ferment again at the colder temperatures. When the beer finished fermenting, John coined it his “Cream Ale”. It tasted good and the customers liked it.

Those were some of the fun challenges you can only have in a smaller brewery.

Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack Interview Special Edition: Greg Emig on Broad Ripple Brewpub

It's an amazing fact: there have only been four brewers in the twenty year history of Broad Ripple Brewpub. Greg Emig, owner of Lafayette Brewing Company, was Broad Ripple Brewpub's second brewmaster. As we approach BRBP's 20th Anniversary Party on Sunday, we are happy to present a six pack interview with him.

1.) During what time period were you at BRBP and what positions did you hold?

I worked at BRBP from October of 1990 thru February of 1991 as a laborer during construction, then as a shift manager and bartender once the restaurant opened. I returned in September of 1991 as the brewer and stayed thru December of 1992.

2.) Prior to BRBP, what sort of jobs did you do? What brought you to BRBP?

A bit of everything- tended bar; sold real estate; worked as a shop office manager in a steel fabrication facility. I'd been homebrewing all that time and headed to Indy to talk to John the day after I heard he was opening.

3a.) Previous brewers: What did you do/where did you go after BRBP? How did your time at BRBP affect your career path/choices?

The wife and I moved to Lafayettte to open LBC. The short time I had spent at BRBP showed me that we wanted to pursue our own brewpub. The return stint as a brewer provided me with the brewing background to actually make our own project happen.

3b.) Current brewer: Why are the other three suckers for not staying at BRBP?

The big money & hot babes. Oh wait, I'm not Kevin.

4.) Tell us about the challenges of a new brewpub specializing in English beers blazing the craft beer trail in Indiana.

While there was certainly novelty that attracted people to the first brewpub in Indiana, it was pretty much about the same things then as it is now: good beer & good food. We probably spent a bit more time educating our customers on beers styles back then, but I was also focused on just learning the system and producing the best beers we could. Winning the GABF gold for the bitter also helped bring in the media attention to BRBP and the small brewing revolution that was just starting in Indiana.

5.) What are your favorite things about BRBP, past and present, when it came to beer, food, people, etc.?

Without question, my favorite thing is the foundation that John laid when he opened Broad Ripple. The early staff was a fun and beer-enthused bunch! It's kind of amazing when you consider 3 of those original staff members are commercial brewers 20 years later with a combined brewing experience of about 60 years! In addition, the three former brewers from LBC are now all brewery owners themselves, so the foundation that John laid continues to seed new breweries across the country. Then, of course, there's the scotch eggs, wet fries and Thai peanut anything.

6.) I know that you have John Hill stories. Please share one. Or two. Or ten.

I'm not much of a story teller, and what happens at beer festival stays at beer festival. So I'll stick with the things that made my time at BRBP such a great experience. Not only did John give me the opportunity to brew, to represent BRBP at beer festivals, to visit a great number (at least for the time) of small breweries and talk to the owners and brewers about all things beer and brewing, but we also spent time on some interesting non-beer related excursions. From touring a Chicago neighborhood to check out Frank Lloyd Wright-built homes to catching a ballgame at Fenway Park to a visit to a local museum, we took the time to experience more than just beer and brewing related attractions in our travels. A good reminder for a 20-something brewer that there is more to life than just beer.

The Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack: D.J. McCallister, Black Swan Brewpub, Plainfield, IN

Indiana's brewery and brewpub renaissance is spreading to areas wider than just Indianapolis - Plainfield is next in line with not just one, but two brewpubs opening soon. Today we'll focus on Black Swan Brewpub and head brewer D.J. McCallister.


1. Who are you and what do you do?

Black Swan Brewpub is located in Plainfield, IN and owned by D.J. and Erin McCallister. D.J. is a native of Beech Grove and has been associated with the Indiana brewing community since 1996. Erin is a journalist and works for BioCentury Publications Inc., a California-based BioTech/Pharma publication. Black Swan Brewpub will be a restaurant and brewery, with growler sales but no further outside distribution. We will have about 110 seats between family dining and the bar, with an additional 50 to 60 seats on our patio. We will also add room for interactive Brew Master Dinners as part of the brewery construction.

2. What inspired you to start brewing? How did you get your start?

I studied physics at Wabash College, but at the end of the day, I knew I was not interested in it as a career path. Instead, I realized the enormous amount of time I was spending thinking, reading, and living beer. Whether it was beer history, style exploration, home brewing, or learning about water chemistry, I couldn't get enough of it. It was about that point that I decided I wanted to transition from being a home brewer to being a professional brewer.

The following summer, Brooke Belli from Oaken Barrel allowed me to come in occasionally to clean kegs, scrub floors, and take out grain. I loved it! The street credit I gained through that experience, along with some good timing, parlayed into an apprenticeship under Greg Emig at Lafayette Brewing Co. I stayed with LBC until May 1999 when I decided I needed to take on some other challenges, and put myself in a position to open my own brewpub some day. Greg and Brooke taught me nearly everything I needed to know about commercial brewing, and it was an honor to serve under two of the founding fathers of the Indiana brewing industry.

3. What is the philosophy of the brewing operations/restaurant operations at Black Swan Brewpub?

Our overarching philosophy has four pillars: Simplicity, Freshness, Craftsmanship, and Customer Service. Our goal is to make these four things play off of one another in a way that creates a rare, unique experience for our customers or a “Black Swan” per se.

From day one of this project we have been committed to keeping the menu clear, concise, and appetizing. You will not come in BSBP and be inundated with a 10 page menu. For us, that is too much to process. While we may not have 100 items on the menu, the 20 (or so) things that we do have will be high quality, well made items.

We have a commitment to using local farmers and suppliers whenever we can. Tapping into the resources around us gives us a fresher product with a distinct line of sight to the people who grew, packaged, and sold it to us. Those things translate into a better product for our customer.

Whether we are talking about our brewery or our kitchen, artisanal excellence is imperative. Our award winning chef, Nick Carter loves what he does, as do I, and we are wholly committed to using our resources to put out food and beer that screams of hand-made goodness. For us to create meals and beers that our guests would probably not make at home will set us apart.

But at the end of the day we know our fate lies in customer service. Warm, hospitable, family-friendly service is what all of the guests should expect at BSBP.

4. What styles do you plan on brewing for the brewpub? Seasonals?

We are putting in an 8bbl custom brewery, and expect it to be operational and licensed by early next year. The real question is, what style of beer won't we brew? We have a 16 tap draft system in place as well as two hand pulls for cask conditioned beer and we are going to have a great time filling those taps with exciting beers. Right now we are expecting our line up to be categorized into three basic groups: standard, heavy, and seasonal.

Our standards will sit on 4-7 taps and rotate with familiar craft beer styles: IPA, Cream Stout, Brown Ale, ESB, Porter, and Hefewiezen to name a few. Our heavy's will take 2-5 taps and highlight beers with higher gravities, ridiculous hop contents, and bold flavors. Seasonal beers as well as one-off creations will occupy any remaining taps we have. With these beers we are going to have a lot of fun. You should expect to see lagers, several different Belgian styles, a few sour beers, and any experimental beers we are trying out. Of course, I can't forget our truly seasonal beers for winter, spring, summer, and fall. Our cask conditioned beers will be no holds barred.

Admittedly it will take time to fill all of the tanks and taps filled, but we are going to get there and have a great time doing it!

5. Plainfield is going from having zero brewpubs to two brewpubs instantly. How do you feel about that?

For the residents and travelers around west and southwest Indianapolis I think it is a great thing! For too long, new brewpubs have been drawn to other pockets of the Indianapolis area. It's high time the drought ended on this side of town, and it's only appropriate that the people get what they want, better beer and more of it.

From a business perspective, I do not give it much thought at all. Every day I wake up and execute my plan to the best of my ability, and that is my sole focus. With that perspective, the number of brewpubs around me is irrelevant. We have neither a rivalry nor a friendly competition with Three Pints Brewpub, but I'm certain we could share a mutual laugh at the timing of our projects. Who would have guessed it would work out like it has?

Overall, I genuinely feel that having more breweries in Indiana is a good thing for everyone.

6. Any insights on the menu yet? When is the projected open date?

Our award-winning chef, Nick Carter, has brought to the table a combination of creativity, pragmatism, and flat-out deliciousness. You can see it all at www.blackswanbrewpub.com. His goal is to match the level of creativity and craftmanship found in Indiana brewing right now – producing high quality, interesting food with a local and seasonal flavor.

For appetizers, we offer Brewpub Stuffed Peppers, which are peppadew peppers stuffed with chorizo and served with goat cheese fondue. We will also offer frites with a variety of flavorful tosses and aioli dips sure to please any palate.

Nick won 2nd place this summer at the State Fair in the Shoup Family Farms Backyard BBQ Cookoff for our “Hoosier” sandwich. This is a great sandwich, with sliced pork, tomato onion chutney, Capriole Farms goat cheese and mixed greens. Our reuben features house made corned beef. If you haven't had freshly corned beef, you are in for a treat.

Our entrees feature Indiana farm raised pork, lamb, and chicken. Some of the highlights are the Braised Lamb Shank, Brewpub Porterhouse (this is a 14 oz. Porterhouse style pork chop - a great piece of meat!), Pan Fried Chicken with mac & goat cheese, and an incredible meatloaf with chili pale ale sauce. We are proud to partner with out hardworking Indiana farmers from Fischer Farms and Viking Lamb to provide an excellent dining experience for you.

For dessert? Fresh baked warm cookies and milk: God Bless America!

Anything else about the company or yourself you'd like to add?

Look for Black Swan Brewpub to open in early October with a line-up of about 15 or 16 great Indiana beers. Nick and I are always here, so feel free to say 'hi' if you catch us walking through the dining room. Like any new business we appreciate your support and we can't wait to get our own beers on line and get your feedback. For more information on what's going on at Black Swan Brewpub, go to www.blackswanbrewpub.com, search Black Swan Brewpub on Facebook, or find us on Twitter @BlackswanBP.

The Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack: Tom Hynes of Three Pints Brewpub, Plainfield, IN

Indiana's brewery and brewpub renaissance is spreading to areas wider than just Indianapolis - Plainfield is next in line with not just one, but two brewpubs opening soon. Today we'll focus on Three Pints Brewpub and head brewer Tom Hynes.


1. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Tom Hynes, and I was born and raised on the west side (Ben Davis area), got married to my high school sweetheart, Pam, while we were at Purdue, and returned to the west side (Avon) following a six year stint in the Navy. Pam and I have raised three wonderful children, and are due to be grandparents in January. We currently live in Monrovia.

Pam is a senior vice president at Interactive Intelligence, a local software company. Although she will participate in the business side of the brewpub, she plans on keeping her full-time position at Interactive.

I also work at Interactive Intelligence, though I will be resigning my position there in mid October to assume full-time brewing responsibilities at Three Pints. I have been home brewing for a about 20 years, and although the last 21 years have been spent as a software engineer, previous occupations include: a reactor operator on a nuclear submarine (USS Ulysses S. Grant), a control room operator at a polymer plant (Cablec), and an industrial electronic control technician (Bridgeport Brass). I am currently enrolled in a professional brewing course from the Siebel Institute of Technology, and plan on continuing my formal brewing education after the brewpub opens.

2. What inspired you to start brewing? How did you get your start?

I have always loved to tinker with things, and had often thought about brewing my own beer. One evening at a Mexican restaurant I remarked to Pam just how much I liked the malty flavor of Dos Equis Amber, and if I ever started home brewing, a clone of that would be the first thing I would try. Pam remembered that and bought me a basic home brewing kit a few months later for Father's Day.

BTW, my first attempt at Dos Equis was a disaster, as were my first dozen or so attempts at other beers (even dark ales). I had all but given up on home brewing when I visited the newly-opened Broad Ripple Brewpub and had my first taste of heaven, in the form of their incredibly delicious ESB. I kept thinking: 1) This is like liquid candy, and 2) I have GOT to keep trying until I get something approaching this good! It took quite a few years, and a switch to all-grain brewing, but eventually I achieved that (or so I've been told by friends...unless they were just humoring me :-).

3. What is the philosophy of the brewing operations/restaurant operations?

We are excited to have recently hired Jackie Stebbeds as the General Manager. Jackie comes with over 10 years of restaurant management experience, including management positions at Bob Evans, Max and Ermas, Chilis, and The Library Restaurant & Pub. Jackie will have complete control over all restaurant operations, including hiring of the assistant manager and kitchen manager.

I will be running the brewing side, though Jackie and I will be working together on many common goals.

Since we are small brewpub (approx. 140 seats), we are going to focus on a smaller menu with higher-quality items. The menu will feature contemporary American cuisine, along with some traditional English pub foods such as Sheppard's Pie and Fish 'N' Chips.

Although approximately 75% of the dining area is technically family dining (in order to qualify for a needed zoning variance), we will be promoting the beer in a big way. In fact, beer and brewing is the theme of the brewpub. Because of the emphasis on beer, we will have a lot of appetizer-type foods that go well with beer, such as chicken wings (in multiple flavors and heat levels), a variety of pizzas, chips and home-made salsa (in multiple heat levels), etc. We do plan on integrating beer and some spent grains into the menu, but the extent of that is yet to be determined.

4. What styles do you plan on brewing for the brewpub? Seasonals?

In the first year we will be brewing four different beers. We have room to expand - hopefully in the second year - to five in-house beers. So, we will be augmenting our beers with other Indiana craft beers; the goal is to have a minimum of six beers on tap at any time, with seven or eight being the usual.

Although this is subject to change, the tentative list of the beers we intend to brew is:

a blueberry wheat
an amber ale
a steam beer (err, a California Common beer :-)
a pretty unusual IPA (unusual due to unique grain bill, not hops)
an Oatmeal Stout (for year 2+)

For the local craft beers that will be augmenting our beers, that list will almost certainly change over time as we rotate beers in and out, but is likely to include some of the following:

an all-malt German lager
an American lite lager (or possibly a Kolsch or Cream Ale)
an Oktoberfest
either a Belgium White or a Hefe-Weizen
a Porter

I would love to brew seasonals at some point, but for the first couple of years we will probably only offer seasonals from local microbreweries.

5. Plainfield is going to go from having zero brewpubs to two brewpubs instantly. How do you feel about that?

That is a great question. Admittedly I was at first little bummed when I found out about The Black Swan opening up. But, now I think the best thing will be for both of us be very successful - which will drive more people to the area (instead of towards the mall area). Competition really can be good. One thing is for certain: we will have to break out our "A Game" from the start!

6. Any insights on the menu yet? When is the projected open date?

The menu is still being worked on, though my answer to question #3 gives an idea of what it will be like. Our projected opening date is November 1st, 2010. At that time we will be serving local (Indiana) craft beers on tap; we hope to be serving our own beers by mid-to-late December, though admittedly things have to fall in place just right for that to happen (January is probably the better bet).

Cheers!

Tom

We wish the best of luck to Tom and everyone else involved in the Three Pints effort. Look for a HBG follow-up as things get up and running.

Announcing Triton Brewing Company

In a nondescript warehouse near the State Fairgrounds is stored the remains of the fallen Ft. Wayne brewery, Warbird. The brewing equipment is awaiting the next chapter of its life.


On Wednesday night, fifty-plus people were in attendance as Michael DeWeese, Jon Lang and David Waldman gave us a peek at what is next: Triton Brewing Company.


After failing to come to an agreement with the Thr3e Wise Men Brewery¹, the trio formerly known as Beer Baron parted ways with Thr3e Wise Men and began to formulate the plans for Triton. The production brewery has not yet settled on a location, but they are currently looking at the northeast side of town, along the Binford Boulevard corridor. Their current plans include them installing the brewery equipment as soon as next month. When they open later this fall, you will not only find a taproom, but the first third² brewery in the state to use a reverse osmosis system for treating the water used in brewing. The goal is to break the water down to its simplest form and add in minerals as needed for the particular beer styles. Bottling will be done with the help of a bottle filler purchased from Barrel House in Cincinnati.


The Hoosier Beer Geek 6 Pack: Jon Lang, Head Brewer, Triton Brewing Company

1) Who are you and where do you work?

Jon Lang, brewer for Triton Brewing Company.

2) What are your short term and long term brewery goals?

Short term? Get open! Long term, have full state distribution in 2 years.

3) What styles will you offer?

An American IPA, Brown, Stout, my usual barrel aged stuff, and something lighter.

4) Do you have any benchmarks when you brew?

To get more GABF medals. (Jon's won 3 GABF medals in 4 years.)

5) When do you think you will be operational?

Looking like the end of the year, October or November depending on all of the paperwork. The actual location will be somewhere between 146th and 64th, leaning heavily towards 64th Street area. (We've heard Binford, possibly.)

6) Do you have any influences?

Just a passion for brewing. Started in 1990 and have been going strong since.


Along with unveiling their new logo, they offered up samples of homebrew test batches: an English mild and two takes on their flagship IPA, one with American yeast and one with English yeast. The IPAs featured big citrus hops, and the mild was surprisingly strong and malty. The guests were invited to vote on their favorite name for the IPA, choosing between "No Hopologies," "Hopaloompa" and "Rail Splitter." A write-in campaign for "AnticIPAtion" was also underway.


T-Shirt Giveaway!

Tell us in the comments which IPA name you like the best: No Hopologies, Hopaloompa, Rail Splitter, AnticIPAtion - or write in your own! We'll choose a random comment at 5PM EST on Friday and that person will win an XL Triton Brewing Company T-Shirt! One entry per person. We'll announce the winner in the comments so make sure to check back Friday after 5 to see if you've won.


Hoosier Beer Geek wishes Mike, David, and Jon the best of luck with their brewery. We look forward to drinking Triton Brewing Company beer in draft and bottles.

* * * * *

¹The lease for the Broad Ripple space has already been signed by Thr3e Wise Men, but they are back in the hunt for a brewer and equipment.

²Big Woods Brewing company already has a reverse osmosis system in place, and we've just received word that Sun King will be installing a system next week.

2010 State of the Six Pack

My fellow Hoosier Beer Geeks, we have seen a lot of changes over the past year and there are a lot of exciting things to come. But you don’t have to take our word for it. I mean, we are just a bunch of know-nothing hacks. That’s why we sent a Six Pack of Questions to Indiana’s brewers, distributors, and others in the craft beer industry. And we have collected these answers and packaged them together into our second annual State of the Six Pack address.

The Craft Beer Scene In Indiana
Unfortunately, Indiana lost a brewery with the closing of Warbird in Ft. Wayne. But we’ve gained six breweries: Brickworks in Hobart; People’s in Lafayette; Sun King in Indianapolis; Wilbur in Martinsville; Big Woods in Nashville; and Lil’ Charlies in Batesville. Not to mention that breweries have expanded (i.e. New Albanian, Barley Island) and there are more places than before selling craft beer in Indiana. We find it encouraging that not only is the industry growing, but is spreading out as small towns are getting breweries again.

“We estimate the [craft beer] market share has grown in Indiana by .3 percent this year to a 1.3% share…the national average is 4.2%, so we have a long way to go. Most of that Indiana growth has come from the introduction of New Belgium. . . . [T]hat’s a lot of exposure for the [craft beer industry] and it is still a good segment to be in. I think that the reflection of craft brewers opening up in smaller communities is both because of passion as well as the economy. When the economy is tough and unemployment is high, people start to think of ways to create work in case they are unemployed.”
–Jim Schembre, World Class Beverages, Indianapolis

“These drinkers are 'enlightened' as to what the core values of craft beer offer: more variety, better and more flavorful beers, and solid traditional and experimental brewing techniques. The percentage of craft beer drinkers in Indiana is simply increasing, but still has a long way to go. As for the newest hometown/next door breweries, these are revealing the sense of pride and feasibility in having a local beer produced less than 50 miles away. Local, more flavor, exciting varieties: these are all appealing attributes of Hoosier beers for the steadfast and newest generation of Hoosier craft beer drinkers.”
-Caleb Staton, Head Brewer, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington

“Once [consumers] are exposed to craft beer they realize that beer can taste so much better. I think it's just a matter of more exposure for these breweries to get more and more Hoosiers hooked. As far as the little towns, I think that if you already have a restaurant that works then it's not too difficult to brew fresh beer to serve to the public. The brewery in Nashville uses a very simple and small set up to produce good beer.”
-Skip DuVall, Assistant Brewer, Alcatraz Brewing Company, Indianapolis

“Consumers are recognizing and seeking out locally brewed, quality products. The question is: Can these breweries remain viable in these small markets?”
-Greg Emig, President/Brewer, Lafayette Brewing Co., Lafayette

“The beer drinking mentality of Hoosiers changes slowly, but there’s some traction. . . . Increasingly, folks like the idea of local products and services. Sustainability starts at home, as with NABC partnering with fledgling hops growers in the Knobs, and serving locally-made wines at the Bank Street Brewhouse. Anything is possible at this level.”
-Roger A. Baylor, Carnival Barker and Sometimes Owner, New Albanian Brewing Co., New Albany.

“[L]oving craft beer and believing one can make a living brewing it are two very different matters. The fact that both are growing is very positive.”
-Charles Stanley, Marketing Operations Manager, Upland Brewing Co.

The Craft Beer Scene In America
Beer sales in the United States are down. But the craft beer segment continued to grow (5% by volume and 9% by dollars according to the Brewers Association). The craft beer industry continues to grow despite a poor economy. Imagine how much the industry could have grown if the economy had improved.

“The consumer’s tastes are definitely changing and they are either going up to craft or down to economy beers. The import category is especially getting hurt. I think consumers cannot resonate well with the imports and the craft side has taken their drinkers.”
–Jim Schembre, World Class Beverages, Indianapolis

“These numbers definitely show that more Americans are drinking craft beer. The 9% dollars vs. 5% volume was due to beer price increases in 2009 due to brewers' reaction to malt and hops pricing increase.”
-Caleb Staton, Head Brewer, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington

“This surge in craft beer sales is just proof that people want a better beer and you even see this from the big breweries who are attempting to brew better beers. Liquor stores are carrying more and more selections than they ever have as well.”
-Skip DuVall, Assistant Brewer, Alcatraz Brewing Company, Indianapolis

“If our beer tastes weren’t changing in some way, it’s hard to imagine the trending up during lean times.”
-Roger A. Baylor, Carnival Barker and Sometimes Owner, New Albanian Brewing Co., New Albany.

“America's beer tastes are definitely changing. The growth in micros has been primarily in at-home consumption.”
-Mike DeWeese, Partner, brewery to be named later

“Some people who would otherwise buy imported beer may be making an effort to support their local economies or the US economy in general (this mentality may also be hurting major "domestic" brands, none which are fully American-owned anymore).”
-Charles Stanley, Marketing Operations Manager, Upland Brewing Co.

Sunday Sales
The sale of carryout beverages in Indiana on Sundays is like a boomerang: it just keeps coming back. Many Hoosiers apparently still hold Puritan fears of alcohol. But one aspect looks promising. Senate Bill 75 would allow the carryout of beer from microbreweries on Sundays. This would allow microbreweries to be on the same level as Indiana’s farm wineries, who have been allowed to sell their wine for carryout on Sundays. SB 75 passed the Senate 41 votes to 9. As long as no one tries to apply amendments to the bill, it looks promising that this bill could pass the House too.

“This will be perceived as being more important for some brewers than others. Obviously, those brewers located in towns with major college campuses would likely benefit the most; however, all brewers will benefit from being able to sell their craft beers on Sunday. Being able to attract and sell to the tourist market on Sunday will go a long way in helping expand awareness of Indiana craft beer.”
-Greg Emig, President/Brewer, Lafayette Brewing Co., Lafayette

“Those of us in border territories know instinctively how important it is for craft breweries to have Sunday carryout sales – but not for the reason you might think. Yes, Indiana loses revenue to surrounding states on Sunday. More importantly, craft breweries are exactly like small wineries in the sense that we are tourist attractions, and the closer to neighboring states we are, the more visitors we’re likely to see on days like Sunday. Craft brewing will survive either way, but if the legislature is interested in providing a level playing field for artisanal producers, and serious about encouraging tourism and bringing money from elsewhere into this state, it will take the measure seriously.”
-Roger A. Baylor, Carnival Barker and Sometimes Owner, New Albanian Brewing Co., New Albany.

“Indiana breweries will probably see some increase in profit if they are allowed to sell packaged beer on Sundays, but it is difficult to gauge how much. Much of that will determine how much of the consumer population becomes aware of change in legislation. Breweries should also consider that their relationships with retailers may suffer if they work hard to advertise this opportunity to consumers. If Indiana retailers are allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays, stores near the state borders will stop losing business to our neighboring states on Sundays. This can benefit Indiana breweries whose distributors' territories correspond with the state's borders. If consumers are shopping at stores where Indiana beer is not available, Indiana breweries obviously suffer. If they shop at stores that sell Indiana beer, Indiana breweries clearly benefit.”
-Charles Stanley, Marketing Operations Manager, Upland Brewing Co.

“If you can buy wine on Sundays at the winery then you should be able to buy beer at the brewery. Also, the taps should be open like normal on election day as well!”
-Mat Gerdenich, Cavalier Distributing, Indianapolis

Excise Taxes
A couple of Congressional bills might make a positive impact on the craft beer industries. Thanks to the House Small Brewers Caucus, HR 836 and HR 4278 would reduce the excise tax paid by small breweries. It is questionable if this would have a noticeable impact on consumers and the prices paid for beer at retailers. But it would certainly have an impact on the breweries and anything that will help our favorite breweries with continued success is a good thing.

“More important to us is keeping the excise tax at an non-prohibitive level to doing business. We are, as smaller brewers, nowhere as efficient and a lower margin business than the larger breweries. One positive side effect of reducing the excise tax, with the additional benefit of stabilizing malt and hops pricing, is the potential for small breweries to keep pricing the same (or possibly even lowering!) in the future years. We will never be a $13 a 30-pack type shelf item, but keeping a constant price is good for core line craft beers.”
-Caleb Staton, Head Brewer, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington

“I think it would be great for craft brewers because they are fighting hard enough to get their beers on shelves at a reasonable price. If they pay less then hopefully we all will pay less.”
-Skip DuVall, Assistant Brewer, Alcatraz Brewing Company, Indianapolis

“It would certainly lend a much-needed boost to a heavily-taxed industry. In addition to federal and state excise taxes, Indiana brewers currently face dramatic increases in property taxes, as well. Unfortunately, I don't think it will have a great impact on bringing down prices at the consumer level as most of the savings would be absorbed between the brewers, distributors and retailers.”
-Greg Emig, President/Brewer, Lafayette Brewing Co., Lafayette

“Money spent at locally-owned businesses stays in the community. Excise tax decreases would help the bottom line of a locally-owned craft brewer, and by extension, keep more money in the community of origin. Sounds like something I can get behind.”
-Roger A. Baylor, Carnival Barker and Sometimes Owner, New Albanian Brewing Co., New Albany.

“Any drop in taxes is good for business. The little guys benefit the most since we pay more in raw materials costs.”
-Mike DeWeese, Partner, brewery to be named later

“It would help to the bottom line of breweries for sure.”
-Mat Gerdenich, Cavalier Distributing, Indianapolis

Brewing Trends
Bigger and bigger hopped beers continue to be popular. We’re seeing more and more beers aged in barrels. And sour styles continue to grow. Extreme beers are always fun and are a great way for breweries to make a name for themselves. But we’re also seeing more sessionable, to-style beers coming out as well. This is good for all craft beer fans, not to mention a good gateway to bring macro-drinkers into the fold.

“As consumers become more educated to the taste profiles of good beer, you will see growth in some of those segments [like sours]. . . . [W]e also think that the consumer will better understand the traditional styles like lagers and session ales.”
–Jim Schembre, World Class Beverages, Indianapolis

“Other than maintaining a consistent, quality sessionable core lineup of beers, there's going to be a bunch of new brews out there. Seasonals are another big growing faction of the craft beer segment, whether they be Octoberfests, Bocks, pumpkin beers, etc. Bourbon barrel beers are a nice Midwestern trend as well, with breweries able to source true Kentucky Bourbon barrels with more ease than East/West coast locations. I see experimentation and style blurring also as a continuing future trend. Black IPAs are a newer trendy blur style that will be popping up more in 2010. Sours are everywhere now as well; this is evident by the growing number of entries into the Wild and Sour categories at the GABF over the past two years. Oh, and of course, Imperial-style everything! Good article in the recent New Brewer concerning spiced beers, maybe a small resurgence of them will be seen as well. Makes me wonder, maybe Upland Bumblebee Saison was too ahead of its time and a potential fad trailblazer that we gave up on? Maybe we'll bring it back like Kangaroos.”
-Caleb Staton, Head Brewer, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington

“Hops are where it's at in my opinion. One trend that we have talked about at The Alcatraz is making our beers even more clear and smooth. It's almost a friendly competition amongst the downtown brewers to make clear, smooth and fresh beers as possible.”
-Skip DuVall, Assistant Brewer, Alcatraz Brewing Company, Indianapolis

“I also believe we're going to continue to see spice- and herb-infused brews as well as certified organic beers. [We’ll hopefully see more] estate beers. Sierra Nevada opened the door this year with the release of their Chico Estate Ale. The practice of harvesting, malting and kilning brewery-grown ingredients is sure to catch on. Let's also hope for a bit more recognition for quality session beers.
-Greg Emig, President/Brewer, Lafayette Brewing Co., Lafayette

“The great thing is that it’s not an either-or equation. The exuberant creativity of craft beer can hold its militant core market through crazed experimentation even as we reach for the center of the American beer market as a whole through session beers. It’s something that we’re trying to do at NABC, and we can see the results already.”
-Roger A. Baylor, Carnival Barker and Sometimes Owner, New Albanian Brewing Co., New Albany.

“The sky's the limit when it comes to US brewers. Different spices are the next big thing as well as Belgian styles. Barrel aging will become commonplace within 2 years.”
-Mike DeWeese, Partner, brewery to be named later

“Though big beers aren't going away anytime soon (and with good reason--many are quite delicious) I expect we will start seeing fewer beers brewed with the attitude "just because we can." Now that brewers have spent time experimenting and really pushing the envelope, many will take the lessons they've learned and focus more on creating better beer, rather than just big beer.”
-Charles Stanley, Marketing Operations Manager, Upland Brewing Co.

“Indiana still seems to be big on IBUs and ABVs!”
-Mat Gerdenich, Cavalier Distributing, Indianapolis

Coming in 2010
Hoosier Beer Geek will continue to be the quirky, eccentric site for craft beer nonsense. But you’ll see us organizing more beer events in and around Indianapolis and around the state. You’ll see more drinking guides that will appeal to long time Hoosiers, new residents, and visitors. And we’ll likely drink a ridiculous amount of beer.

“The big concern for the year 2010 for the wholesaler is the continued development of more and more brewers; there are now over 1,500 craft beers in America and the craft brewers are wondering if the category has so many brands that the brewers will lose their identity. Something like the wine industry: you know that you like Zinfandels but name one? So some of the major craft brewers are pressing the ideal to slow down the development of other brands. Brewers like Magic Hat even suggest that as wholesalers we do not need to even carry anything but the top four, as they currently represent over 70% of the grand total. So the big thing for 2010 for wholesalers will be access to market and who gets it. Remember there is only a small shelf at retail and how many brands and packages can you even put on it. So the list of brewers that want to come in the state and the number that can actually get to market are two different things. We as wholesalers and you as consumers, because of this aggressive growth of new brewers, must be concerned about quality and we are seeing people get in the craft side and have no beer skills at all. That is a problem.”
–Jim Schembre, World Class Beverages, Indianapolis

“2010 for Upland means 22 oz. bottles of Ard Ri Imperial Red, Double Dragonfly IIPA, Badder Elmer's Baltic Porter, Teddy Bear Kisses Imperial Stout, and Winter Warmer, more bourbon-barrel-aged beers, a bigger launch of lambics, a dark wild launch, two releases of Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA, Banshee Scotch Ale, possibly a collaboration brew, possibly bottled Preservation Pilsner in returnable cartons and the continued supply of our excellent core line up. Those are things we are pretty sure will happen, but some mystery brews will surely pop up somewhere in the meantime (I have a real hankering to brew a beer called Pirate vs. Ninja involving darkness and rum barrels; that is probably something to be brutally wary of). We also look forward to Shoreline picking up our old bottling line and buying some six packs of their tasty brews next year. We look forward to more Indiana breweries and the continued success of our Hoosier brew community. As to the larger craft brewing industry, we look forward to another year of growth as a beer segment, and the beers that have yet to be brewed.”
-Caleb Staton, Head Brewer, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington

“I think that we need to continue doing what we are doing to expose people to better beer. Tappings, brewfests and great groups like the Geeks are helping tremendously. As a matter of fact I am starting a blog that the three Indy downtown breweries (The Ram, The Rock and The Alcatraz) have come up with to keep people more informed as to what we are doing.”
-Skip DuVall, Assistant Brewer, Alcatraz Brewing Company, Indianapolis

“Our focus for the new year is to expand our bottle sales both locally and in the Indianapolis market and to increase the number of in-house beer-centered events, i.e. brewers dinners; hop variety experiences; and offering more cask-conditioned selections. Things to be wary of in the craft beer industry: Too much focus on extreme beers and the resulting extreme beer prices.”
-Greg Emig, President/Brewer, Lafayette Brewing Co., Lafayette

“Individually, NABC hopes to have a greater draft presence statewide, and to make up our minds about whether to can or bottle. Increased numbers of draft handles will lead to a faster resolution of the packaging issue for us. As for the craft business in general, I see further growth, because I see most of us working hard at the grassroots, local level, which is where sustainability begins.”
-Roger A. Baylor, Carnival Barker and Sometimes Owner, New Albanian Brewing Co., New Albany.

“A rise in gas prices could be an issue again. I think we will see more craft beer in cans as well!”
-Mat Gerdenich, Cavalier Distributing, Indianapolis

The Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack: Stacey McGinnis, Front Operations Manager, Tyranena Brewing Company

In helping put together the brewery list for Saturday's Brewers of Indiana Guild Winterfest, we reached out to a number of Indiana sister state breweries. Because of past experience, we thought it might also make sense to look to Missouri and Wisconsin and see if we could find any interest from breweries there.

We were quite happy when the folks at Tyranena responded. We reviewed Tyranena's The Devil Made Me Do It! Imperial Porter back in March of 2009, giving it a very solid 4.3 mug score - so we know that the brewery is very capable.

We look forward to seeing Tyranena's beer in bars and liquor stores in Indiana, and we thank Stacey for taking the time to contribute to our Six Pack series.

1) Who are you and where do you work?

My name is Stacey McGinnis, aka the "Devourer of Men's Souls", and I’m the Front Operations Manager for Tyranena Brewing Company in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. I’m a Scorpio, my favorite color is currently Lucite's 54D-5 'Silent Night' (and incidentally that is also the same color blue of my living room walls), I’m a big fan of ellipses (…) and I prefer sans serif fonts to serif (especially Times New Roman… ick). :-)

Before we get too far… let me answer a few other frequently asked questions.

How do you pronounce Tyranena? Tie•rah•nee•nah… just like it looks. Or, if it’s easier to remember, like two women’s first names: “Tyra” Banks, “Nina” Simone.

And what does it mean? Tyranena is the indigenous name for Rock Lake, the body of water for which Lake Mills takes its name. (Yes, our founding fathers were incredibly creative… the lake had a rocky shore – hence Rock Lake – and there were two mills on that lake – presto, Lake Mills.) Our brewery is located just a stone’s throw from the oldest known civilization in Wisconsin at Aztalan. Tyranena is believed to be a name passed down from that ancient culture to the Native Americans that inhabited this area prior to the settlers arriving in the early 1800’s.

So where is Lake Mills? Lake Mills is located between Madison and Milwaukee on I-94; about 25 minutes from the east side of Wisconsin’s capitol city and 45 minutes west of its largest metropolitan area.

What does a Front Operations Manager do? When I accepted my position at Tyranena, I was the only full-time employee other than Rob Larson, our founder and brewer. It took a while for Rob to come up with my title; I think it was nearly a year before I had business cards! Basically, it boils down to a bit of a joke… There are glass doors that divide our lobby, Tasting Room and offices from the brewhaus, bottling line and warehouse. Rob says I’m in charge of everything going on in “front” of those glass doors… but basically I have my hands in everything except for brewing beer. I also try, with limited success, to stay off the bottling line, though occasionally I have to fill in or help out with special packaging.

I’ve been with the brewery in various capacities for 7 years now. My servitude entails working closely with Rob (a full-time job in and of itself) as well as with our many events, staff, customers, vendors, beer geeks, distributors and the general public at-large.

And since Jessie will be pouring with me at Winterfest, it’s only fair for me to out her here as well... Jessie Nimm, Tyranena’s Beer Ambassador (aka salesperson), has been slaving for the brewery for about 3-1/2 years. Her responsibilities include working with our network of distributors on pricing, promotional programs, and brand placement at the retail level. With a very strong sales and relationship-building background, Jessie has helped the brewery grow significantly. Oh and she’s a Capricorn, her favorite color is blue and her favorite style of beer is either an IPA or Porter.

2) How did you get into craft beer? Were you a craft beer drinker before you took a job working for the brewery?

Actually, I was not only NOT a craft beer drinker 7 years ago when I began working at the brewery… I wasn’t even a BEER drinker. I was THAT GIRL… you know the one that says, with a wrinkled-up nose, “I don’t drink beer.” Funny how things turn out! Fact is I simply didn’t like what I knew as “beer” back then. I’d grown up thinking beer consisted of just light-bodied lagers; I had no idea of the myriad of flavors that just a few simple ingredients could create.

So with that in mind, it’s fairly ironic that I started bartending part-time at Tyranena, which has a tasting room that serves nothing but beer, in January of 2003. My first day walking into the Tasting Room for training was the first time I’d ever set foot in this or any other brewery! But it was nearly love at first sight. And as such I started working every Wednesday and nearly every other day I could get behind that bar… So when it came time for Rob to hire a full-time helper, well, it was me. I’m sure that this is something Rob regrets at least five days a week but he just can’t seem to get rid of me now!

Truth be told, Tyranena has a certain something about it… I felt it right away. There’s a warm kind of comfort (regardless of Rob’s personality) when you walk through our doors that you just don’t get at every “bar”. Not to mention that we are incredibly lucky to have a great group of regulars and fans, amazing customers and a great staff to boot! If ever you get a chance to swing through Lake Mills, I highly recommend it stopping by the brewery!

3) Right now you're distributing in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois - what is it about Indiana that got the brewery's interest as a possible candidate for expansion? And are you looking anywhere else? If you are looking somewhere else, is it an Indiana vs wherever else situation?

Hmm… Honestly, Indiana seemed like a natural progression… We moved into Chicago last spring; it seems only fitting to creep on over toward the Hoosier state next! But really there are a lot of pieces to the decision-making puzzle. First, there should be some interest… both from consumers and from potential distributors. And, of course, we have to become amateur-experts on each state’s liquor law when we decide to make the leap across another state line. As it turns out, Indiana has reasonably uncomplicated regulations and also does not require exorbitant annual permits or fees from a brewery to distribute there. So that’s a huge plus for IN!

But our decision will mainly be based on finding the right fit with a distributor in the Indiana market. Most states have laws making it a real headache to transfer brands from one distributor to another. In all honesty, WE don’t want to cause that kind of upheaval in changing brands anyway. It’s better for all parties concerned that we make the right choice from the onset. We’re a small brewery. We don’t have a huge salesforce or fleet; we have a decrepit van, a burgundy toaster (aka a Honda Element) and one salesperson that currently flits between highways and airports in three states. We rely heavily on our distributors to be an extension of our business, to BE our eyes, ears, arms and legs in a market. So it’s very important that we find a connection with a distributor. We simply have to be on the same page on a variety of levels. So we do a lot of research before making any promises. And that’s where we are right now… researching. Hopefully, it’ll all work out!

As far as opening distribution in other states, we have also been contemplating heading into Missouri, however, it’s not really an either-or kind of situation. When the time is right, we will take Tyranena where we feel it will be sold, consumed, marketed and appreciated appropriately!

4) You have what appears to be a very nice facility - did the brewery start there? What's the history of Tyranena Brewing? Who's behind the founding of the brewery?

Yup. She’s a beaut! The brewery is exactly where it has always been… same city, same location since established in 1999. Tyranena was built from the ground up to be a brewery while many of our colleagues in Wisconsin have had to retrofit their breweries into existing buildings. Not that that necessarily impedes their ability to make great beer, but it can make things more difficult to grow. We are situated on over 7-acres… plenty of room to make beer, throw a Frisbee and walk the dogs. In regards to our equipment, our brewhaus and bottling line originally came from Ambleside Brewing in Minnesota; the equipment was only about a year-old when Rob purchased and moved it to Lake Mills to start Tyranena. I guess it’s not quite as modern as it used to be… but it does the trick!


As I briefly mentioned before, Rob is our founder and brewer… he is the man behind the brewery. Tyranena is his brainchild. But you can’t forget the women, dogs and new guy that work diligently for the man behind Tyranena Brewing Company… We’re pretty proud of our team. (More of a slightly dysfunctional family than a team… but…) We have just four full-time employees, including Rob. Six if you count the dogs… We all do our part to make the brewery what it is today, for better or worse!

Why did Rob start the brewery, you might ask? One day back in ’97 or ’98, Rob found himself with a love of drinking good beer, passion for his homebrewing kit and, miraculously, unemployed with a chunk of capital. What to do, what to do? So in addition to earning his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the UW Madison, he went on to pursue a brewer’s certificate from the Siebel Institute in Chicago and to study abroad at Brewlab in Sunderland, England. And soon after, Tyranena was born!

5) What is it about Tyranena's beers that sets them apart from other beer?

What’s special about Tyranena? Other than we produce high quality beers that are thought-provoking, creative and unique in a variety of flavors to suit diverse palates… Wait. You need more? J

Well, we believe our beers have fantastic flavor profiles, but each year-round and seasonal beer brewed at Tyranena also has a unique name specific to the history and folklore of the surrounding area or refers to something quintessentially “Wisconsin”. These legendary labels have become a trademark of our establishment and are part of the distinctive charm of our beers.

And then there’s our Brewers Gone Wild! Series… full of beers that are big, bold and ballsy. They are incredible; each with amazing flavor, body and charisma. We’ve had a lot of people ask where the names for THESE beers come from… certainly not from folklore. The names come from somewhere deep in Rob’s brain. (Scary, I know.)

Our Brewers Gone Wild! Series beers are big and geared towards aficionados. They have crazy, in-your-face flavors to match their bold and sometimes daring names. Obviously, the names also grab your attention but, in case you are wondering, they are not meant to be offensive… The first printer we worked with on these labels didn’t agree. The company actually ended up declining our business because of the names of the beers! (They really frowned upon printing “HopWhore” even though the Federal government had no problem approving the label.) We know the names are definitely out there and more extreme than anything else we've ever done. But... that's exactly the point. So are the beers.

6) Which Tyranena beer is your favorite? And does the brewery generally roll out the whole lineup (6 regular, 4 seasonal, and the Brewers Gone Wild series) when moving into a state? And what sort of timeline are you looking at?

I really enjoy our porters, especially the imperial barrel-aged ones! (I’m also looking forward to the release of our new Spring seasonal, Down ‘n Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout.) Who’s Your Daddy?, which was our very first Brewers Gone Wild! release, was pure magic. I have just one lonely bottle in the back of my refrigerator that I am saving for a special occasion… like when I get married… or upon the birth of my first child. That’s how great this beer is.

We hope that a new distributor will take on our full lineup, including our year-round flavors, new seasonal lineup (there are now 6 flavors) and the Brewers Gone Wild beers. But that decision is ultimately made by the distributor. I imagine that they take into consideration the demand and interest for the brands when ordering so… speak up Hoosier Beer Geeks! Be sure to let your favorite liquor store and watering hole know what flavors YOU want to see in your market. It makes a difference!

And lastly, in regards to a timeline for our brands hitting Indiana taps and shelves… well, all I can say is we hope sometime soon? (With a question mark, of course.) The appropriate “time” decision will ultimately be arrived at by the brewery and whoever our distributor turns out to be… assuming, of course, all parties come to terms. Then it will be a matter of when we can schedule releases, transit, marketing, product availability, license approval and a whole slew of other things.

The Hoosier Beer Geek 6 Pack: Mikkel Bjergsø of Mikkeller

The Hoosier Beer Geek 6 Pack is a feature where we run six questions by the folks behind the scenes at breweries to get a little more insight into what they do and like and how they got their start.

If you've been reading HBG for a while, then the following brewer needs no introduction. From our 2008 Beer of the Year, to our Craft Beer Breakfast and our Mikkeller Marathon roundtable review, we've never hidden the fact that we're huge fans of the work of Mikkel Bjergsø. It's with great pleasure we present this 6 pack interview.


1) The first thing we normally ask in these interviews is your name, age, location, and the name of the brewery you work for.

Mikkel Bjergsø, 33, Copenhagen - Denmark, Mikkeller

2) Your story is interesting in that you and your friend Kristian Klarup Keller started as bottling homebrewers, gained a reputation for doing great beer, and then the distributors started calling. Was it that simple? And how did you convince a professional brewery to let them let you use their equipment?

Yep, it's actually that simple. Having homebrewed for three years we started selling small batches of beer from my brother's shop in Copenhagen, Denmark. Suddenly these beers showed up in different parts of the world and got some great reviews on beer sites like Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate. Our small batches started selling out in a matter of hours and we thought it would be fun to get a wider distribution. Instead of following the trend in Denmark and opening our own brewery we contacted a few breweries in Denmark asking them for the possibility of renting their equipment and brewing our beer. We wanted to keep our jobs and did not want to take huge loans, as it often affects the quality of the beer you produce. If you have a 2 million dollar debt it's hard not to compromise to sell more beer. The breweries we contacted thought we were crazy, but we convinced some of them to let us use their equipment.

3) You went from homebrewer to Danish Brewery of the Year pretty much instantly, and were ranked as the 6th best brewery in the world by Ratebeer.com in the course of a year. Where does that come from? To read that--and I'm not looking to embarrass or flatter you--but you'd have to think, "Well this guy must be some sort of genius." At what point did you realize, "Maybe I really have a gift for this?"

To me it's not that hard! I started brewing beer at home as I thought something was missing in Denmark. Ten years ago we started getting a lot of new breweries here, but due to the mentioned big loans, they pretty much all brewed the same boring pale ale, pilsner, weissbier, etc., in order to sell a lot of beer. The Danish public weren't ready for out-of-this-world beer styles. I looked over to the U.S. and found breweries like Three Floyds, Stone, Alesmith, Dogfish Head, Founders, etc., and thought - beers like this are what I want to drink, and if you can't buy it, brew it yourself. I don't think I'm a genius or have a special gift for brewing--maybe I just have good taste in beer :-)


4) Did you start with the the complete joy of homebrewing like everyone else does? What's your brewing background? And when you're coming up with something now, do you still start the recipes as a homebrew?

When I stared homebrewing, I had a couple homebrew books, but I didn't use them for too long. I quickly got more interested in doing things my own way. I am a chemistry teacher at a school in Copenhagen (I still am half-time, since I love teaching and cannot let go if it) so that might have helped with the theoretical part a bit. Besides this I have no background. For the first year or so with Mikkeller, I did homebrew batches to test new recipes, but since I am getting more and more busy, I don't have time for that anymore. When creating new recipes I think about beers within a style that I like and try to take the best part from different beers. I sample a lot of different beers from all over the world to get inspired. I think this is a very important thing if you want to brew good beer. You have to know the best that is out there and try to make it even better :-)

5) In the United States, craft breweries often like to make an "us versus them" argument when talking about large breweries (like Anheuser-Busch and Miller/Coors) and themselves, basically saying that the large breweries are making bad beer, and that the smaller breweries are the "little guy" fighting a major battle. Do you see your brewery in the same sort of position? Are you fighting a "battle for better beer" against the likes of Carlsberg in Denmark?

Not fighting Carlsberg, fighting boring and uninteresting beer. Carslberg is and will always be the number one choice for 95+% people of the Danish population. I think it is sad that so many people don't know what possibilities beer has. I want to show them what hops, malts, and yeast taste like. Not to take customers away form Carlsberg, but to enlighten people in the wonderful work of craft brewing. If people enjoy one IPA for every 100 Carlsbergs, I am happy.

6) A life of traveling the world and brewing beer with the world's greatest brewers seems like a romantic dream for many of us. Is it all good times, or are there headaches (not just from the beer) that come along with that sort of lifestyle?

Traveling and meeting great people and brewers is what makes it all fun. I am in a very fortunate position that I am able to do this. Meeting my brewing idols all over the world, sharing thoughts and ideas with them, is really great. But it is also great being back home teaching and having colleagues and students that you know well and share your everyday life with. Traveling can be very lonely even though you meet a lot of people. I just got a wonderful little daughter which of course has changed things, but I will always be traveling and hopefully brew with the best brewers in the world.

The Hoosier Beer Geek 6 Pack: Valgeir Valgeirsson of Ölvisholt Brugghús, Iceland

In the three years that Hoosier Beer Geek has been around, we've seen the category of craft beer grow from 3.42% (2006) to 4.04% (2008) of the overall beer market in the United States. While craft beer is only 1% of the total market in Indiana, we've seen this growth echoed throughout the state.

Things could be much worse. Consider the nation of Iceland. Although roughly the size of Kentucky, Iceland has only 40% of the population of Indianapolis - tough ground for any brewery to operate in. And consider this - up until March 1st, 1989, Iceland had prohibition in place on beer over 2.25% ABV. Although the repeal of Iceland's prohibition is now celebrated with Beer Day (an unofficial holiday), things are still a bit grim for those Icelanders in search of bigger and better beer.

Baring all this in mind, those Icelander's who have made advanances into the world of craft beer should be considered heros. One such hero is Valgeir Valgeirsson.

1) Who are you and where do you work?

My name is Valgeir Valgeirsson, 28 years old and I live in Reykjavík Iceland. I am the brewer at Ölvisholt Brugghús, located on a small farm in a renovated barn.

2) Hopefully you're old enough to remember - what was it like before prohibition? Was there a pent-up demand for beer in Iceland?

I was eight when beer was allowed again so I personally did not notice any big change. But the demand was very high for beer, the last years before the ban was lifted it was common to mix together a low alcohol beer (below 2.25%) with a shot of vodka (or something worse) and this was served to people in bars as beer. The day beer was allowed, there were long queues in front of the alcohol stores and people were very excited to try the four brands of beer available.

3) Before I headed over to Iceland, I did a few searches on the internet looking for Icelandic craft beer, and seemed to find that Iceland has very little variety in its beer (I read somewhere online that Iceland was a "beer wasteland") . In my short time in Reykjavik and Akureyri I noticed that the most beer in Iceland seems to come from Egils, which seems to be part of a larger company called Olgerdin - a company that sells everything from Gatorade to Pepsi to Doritos. The beers that Olgerdin sells - either under the Egils or Tuborg brands - tend to be pale and light flavored lagers. Iceland's other large brewery seemed to be the Viking Brewery, who seem to be making the same sort of light lagers as Egils and Tuborg.

In the United States, craft breweries often like to make an "us versus them" argument when talking about large breweries (like Anheuser-Busch and Miller/Coors) and themselves - basically saying that the large breweries are making bad beer, and that the smaller breweries are the "little guy" fighting a major battle (there was even a Beer Wars movie released recently). Do you see your brewery in the same sort of position? Are you fighting a "battle for better beer" against Iceland's larger breweries?

My main battle is for awareness, getting people to understand that if they are interested there exists a wide variety of quality beers. Essentially that is of course a battle against the beers that dominate the market. But in no way am I in any kind of a struggle with the big players, actually I am in very good contact with Egils for example. As a former employee, I know people there and they have helped me out a few times.

4) A multi-part question: What is your background in beer? Where did you learn to brew? How long have you been brewing? Why did you start your own brewery?

I got interested in beer well before I was allowed to buy it, and on my 20th birthday (legal buying age in Iceland) I went to the government controlled liquor store and bought two bottles of every beer that was available in Iceland. It didn't turn out to be that many bottles and mainly of the same tasteless light lager. It was then that I decided that I wanted to do something to improve the beer culture in Iceland if only for myself to have the choice between two or three decent beers if the mood struck me.

I got my first working experience in the beer world at Egils, in quality control. After that I went to Scotland where I got a Master degree in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. After my studies I was hired by the Williams brothers at Heather Ale Brewery in Alloa, Scotland as a brewer assistant, although my main job was to run the bottling line. It was there where I got my first taste of specialty brewing. It was then in Denmark where I spent some time at Gourmet Bryggeri, which also brewed the Ölfabrikkens beers, where I truly realized that brewing has no limits except your own imagination. The Danish beer culture was going through a similar revolution as in the USA and it seemed like all the new small breweries were in a competition to brew the biggest and boldest beer possible. It was truly amazing and has influenced me a great deal. This is why in my short career of only 18 months as head brewer for Ölvisholt Brewery I have put out on the market seven types of beer, all distinctively unique to the Icelandic market.

The brewery is on a small farm where there had not been practiced any traditional agriculture for some time. There were two small barns on the farm that were not in use, so it was one evening when the farm owner and his neighbor were having a drink and discussing what these empty barns could be used for. After many drinks, one of them carelessly came up with the idea to use them as a brewery. Neither of them took the proposal seriously since neither of them had any knowledge in brewing or running a brewery whatsoever. But luckily the idea stuck back in their minds and on the 20th December 2007 the first batch of beer was brewed in the old barn at Ölvisholt farm.

5) What is your goal for your brewery? I think I read that you're already doing a little exporting - do you hope to someday distribute your beer worldwide?

At the moment we are exporting to Denmark and Sweden and very soon to Canada as well. It would be fantastic to be able to distribute to the whole world but frankly I cannot see that I will ever have the capacity to do that without having to build a whole new brewery. Our vision is mainly to be able to run a small brewery that is focused on quality and diversity in the one dimensional market in Iceland and with time be able to push up our beer culture.


6) Do you have any breweries you look up to? Are there other breweries in Iceland that we should know about? And how has your beer been received?

I admire every brewery that has the guts to take some risks in their brewing, even if the results are sometimes questionable like my Danish friend's asparagus beer.

The first Icelandic microbrewery Bruggsmiðjan Árskógsströnd, started brewing in 2006. They are not taking any big risks with their brands but they do produce quality beers which is more than most breweries in Iceland.

We started off slowly, we had no idea what to expect in the beginning, but now things are rolling rather fast and we have problems keeping up with demand. One of the biggest compliments we have received is that the companies importing our beer abroad originally came to us looking to do business after trying our beer. This means that the biggest beer exporter in Iceland is a brewery with a maximum production capacity of 300.000 liters a year, in a country where beer consumption is around 16 million liters a year.

The Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack: Jon Myers, Brewer/Owner Powerhouse Brewing Company

1) Who are you and where do you work? I am Jon Myers; I work for Power House Brewing Co.

2) What got you into the brewing/bar business?
I have worked in the restaurant industry off and on since I was 17 years old. When I was in college, at Ball State University, I began working at the now defunct BW-3 in the village. I started as a cook and eventually worked my way up to General Manager. One of the owners, Mike DeWeese, had a passion for beer and had several great beers at BW-3. I also lived three blocks from the Heorot, a great beer bar in downtown Muncie. I had always had an interest in beer, like it was in my blood. My dad used to give me sips of his Stroh’s when I was a kid, and I thought it was the best thing in the world. When I turned 21 the first bar I went to was the Columbus, which I now own. I asked the server if they had any “imported beer.” I had until that point only had whatever swill beer I could get my hands on as a teenager, and I had always heard beer from Europe was superior to American beer. The first beer I had there was a Newcastle Brown Ale.

After graduating from college I moved to the downtown Indianapolis Buffalo Wild Wings (BW-3 had officially changed its name). The downtown location was also owned by Mike DeWeese and the beer selection was even better. Naively I thought I could make better use of my education than work at a restaurant. So I resigned from Buffalo Wild Wings and began looking for a “real job.”

This was right after the dot com bubble burst and there was a lot of competition on the job market, so the “real job” never materialized. I moved back to my hometown of Columbus, Indiana in 2001. My father had some rental property for sale so I bought them and moved back. My lease was up on my apartment, my roommates were not sticking around and I had been working as a bartender in Greensburg, IN so there was no reason for me to stay in Indy. I moved into one of the rentals. It seemed I couldn’t escape the restaurant industry. I took on the rental properties thinking I could sustain myself from the rental income. After six months it became evident I needed a job so I got a job bar tending in a new restaurant in downtown Columbus, (also defunct). There was no good beer to be found in Columbus. The lack of beer took me by surprise, I had been spoiled working around good beer and living in an area where good beer was available. I began home brewing. My interest in home brewing led me to visit the great brewpubs in Indianapolis and Louisville. I realized there was an opportunity. While I worked for BW-3 my dad had entertained the notion of investing in a BW-3 franchise. I convinced my dad we should start our own bar in Columbus focusing on good beer.

We opened the bar in 2003. Things did not go well for us and in 2005 my dad sold the bar and got out of the bar business. While working at the bar I befriended my current business partner Doug Memering. One day Doug mentioned how he thought Columbus needed a brewpub. I agreed and we began to put a plan together as to what that brewpub may look like. In 2005, after Dad sold the bar, I learned the Columbus Bar was for sale. This is the first bar I went to when I turned 21. It has been in operation since 1939, it’s a beautiful and historical civic icon. We decided the Columbus Bar would be a good “Pub” side of the brewpub and in 2006 we took possession and remolded the Columbus Bar.

3) Was there a beer that you bench marked your own against? How did you know your beer was good enough to take to the general public?
There are several beers I had in mind as I began brewing my own beer. I was inspired by brewers like Bell’s and Three Floyd’s. I liked breweries that had a theme, but respected each style. Breweries where you knew the beer would be good without ever having tried it.
People who tried my home brews liked them, even the beers I was not entirely happy with people liked. I was pretty sure I could sell my beers in a “brewpub” where no other beer was offered, in a town like Columbus where this was a new concept. However, when we took over the Columbus Bar it would be a year before we started brewing. We added 20 draft lines and vowed not to have a bad beer on any of them. Between this and the bar I operated with my dad I had opened a market for craft beer in an area where it did not exist a few years before. So when we added our beers to our tap rotation it was up against the finest beers in the world. They were up against Bell’s and Three Floyd’s. They were up against breweries I loved and regarded highly. Needless to say I was nervous. It was not until our beer was on tap and sold as well as other great beers that I was sure our beer was ready for the public. It wasn’t until the 2007 Indiana Microbrewer’s Fest when thousands of people tried our beer and said, “this is great,” that I really knew we had what it takes to make great beer.

4) What beer are you proudest of? Which of your beers is your personal favorite? Why?
I am most proud of Diesel Oil Stout. I knew I wanted to give the people of my hometown something to be proud of. I knew I wanted to make beers that evoked the local spirit, history and culture. Columbus is home to Cummins, Inc., manufacturers of diesel engines. My business partner Doug works for Cummins. My dad retired from Cummins. The majority of our customers work for Cummins. I had the idea for “Diesel Engine” Stout. Later my business partner Doug called in “Diesel Oil Stout” by mistake and I thought that was a better name. I knew what I wanted out of this beer. I wanted a black black stout with a dirty brown head, but I wanted the beer to be drinkable, to be a session beer. I didn’t want to make an over the top stout. Since then Diesel Oil Stout has become our flagship beer.

I do not really have a favorite beer, it would be like having a favorite child, it’s just not fair. I will tell you two of my favorite moments with our beers. After the 2009 Winterfest I had some Wee Heavy Scotch Ale left over so I took a growler home. My wife, Robin, and I sat by the fire and sipped this beer and I have to say I enjoyed it and felt proud.

The summer of 2007 we were brewing Workingman Wheat. I bottled a few by hand and took some home. This is a little over a year since we took over the Columbus Bar and we had just started brewing. Work was very stressful, getting a business off the ground is not easy, it takes a tremendous amount of dedication, strength and support from friends and family. To ease stress Robin and I like to work in our garden. That summer we were working in the garden, it was a beautiful day. I took a break and poured myself a Workingman and drank it on our back patio in the sun. That was a perfect beer moment. The beer was perfect and I was so proud of it.

5) With the size of your operation, how do you decide what to make next, or what is your creative process for making a new beer?
We try to keep Diesel Oil on all the time. We brew 20 gallon batches and that is really small. Basically we brew one keg at a time. There have been moments where we did not have any of our beer on tap at all. We decided Diesel Oil had the most customer support so we would make Diesel Oil all the time to keep it on tap. Whenever we get a few kegs stocked up of Diesel Oil we will make another beer. This Christmas we had four of our beers on tap, a new record.
When we started brewing we would brew a different beer every season. Workingman Wheat in the summer, Columbus Common in the fall, White River Brown Ale in the spring and Diesel Oil in the winter. We still try to follow the seasons. We have Diesel Oil on all the time, but we put our porter on and our 1436 Dark Wheat on in the winter. This summer we will brew more Workingman Wheat.

When we come up with a new beer we think about the style of beer we want to brew. For example, during the winter of the hop crisis I decided to make a Scotch Ale, because there is a low hop profile and it was winter and Scotch Ales are great winter beers. I reflected on Scotch Ales, asked myself, what I like about Scotch Ales, what makes them good, what makes them unique. I also enjoy a good Scotch whiskey with a good in your face peat profile, and I wanted to give our Scotch Ale a little of that characteristic. From there I put a recipe together using a little of whatever hop I could get my hands on and a great beer was born.

My fellow brewer, David Baugher came up with the recipe for 1436 Dark Wheat Ale. It was summer and we had been brewing Workingman Wheat. Batch after Batch after Batch of Workingman Wheat. David wanted to brew something else, change it up a bit. Inspired by Dunkle Weiss [style] he put together a unique dark wheat beer. We tried it and it was a hit, people ask for it all the time.

6) Which beers outside of your own do you enjoy? What beer do you wish you came up with? Why?
I love a lot of different beers and beer styles. I’m a big fan of Belgian ales, specifically abbey and doubles. I like pale ales and IPA’s with a great hop character that have a strong malt backbone. Founder’s IPA is a great example. In the winter I like a good barley wine with a couple of years on it, and in the summer I’ll have a pilsner or a hefe-weizen.

There really isn’t any beer I wish I had created that I didn’t create, there are several that I enjoy.

We sincerely wish to thank Jon for taking the time to answer our questions. If you are in the Columbus area, or shopping at the outlet mall, stop by and have a few pints and some good food. Here is a link to their website.