Headed Through Indy, Looking for Beer

From the mailbag:

Dear Hoosier Beer Geek(s),

I'm from Knoxville, TN and will be traveling up to your parts, specifically Newcastle, tomorrow to visit family. While I'm in Indiana, I am hoping to try some local beers that I wouldn't normally have access to in East Tennessee.

While doing some planning/research, your site came up relatively high in my Google search, and so I figured asking some area enthusiasts would probably be the best way to find the best local beer. So if you've got any suggestions for any microbreweries around the Newcastle area (I'm assuming Indianapolis is my best bet), or restaurants that brew their own beer, or even local/semi-local beer that I could simply find at the grocery store would be awesome. If it's any help, I love me some porters and black lager, but will go for IPAs as well, and pretty much anything in between. I'm really up for anything that is quality brewing.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Daniel

Although this question comes up about once a month on the BeerAdvocate messageboards, it's not all that common here - but in our self-appointed role as Indy's beer ambassadors, we're always looking for ways to make the site a better resource.

As a start, our all-encompassing "Where to Drink" Indianapolis content can be found here. It's been a little while since it's been updated, but I think it's a good start.

If you've got limited time in Indy and are headed north up 65, I'd start at Oaken Barrel, repeat winners of the Indiana Brewers Cup. Depending on what time or day of the week you're through town, you might be able to hit up the Sun King tasting room downtown (4pm - 7pm Thursdays, 1pm - 7pm Fridays, and 1pm - 4pm on Saturdays). While you're downtown, you can check out the local Crown Liquors (141 East Ohio St.) for a good look at what's available in Indy's liquor stores.

From there, time permitting, you could head north up College Avenue and hit Upland's tap room for a good sampling of what they're up to down in Bloomington. Further north on college is Barley Island's restaurant. At this point you'll be in Broad Ripple, where you can hit Brugge Brasserie (my personal choice for where to eat) and the Broad Ripple Brewpub (Indy's first brewpub, since 1990).

Obviously that's a lot of stops, but it's also a lot of options.

That map would look something like this.

Newcastle is pretty far up there (I had to look it up myself), but it looks like you'll be traveling up IN31 to get there, which means you'll also roll right past Half Moon in Kokomo - they're worth a shot as well. We visited there a while back - unfortunately Brass Monkey (also featured in the article I just linked to) is now closed.

Hope this helps you out. Good luck, be safe, and enjoy what Indiana has to offer.

36 hours in Indianapolis

Hoosier Beer Geek has been fortunate to establish relationships with people who are just as geeked about craft beer as we are. These other geeks come from both within and outside of Indiana. Two of those non-Hoosier beer geeks are Mike from STLHops and Jeffrey from Madison Beer Review.

The three cities are in relatively close proximity and can easily serve as weekend getaways for the craft beer geek. With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, and it being one of the biggest travel weekends of the year, it was decided that each of us would write a guide on what to do if you have 36 hours in their city.

Wednesday, we had a guide for 36 hours in St. Louis, MO. Yesterday, we had a guide for 36 hours in Madison, WI. Today, we have a guide for 36 hours in Indianapolis, created by HBG's Mike...

Friday

5 p.m.
Meet the Hoosier Beer Geeks' Favorite Bartender


Deano's Vino, Fountain Square, Indianapolis
Deano's Vino/Naptown Wine Bar has closed.

Dead center in the Fountain Square neighborhood lies Deano's Vino (1112 Shelby St., (317) 423-3154), a bar/restaurant better known to locals as one of the city's more relaxed wine drinking establishments. Don't let that scare you off. Deano's has (just) three taps, all stocking craft beer--usually a Bell's product, something from Crooked Tree, and a wildcard. In addition, there's a craft-heavy bottled beer list that's 30+ deep. Sit at the bar (try to get one of the much more comfortable larger stools - shouldn't be a problem this early) and watch and listen as bartender Nick repeatedly lays into the clientele. Do not expect fast service at Deano's; it's not going to happen. Instead, be patient, enjoy your beer, and have a conversation with the folks around you. You'll soon realize that everyone at Deano's is a regular.

Deano's Vino/Naptown Wine Bar has closed.

8 p.m.
A Table With A View

You won't have to go far from Deano's (just across the street, actually) to check out ShelBi Street Cafe and Bistro's Rooftop Garden (1105 Shelby St., (317) 687-4857). Choose from the cafe's extensive seasonable menu, add an outdoor rooftop view of the city, and you're sure to have a winner. ShelBi Street also features a nice little beer menu, and the bread pudding dessert is a nice way to top off a stomach filled with beer.

10 p.m.
No Ducks Will Be Harmed

Don't leave the building! Hopefully you've made reservations early, because Duckpin Bowling is a popular weekend activity in Fountain Square. Duckpin bowling is a ten-pin game, but you use a softball-sized ball. It's a very '50's sort of thing, and the 11 p.m. closing time means you'll be back to the hotel and get enough sleep in for tomorrow's marathon drinking session.

Saturday

8 a.m.
Fish or Pancakes?

Be late and expect a wait when trying to eat at the cozy City Cafe (443 N. Pennsylvania St., (317) 833-2233). The breakfast menu features interesting spins on classic breakfast recipes and a regular Saturday morning special option--either a special (and rarely repeated) pancake option, or a fish option. I tend to trust the chef and go with whatever they're doing with the pancakes, but the fish (for breakfast!) special usually looks like a winner as well. Of course if you'd prefer something else, the battered french toast or the eggs Benedict are tasty options.

9 a.m.
A Slight Respite Before The Gauntlet

After filling your belly, head across the street to the north side of Veterans Memorial Park and visit the newly redesigned Indianapolis Central Library (40 E. Saint Clair St., (317) 275-4100). Reopened in 2008, the library project was overrun with construction problems and came in way overbudget. But the building is spectacular, and the downtown views from the upper floors are quite an asset.

2 p.m.
Figure out Who's the Designated Driver Beforehand, and Get Your Afternoon Drunk On


Brugge Brasserie, Broad Ripple, Indianapolis
Head to Indy's Broad Ripple neighborhood and settle into a chair on the porch or deck at Brugge Brasserie (1011 E. Westfield Blvd., (317) 255-0978), where you can watch the locals passing by on the nearby Monon Trail. While the upstairs bar offers a nice assortment of foreign and domestic beer options, you'll want to start off with The Black, a beer that might be Brugge's calling card. Pair your Black with an appetizer of frites (fries). If you've got company, order the L'Enorme frites--the myriad of sauces make for good conversation. For a main course, try anything off the menu--the crepes, mitrailettes (sandwiches), soups, and mussels are all winners here. Before leaving, be sure to have a Tripel (and remember there's a two Tripel limit). Stop there, though--you're just getting started with the drinking.

4 p.m.
Nevermind the Bollocks, Here's the Broad Ripple Brewpub


Broad Ripple Brewpub, Broad Ripple, Indianapolis
Instead of getting back in the car, head north (by foot) on the Monon Trail about two blocks to the Broad Ripple Brewpub (840 E. 65th St., (317) 253-2739), Indiana's oldest brewpub. Established in 1990, the Brewpub specializes in authentic English style beer--usually under-carbonated and supremely sessionable. While any of the beers on the menu are worth a shot, we usually start with whatever they've got on cask. If you're lucky enough to catch the porter on cask, watch out--you may never want to leave.

6 p.m.
Watch for Girls Drinking Pitchers of Framboise

If you've still got the stomach for it, take a walk to over to Chumley's Beer House (838 Broad Ripple Ave., (317) 466-1555) before the college kids show up. Featuring 50 taps (roughly 25 craft), you're sure to find something you haven't had before. If I were you, I'd get out of there before the place gets too busy. Then again, I hate people.

9 p.m.
Pizza is the Perfect Drunk Food

Hopefully you've been eating a little along the way, but you'll want to finish up with the city's best pizza. Bazbeaux Broad Ripple (811 E. Westfield Blvd., (317) 255-5711) features a variety of modern pizza options, all of them tasty. The Quattro Formaggio (romano, cheddar, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, bacon and mushroom) is a Hoosier Beer Geek favorite. And they've got a few beer options, as well.

10:30 p.m.
You're On Your Own Now

Find your way back to Brugge (for an on-tap Three Floyds Alpha King) or your hotel as safely as possible.

Sunday

10:00 a.m.
Mass Ave. Awaits

A visit to Indianapolis wouldn't be complete without a visit to the shops and restaurants of the Mass Avenue Arts District. Stop in at Hoaglin To Go (448 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 423-0300) for a filling breakfast before wandering over to Luna Music (431 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 917-5862) to check out the latest and greatest in music. Head towards downtown and stop in at Mass Ave Toys (409 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 955-8697) and pick up something for the young one at home.

And if you still want to drink (...you're a harder person than I), there are plenty of bars around - The Rathskeller, MacNivens, Chatham Tap and Old Point Tavern all have craft beer options.