#HBGWeek | New Indiana Brewery Night at Mass Ave Pub - Thursday, July 17

In the run-up to the Indiana Microbrewers Festival, we're celebrating HBG's Hoosier Beer Week. And we now have more details about one of the events for #HBGWeek.

When: Thursday, July 17, 6:30pm

Where: Mass Ave Pub, 745 Massachusetts Avenue, 317.974.0745

What: New Indiana Brewery Night - Celebrate Indiana's new breweries!

Featured Beers ($4 pours):

18th Street Brewery's Jade (5.5% ABV)

An American Pale Ale brewed with oats, Crystal Rye, and Pacific Jade hops.

Outliers Brewing Company's Hopes & Dreams VSOP (7.5% ABV

A specialty brew to be featured at the Indiana Microbrewers Festival, and you get a privileged first peek at this beer! A light-colored and light-bodied ale brewed with barley, wheat, rice wine yeast, and eight botanicals. Barrel-aged in Cognac barrels.

Outliers Brewing Company's Blau Machen Pilsner (5.5% ABV)

Brewed exclusively with premium European Pilsner malt and a blend of Vanguard and Sterling hops, this pilsner is crisp on the palate with malt sufficient to bolster the hops. Finishes clean with appropriate bitterness.

Scarlet Lane Brewing Company's Dorian Stout (5.1% ABV)

Distinctively ever changing and always unforgiving in its character, Dorian aims to change your thinking of Stouts. Each revolving Dorian Stout incorporates unique and artful approaches to the painting canvas of this traditional beer. A combination of carefully selected Northwest hops, masterfully selected malts and distinct additions will take you to a new discovery of Stouts. Don't go mad however, it's not you changing, it's the Dorian Stout constantly rediscovering itself. 

Taxman Brewing Company's La Maison Saison (7% ABV)

La Maison is our brewery standard that pays ample attention to aromatic hops but stays within the parameters of a French farmhouse style favorite. La Maison employs flavor and aroma hops from the Pacific Northwest. La Maison has a generous dose of Hunter’s honey, earthy undertones and fragrant notes of citrus, grapefruit and pine. The finish is dry with a mild hop bitterness.

Special Guest Beer ($10 pours):

2013 Goose Island Beer Company's Bourbon County Brand Stout (14.2% ABV)

Brewed in honor of the 1000th batch at our original Clybourn brewpub. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer.

We hope you'll join us! In the meantime, spread the word, and use #HBGWeek on social media. An overview of the #HBGWeek calendar is here.

#HBGWeek | HBG's Hoosier Beer Week - July 15-20, 2014

We're eagerly awaiting the Brewers of Indiana Guild's 19th Annual Microbrewer's Festival, which is a little less than a month away. In fact, we're so eager to attend the festival that we want to get into the spirit as soon as we can. To that end, we've put together a series of beer events during festival week. We're calling that series of events Hoosier Beer Geek's Hoosier Beer Week. Spread the word, and use the hashtag #HBGWeek on Twitter and Facebook.

Tuesday, July 15, Mass Ave Pub, 6pm | Girls Pint Out's Second Annual Beer Cocktail Contest. We support the ladies from Girls Pint Out wholeheartedly, so we're leaving this date open on our calendar to attend GPO's Second Annual Beer Cocktail Contest. Come check out the three best cocktail recipes to see who claims the $100 prize!

Wednesday, July 16, Shoefly Public House, 6:30pm | HBG's Favorite Things. Join us at Fall Creek Place's innovative gastropub as we feature some of our favorite beers. Beer lineup includes beers from Brasserie Cantillon, Local Option, and Three Floyds. Full event details here.

Thursday, July 17, Mass Ave Pub, 6:30pm | New Indiana Breweries Night. We celebrate newcomers to Indiana brewing. The beer lineup includes beers from 18th Street, Outliers, Scarlet Lane, and Taxman. Special guest appearance by the king of bourbon-barrel-aged beers, Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout. Full event details here.

Friday, July 18, La Margarita, 6:30pm | Back Home Again in Indiana Night with Rhinegeist Brewery. We feature a tap takeover by Cincinnati's Rhinegeist Brewery. Rhinegeist's head brewer is Jim Matt, who was formerly the Quality Manager at Sun King Brewing Company. Jim will be on hand to chat about Rhinegeist's beers, including the acclaimed Truth IPA. Full event details here.

Saturday, July 19, 3pm - 7pm (2pm Early Bird Admission) | Indiana Microbrewers Festival, Optimist Park & Indianapolis Art Center grounds. Tickets available here.

Sunday, July 20, Thunderbird, Time TBD | Hangover Brunch. Recover from the festival with a hearty brunch at Fountain Square's Thunderbird. Full event details here.

#HBGWeek

HBG Pre-Winterfest Pint Night: Thursday, January 30, 6:30pm, Mass Ave Pub

So we're a little late with the notice. And we apologize. It's just that we've been busy helping the Brewers of Indiana Guild with Winterfest planning, and we've been trying to line up some special beers for our resumption of our monthly Pint Night this month.

As our warm-up for Winterfest, we're featuring two heavy hitters in the DIPA class as the main event. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Bell's Hopslam Ale, the Maniac from Michigan, versus Three Floyds Permanent Funeral, the Rascal from the Region. You'll be able to catch this bout on Thursday, January 30 at 6:30pm at the Mass Ave Pub. A 9 oz. pour of both beers will together cost you $10. Or you can go with a single 9 oz. pour of Hopslam for $6 or a single 9 oz. pour of Permanent Funeral for $4. And if you get pours of both beers, you'll have the option of filling out a judging card on which you'll get to vote for your favorite in this head-to-head match-up.

So join us next Thursday night at the Mass Ave Pub as we get prepped for Winterfest.

Save the Date | June HBG Pint Night, Thursday, June 27, Mass Ave Pub

We apologize for the last minute nature of this announcement, but we're still finalizing the details for the June edition of our monthly Pint Night event. While we're still in the process of choosing the beer and nailing down the exact time, we can tell you that this month's Pint Night will be held at the Mass Ave Pub on Thursday, June 27. Kick-off is likely to be at 6:30 p.m.

Last month's Pint Night focused on a sessionable style. This month we're shooting for something more exotic. So save the date, and we hope to have the final details made available by the end of the week.

What's the purpose of Pint Night? To provide the community with pints at a reasonable price and, if you're interested in learning, to educate you about the particular beer on tap. So come on out and enjoy some great beer and conversation with us.

Scenes from Hoosier Beer Geek's Inaugural Pint Night at Mass Ave Pub

The very first Hoosier Beer Geek Pint Night is in the books. We thank all those who came out to enjoy Founders All Day IPA with us. We also thank Tracy Robertson and Mass Ave Pub for hosting us. If you've never been to Mass Ave Pub and you're into craft beer, we urge you to go. Tracy keeps all taps flowing with craft beer, and you're always bound to find off-the-beaten-path beers in stock.

For those of you wondering, yes, there will be another Pint Night. Indeed, this is going to be a monthly thing. So check back in with us here at Hoosier Beer Geek because we'll soon announce the next location and beer for April's Pint Night. In the meantime, enjoy this peek at what you missed if you weren't able to make it out for Pint Night I.

We hope to see you in April!

Reminder: Inaugural HBG Pint Night is Tonight!

HBG's Inaugural Pint Night | Thursday, March 28, 6:30 p.m., Mass Ave Pub

We're rolling out a new Hoosier Beer Geek event for the first time this month. We're calling it HBG Pint Night, and we hope to make it a regular event.

So join us at the Mass Ave Pub (745 Massachusetts Avenue, 317.974.0745) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28. At this first Pint Night, our featured beer will be Founders All Day IPA, which will run you $3.50 per pint for the night.

What's the purpose of Pint Night? To provide the community with pints at a great price and, if you're interested in learning, to educate you about the particular beer on tap. In fact, we'll provide an information sheet on the beer and welcome your suggestions for which beers we should feature at future HBG Pint Nights. So come on out and enjoy some great beer and conversation with us.

Here's the Facebook event page for HBG Pint Night.

This is Not the Free Word: Smokefree Comes to Indianapolis

On Friday, June 1st, 2012, a door was opened. Those who worked to open the door will soon be forgotten, but deserve our thanks. Kudos to Smoke Free Indy - you'll never have to drink your beer under a cloud of cigarette smoke in an Indianapolis bar again.

Some 12 or so years ago, I came to Indianapolis for a job interview. Waiting in the car in the parking lot, I quickly smoked a cigarette, gave myself a few minutes to shake the smell off, and headed into the building where I would spend the next 12 years of my life.

Because the company I went to work for was family-owned, I found myself in the position of having one of the last office jobs in America where smoking was still permitted. I've been on both sides - the guy smoking in an office with non-smokers, and the non-smoker in an office with smokers. When smoking was banned from our building about five or so years ago - by which time I had given up my pack-a-day habit - I was quite happy to see the cigarette smokers pushed out onto the front porch. I had become the militant ex-smoker. It wasn't until I quit that I realized just how bad those around me had it.

Whatever the argument was, or however it passed, I'm sure that those non-smokers who worked in a smoking-allowed environment work in a better environment today, and I congratulate them. Of course an added bonus is that bars my friends and I have stayed away from before suddenly became places we'll be happy to visit. You can argue for or against the ban all you want - we've got a comments section for that - but we see this smoking ban as a win. We like to drink in bars. More bar options are a good thing.

In order to celebrate, we took in six formerly smoke-friendly Indianapolis bars on Friday evening. Here's how it went.


Our first stop was at the venerable Red Key Tavern. The Red Key's Story is the story of Russ Settle, a World War II pilot and prisoner of war. After the war, Russ bought the Red Key and made it his own, decorating the place with model airplanes, and creating a set of rules that became as well known as the bar itself. Although Russ passed away in 2010, the Red Key is still family owned, and the staff is happy to tell Russ' story.

This being the first day of a smoke-free Red Key, we decided that a beer and a Red Key hamburger would serve as a great base. The Red Key has character in spades, and despite years of patronage by smokers, there wasn't the lingering odor you might expect. Instead we found a cooler full of good enough choices to keep anyone happy - Two Hearted, Sun King, Sierra Pale, Negra Modelo, and even Bud Light Platinum, which we ordered.

Why? Because we like to know what we shouldn't like, and buying one bottle sure beats buying a six pack.

Bud light platinum tastes like chlorinated water, if you're wondering. Or bleach. It's dry and salty, especially if you add salt, which we did. Perhaps the best part of Bud Light Platinum is that it does hide a tiny hint of grape-like flavor. And it comes in a blue bottle, which you don't see everyday. There's probably a pretty good reason for that - if you're proud of your beer you might not want to hide it.

A few in our party tried the mixed drinks, which were reasonably priced and agreeable. "Martinis are like women's breasts - three is too many, two is just right, one is not enough," was apparently something Russ was fond of saying.


Our second stop was The Sinking Ship, a bar that may have captured our attention at opening in 2011, with eight taps, a nice bottle list, a rock club sort of vibe, and... smoking.

I've been to the Sinking Ship before, and while I appreciate that they've stuck to a punk rock vibe, I'm also aware that their goal might not be to attract a guy-in-khakis like myself. But before I sold out, I might have loved the Sinking Ship. If your vibe is punk rock, hockey, black t-shirts, and craft beer, the Sinking Ship is for you. I tried out Flat12's 10 Penny and found that it was made to attract guys like me, in that it was tasty and immediately made me more comfortable. No smoke smell here.


Third on our list was the Lockerbie Pub, which despite being between Sun King and Mass Avenue, has never been visited by the HGB crew. Lockerbie Pub isn't the sort of place that has anything that's immediately striking, only an instantly comfortable vibe, and Sun King's Sky Cake on tap. In addition to a positive vibe, Lockerbie Pub has a pool table and Golden Tee machine, providing entertainment along with the tasty beer. And - again - no lingering smoke smell.


After our drinks we took a short hike over to the Mass Ave Pub, where the folks behind Smoke Free Indy were celebrating a job well done. The Mass Ave Pub has been visited by HBG before; the beer list was just too good to pass up, despite the old pro-smoking vibe. Mass Ave Pub was overflowing with customers - this being Indianapolis, we poured our beers into plastic cups and hit the sidewalk. It's legal! Don't forget!


Next up was Fletcher Place's Dugout Bar. Despite driving by the Dugout hundreds of times, we had never stopped in before. The first and most striking aspect of the bar was how huge it is, and despite arriving late in the evening, our party having now grown to ten-or-so, we were able to fill the space with noise. A pizza was ordered (three toppings max after 9 or 10pm), and we took in the character of this southsided low key establishment. The pizza was filling, the beer was cold, and they don't like credit cards. Heads up. (No smoke smell here, either.)


Our last stop of the crawl was Fountain Square's Brass Ring. The place was bustling, the cocktails weren't quite as good as we had hoped, and a posse of misplaced smokers huddled against an outside wall. Our visit was short - we had an old friend to visit a few blocks away in a bar that never had smoking to begin with.

KOTBR #109 - The Mass Ave Craft Beer Pride Parade

Don Pardo: Live from the crossroads of America... It's the 4th annual Craft Beer Pride Parade! Featuring performances by Lady Gaga, the TOTS Rocky-ettes, the cast of the hit show Cougartown, Ted Miller with his pants on the ground, and a visit from Santa Claus!

Reporting from the street, Midwest Professional Mud Wrestling champion Jason "The Beer Gut"...

Reporting from the Scotty's Brewhouse blimp high above Massachusetts Avenue, award winning photographer and artist M'Kale.

And in the booth, he hosts the popular radio show "Mornings with the Mohel" and she presently holds court at the Clay County Coffee Beer Festival, it's Rabbi Jim and Queen Gina...

Gina: Thanks Jason and hello Rabbi Jim! And welcome, everyone, to this year's parade. It's shaping up to be a hot one, so make sure you stay hydrated. Jim, I know when you think hot summer day, you don't really think coffee stout, right? I wouldn't normally think so either, but I think Bee Creek has really done a nice job here on this first float. Oh and speaking of float, would this coffee stout make a perfect ice cream float or what?


M'Kale: Um guys, it's really scary up here. Scary scary. Is this thing supposed to hiss?

Jason: Sorry to interrupt everybody, but they are giving samples of the Clay County Coffee Stout down here and I rue the buffoon who doesn't get any of this. It's better than a Bigbucks iced coffee. I'll body slam anybody that tries to take it away from me.

Ah! Bees!

Back to you Jim and Gina.

Jim: Thank you, Jason. And I don't think I'll try to take away your sample. After all, I'm a lover, not a fighter. When you're a mohel, you have to be a lover; you can't be making enemies with anyone when you're going to be circumcising their sons.

Speaking of circumcisions, I have to say that there's nothing that I like better after performing a bris than a Clay County Coffee Stout. Malty, chocolaty, and full of java boldness, it's perfect for taking the edge off after the ceremony is over. Indeed, I got so wrapped up in drinking my last post-bris Coffee Stout that I almost sat in Elijah's chair! Oy vey! I could've made such a shmendrik of myself!


You know, every so often, my cousin Moishe and I head down to the Mass Ave Pub to have a few drinks on Tuesday nights after Moishe closes up his shtreimel shop. What a great place that Mass Ave Pub is! You can't beat the Tuesday night deals there -- $3.75 for craft beers! It would be a shonda to miss a Tuesday night there.

And now I see the Mass Ave Pub's float coming up right behind the Bee Creek float. M'Kale, how are things looking from up there?

M'Kale: Well we've figured out the hissing, anyway - the blimpist is also a snakehandler! Ha ha ha ha!

As for that float - I think the use of a giant recliner might be in reference to the Mass Ave Pub's cozy and familiar confines? The red brick is certainly are a reference to the pub's rebuilt walls - you may remember that the pub closed for a couple years back in 2005 when a next-door construction project went awry. I just love the use of reds and greens. What I think they're trying to say here is we are all citizens of the world - a world in which wars are fought and lost, people live and die, money is made and spent, and love is all around you if you just look... excuse me folks, the hissing has returned. I don't think it's snakes. Is this supposed to be hot?


Gina: Ok, good luck up there. What I think he was getting at is that the Mass Ave Pub is a comfortable place to share a good beer. An interesting fact about the Mass Ave Pub is that it is owned by the same family as MacNiven's, another popular bar in the area. The bar is also a favorite to the local firemen who work down the street.

Jason, how's it going down there on the street?

Jason: Sorry to interrupt again but we have trouble down here. As we passed the corporate coffee chain location on Mass Ave, the swarm of barista bees on the Bee Creek float are becoming very agitated. I sympathize with the sap that gets in their way. I hope the firefighters on the Mass Ave Pub float whip out their hoses and cool them off in a hurry. Don't you agree, Queen Gina?

Gina: Yes, yes I do! That would be a sight. Now the coffee they use is called "Brazil Santos" and it is from Jameson Coffee in Greencastle, just about a half hour from the brewery in Brazil, Indiana. I'll tell you what, even in this heat wave, this coffee stout tastes great! Jim, your thoughts?

Jim: Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Gina. It's just that I was a bit distracted by the next float heading up the parade route here. I think this is . . . yes, it is. This is the float from Sun King Brewing. Ah, Sun King -- who would have thought a year ago that these guys would become the big machers on the Indianapolis beer scene? And who is that I see standing at the head of the float? That has to be . . . yes, that's Clay Robinson. You know, the first time I saw that young man, I mistook him for a Lubavitcher, what with that beard and all. A nice young man he is. That kid is a major league kibitzer and can schmooze with the best of 'em. So M'Kale, how are you and those reptiles doing up there?


M'Kale: ...no I don't think that's supposed to be smoking... Oh hey, Jim. Yes, Sun King - would you believe that Clay and I share the same hairdresser? Speaking of hair, Sun King's Osiris Pale Ale is certainly a highlight of their lineup, and I suppose that's why their float has the same familiar silver sheen as its classy can-tainer. Rumor has it that Osiris is made with so many hops that the hops police called and said, "Stop using all the hops!" Oh boy that's funny. Something up here is definitely on fire.

Jason: I see the Sun King float now. The float has hops frolicking and playing. I think they are putting on a circus. Yes.. yes, it is a circus. Hops are balancing themselves on the high wire. An obvious inference that the Osiris has a great hop balance.

It appears that Clay is throwing cans of his Osiris Pale Ale into the crowd. Unfortunately, the crowd is distracted by the irate barista bees and the blimp above. So the cans are hitting the people in the head. There is blood everywhere. People on the ground, wailing. I haven't seen this much gore since I was in Wrestlepalooza XIV when I took on the Squirreling Dervishes in a group cage match. Thankfully, the Chatterbox float is coming in behind the Sun King float. And there is some excellent free-form jazz fusion being played. And people are forgetting about their injuries and instead enjoying the funky beat.

I rue the foo' who doesn't enjoy that sound. Am I right?

By the way, does anybody else smell barbeque?


Jim: Jason, I don't think that's barbecue. I think that's bacon I smell. I'd recognize that smell anywhere. I'm looking on my monitor here -- yes, it looks like Clay has brought a barrel of Sun King's world famous Baconator Doppelbock and is sharing it with the crowd to make amends for his errant can-throwing. Boy, the crowd is loving it! Of course, I wouldn't know much about bacon beer, it being treyf and all. I do, however, know a lot about Osiris Pale Ale. The can says that it's brewed by their brewers for their brewers. I can see why -- with the refreshing, citrusy hopiness of this beer, it's got to be a favored beer of any serious Hoosier State hophead.

I'll tell you, I always keep a four-pack of Osiris Pale Ale in my refrigerator. It's my go-to beer. It beats He'Brew Genesis Ale by a mile. Shhhh--don't tell my wife Rivka that I said that. She'll never forgive me. So to Sun King, I say "Kol Hakavod" for putting out such a fantastic beer!

Gina, I now see the Chatterbox Jazz Club's float coming along behind the Sun King float. Quite an interesting design. What do you think of it?


Gina: Well Jim, they did a real nice job replicating the bar. Check out the giant foil ball! I wonder if it is the same one from the bar! If it is, it was what was left of the foil used in the 2008 Jury Award winner from the 48 Hour Film Festival. The movie was even called "Foil." Oh! Did you see the flags along the side? They even got the age old dust along the edges! That is definitely an authentic touch!

Do I see vendors handing out those Patties of Jamaica patties along side of the float? Can I get some of those up here? I love those spicy little things! They would go great with the delicious Osiris I'm having. I'm lucky I saw that flying up here or that tall can may have knocked me out.

M'Kale, can you hear the band from where you are?

M'Kale: Band? What? We are going down! I repeat, we are going down!

Who put the parachutes in with the snakes?

Jason: Well that's a first... an artist type without enough hot air to fill a blimp. Don't worry, M'Kale, a flock of geese are flying your way. Maybe you can jump on one and ride it down to safety.

Speaking of geese, the Goose Island float is up next. It looks like it is filled with hot chicks pillow fighting. Am I seeing that right? Gina... Rabbi... what do you see?

Um, it looks like the blimp is headed straight for the booth. Gina and the Rabbi, any last words about Goose Island and the Ball and Biscuit before M'Kale's fireball of a blimp crashes into you?


Gina: Pillow fight? Did I miss the floats? Sorry, I was trying to see where M'Kale and the snakes were going to land.

Well, you already know I love Ball and Biscuit, and I enjoy Matilda very much; it has an interesting mix of spice and citrus in the nose that follows through to the flavor. It drinks like a sessionable pint, but at 7% ABV, I'm afraid it would have to be a very short session. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get the hell out of here before that crazy blimp gets here. Ball and Biscuit anyone?

Thanks everybody, see you next time!

Jason: Rabbi? Concluding thoughts before your ultimate demise?


Jim: Gina, I'm right behind you. I'm going to need a visit to the Ball & Biscuit for some of that lovely Matilda to calm my nerves after all of this mishegas.

Good news, though -- I can confirm that M'Kale has been able to successfully bail out of the blimp with a Scotty's Brewhouse(TM) parachute. Yes . . . he has just deployed the chute and is now floating in the direction of Sun King headquarters over on College Avenue. I'm not surprised to see him headed in that direction.

So until next year's parade, this is Rabbi Jim signing off. And don't forget to tune in to the next edition of "Mornings with the Mohel" as we welcome special guests Barry Manilow, Jackie Mason, and former WWE Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg.

Bee Creek Clay County Coffee Stout
Gina: 4.4 Mugs | Mike: 3.5 Mugs | Jason: 3.85 Mugs | Jim: 3.98 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.93 Mugs

Sun King Osiris Pale Ale
Gina: 4.4 Mugs | Mike: 4.17 Mugs | Jason: 4.25 Mugs | Jim: 4.25 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 4.28 Mugs

Goose Island Matilda
Gina: 3.62 Mugs | Mike: 3.29 Mugs | Jason: 3.55 Mugs | Jim: 3.89 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.58 Mugs

Mass Avenue Pub
745 Massachusetts Avenue
317.974.0745
Website
Mass Avenue Pub on Facebook

The Chatterbox Jazz Club
435 Massachusetts Avenue
317.636.0584
Website
The Chatterbox on Facebook

The Ball & Biscuit
331 Massachusetts Avenue
317.636.0539
Website
The Ball & Biscuit on Facebook