Save the Date: Tailgate for Nothing 6 is on May 5th, 2012

You may recall hearing about the first Tailgate for Nothing, which we threw in November 2009. You may recall reading about Tailgate for Nothing 2: DIPA Dischord, which took place in May 2010. You may have learned about and even attended Tailgate for Nothing 3: Tricks & Treats, which we held in October 2010. Perhaps you read the New York Times feature* about Tailgate for Nothing 4: Something for Everyone, which happened in May of 2011. And who could forget the Tailgate for Nothing 5: Gravyfest, which has its own almost feature-length film?

Well, unlike the Craft Beer Meal That Comes Before Lunch, we can confirm that we're doing it all again. Sooner than later.

The Hoosier Beer Geek Knights of the Beer Roundtable invite you to join us for--

TFN6: International Beer Breakfast
Saturday, May 5, 11 a.m. - ???
Back parking lot of the Sun King Brewery
135 N. College, Indy

Before I get into the whole "Tailgate for Nothing is a shared event" spiel, I want to point out the theme.

INTERNATIONAL BEER BREAKFAST

Sure, there's beer at these things. And yes, you're welcome to bring whatever foods you'd like. But I'm a guy that likes a theme, so while your beer doesn't or even shouldn't be breakfast themed, your food hopefully will be. If you think this is just a beer event, I invite you to step your food game up. Google Ethiopian Breakfast or something along those lines, and come out and surprise us.

That's not to say that I won't also make ice cream, but breakfast is what I'm starting with.

Event Info:

What's Tailgate for Nothing (TFN)? All seven HBG Knights of the Beer Roundtable are fans of the act of tailgating. It occurred to us that tailgating usually revolves around sporting events, but why should it have to? Getting together with friends, eating hearty and/or unhealthy foods, drinking beer, and just hanging out -- these are ideas we can all get behind.

TFN is exactly that: a tailgate for nothing. It's an opportunity for people to wheel out their everyday great beer, or the beer they never have an excuse to drink and to share it with like-minded individuals who are sure to appreciate what they are drinking.

TFN will be done in a traditional tailgate manner: bring your own everything (tailgate, beer, food, trash bags, chairs, bbq grills, games, whatever), cook and eat in a parking lot (breakfast corn dogs, breakfast sharkmeat pitas, breakfast bologna tacos, edible breakfast cowboy hats made out of pancakes, and stuff like that), and in the end, clean up after yourself. The main ideas are to share food and drink, hang out, and have a good time. You're also welcome to bring kids and/or dogs. We especially welcome dogs that bring beer. Unfortunately it's illegal for kids to bring beer. Someday...

Why the theme of "International Breakfast"? Because I had a month where I made a lot of pancakes. Because I hijacked the event. Because Jason is lazy and will probably just bring biscuits and gravy again. I'm not sure what the other Knights of the Beer Roundtable are doing for breakfast, but I'm sure that it will be creative. Or lazy. Jason.

Nota bene: This is a no freeloaders event; please bring food and beer with you. If you don't have a giant special beer, that's not a problem. Just make sure you bring something tasty. This isn't a rare beer contest. It's just a good time. Also, it won't cost you anything to attend.

What to bring (aside from food and beer):

Tasting glasses - If you have any tasting glasses from former beer events, bring them along. There should be a lot of beer to share, and the smaller glasses are the best way to go about sharing.

Chairs - There won't be seating unless you bring some.

A canopy - At TFN4, there was a chance of rain, so there were canopies aplenty. Fortunately, mother nature cooperated with us and we ended up having a sunny day. We're not saying that it's going to rain at TFN6, but you never know. So if you don't want to get wet or sunburned, bring a canopy if you have one.

Friends - BRING FRIENDS. Hopefully you'll be making some, but it never hurts to have a posse.

We do our best to be friendly and get to know everyone, but this is just gonna be a bunch of people hanging out. Last time I took video so at to be better at getting to know folks. We encourage this sort of nosiness because it's the best way to make friends. Well, that and drinking.

Finally, we know that the date of TFN6 is also the date of various and sundry other events. That being said, based on past TFNs, the event probably won't end until sundown at the earliest. Therefore, even if you have something else going on that day, please come out and celebrate with us.

ANY QUESTIONS? Leave a comment. Planning to attend? Leave a comment. Don't want to leave a comment? Don't let that stop you from attending. We'll be there no matter what.

*There was no New York Times feature.

Rock Bottom Brewer's Dinner - Spring '12

The preview menu for this Rock Bottom Brewer's Dinner made me stop and do a double take.  Melon Caviar? Belgian Ale Foam? Sous Vide Lamb Leg? After attending many years of Brewer's Dinners, I've come to expect a certain style of food.  Always good, but somewhat predictable.  This, however, was entirely new.  At the Fire Chief Ale tapping, Jerry informed us that Ricky Cassidy was their new sous chef that had graduated from the Chef's Academy and the new menu was his baby.  Based on the menu, they're not making him pull any punches for the Brewer's Dinners.  Unfortunately I forgot my camera at home, so you'll have to deal with cell phone pictures that don't quite do the food justice.

Amuse: Crispy Parma Ham, Melon Caviar and Balsamic Pudding paired with El Jefe Hefeweizen

Why It Worked: El Jefe is a German-style Hefeweizen, which means that it's heavy in banana, orange and clove flavors.  The amuse-bouche served its purpose and let us know that the new sous chef was serious about impressing us.  A dish of fried parma ham was topped with cantaloupe that had been prepared in tiny balls the size of salmon roe and was dressed with tiny congealed balsamic drops and olive oil.  The melon matched the citrus and banana flavors fantastically, while the salty fried ham helped cut through the heavy body of the beer.  The clove flavors complimented the ham and the beer ensured that the intense ham did not overpower the palate.

First Course: "Fish and Chips" - Salted Cod Brandade, Fennel and Apple Slaw, Mustard Vinaigrette and Belgian Ale Foam paired with IPA

Why It Worked:  The Rock Bottom IPA is one of the grapefruit variety.  Inspiration from the pairing came from the basic coupling of English IPA and Fish and Chips, but much like the American IPA has grown far beyond its roots, the "fish and chips" of this dish had evolved from their English roots.  The salted cod was made in house and was prepared with potatoes and other ingredients to make something that resembled a crab cake.  The chips were transformed into a fennel and apple slaw, dressed with a mustard vinaigrette and Belgian ale foam.  The citrus flavors of the IPA were a friendly and familiar pairing with the cod, while the spicy mustard vinaigrette developed added complexity from the bitterness of the beer.  The big acidic hop presence helped prevent the salted cod from being too salty.

Second Course: Seared Wahoo, Parsnip Puree, Oven Dried Roma Tomatoes ans Asparagus paired with Goat Toppler Maibock

Why It Worked: When the Goat Toppler Maibock was first tapped, it was a significantly hoppy interpretation of a Maibock.  Now that the beer has had almost a year to mellow, it much closer resembles its German heritage - sweet and malty.  The seared wahoo was prepared two different ways, one with miniature popcorn husks and one with fried leeks, both perched atop a dried tomato and parsnip puree.  The sweetness of the maibock was a nice addition to the sweet wahoo.  By drying out the tomatoes, the acid of the tomato was reduced and the sweetness was strengthened, mirroring the way that a year of time made the beer sweeter and less bitter.  The tiny popcorn husks started out bitter and developed a surprising sweetness the longer they were chewed, which at first helped bring out the hops of the beer, but then paired with the predominant malt sweetness.

Third Course: Sous Vide Lamb Leg, Mascarpone Polenta, Ratatouille, Shoulder Ragout and Jus paired with Fire Chief Ale

Why It Worked: This one was a little more simple.  If you haven't had Fire Chief before, it is a yearly Irish Red seasonal that has a nice balance of caramel malt and hops.  Lamb goes great with red ales, ESB, browns and other malty beers.  This was no exception.  The addition of mascarpone to the polenta and the slow cooked ratatouille added even more complimentary sweetness.

Fourth Course: Frozen Milk Chocolate Rocks, Dark Chocolate and Chili Ganache, White Chocolate with Lime, Olive Oil Custard and Sea Salt paired with Hoosier Ma Stout

Why It Worked: The Hoosier Ma Stout is almost always chocolately, and this was no exception.  The current iteration of Hoosier Ma Stout has more hops than the typical varieties, which actually helped keep this dish from becoming overwhelmingly sweet.  This course featured many items that are added to stouts, but instead of being incorporated into the beer, each one could be tried individually with the beer.  The frozen milk chocolate puffs emphasized the dry cocoa flavors in the stout.  The chiles in the dark chocolate ganache created a smokey, spiciness.  In the center of the plate, a pile of chunky house-made "nutella" complimented the beer with a burst of sweet hazelnuts.  Rotating through and trying different combinations of food and beer match ups was very enjoyable.

Pairing Lessons: When attempting to pair beer with more complex recipes, it is quite typical to only be able to pair with select flavors or components of the dish.  Unless of course the dish is designed to contain complimentary flavors within itself, in which case the correct beer can create layers of new flavors.  The melon in the amuse is an excellent addition to the already dominant fruit flavors of hefeweizen.  Depending on the sweetness of the fish, you may want to pair it with a citrusy IPA or a perhaps a malty brown.  Keep in mind how preparations will affect the base properties of the ingredients.  Tomatoes are often too acidic for brown ales, but through oven roasting they lose acidic and build on their sweetness.  Chocolate is a traditional pairing for stout, but by mixing in other ingredients, such as nuts and chiles, the flavor of the stout can seemingly transform into an entirely different beer.  Think about other varieties of stouts as target combinations when choose food pairings.

I'll say it again, I was entirely surprised and impressed by how much more adventurous the menu was this time around and how well executed it was.  I can't wait to see what they come up with for the next one.

Five Great Hoosier Gateway Beers | The Hoosier Beer Geek Alternative

For someone new to craft beer, advanced topics like styles and ingredients can be a little overwhelming. Even a trip to your local craft beer seller can seem like a test. What's with all the weird beer names? What's the difference between ale and what I normally drink? And how in the hell can I keep straight all the different craft brewers out there?

We're certainly not here to make fun of what you drink. That's because we all started where you are right now. But if you're looking for a way in, your best bet is to start by just drinking better beer.

We like to help where we can. Therefore, here's our list of Indiana-brewed "gateway" craft beers that are good alternatives to the mass-market macrobrews that you see overloading the shelves of some liquor stores and hogging the tap lines at some watering holes:

A Hoosier Beer Geek alternative to Budweiser, Miller, or Coors:

Sun King Brewing Company's Sunlight Cream Ale. Let's say that you've been drinking Bud, Miller, or Coors since you were legally old enough to drink beer (or maybe before you were legally old enough to drink beer) and are looking to dip your toe into the craft beer pool. Chances are that you're not looking for a huge change from those beers, but you want to try something that you'd be proud to drink because it's locally brewed. Indy's craft beer giant Sun King has just such a gateway beer in Sunlight Cream Ale. Cream ales are very similar to the style in which Bud, Miller, and Coors are brewed; they usually have a moderate bitterness and a nice bready malt flavor. Sunlight Cream Ale adheres to this flavor profile but carries a bit more sweetness in the malt. Blonde ales also fit this flavor profile, so we've listed a few of those below as well.

See also: Fountain Square Brewery's Tractor Head Blonde Ale, Ram Restaurant & Brewery's Big Horn Blonde Ale.

A Hoosier Beer Geek alternative to Guinness:


Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter. If you like Guinness Stout, you undoubtedly enjoy the roasty flavors that are present in that beer. But craft-brewed stouts tend to be a bit much for some craft beer beginners because the chocolate and coffee notes are magnified, so much so that some of these beers drink almost like an alcohol-infused double chocolate milkshake. But if you want something that's not a radical departure from Guinness, we recommend Broad Ripple Brewpub's Monon Porter. You may be wondering, "Isn't a Porter different from a Stout?" The answer to that question is, "No, not really" (though in the interest of disclosure, some beer geeks would disagree). In fact, Monon Porter will provide you with a creamy consistency that's somewhat similar to what you'd get in a Guinness, especially if it's on the hand-pull at the pub. Plus, you'll get a little extra sweetness to back up the roasty flavors of the beer. Monon Porter is one of our top five beers under our arbitrary mug rating system.

See also: Fountain Square Brewery's Backyard Porter, Flat12 Bierwerks' Pogue's Run Porter, New Albanian Brewing's Bob's Old 15-B Porter, Rock Bottom Brewery's Hoosier Ma Stout (oatmeal stout or dry stout variety).

A Hoosier Beer Geek alternative to Blue Moon:

Brugge White. Blue Moon is brewed in the Belgian witbier style. Wits, as they're known, are usually brewed with coriander seed and orange peel, which produces the spice and citrus flavors one gets out of a beer like Blue Moon. If you're going to drink a Belgian-style beer in Indiana, why not drink one from a local brewer who specializes in Belgian-style beers rather than a beer brewed by Coors? Broad Ripple's Brugge Brasserie has been brewing outstanding Belgian-style beers for nearly seven years now. While more radical Brugge brews like their fruity and sour Pooka are what we often crave, we still enjoy Brugge White when it's on at the Brasserie. This beer exemplifies the Witbier style with its melding of citrus tartness and coriander spiciness.

See also: Oaken Barrel Brewing Company's Alabaster Wit, Upland Brewing Company's Wheat Ale.

A Hoosier Beer Geek alternative to Newcastle:

Barley Island Brewing Company's Dirty Helen Brown Ale. If you're drinking Newcastle Brown Ale, you're probably the type of beer-drinker who's looking for a little more "heft" in the flavor of your beer. Barley Island's award-winning Dirty Helen Brown Ale is an Indiana beer that might satisfy this preference for you, but be prepared: this beer is going to give you a fuller roastiness than Newcastle provides, along with a slight hint of nut, chocolate, and caramel. We don't feel that it's a huge adjustment from Newcastle, but we do believe that it's a nice step up in flavor.

See also: Crown Brewing Company's Crown Brown, Sun King Brewing Company's Wee Mac Scottish Ale, Three Floyds Brewing Company's Robert the Bruce.

A Hoosier Beer Geek alternative to Heineken, Amstel Light, or Stella Artois:


Upland Brewing Company's Preservation Pilsner. If you're holding a European lager like Heineken or Stella in your hands, you're holding a beer that's from the pale lager family. This family of beers includes the Pilsner style, which originated in what is now the Czech Republic. Like its European pale lager cousins, Pilsners are crisp, refreshing, and slightly more bitter than a Bud, Miller, or Coors. Bloomington's Upland Brewing Company makes a Pilsner that has become a Hoosier Beer Geek favorite. Preservation Pilsner is flavorful, but not so off-the-charts flavorful that palates not used to a true Pilsner will be shocked by it.

See also: Fountain Square Brewery's Workingman's Pilsner, People's Brewing Company's People's Pilsner.