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As you know, our third anniversary roundtable is coming up. We want to make the following completely clear -

THERE WILL BE NO DAY-OF EVENT TICKETS SOLD FOR/AT OUR ANNIVERSARY PARTY.
So if you're coming, buy now. Ok, that's out of the way...

We've got a few things to iron out - like which of the two Upland beers listed below we'd like to drink at the party.

Which Upland beer would you like to see at the Hoosier Beer Geek Third Anniversary Party?

Anniversary party ticketholders (or future ticketholders) only, please.

Random Beer Roundup - The Beer and Cheese Edition

This weekend is the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin. If you did not get tickets to the sold out event, don't fret! There's plenty of great beer here in Indiana. If you are looking for something to do on Saturday, the Circle City Socialites Roller Derby team is at the Forum in Fishers. The after party is at the Old Town Ale House.

Speaking of tickets, if you are waiting to purchase your tickets for the Anniversary party on August 22nd, ticket prices will be going up very soon. If you want to get in on the early bird price, you should get your tickets now!

So, grab your tickets to the Hoosier Beer Geek third anniversary party, this is the Random Beer Roundup.

Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change

Various Dates and Locations in August - Scotty's Brewhouse Beer Dinners (Details below)

August 8th, 7 p.m. at the Forum in Fishers: CCS vs. Radioactive City Atomics - $10 advance/$12 door. After party at Old Town Ale House.

August 8th at the Hillforest Victorian House Museum in Aurora, IN: A beer tasting featuring beer from the Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora, Indiana. Reservations are required.

Saturday, August 22nd: The Hoosier Beer Geek 3rd Anniversary Party, Sun King Brewing Co. Tickets are limited and can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets. EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE UNTIL 8/9 - $30.

Saturday, September 12th, from 7-10pm at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend: Zoo Brew, beer tasting event, tickets on sale August 1, $30 in advance; more info here.

Saturday, September 26th at Crown Brewing Co. in Crown Point: 2nd Annual Oktoberfest and PRO AM Brewing Competition - Outdoor event, Live Music, Food, etc

What's Brewing

From Greg at Lafayette Brewing Co in Lafayette:

On tap at Lafayette Brewing Co.: Ouiatenon Wit; Prophet's Rock Pale Ale; East Side Bitter; Pipers' Pride Scottish Ale; Tippecanoe Common Ale; Eighty-Five; Black Angus Oatmeal Stout and Weeping Hog IPA.

LBC has also working with local coffee merchant, Jerry Kalal at K Dees Coffee, to discover the perfect blend of beans to incorporate into a new specialty ale. The brew, to be known as Collaboration Java Porter, will be a classic English porter infused with Killer Beans organically grown Brazilian Bombshell coffee. LBC brewmaster, Greg Emig, believes the rich caramel and light smoky flavor of the Brazilian Bombshell will beautifully complement the subtle caramel and roasted malt flavors of the porter. Look for a late August release of this distinctive new brew.

From Adam at Crown Brewing in Crown Point:

ATTENTION ALL HOMEBREWERS!!!

Crown Brewing is pleased to announce that it will be having its first ever "Crown Challenge" PRO-AM .

EVENT DATE = September 26th
BEER SUBMISSION DATE = September 24th
REGISTRATION FEE = $5.00

The competition is open to homebrews only.
No entries brewed with professional assistance, on professional equipment, or at a commercial brewery are eligible.

For all rules, regulation and to download a registration form, please visit, CrownBrewing.com

From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks:

Sun King Cream Ale on and it is going like mad!!! $3.75 a pint except for Wed and Sun when it is just $3 a pint.

They are bringing another keg of it as well as a keg of their Pale....yippeez!!!

We have been promised the elusive keg of Dreadnaught for next week.

We'll let you know.

From Lauren at Scottys Brewhouse:

Chefs and foodies have been pairing food and wine for ages. Syrahs, Pinots, meats, cheeses, fish – we have been educated in reds with meats and whites with chicken and fish. Now, popularity is growing, as the craft brewing industry is booming, in pairing food with beer.

Tuesday, August 11: Muncie, 6 – 8pm – Magic Hat Brewing Company
Thursday, August 13: North Side Indianapolis, 6 – 8pm – Sun King Brewing Company
Monday, August 17: Bloomington, 6 – 8pm – New Belgium Brewing Company

From Greg at Cavalier Distribution:

The Alley Cat, Deanos Vino Restaurant, Fox n Hound Castleton & Vollrath have all brought in a variety of incredible craft and import beers from Cavalier.

All of these establishments brought in beer from Stone Brew Co. and each one has a different variety of other breweries such as Bison, Bitburger, Boulder, Breckenridge, Founders, Left Hand, Morlands, Shmaltz, Thirsty Dog, & Weihenstephaner.

Make a point to stop in any one or several of these infamous local watering holes and support good craft, micro & import beer in Indianapolis!! Enjoy!!

News, Reviews, and Gossip

Here's one beer I would like to be drinking right now...http://www.chow.com/stories/11771

Beer Diary #15 - Mike - Vacations

I've been on vacation this week, and have had a beer or two, but haven't really settled into anything substantial. Since I'm sitting in my driveway waiting on a BBQ grill anyway, I might as well take advantage of the miracles of wi-fi, and dig through the fridge.

07/30/09


Stone Cali-Belgique IPA India Pale Ale (Something like $6 at Whole Foods Market) - This is about as "beery" as beer can look. Clear golden color, frothy white head, a little lacing on the glass... To be honest, I wouldn't consider myself a Stone fan - it's not that the beer is bad, it's just that I very rarely find myself reaching for one. Nose is flat citrus, a little bit of a graham cracker, a tiny hint of pine. Front is not really there, but a flavor that echoes the nose comes through quickly. Piney hops come through a bit stronger now, and the graham cracker in the nose also takes center stage.

The bottle states that Cali-Belgique is actually just regular Stone IPA made with a Belgian yeast strain, leading to what Stone considers a more "funky" taste. Standing alone, the beer doesn't strike me as funky at all - perhaps a roundtable comparing the two beers is in order. This beer isn't a standout by any means, but it's worth revisiting.


Upland Rad Red (Probably about $7.99 a six pack everywhere better beer is sold in Indiana) - Can we talk about the label? You'd think a ninja and a motorcycle and the word "Rad" would pretty much be all you needed, but somehow, something's missing. I say "Rad" more than anyone I know, so I do want to suggest that all the Indiana brewers take this "Rad" trend and run with it. Suggestion #1 (Brugge Edition):


On to the beer... well, it's dark in my driveway. It looks like a liquid. The nose is lightly bready, with a caramel hint. Not much going on in the front, a nice malty middle and then it's got a lingering (but not annoyingly so) bitter bite. Another supremely drinkable beer from Upland, but not really a style I've ever found that appealing. It's a good beer. But that's about it.



08/04/09

So when the Indiana Microbrewers Festival was over with, World Class Beverages had quite a bit of leftover Hopapalooza beer. We thought we'd ask them where all the beer was going, and what they planned to do with it. Their answer was "it's yours if you want it, just don't sell it". We had a better idea in mind - beer rewards.

And so, Leftoverpalooza.


Clipper City Hop3 - This beer wasn't actually from Hopapalooza - it's beer that's on at Brugge right now. A sweet nose with malt elements and a bit of funk led to a syrupy, tangy and tasty brew. Lovely, with a lingering hop bitterness that was appreciated.


Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale - Considering that this beer came from Hopapalooza, its mild character took me by surprise. An apple-like nose led to a malty and mild--not hoppy at all, really--easy-drinking pale. Extremely sessionable, this ended up being my favorite of the night. It wasn't until Jess explained that Firestone likes to brew in more traditional English styles that this beer made complete sense.


Avery IPA - Always a big fan of Avery's beers, I prefer them big and bold. Avery IPA is a bit milder than my favorite Avery beers. A big skunky nose led to a skunky front bite but a body that faded quickly to agreeable.


21st Amendment IPA - These beers are all a bit old now (the event was two weeks ago), and I suspect that this beer is worse for the wear. A nose of vanilla icing and butterscotch starts it off, but the flavor seems to have dropped out. Oddly enough I got a sort of freezerburnt taste with a little bitterness, and then nothing.


Mead the Gueuze - A big vinegary, rosey, nail polish remover nose was the first thing noticed, but was quickly followed by a rubber flowery lemon peel and vinegar backbeat. It's gueuze, so the weirdness is expected and appreciated. Good stuff.


Hanssens Artisinaal Oude Kriek - When beer starts flowing, people get generous, and Jim took the plunge and bought a bottle of Hanssens Artisinaal Oude Kriek. Broad Ripple Brewpub's John Hill warned us to let the beer warm up a little before diving in, and his advice was gladly taken.

A nose so tart it jumps out of the glass, and a flavor that's a deeply rich sour punch are the reward for the wait. An almost dill pickle front and a rich almost ketchup-like back made this one a winner.