Hoosier Beer Geek's Guide to Good Beer for Super Bowl XLVI Visitors

Over the past weekend, visitors coming to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI began hitting the city. Fans from New York, New England, and elsewhere will continue to arrive in Indy this week to cheer on their team on Sunday. But rather than instill rivalry and conflict between Giants and Pats fans, it's our mission at Hoosier Beer Geek to spread the love of craft beer, especially among those visiting Indiana. We know how hard it can be finding good beer in an unfamiliar state.

Where to Drink Craft Beer in Indianapolis

We've covered this one before. Rather than repeat it all, check out our "Where to Drink" guides. In these guides, we cover many local bars, breweries, and brewpubs. We also provide some tips on effectively using public transportation to get to your desired craft beer destinations. All in all, it's going to be busy this week, so a lengthy list of watering holes will be a good thing to have. Hey, we actually have a lot of beer in Indianapolis.

Many of the establishments we list in our Where to Drink guides are holding special events and will be open for extended hours this week. If you're interested in visiting an establishment after perusing our Where to Drink guides, check that establishment's website for more details on specials (we link to their websites in the Where to Drink guides). You should also check this blog on Friday morning for our weekly feature, the Random Beer Roundup, which will have the latest news on any Super Bowl-related events featuring craft beer. Our HBG calendar in the sidebar of the blog is also a handy tool.

What to Drink

We cannot emphasize this enough: Indiana breweries are making amazing beer. If you know anything at all about Indiana breweries, you're undoubtedly familiar with Indiana's most acclaimed brewery among beer geeks, Three Floyds. Rest assured that if you're looking for Three Floyds beers in Indianapolis, you'll find them at just about every establishment that serves craft beer in this town. But don't fixate on only Three Floyds. While we love their beer, you won't be disappointed with other Indiana-brewed beers. The Indianapolis area alone boasts 16 breweries, with several more opening soon. In short, we have a burgeoning craft beer scene in Indianapolis. We cover most of the breweries in our Where to Drink guides. If you'd just like a simple list of Indianapolis breweries, head over to Indiana Beer.

And now for Indiana's silly liquor laws

One last warning: At some establishments, you cannot purchase beer/wine/liquor for carry-out on Sunday. This law primarily includes liquor stores and grocery stores. Do NOT forget this or you may end up very upset if you want to have your own stash of beer for your hotel room or tailgate party. Plan ahead and buy before Sunday. Yes it's stupid, but we all have our dumb liquor laws we have to work with.

All is not lost, however. Keep in mind that you can still drink at bars, restaurants, and breweries on Sunday. In addition, Indiana breweries and wineries *are* permitted to offer carry-out sales on Sundays, though not all breweries take advantage of this.

In closing, we hope you like your stay in Indianapolis. It might be called Naptown, but don't expect to have time for a nap while you're here; there are plenty of things to do in our fair city. Have fun, and enjoy the big game!