September 28 "I wanted to drop you guys a note to let you know that Dave and Clay put the Pro/Am version of my American IPA on tap last night at the RAM downtown. They did a great job of interpreting my recipe and scaling it for commercial production. Make sure you stop by for a pint soon. I had some friends, family and beer club members from both the FBI and MECA at the RAM last night for the official tapping. We all had a blast and the RAM rolled out their best hospitality for us.

Regards,
Michael Pearson"

September 25 Today we discovered that not all hefe-weizens are created equal. We picked up a superior specimen the other day expecting nothing special, just something different. Wow. The banana/clove aroma of Schneider & Brooklyner's Hopfen-Weisse is second to none. It leaps out of the sticky white head on the first pour and rushes around your nose on every swallow to the very end. But that's not all... get ready for a full-bodied mouth feel. At 8.2% this beer is heavy and sticky, but it still entertains with the refreshing snap and crackle a wheat beer should deliver. Overall very, very smooth and stomach pleasing. This undoubtedly is the best wheat beer of any variety this webmaster has enjoyed. Why didn't I buy two bottles? Drat!!

September 24 The Brewers Guild's 2007 Microbrewers Festival numbers are in. 3,178 tickets sold. $103k income. $30,500 went to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Optimists Club, and the Art Center. Thanks go to Broad Ripple Brewpub, Crown Liquors, Redhook, Goose Island, World Class Beverages, and Ice Miller for adding to that total via sponsorships. All of those numbers are up over 40% from 2006.

In Kokomo, John Template has an assistant brewer now at the Half Moon. Bryan Culbertson, at right, is taking some of the work while John helps out with the restaurant manager's role temporarily. Meanwhile, the IPA has changed a bit to use Glacier hops with a dry-hop Cascade finish. Also look for upcoming seasonals including an Oatmeal Stout and a Blueberry Wheat that uses real blueberries in the mash. Oh, and they are currently installing 2 new fermenters and matching serving tanks. Work, work, work, work, hello boys, work, work, work.

Mishawaka Brewing's Summer of Love Ale is a Golden ale in all respects. Dry-hopping with Amarillo gives good bitterness at about 40 IBU. 4.9% ABV. They are sending 400 cases of the Four Horsemen Irish Ale to Philadelphia where there seems to be a very thirsty Notre Dame fan.

Dear AbbeyAle,
RateBeer says Rich O's is the 6th best beer bar in the world but the Louisville paper, LEO, just named it the 2nd best Sports Bar in the area. Does this mean I have to buy a TV?
Signed, Unloved in Louisville

With Matt Hill's departure, the brewing duties at Warbird have come to Chris Tallman's shoulders (right). He's been a homebrewer in nearby Huntington for 4 years.

On the way back from Mad Anthony's OctoBeerFest (see separate "adventure" to be posted tomorrow) we stopped at The Heorot in Muncie. Had their last bottle of Bells 7000 - Maturing rapidly and now ready to drink. Overwhelming blackness. Treacle and toasty malt on a very bitter background. Biting. Also had some more JW Lees from the wood pin on the counter. This version (I think it's a Sherry cask) is surprisingly mild in comparison to most examples - it is subdued, not characterless or watered down. Just tamer. And as such, a broader picture evolves in the mouth. They also have Bell's 3rd Coast in a firkin on gravity feed.

By the way, there's an Heorot Beer Tasting this next Saturday, the 29th. Co-sponsored by Goose Island. $30. 8-10pm. Black tie optional.

Great Fermentations in Indy will have blended cider available for self-hardening on October 20th. It's $4.75/gallon and pre-ordering is a must (sorry about the pun). They recommend an English Cider yeast which they also have. You supply the vessel, airlock and up to 6 months of dark, cool resting spot.

Two trucks with a total of 6,000 cases of Moosehead were stolen in Toronto. "Moosehead drinkers in Ontario would be wise to stock up today" a company spokesman said. article

Huh? "Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee are using a mouse model to map genes responsible for differences in beer consumption." The finding: "There is no significant correlation between the drinking patterns and the allelic status of the taste receptor on Chromosome 2, and many strains of mice voluntarily consumed enough alcohol to become dependent. By studying self-administration of beer, the researchers have been able to decrease the influence of taste sensitivity that's been a big factor in previous studies in which scientists measured the consumption of alcohol mixed with water." article

Iron City is back in business after a buying. article Oh, and they are going to bring back some old brands including JJ Wainwright, Fort Pitt, and of course Olde Frothingslosh. Hurray, the pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom is coming back. That'll please the BCCA folks. Thanks Neal

"US Barley Acreage Has Declined to Record Low Levels" article

"The hop world is upside down. In the future we see the possibility of brewers shutting down for lack of hops." article

September 17

Where's that loo? If you guessed the new British-styled Chatham Tap pub in downtown Indy you're right. More details here.

Rock Bottom, Downtown Indy, has the bbiitttteerr Brown Ale you've always secretly wanted. Called IBA # 289, it has Simcoe, Willamette, and Crystal hops in the same profile as Jerry Sutherland's American Dream of last July. Melanoidin, and Chocolate malt with some oats are in the grain bill. 6.8% ABV. Try some. And while you're there, have a Jamie's Hazelnut Java Stout on the handpull. Sweet hazelnut permeates so it's a fine desert beer.

The Women's Christian Temperance Union 37th World Convention is in Indianapolis this weekend. Guess that means the bar at the Adam's Mark will be a very lonely place.

September 13

On September 30, bar and restaurant owners across the United States and Canada are invited to help celebrate the life and achievements of Michael Jackson by hosting a mass toast to his memory, and along the way raise some much-needed money for the battle against Parkinson Disease. The scheduled time for the toast is 9:00 pm EST, and the organization of the event is entirely up to the participating establishments. info

Playboy Magazine’s October issue ranks Upland among the nation’s “top 10 college-town microbreweries.” Steve Beaumont of WorldOfBeer says “Hoosier beer can be fine stuff indeed, especially when it’s the smooth and coffee-ish Bad Elmer’s Porter.” Pick up an issue to read this and other articles.

Brainfart spotting, Backhanded compliment to the face division. From the World Class Beverages web site:

September 12 Molson-Coors is starting the AC Golden Brewing Co. to produce a line of "above premium beers". They haven't announced details of the brews.

Tempra Technology in Florida has investors enough to start making self-cooling cans for wide distribution. The can will cool beer to 30°F in 3 minutes and will add the better part of a dollar to the selling price.

Coors Light is 5% ABV. Coors Fine Light is 4.5% ABV.

Coming up:

Thurs, Sept 13	Ribordy Liquors, Valparaiso, tasting of Oktoberfest, etc. 4-6pm
Thurs, Sept 13	FBI/IndianaBeer tour of Cavalier Distributing. Sorta impromptu get together and a chance to see a warehouse of beer. 1650 Wales Ave, Indy. 7-9pm. Directions: Go to Sherman Dr. and 16th St on Indy's near-east side. Go 1 block east and turn left(north)at "Brookside Industrial Centre". Turn left into first parking area. Cavalier is first business.
Fri, Sept 14	Vintage Beer Tasting at BadaBoomz. Indy 5pm. $8
Fri, Sept 14	Lake Liquors, Cedar Lake, tasting of Oktoberfest, etc. 4-6pm
Sat, Sept 15	Upland Brewing Oktoberfest release party. 2pm-1am
	Deanos Vino, Indy, Bratoberfest. 12-3pm.
	Beer Dinner at BadaBoomz. Indy 8pm. $35 RSVP - Bonus: Dark Lord for dessert.
	Hot Shotz, Indy, Beer Dinner. $45. 6pm.
	Hop in the City - Schlafly/St. Louis. Noon-5pm.
Wed, Sept 19	Rock Bottom both 86th St. & Downtown Indy. Tapping Parties. Rocktoberfest. 6pm

September 11 Saison Dupont and the Boon lambics are coming back to Indiana. Cavalier Distributing in Indianapolis has picked up the Vanberg & DeWulf importers catalog. Also newly available through this channel are Scaldis, Castelain, and Witkap brands.

The Beer Mapping Project now has a page for Indianapolis. There's also one for Louisville and, of course, Chicago along with many others.

BBC Headline: "Guinness good for you - official" Quote "A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks. Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from University of Wisconsin told a conference in the US." article

That $503,300 bottle of beer? (see below, Aug 28 notes). The official tale from the high bidder: "It was a joke. Everything's cool." The seller: "I wanted to have the beer appraised but never really wanted to sell it. Everything's cool." Still no explanation of the word trademark on a bottle label 23 years before trademarks were invented. article

GLBN Indiana Beer Governor Jim Herter reports the Granite City Food and Brewery is planning a brewpub in Mishawaka as well as in Fort Wayne. Their modus operandi is to produce wort in one location and truck it to other nearby pubs for fermenting.

On side note, Jim is looking for interested investors in the Ricos Filling Station and Grille brand he is building for franchise. Combination Mexican, Creole, and Cuban cuisine.

Yes, China is now the world's biggest beer producer. And yes, Nigeria drinks more Guinness than Ireland.

September 6 Shelton Brothers importers has put up a 10-minute YouTube interview with Michael Jackson on his home turf. Compelling - especially to the mass of us who have not seen MJ in the last few years. (Thanks Mark & Kevin)

Crown Liquors locations in Indy have Smithwick's at $10 per 12-pack. And Upland Wheat at $7 per 6-pack.

Spencer's Stadium Tavern has Youngs Double Chocolate Stout and Boss COx Double Dark IPA on tap. Yep, a Doubleheader.

A trip to BadaBoomz in downtown Indy found some new beers on the taps. Bells Batch 8000 and Rogue Frosty Frog. The later is a 9% "American Strong Ale" made with raisins and molasses. Think of it as a blend of a British Old Ale and a Winter Warmer. They also have NABC's Hoptimus in the back and it should be on tap soon.

Stone 11th Anniversary Black IPA will be coming in a couple of weeks. If the rumor is true, it might be available on tap only at RichO's and BadaBoomz.

Headline: Man hits his mark: 1,000 beers. "Unlike many rec-room beer drinkers who believe they have easily downed 1,000 beers in their careers, Heckman reached his total by sipping 1,000 different beers over three years. There were no repeats. He paid for the beers, estimating the undertaking cost him at least $6,000." article

We've been speculating whether Power House Brewing is the smallest commercial brewery in the U.S. It certainly isn't the smallest in the world.

This is the Tynllidiart Arms near Aberystwyth, Wales.
The blue building to the left of the pub is the Bragdy Gwynant Brewery.
Built in an old loo, it has a 9 gallon capacity and supplies just the one pub.
It's just 25 sq ft.

Germany's smallest brewery is located in a first-floor apartment of a house in Dresden. It has a 55 liter (14 gallon) batch size. Brewer Christian Schwingenheuer (right) hand-labels bottles. article in English - web site in German

Back in 1993 I visited Steve Eskeback's Sangre de Cristo Brewing in Embudo Station, NM - actually a canoe livery on the Rio Grande. He was making his Taos Green Chile beer in a cut open half-bbl keg. Finished beer was distributed by keg to a couple of bars in Albuquerque. New he has Eske's brewpub in Taos which is a fairly large operation.

The Brauhaus in Lucan, MN, had a 2bbl system with two fermenting tanks but they opened a restaurant and moved the brewery off-site as Brau Brothers Brewing.

The Italian Oasis Restaurant in Littleton, NH has a 2bbl system.

The Freeport Brewing Company in Freeport, ME reportedly also has a 2-barrel system and only brews every other week to keep three local accounts satisfied.

Ah, we've found America's smallest. The Red Jacket Brewing Company in Calumet, MI is way up the Gaspe Peninsula north of Houghton. They close the kitchen on Wednesdays and brew a half-barrel (15 gallons).

September 4 Hot Shotz announces a beer dinner

September 3 Mr. Jackson's last article. It's about death, Parkinsons, and a heart attack in Denver. Biography. Tributes: All About Beer - Potable Curmudgeon - British Guild of Beer Writers - Brewers Association (w/comments from many notables)

Nick Floyd is interviewed at Hoosier Beer Geek.

The BadaBoomz at 4930 Lafayette Rd in Indy is now open. If you adore the BadaBoomz Burger with bacon on a glazed doughnut you might want to try a Peanut Butter Burger at the Columbus Bar.

.
Tim McDonnell, Laura Sekolo,
Dan & Diane Kromke. All SNOBS.
Society of Northeast Ohio Brewers

Wherever there is a comfortable pub with friendly people and some rare, world-class beer, we'll be there. This weekend it's RichO's again. The Sandwerka NA Festival and NA doesn't stand for "non alcoholic" but rather, "North America". It's Roger Baylor's answer to the august August street festival in Bamberg.

Comfortable: The plush couches and light to read by.

Friendly: We met two couples from Cleveland (right) who came down for the event and to spend the long weekend at BBC, Brownings, etc.

Rare beers: Taps poured 4 from Aecht Schlenkerla, 5 from Mahrs, 1 from the Spezial, and more from Kulmbach and other central German cities.

Bahnhof of Leipzig was represented with a deep malty clean dunkel and their Gose. That's rare!

Gose

This style is possibly a forerunner of Berliner Weisse as it dates back about 1000 years, has a lot of wheat, is inoculated with lactic acid which substitutes for some yeast fermentation, has a very low ABV, even less bitterness, and is often served with syrups. Spicing includes coriander seeds and slat. Yep, salt.

After disappearing for centuries it was revived in 1824 by Johan Philipp Ledermann near Halle in a private estate brewery that made a good profit selling the beer in Leipzig until 1883. After WWII only one brewery, the Friedrich Wurzler Brauerei, made Gose and it all but disappeared in the 1960s under the Soviet regime. Now it is being revived in the Leipzig, Germany area near where it was born. Actually Gose (long O as in rosa) is named for the town of Goslar in the Harz Mountains west of Halle and about 80 miles west of Leipzig.

The original beers might have also lent some brewing techniques as well as the name to Gueuze, a sour wheat Belgian ale. Indeed, it was originally made via spontaneous fermentation much like Lambics.

Syrups mixed with Gose include the raspberry and woodruff popular with Berliner Weisse as well as Curacao, cherry brandy, and a liqueur made from caraway seeds (allsch).

"Revived" may be the correct word as "comeback" would be too strong for a beer made only by three breweries and distributed to only a handful of pubs.

Even in this rarified atmosphere there is a substyle - Dunkle Gose is made by the Brauhaus Goslar, back where it all started, with a touch of smoked malt giving a darker red-brown color.

Native Territory	Saxony, Central Germany
Color (SRM)	Unfiltered hazy yellow. (2 - 5).
Head	White and frothy.
Aromas	Apple, lactic sourness. Both in light dollops and normally hidden behind the liqueurs.
Flavors	Sour and salty, attacking two of the main sets of taste buds on your tongue. Sweetness from the liqueurs.
Finish	Quick finish but quite dry from the salt.
Mouthfeel	Light.
Carbonation	Moderate - does not get in the way.
Alcohol	Not noticeable. 3.9 - 4.9% ABV. But when served with a liqueur the ABV goes up of course.
Bitterness (IBU)	Very very little. (5 - 10)
Serving	Tall, cylindrical glass. Served with a straw.
Malts	Malted wheat, Pilsner, Munich malts. Ground coriander seeds and salt are added after the mash. Lactobacillus is added during fermentation.
Hops	Northern Brewer and Perle.
Yeast	Wheat beer yeast.
Related Styles	Berliner Weisse - similar but stronger taste and less alcohol.

There are only three breweries making Gose right now.

Dollnitzer Ritterguts - Liepzig microbrewery - The sourest of the three. 3.9%

Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof - Leipzig brewpub and microbrewery - More coriander, less salt. Established 2000. Does some exporting. 4.6%

Brauhaus Goslar - Goslar microbrewery - Fuller. Less sour. 4.9%

August 31

Michael Jackson died of a heart attack Thursday. article

"I was with Michael last week in London. We had a great time, he was looking forward to going to Denver for the GABF. Michael loved rugby, and he aways wanted to take me to a game. I'm glad that we enjoyed going to his team game "Harlequins RL" last week. We had a wonderful time. It's not often you get to know someone like him. A true giant, he gave us the vocabulary, history, and traditions of beer. Michael was working on a new book, this time about having Parkinson's. He was going to call it "I'm not drunk"
God bless you Michael!
We all should lift a pint in his memory.
Cheers,
Kevin Cox"

August 30 Dave Tohtz (thank you) reminds us not only Barley Island and Brugge have Belgian Black ales. Three Floyds has Gorm Noire on tap. It's their Belgian Black ale. Reviews on Beer Advocate are good. Actually Bloomington Brewing / Lennies has a Belgian Dark which is very close.

Preview Popular Science's 1-piece almost-all-automatic extract brewing system. Heck, it even includes a cold plate and tap. article (with video) and photos (You will smile at the 5-minute video but it's, as yet, only part 1)

New marketing - The Nova Scotia Liquor Corp is wafting the aroma of freshly cut grass into the beer section. French bread in the wine aisle, coconut in the rum section, cedar near the whisky.

Coming up - Abita Pecan Harvest Ale - made with real Louisiana pecans. Most beers like Nut Brown Ales can claim no nuts were harmed in the brewing of their beers but this isn't the case here. “The natural oils from the Louisiana pecans give the ale a light pecan finish and aroma”.

VodkaKalashnikov
First time in the USA!
>From the creator of the legendary AK-47 Rifle Mikhail T. Kalashnikov
A must-have for collectors and connoisseurs of the fine spirits.
It looks like the legendary AK-47 Rifle,
but it holds several rounds of the finest Original Russian vodka.
Yike

Another Yike. This from importer Distinguished Brands. "With grain farmers worldwide turning to growing oil (corn) over barley, the price of barley is soaring. Reports in the USA put the increase in brewing barley up as much as 38%, while in Europe the price of brewing barley is projected to be up as much as 50%. Only about 10% of the barley grown in the world is of the quality required for brewing. Hops are reported to be increasing by 30% due to heavy summer rains. A 25% fuel related increase is expected for glass bottle prices. Combine these cost increases with a 12% YTD hike in freight related costs and they total up to major beer price hikes for the 4th quarter of 2007 and early 2008. Rumors among Chicago distributors suggest Heineken and Star Brands may be the first to test price hikes as early as October 1st."

In the "first they came for the" department, California has followed Main in classifying malternatives as distilled spirits rather than beer. The additional tax should add about $2 per 6-pack and about $40M to the state coffers.

Another "Anheuser-Busch to sell water" story. This time it's Borba Skin Balance Water who's tagline is "Clear skin begins with BORBA drinkable skin care products!" Bonus points for a powdered version.

August 29 Chimay Cinq Cent is available on draft in Indiana. Hot Shotz Ale and Grill on 96th Street in Indianapolis has it on right this moment; Chalkies will be tapping theirs soon. Across the state, The Heorot in Muncie, Rich O's in New Albany, The Come Back Inn in Jeffersonville, Fiddler's Hearth in South Bend, and the Three Floyd's Brew Pub all have or have had it on as well. Happy Hunting!

August 28

The Festiv-Ale raised about $55,000 of which almost $50,000 will go the the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. More pictures hopefully later. The nearby Hop Shop reported "at least 150 people came in asking for a specific beer" during or immediately after the event.

Upland's Oktoberfest shouldl be on the shelves this week.

Bell's Batch 8000 is out at $13 or more per 6-pack. "The Batch 8000 is a wheat ale spiced with Coriander, Orange Peel, and Paradise Seed. They are calling it an Imperial Wit due to the 9% alcohol content." While the other Batch x000 beers have been suitable for laying down, 8000 will probably be best immediately. Bell's Octoberfest should also hit the streets this week.

Chimay Tripel (yellow label) may be coming in Tap form. It's been reported at the Map Room and the Hop Leaf in Chicago.

Stone's 11th Anniversary ale is show up about Sept 10th. It's a Black IPA.

We get mail. Hi, I am JeffreyT of goodbeershow.com. Join me in Muncie Indiana at The Heorot for one of my late birthday presents. We are popping a keg of Three Floyds Fantabulous Resplendence (aka: X) on August 29th at 11am. $5.50 a pint. No pitchers. Out-of-towners have growler privileges.

New beers available among the 2000+ at the Delirium Cafe in Brussels. Drooling is optional - but acceptable only if you can pronounce the names.

From Belgium: Aardmonnik; Olfrabrikken Abbey Ale; Alpaide; Betchard Blonde; Bokkereyer; Cantillon Iris 2005; Cuvée Angelique, Mon Bijou Amber, Mon Bijou Blonde, Romedenne Spelziale 2007; Flodder; Jan de Licht; Krieken Bier St Jozef; L’ A.V.I.N.O.I.S.E; La Godiassoise; La Saint-Hubert; Leuvense Tripel; Ops Ale; Oud Beersel Oude Kriek Vieille, Oude Geuze Vieille, & Lambik 04-2006; Sezoens Quattro; ‘t Hofbrouwerijke Blondelle; Olfrabrikken Wit Hvedeol; Gambrinus Drivers Museum Beer; Millésime Romedenne 2007 -bière à la Mirabelle; Paulus Oud Bruin; Belgo Blond & Witte; Bon Secours Brune & Myrtilles; 3 Fonteinen Hommage (frambozenlambik). And from Ethiopia: Bati Beer which gets a 1.96/5 on RateBeer. The only new US beer is Route 66. Eh what?

The rest of the US menu is spotty: Anchor Christmas, Liberty, Old Foghorn, Porter, Small, Steam, and Summer, Budweiser, Chili Beer Arizona, Coors Light, Dixie, Goose Island Honker & IPA, Lone Star, Miller Genuine Draft, Polar Pilsener, Real American Porter, Red Dog, Sam Adams Boston Lager, The Raven, Voodoo Dark, and Weeping Radish Dark.

The most expensive beer? A final bid on eBay of $503,300 for a bottle of claimed 1852-brewed "Allsopp Arctic Ale" went to the gavel this month. Timeline:

1845 - Sir John Franklin and crew sails from London to find a northwest passage above Canada.
1852 - Sir Edward Belcher and crew head out to look for Franklin. They have Allsopp's brewer, one of the largest at the time, brew some extra-strong 10% IPA to take along. Reportedly they take a LOT of it along.
1854 - Belcher returns to England, not finding Franklin's ship. (The crew is found in 1858, having died in 1847.)
1854 - Allsopp buys back some of the beer.
1907 - Some of this beer is served (or at least on display) at a banquet in Boston for Shackleton and Peary.
1919 - Justice Fennell of Alsopp gives a bottle to Percy Bolster, an attorney in Boston.
June 21, 2007 - eBay member "collectordan" bought the bottle for $304 from a guy in Massachusetts who said it's been in his family for generations.
Aug 2 - Collectorday puts the bottle back on eBay with a long description and some fuzzy pictures.
Aug 8 - The bidding hits $2,000. Discussion starts on the eBay forums about the label, bottle style, etc.
Aug 9 - Bidding goes to $78,000.
Aug 10 - Top bid after a spirited tussle between three people reaches $501,000.
Aug 11 - Bids of $501,000, $503,200 and $503,300. This last is cancelled by the seller. Then one of $503,400 which the bidder rescinded. Finally the 63rd bidder puts up $503,300. His user name is v00d004sc0re and previously had bought record albums of value up to $30. Hmmm.

To date, no one knows whether the deal has been completed or if the seller has contacted any of the back-up bidders. Sometimes eBay volcanoes like this just float into thin air.

Aug 12 - Seller bjorn16 registers allsopparcticale.com and offers it for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now of $5,000. No takers there yet.

The problems noted on various discussion boards include the clear appearance of "Trade Mark" on the label even though trademarks weren't developed until 1875 (Bass's red triangle was the world's first registered trademark). Whoops. Also, people are doubtful about the perfect condition of the label, the shape of the bottle, the incongruity of putting labels on bottles bulk-packed for a special order in 1852.

It's thought that this may be one of a commemorative release by Allsopp of 1909. Still an old bottle but not an historical artifact of the period of early Arctic exploration.

The auction is still available for view on eBay including the pictures.

Maybe even rarer is the bottle of Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale Special Edition aged in THE actual holy grail. Unfortunately it disappears whenever those not pure at heart approach it. Hence the lack of ratings so far on RateBeer. Thanks DerWeg, you're a genius.

August 24

Thursday was Sinister Minister night at Barley Island. Lots of Indy and Lafayette beer folks joined the regulars to give a standing o to Head Brewer Jon Lang (at left), Assistant Mike Hess, and Guest Brewer Greg Christmas (at right). Why? Sinister Minister is a 6.7% Belgian Black Ale just now available at the brewpub and will go out in bottles in early October.

Greg's recipe uses debittered black malt, candi sugar, and a blend of yeasts to give a big malty sweet beer with mild malt aroma and an unmistakable Belgian influence. Pick out your own favorite flavors.

Central Indiana may have more Belgian Black Ales right now than anywhere on earth (they're not often found even in Belgium). Brugge's "The Black" is similar but with a spicier aroma and base.

The only other notable Black is New Belgium's 1554 Brussels Style Black Ale and you're not going to find that on Indiana shelves anytime soon.

August 22 A full house on a Wednesday in Bloomington and it wasn't for a frat party. The first day of the Lambic release was exciting as most of the tables had big $15 bottles of Lambic rather than wimpy little 16oz glasses of their other 8 beers on tap. In fact, about half of the 300 gallons of precious brew are now gone from the back room (100 gallons was pre-reserved by the regulars).

You've heard the story. From the Upland web site: "I began in the spring of 2006 by brewing 300 gallons of top-fermented beer using wild yeast to create a Belgian-style Lambic," Head Brewer Caleb Staton explains. "We conditioned the beer in American White Oak casks from a local winery and initiated a secondary fermentation using whole fruit from Huber Orchard in Starlight, Indiana." The result is a tart beer balanced by the aromatic and distinct qualities of the various berries that were used. Bottled in 750 ml champagne-style bottles, this inaugural edition consists of four different Lambic versions: Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Blackberry.

Which one to try first? All are filled with authentic sharp tartness bordering on the sour so you really can't go wrong. The Strawberry is the most aromatic. The Blueberry has less aroma and possibly the most sweet (or least tart). The Blackberry has the strongest brown stock flavor and the least fruit overall. It also leads the sales figures as the starting gate is lifted. The Raspberry has an attractive pink head that dissipates quickly leaving an almost florescent red color. It also has the most carbonation and the sharpest edges. Take your pick.

There are 900 gallons in the big kegs now for next year and Caleb plans possibly 6 or more styles including Elderberry.

To balance, Upland's seasonal Saison now on tap is soft, full, earthy, and the 7% ABV augments a touch of peppery spice.

Here's an article about the Oregon Brewers Festival.

Sierra Nevada will put it's Anniversary Ale in bottles this year for the first time. It's "an American Style IPA with a big, fragrant pine and citrus hop aroma balanced by the sweetness of two-row pale and caramel malt. It finishes with an additional Cascade dry-hopping creating a big hop aroma".

August 23 The Prost room was filled as it always is whenever Roger Baylor yells "party" on his blog. This time it was because Greg Koch was in town as part of his visit back to Columbus, Ohio, this month.

With 11 Stone beer on tap, only their least arrogant, the Pale Ale, was missing. Ruination, 10th Anniversary IPA, and Vertical Epic 7/7/7 were highlights for this reporter.

The Vertical Epic is much like a Saison. Crisp, malty, and restrained. Full in mouthfeel. A touch of anise or cardamon, a touch of sourness, and a touch of alcohol.

The 10th Anniversary IPA has plenty of sweet fruit notes. Dark cherry brown. It's on the verge of being winey (or barley winery) but retains some of the sharp Summit edges of the Bastard series.

The Smoked Porter is dark brown, thick, rich, smooth. Noticeable smoke at the start that morphs to become a porter with lots of alcohol apparent.

Reviews at The Seven Footer & Potable Curmudgeon.

Buddy Sandbach was at RichO's and Greg (right) liked his tattoo.

New Albany's Mayor James Garner (center below) was there to bestow the city's best wishes and a plaque to Greg.

That last picture is of Cory Lewison. She's the only person ever to "run the gauntlet" at Gravity Head 2 nights in a row. Brave woman.

Did you hear the one about the single malt whisky made by a 150-year-old brewery in Pakistan? article

Inside Indiana Business's video about the Brugge, Vigo, etc. "We've got some wild stuff going on."

Note to Kevin who asked Hoosier Beer Geek about Beer Stubes. They're still having them in Evansville. Take a parking lot, add a band, electricity, and a Bud dispenser. Voila. Instant night party for the 20-somethings. There are a number of them during the summer - coordinated so each bar gets a Saturday of its own.

Nana Willey's hop ice cream at the Columbus Bar uses Amarillo, Simcoe, and Magnum hops.

August 20 This is a busy week. On Monday it's the Stone tasting at Rich O's, New Albany. With guest, Greg Koch. 6:30-8:30pm as you've read in previous posts. The 11 Stone beers on tap: 07/07/07 Vertical Epic, Arrogant Bastard, Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Double Bastard 2005, Double Bastard 2006, Imperial Russian Stout, India Pale Ale, Old Guardian Barley Wine, Ruination IPA, Smoked Porter, Stone 10th Anniversary Ale IPA. Hmmmm. Vertical Epic ON TAP. Gotta have it.

Wednesday(22nd) is the Upland Brewing Lambic release party at 7pm. 750ml bottles will be priced at the brewery at $15. A lot of people have tasted the four varieties and have proclaimed them excellent. The Raspberry Lambic earned a silver medal at the State Fair.

Thursday (23rd) brings the Barley Island Sinister Minister release party. 7-9pm

Oh, and the Barley Island has named their Bourbon Barrel-Aged line "Beast of Bourbon". John Lang has also dropped the fermentation temperature a bit, creating a smoother romance, more like Kate Hepburn and Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby rather than Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell in The Seven Year Itch.

Friday and Saturday is the Cincinnati USA Brew Ha Ha Fri 5-12pm, Sat 4-12pm. It's a comedy and beer festival with W/Heywood Banks, etc. 3 stages, 60 beers

Then on Saturday (25th) the CFF Festiv-Ale at Scotty's Brewhouse in Carmel. You can see the poster here but the bare details are: 4-8pm. $40 advance / $45 at the door. Beer from 22 breweries plus distributors. Food from 10 restaurants.

Or you may want to take Saturday to go to the Brew at the Zoo in Louisville or one of the Ohio AleFest series, this one in Dayton.

But first, a report from Evansville's SWIRCA Beer Festival on last Saturday. It's not a huge place but it was full and overflowing into the parking lot.

Best beer of the event might well be awarded to Jack Frey's Old Charter Porter. Out of a pin used to age 14 year old Old Charter came 6 ounces of whiskey. In went the porter. 11 months later out came some very strong bourbon-tinted dark, rich, thickish, brew that could stand up against any of the competition, especially with the generous sourness in the background from oak wood brettanomyces.

Homebrewer Fred Scheesselewas back with Muff Beer, still searching for a sugar daddy investor and still having a ball looking.

The Ohio Valley Homebrewers Association was out in force as usual with 12 taps full (including 7 on their fabulous new jockey box), 3 meads, and 13 bottled beers. Huzzah folks.

Brewerys on show were Barley Island, Broad Ripple, Schlafly, Turoni's Main Street, Upland, Warbird, as well as selections from World Class and Cavalier.

All in all, practically a rerun of the 2006 event - which is a good thing.

Don't know that we completely understand this concept. Margarita's On The Move rents slushie machines for Youth Sporting Events. OK.

Warbird Brewing is moving into Michigan, about 500 cases are poised to roll north this week. They already have a Philadelphia area distributor also.

This week Two Brothers Helio Centric will ship to stores. It's a Braggot. From the B.I.G. Dictionary: "beer that is made with substantial amounts of honey providing the fermentables. Or a mead that is made with substantial amounts of malt providing the fermentables. A cross between beer and mead. Braggot is sometimes blended at the bar." This is going to be fun to try.

Great Taste of the Midwest - Hoosier reviews: Potable Curmudgeon, Others: Beer Musings, and the longest at The Isthmus

We're reminded that Bard's Tale was the first gluten-free beer in Indiana and can be found all over the place - including Outback Steakhouses. Their web site lists where it can be found. Thanks Mat

Appellationbeer.com's rule #2: A beer consumer should not be allowed to drink a beer with IBU higher than her or his IQ.

A recent study served an inexpensive wine with an expensive meal. Half of the people were told it was a California wine, half told it was from North Dakota. "Those drinking what they thought was California wine, rated the wine and food as tasting better, and ate 11% more of their food. They were also more likely to make return reservations." article

Note to the police in Bellows Falls, VT - If you're going into a bar undercover to check IDs be sure you have yours. And if the guy at the door doesn't let you in without one don't arrest him for "impeding a public officer". And certainly don't call the press first unless you want a lawsuit. article

August 18 We're reminded that Bard's Tale was the first gluten-free beer in Indiana and can be found all over the place - including Outback Steakhouses. Their web site lists where it can be found. Thanks Mat

The 11 Stone beers on tap at Rich O's next Monday: 07/07/07 Vertical Epic, Arrogant Bastard, Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Double Bastard 2005, Double Bastard 2006, Imperial Russian Stout, India Pale Ale, Old Guardian Barley Wine, Ruination IPA, Smoked Porter, Stone 10th Anniversary Ale IPA. Hmmmm. Vertical Epic ON TAP. Gotta have it.

Appellationbeer.com's rule #2: A beer consumer should not be allowed to drink a beer with IBU higher than her or his IQ.

August 17 Stone is being rather, well, Arrogant these days. Meet CEO and co-founder of Stone Greg Koch on August 20 at Rich-O's where no less than 11 different Stone beers will be on tap. Oaked Arrogant Bastard is now available "all year long" in six packs. Check it out starting next week!

We also visited Three Floyds Brewpub this week, which always has a great selection of unique microbrews and awesome food to boot. Here's the current taplist. Try the eggplant sandwich paired with the Backroad Dopplebock! Grill out with Three Floyds on August 20 for $30 from 6-9 pm.

The Knights of the Beer Roundtable is making a pilgrimage to Muncie this weekend to make an appearance on The Good Beer Show. Should be a good one to download.

August 16

Jeff & Linda Eaton of Barley Island took their daughters to the State Fair.
Here they are at the Indiana Craft Beer exhibit in the Ag/Hort building.
That's Hannah, Rachel, and Julia in front.
The State Fair runs through August 19th.

Next week, Aug 24 & 25 is the Cincinnati Brew Ha Ha. Free comedy and $10 for 10 beer tastes. Headliners are Heywood Banks and Tom Mabe. 50 comedians and 60 beers. The brewery list isn't up yet but it is worth a click and a drive to the southeast.

The major players have done well this spring. Second quarter, 2007, results are in:

Anheauser-Bush - Net profits up 6.1% to $667M. Plans to raise prices in 2008 and go into bottled water and liquor.
SABMiller - Sales up 13% worldwide although North American sales were down 0.7%.
Molson Coors - Net up 18% to $185M.
Carlsberg - Net up 31% in the first 6 months of 2007.
Fuller, Smith & Turner - Sales up 5.4% in their owned pubs.
Heineken - Sales up 9.3% in the first 6 months. The US was up 4.3% but SE Asia was up 30%.
Baltic Beverages - Sales up 37% in the first 6 months. Profits up 48% to $295M.

August 15

DinkingBeer.net made up a Nutrition Facts of a typical beer. Wow. That's a lot of fiber.

Homebrewer Greg Christmas of Fishers has won the Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup award for the best Belgian strong ale for 3 years running. Barley Island has brewed Greg's Sinister Minister Belgian Style Black Ale and it will be introduced at a Release Party on Thursday, Aug 23rd. 7-9pm.

BI also now stocks some other beers on tap - right now, Pyramid Apricot Weizen, Franziskaner Hefe Weisse, Founders Dirty Bastard, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.

Looks like BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse plans to open their first Indiana brewpub in the Greenwood Park Mall on the south side of Indy. The Star reported that they plan to open in November.
We had a question recently:

Q) I have celiac disease and am looking for a gluten free beer that is sold in Evansville Indiana.

A) You might be able to find Lakefront's New Grist - pretty good stuff really, or Hambleton's Toleration Ale in a British Bitter style.

Schlafly's Sorghum Beer may turn up occasionally - though Illinois is a more likely location.

Also, Anheuser-Busch has Redbridge.

Green's beers (Discovery, Endeavor, or Quest) from Belgium are all gluten-free and are imported to Indiana but World Class's Beer Finder shows nobody near you. Rats. See http://www.worldclassbeverages.com/proddetail.asp?prod=95776 and click on the big red box at the bottom of the page.

For the others, try Kwik Liquors or University Liquors. Come to think of it, Winetree on E. Washington has a selection in back less aimed at the mainstream and may be a good place to look.

Most of these stores will be glad to special order a case or two (or five) and just may need prodding. Lakefront, Hambleton, Schlafly are distributed by Cavalier. Green's by World Class. Redbridge by the local Bud rep.

The World's Most Expensive Beer

Ville Bon Secours (8% ABV) sells in London's Bierdrome for about £500. But that's for one of those huge display bottles of 20 liters so it's about $78 per pint. Belgian beer stores sell it in 33cl bottles for under €3.

The 8,000 24oz bottles of Sam Adams Utopia (25% ABV) sold for a retail $100 each.

Some archaeologists at Cambridge explored the dregs of a jar found in the Sun Temple of Queen Nefertiti and had Scottish and Newcastle brew 1000 bottles. The first of these was sold at auction for over $7,000. Someone at an Indianapolis Museum of Art auction paid more than $500 for one of these bottles in 1996.

August 13 The Bear Republic Brewery: A Short Story (Or Tall Tale!)

August 10 The Schererville Hooters at 1650 US Hwy 41, at the intersection of Route 30, has just added Warbird and Upland products to their beer stock. According to manager Kyle Hecht, each store location manages their inventory individually, according to the local suppliers in their markets. He was uncertain what craft beers, if any, would be available at other Indiana Hooters locations. Stop in and ask your local Hooters Girl what they have in stock.

August 8 (update to August 7 included)

At Bloomington Brewing, Floyd Rosenbaum has brought back some or last year's Dark Belgian Strong Ale to the handpull. It is made with Chocolate and Biscuit malts, amber Candi Sugar, and three yeasts (Abbey, Belgian Strong, and London Ale). It's looks and acts much like a Chocolate Porter. Yum. Next up, Stout - batch #800.

Beer in space: A short but frothy history. article Goodies: "She sent a miniature brewing kit into orbit aboard a space shuttle several years ago and produced a few sips of beer." - "Without gravity to draw liquids to the bottoms of their stomachs, leaving gases at the top, astronauts tend to produce wet burps."

Larry Bell talks in BeerAdvocate about the problems behind returning to Illinois. "Bell's continues to work on a way to return to Illinois. NWS (owner of the distribution rights) won't return my call. I have had discussions with other wholesalers and there is a possibility that we would return, but not with any brand we currently produce. However, we, and any new distributor we have, are likely to be sued at the point of reentry by NWS. Illinois franchise law is complex and not always favorable to breweries. Add in corruption and the bad guys at NWS and you've got a sticky situation. Chicago is my home town and I would love to sell beer there again. It IS being worked on, so please be patient."

Three Floyds Gumballhead is now available in 6-packs.

"a lack of cigarette smoke in British pubs has revealed the quite unpleasant odor of sweat and stale beer" article

Ontario canned beer sales up 27%; bottled beer sales down 6%. long, involved article

Get your world drinking age map merchandise here.

This Aug/Sept issue of the Great Lakes Brewing News is on the streets (or more likely a stack in your favorite brewpub). Publisher Bill Metzger sends out 55,000 copies of just this regional paper and other sister publications cover the Rocky Mountains, Northwest, Yankee, Southwest, and Mid-Atlantic states. It's all advertising supported (plus Bill sells imaginative T-shirts to make up the difference). Too bad there's only two advertisers from Indiana in this bi-monthly issue. There's a lot to be learned. Here's a bare sampling:

Editor Mark Garland says "We still see ... advocating alcohol limits lower than .08 and high additional taxes ... the argument goes, if a drink costs another dollar, no one will drink too much. Perhaps a massive tax on text messages would be a good idea and would discourage people from texting while driving.

Rick Lyke compiles national and international news in his regular Business of Beer column.

Zymurgy's poll shows Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA is the favorite commercial beer of homebrewers. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Arrogant Bastard, Alaskan Smoked Porter, DFH 60 Min, Guinness Draught, Old Rasputin, Aventinus, and SN Celebration round out the top 9.
Larry the Cable Guy has a beer named after him at the ShillingBridge Brewery in Pawnee City, NE.
Hite Brewery in South Korea's new beer "S" has 1.5 grams of dietary fiber in every bottle. This could become a regular in nursing homes.

Maggie Boleyn tells us Tom's of Maine makes a deodorant that substitutes aluminum with hops "a natural odor-fighting ingredient". She hopes toothpaste is next.

Jim Herter is Indiana's "Beer Governor" and his column always has new info.

Three Floyds has Gorch Fock Helles and Alpha Kong Sextupple available in bottles.
John Templet at Half Moon has an assistant brewer now - Bryan Culbertson. They signed up 150 people to their mug club in the first two weeks they were open.
Jim also passes on info about many new beers due out from Indiana breweries - these are detailed at the Brewers Guild web site On Tap page.

Gotta love the poster for the Steel City Big Pour

What's Happening:

Wed, Aug 8 - Rock Bottom Downtown & 86th St, Indy Simultaneous Tapping Parties. Happy Pils. 6pm
Thurs, Aug 9 - Hoosier Beer Geek 1st Anniversary. Deano's Vino. Indy. 8pm
Thurs, Aug 9 - 3/micros for $10 at BadaBoomz during the Colts game and the proceeds to go the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Fri, Aug 10 - Vintage Beer Tasting at BadaBoomz. Indy 5pm. $8
2001 Arcadia Imperial Stout
2002 DFH Worldwide Stout
2000 Gale's Millenium Ale
Tues, Aug 14 - Sportstime Pizza's 20th birthday party. 3pm onward
Wed, Aug 15 - Beer tasting at The Patrician, Shererville. 6-8:30pm
Thurs, Aug 16 - City-Wide, Downtown South Bend, tasting of Pale and White Ales. 5-8pm
Fri, Aug 17 - Taste of Germany. By Cologne Sister City Society & IFD. Indy. German Food & Beer. $50. 5-10pm
Fri, Aug 17 - Off The Clock Liquors, Lakeville, tasting of Pale and White Ales. 4-6pm
Fri, Aug 17 - Pat's Liquors, Porter tasting of Pale and White Ales. 5-7pm
Fri, Aug 17 - Lafayette Brewing - Golf Tournament. Noon.
Fri, Aug 17 - Vintage Beer Tasting at BadaBoomz. Indy 5pm. $8
Sat, Aug 18 - SWIRCA Beer Festival - Evansville. 6-10pm

Boston Beer Co. has bought the Lehigh Valley Brewery to expand Sam Adams production in 2008. The $55M plant has a capacity of 1.6M bbl.

Stereotyping:

Dateline, Berlin. Headline, "German Beer Lovers Rescued". Crux, trainload of soccer fans suffers from a faulty tap. Part sent out by taxi to halted train. article
Headline: "Drunk Driver's Breath Test Frightens Police. Crux. 0.368. Dateline, of course, Australia. article

The Champion Beer of Britain for 2007 was announced at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival. Hobsons Mild. Yep, a Mild. The last two years is was Crouch Vale Brewers Gold - an American IPA and, in this reporters view, it's nice to see a return to native Fuggles hops rather than Cascades imported from the US.

Sadly we don't get Hobsons here. In fact, most of the class medalists came from small breweries (Mighty Oak, Green Jack, Surrey Hills, Purple Moose, Inveralmond, Little Valley, Oak Leaf, Otley, Wapping). You might have heard of Brains Dark, Titanic Stout, or Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout. There only listed beer that is imported to Indiana is Fuller's London Pride. St. Peters Grapefruit may show up here eventually - it's a wheat beer with grapefruit addition.

We do get Greene King's beers including Strong Suffolk Vintage Ale, but that may become rarer. Strong Suffolk is made by blending a very strong "stale ale" (12%) and BPA (Best Pale Ale) then aging in 100-gallon wooden casks for 2 years. The resulting sour lactic beer is much prized (Rate Beer 94, Beer Advocate 88) but one of their 3 casks sprung a leak and they can't fix it without replacing a lot of wood and destroying the character. By the way, it's thought that Rodenbach Crand Crue was developed in the 1870s as a Belgian version of Strong Suffolk.

Belgium's Oud Beersel lambic brewery closed in 2002 but is open again and their first Gueuze, Kriek, and Bersalis blond is now available - in Belgium. There's a US importer and we may see it someday in Indiana.

Bonus: We just ran across Vigo Brewing's classified ad in ProBrewer from 8 months ago. Gotta love Ted's honesty.

Vigo Brewing Group, in beautiful and somewhat tropical Terre Haute, Indiana requires some real badasses. A Head Brewer, an Assistant Brewer and a couple of really eager Cellarman are needed.

The successful candidate for Head Brewer will have a minimum of a gargantuan amount of experience that includes bottling and lab work. He/She will exhibit traits that we find admirable such as being a leader, a ridiculously hard worker, meticulous, smart, pleasant, personable, appreciative, supportive, fun, flexible, creative and a problem solver. Ability to read minds, be two places at once and accomplish impossible tasks is a plus. Job Description reads something like this: Everything.

The successful candidate for Assistant Brewer will have a minimum of some experience and heaps upon loads upon mountains of desire. Ability to believably screen phone calls is an asset.

The successful candidates for Cellarman will have a minimum of things like hands possibly, or maybe even a torso. Not the most glamorous work, but you get to drink the occasional malt beverage when we let you out of your cage.

August 5 On July 21^st, Rocky & Stella’s Brewpub and Grill opened its doors to the Northwest Indiana public. Located at 200 U.S. 30 in Schererville, Indiana it took over the Alaska Pipe Line property on the northeast corner of Austin and Route 30. Owned and operated by the Torres and Vega families, the restaurant offers burgers, sandwiches and Mexican specialties at very reasonable prices; the current menu’s most expensive selection is the Gorillaburger at $7.00.The word ‘Brewpub’ in the name is a bit of misnomer since they do not currently brew any beer of their own. However, according to manager Joe Petersen, the owners are seriously considering doing so since the sign has brought in so many customers inquiring about it. They have nine beers on tap at the time of this writing: Goose Island Honkers, FFF’s Alpha King and Pride & Joy, Blue Moon, Sam Adams, Stella Artois, Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft and Bud Light.

August 4 And now for something completely different: Quarta Runa. An Italian ale with peaches. 7%. Delightfully refreshing. Fun evening crinkling the paper packaging. Still, we've tasted the peach before. It's a tempting fruit. This bottle opened with a mighty "PoP!" and poured well into the glass. We like the PoP! but the first half was better than the second. A little yeasty (excessive) at the end. So Bravo! for our first glassful of Quarta Runa, and a light clapping for the second pour. Thank you for the experience of your long voyage to USA.

August 3 Craving Hops? Check out Dogfish Head on BeerGeekTV

August 2 "After a year and a half of nail-biting anticipation, we've finally locked down a date for our lambic series release. Wednesday, August 22nd Upland will hold a Lambic Release Event and the wonderful craftbrew lovers of Indiana can pick up a 750 ml bottle of our first limited small batch. We are also now taking reservations (limiting 6 bottles per person) at the Tap Room for pickup on the 22nd. Many thanks again to the Oliver Winery and the Huber Orchard and Winery for providing us with white oak barrels and Indiana grown fruits, which made possible the first (and hopefully not last!) traditional Belgian-Hoosier lambic. I remember back in the day the 3 month Winter Warmer conditioning time was the limits of my patience. Look for Upland Gueuze to hit shelves in 2009. Sheesh!

Cheers for Indiana beers!

Caleb Staton
Head Brewer
Upland Brewing Co.

August 1

Spencer's Stadium Tavern had 5 Replicales on tap to give a good opportunity for comparative tasting. This year's Replicale is a Pre-Prohibition Ale. Each brewer uses the same basic grain bill then adds his/her own touch. Each are now on tap at their respective breweries. All are excellent peasant beers.

The recipe calls for Europils, brown, and amber malts and a bit of corn. The hops used were left to the brewer with a limit of one hop strain giving about 23 IBU.

Ram - Neutral. Malt base has a touch of fruit, much like a Saison.
Broad Ripple Brewpub - Almost indistinguishable from the Ram's.
Alcatraz - Smooth and not sweet but conditioned on Maple Syrup. You can tell the alcohol content is higher.
Rock Bottom, Downtown Indy - Drier. Amarillo hops?
Rock Bottom, Orland Park, Illinois - Bigger, longer-lasting head than any of the others. Also a bit creamier body. A richer taste from more protein.

The Broad Ripple Gazette coverage of the Microbrewers Festival isn't available online but they do have a lot of pictures available. Their reporters liked the program, the potties, and finding lagers aren't dark beers. Not so much the Fantabulous Resplendence, and Cask Conditioned beers ("The thought of drinking fermenting beer makes me almost want to vomit in my mouth."). But they've learned a lot and will be back next year.

Roger Baylor talks about the Festival. - "NABC actually brought a shade more beer to each of the past two festivals (Brew-Ha-Ha and the Indiana Microbrewers Festival) than in 2006, when supplies were sufficient, but in both cases this year, increased attendance and word-of-mouth popularity caused us to deplete far too early. Apologies; we're among the smaller breweries at these events, and we always try to bring as much as we can spare, but sometimes it isn't enough. We're trying to adjust and pack enough to go around in 2008. As always, thanks for the wonderful reception ... and see you all next year."

The Good Beer Show invades Warbird.

Bob Julian did some research of bars and taverns in Indiana and gives this rundown:

The oldest is the Broadway Hotel and Tavern in Madison it was est. in 1834.
The Knickerbocker Saloon in Lafayette is the 2nd it was established in 1835. It received the 1st liquor license in Indiana.
The Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis was originally founded in 1850 as the Tremont House in Indianapolis it is the 3rd oldest.
It appears the Franklin House in Valparaiso is the 4Th oldest bar in the state of Indiana. They had their 150th anniversary party last Saturday. Charles Nuppnau owned it until 1912 and it has been owed by Jason Evans since 2004.

Beer blending finally hits the big time. article Black and Tan, Kriek and Porter, Blueberry and Stout. (thanks Neil)

July 30 Matt Dunn recounts the 2007 Indiana Microbrewer's Festival

July 29 Tony visits the Anthony's Cafe July 14 Beer Tasting. Click here!

July 27

AMERICAN HOMEBREWERS ASSOCIATION RALLY AT UPLAND BREWING COMPANY

July 27, 2007

Calling all home brewers and craft beer aficionados!

The American Homebrewers Association will hold their first-ever rally in Indiana at Upland Brewing Company on Saturday, August 4th from 2 pm to 5 pm. Brewery tours, brewing demonstrations, merchandise give-aways, and the opportunity to “talk brewing” with some of Indiana’s premier craft brewers will be featured.

The “AHA Rally” is a membership drive for AHA, the publisher of Zymurgy, and America’s most prestigious home-brewing organization. All area home brewers, current and former AHA members, and beer enthusiasts are invited to attend.

Head Brewer Caleb Staton and Assistant Brewer Eileen “Ale-leen” Martin will conduct brewery tours, brew-related gear and merchandise will be given away, and prizes from AHA and Upland will be raffled off. Representatives from homebrewing supplier Butler Winery and the Bloomington Hop Jockeys, the local home-brewing club, will be on hand to demonstrate do-it-yourself brewing and discuss the many wonders of the craft brewers’ art.

Admission is $33 and includes a one-year membership to the AHA including a year’s subscription to Zymurgy, America’s premier do-it-yourself guide to brewing. Current AHA members receive free admittance and are encouraged to renew at the Rally.
More information about the Rally is available online at www.uplandbeer.com and www.AHArally.org.

# # #

The American Homebrewers Association is a division of the Brewers Association. Their mission: The AHA is committed to promoting the community of homebrewers and empowering them to make the best beers in the world!
The Brewers Association was established in 2005 by a merger of the Association of Brewers and the Brewers' Association of America. Their purpose is to Promote and Protect American Craft Beer and American Craft Brewers and the Community of Brewing Enthusiasts.

Visit www.beertown.org for more information about the Brewers Association and the American Homebrewers Association.

Greg Emig writes in Rushing the Growler about the new bottled beer from the Lafayette Brewing Co and why it will be a little more time before you can get it at Village Liquors.

"Our recent release of 12 ounce bottles of Tippecanoe Common Ale and Black Angus Oatmeal Stout has been met with tremendous enthusiasm and has kept the brewery staff working well into the evening keeping up with the demand. In fact, demand has been so great that we've delayed our release into area liquor stores and other establishments until we can get our operations up to full capacity. We're very excited about the new package, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive."

And Tippecanoe Common won a "Gold Medal at the recent Indiana State Fair Brewer's Cup competition. We are extremely pleased that the judges found our best seller to be worthy of their top rating, as well. And talk about timing!"

July 26 More Brewers Festival reviews: The Good Beer Show video; and Nuvo's article.

At BadaBoomz in downtown Indy, Mike DeWeese is restarting the Vintage Beer Tastings on Friday evenings, 5pm. He has about 300 different dated, matured beers hidden away and he brings out 3 each week. It costs $8 for which you get three 5-ounce samples.

Also

Monday - $2.75 pints and $3.75 Imperial (20oz) pints
Wednesday - All Indiana beers are $3.75.
Thursday - Rogue and Stone pints are $3.75
Friday - All Indiana beers are $4.75 per mug

The Brugge Brasserie and the new brew house got good ink at the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Did you hear about the $200,000 5-hour champagne tasting. That's for 18 people so it's not so bad. "When the party left at 5 a.m., the bill was 81,471.50 pounds, which with tax and service added amounted to 105,805.28 pounds. It included the cost of six Coca-Colas." article

First they stop growing barley to make corn to burn in cars. Now the agave crops are threatened. The Buffet Nation isn't going to stand for this. article

July 23 The Hoosier Beer Geek has 4 reviews of last Saturday's Microbrewer's Festival. As does Beer Advocate.

Look for Three Floyds Gumballhead in 6-packs.

Wanted to let you and the community know that I’m movin’ on from Indiana…. again. After serving three consecutive tours of duty at Warbird, my wife Tina and I are moving to Madison where Tina is starting her PhD in Geology at UW. We’ll be there just in time for the Great Taste of the Midwest, so make sure to say hi when you get there, just look for the Tallest Brewer in America. I haven’t begun actively seeking employment yet, but I hear there are a couple places that make beer around there.

All best wishes,
-Matt Hill

In a related story, ProBrewer has this classified:

Career Opportunity with Warbird Brewing (Fort Wayne, IN)

Matthew Hill, our Head Brewer/Operations Manager has announced that he and his wife are moving to Wisconsin in August. This opens an opportunity for the right person to help Warbird grow to the next level. Warbird is in its 3rd year as a production microbrewery. Production of 850-900 bbls in 2007 is anticipated.
We are looking for a person with brewing, packaging, administrative, and people skills who wants to work with us to grow our business. Enthusiasm for festivals, tours, and promotional events is important. Service to others is our core value. This is a great opportunity for a leader who wants to run a production microbrewery and gain responsibility for all aspects of operations from start to finish. If you are interested, please contact me at dave@warbirdbrewing.com. For more information about our company, please visit our website at www.warbirdbeer.com.
Cheers,
Dave Holmes
Owner, Warbird Brewing Co.

Our coverage of the Brewers Cup might have introduced you to MECA. Bill Ballinger would like to explain a bit.

I see MECA Brewers made the front cover of Indiana Beer! Awesome! However I have a correction to your story, we are not an "alternative to the FBI", and we don't live "on the southside of Indy." I live in Shelbyville and our members come from Anderson, Muncie, Fishers, Whiteland, and Greenwood.
We brewed together for years and just recently registered as an AHA Club. MECA is all about camaraderie, sharing of information, technical excellence, and general beer geekiness. Our only ties to the FBI are that several of MECA's members joined FBI in past years and several of us took Ron Smith's great BJCP judge class. Because of our close ties, MECA has a great relationship with the FBI and its members. And if anything, a little central Indiana competition makes both clubs better in the long run because it makes us brew better beer.

Sex appeal sells beer. The Easter Bunny we're not too sure about.

Word has it the Via Maria restaurant in Holland, MI has stopped brewing beer.

Bud to sell bottled water. No, really. That what this article says anyway. Insert your own joke here.

Someone steals a Coors Light truck with 51 kegs from a baseball stadium in Louisiana. Police say "I don't think we're dealing with the most intelligent criminals in the world" but ones with big bladders. article

Hop ice cream at the Columbus Bar. Beer popsicles in Virginia. Now chunky bacon ice cream in Delaware. (thanks Neil)

July 18 We're told Upland's Lambics have been bottled and are waiting label approval.

There's two new Homebrew Clubs to report. Well, you might have read about MECA in the State Fair Brewers Cup report, but there's another staring up:

I wanted to pass on info on a new homebrewing club in Indiana. After making the long trek to Lafayette several times a few local brewers and I decided to start a new club in Howard County (Kokomo). We have a connection with a local Craft Beer Bar for meetings and advertisement and although we are currently just getting started we have high hopes for the future. We are having our first meeting in about a month. For now our only online presence is a discussion forum.

Howard County Homebrewers

Online Forum at http://www.setbb.com/hchomebrew

Thanks,
Tom Ferguson

There's a warning about Stella Artois in Canada restaurants. Seems there's alcohol inside. And by alcohol we mean "concentrated alcohol". article

July 17 Bell's will be at Macniven's, Friday July 20th, from 4-7pm or so, will something special for all. A 1/4 barrel of Bourbon Barrel Aged Double Cream/Expedition Stout and a Firkin of Amber will both be tapped around 4pm, and you know neither will last forever. They'll follow the Bourbon Keg with Double Cream, and Two Hearted will be on tap that night as well. Come on down and try something special from the oldest craft brewery in the Midwest, especially if you can't make it out Saturday to the Microfest.

July 12 The Rock Bottom (86th St) tapping of Liz's American Dream IPA was, as always, attended by over 100 people. Her version of this month's seasonal is a highly hopped 7% ABV version with lots of Crystal and Amarillo hops and was well received by the regulars. Door prizes of pint glasses and T-shirts added to the excitement. Next tapping - August 8th for the Happy Pils. Stop in at either Rock Bottom between 6:00 and 6:30 and let the brewmaster buy you a beer. Now to see what Jerry's version of the American Dream is at the downtown Indy.

Omar told us Alcatraz's Replicale to be unveiled at the Microbrewers Festival will be cask conditioned with maple syrup.

The abhorrent absolute absence of absinthe from abroad may be abolished as abolition is abandoned. article (Thanks Neal)

July 8 The promotion continues. The advance program for the Microbrewers Festival is now available online. July 21st. Oh, and you can buy tickets online also. You are planning to be there, right?

There's a couple of events to think about before the big festival.

Thursday July 19th - Dave Engbers from Founders Brewery will be hosting a beer event at the Corner Wine Bar/Wellington in Broad Ripple. This will be a tasting of Founders beers with a table of food as well. There will be 3 Founders on draft and 3 in the bottle including Devil Dancer. The event will run from 7 - 9 pm, it is $25/per person. Please RSVP with the CWB @ (317)255-5159. They will accept walk-ins but are trying to limit the event to 30-40 people at the most.
Friday July 20th - There will be an informal Meet & Greet with the new Stone Rep at Bada Boomz in downtown Indy. This will be a very informal evening of enjoying some Stone and conversation at the bar with someone from the brewery. It will probably run loosely from 7 - 10 pm.
Friday, July 20th - The Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple will have a pre-festival celebration with a band and other fun things to do and drink. It starts at 8pm.

5 1/2 minutes of beers around the world. YouTube

Headline: Hark! It's 'The Canned Beer Apocalypse'. How Dales and Sam Adams went separate ways. article

July 6 Cavalier is looking for a delivery person. craigslist

North Coast Distributing in Valparaiso has been named the "number one Miller distributor in the United States," a ranking based on sales and management. article

Fosters lowers ABV of their Victoria Bitter by .1% in order to save $10,000,000++ in excise tax. 4.9%, 4.8%, who'll notice? Some people obviously do. article

Woodford Reserve Sonoma Chardonnay Finish. Yum

Absolut Vodka is for sale. No really. The whole company. It's owned by Sweden. No really. The whole country. For only $35 billion you too can make a plum vodka and they can pay off their national debt.

Yep, you can get growlers of Tsing Tao on the streets of Quigdao, where it is brewed. These are poured from kegs and a cheap scale measures the portion. It's drunk from a straw inserted in the bag.

July 2 Ram's growlers are half price all during July. That's $4.00.

The Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup entries are in with over 600 beers to be judged on July 13th and 14th. Entries came in from Brazil (the country) and as far away as Tulsa in the states.

Here's what we can tell you about the Vigo Brewery. You've heard about it. Ted Miller and the

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