March 22

There is going to be a Bell's Oberon Tapping Party at BadaBoomz downtown Indy. Monday, 5-12pm. $2.75 pints. I've been told the official tapping party is at the Beer Sellar in Castleton.

Belgian organic beer? Dupont Foret (over there known as Moinette Biologique) may be the only one. It's a Blonde and it's now in Indiana.

Scientific study shows scientists who drink more beer publish fewer papers. article On the other hand, more beer means more IndianaBeer news articles. Some say beer also affects programmers. chart

Do you know your booze? test

Going to be in Belgium in September? Here's a 1-week beer tour priced at $2,225 including hotels, bus, and a lot of the food. Visits Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, Silly, Roman, Bavik, Van Steenberge, Van Eecke, Halve Maan, Verhaeghe.

March 17 Headline: "Beer drinkers? Bigger Brains!". "The ground-breaking study shows that the hippocampus . . . was more than 10 per cent smaller in those whose tipple was wine than in those who favoured beer." Ta Da.

According to the CAMRA newspaper What's Brewing, the next release of Gale's Prize Old Ale may be the last. The latest batch was brewed at the Gales plant in Horndean which has since been closed by their new owners, Fullers. This batch was brewed in 2005 and was transferred to the Fuller's brewery in Chiswick where it has sat for 18 months on the wood - this is 6 more than in the past so it should be stronger in many ways. Oh, and they say the 9% ABV figure is calculated before aging and it might reach 12% with fermentation in the cask plus bottle fermentation.

A guy in England has been buried with his favorite beer mug and they just found the bones. No doubt the beer was and Old Ale because he's been dead for 4,000 years. article

Our nominee for hat of the week goes to James Fagan, a state legislator in New Jersey who wants to lower the BAC for DUI to .02%. article But he just opposed a ban on cell phones while driving. "Rep. James Fagan (D-Taunton) also opposed the measure, dismissing it as a “stupid” and “rotten” insurance company giveaway that would further hamstring cash-strapped motorists." article Oh, and by the way, James Fagan is a DUI attorney who "has represented thousands of accused drunken drivers". What a convenient way to maximize your volume of business.

March 16 The State Fair's Beer Categorization Event had almost a dozen people bring brews to be tried by BJCP judges. There were some very distinct beers that we'll not discuss in detail in order to not affect the actual Brewers Cup judging. Suffice as to say it was no doubt helpful to the brewers and it certainly was enjoyed by all.

Following that, NUVO's Rita Kohn hosted a roundtable discussion about beer that will be featured in their upcoming April 9 issue. Look for quite a few stories and a pull-out section. While NUVO isn't distributed outside the Indy and Bloomington areas we'll try to latch on to a few extra copies for the rest of the state.

The roundtable was a 2-hour discussion, moderated by Anita Johnson, that covered history, economics, workplace, homebrewing, and many more topics. NUVO should have a video and podcast available later.

Anita, Eileen, Jon, Ted, Greg, Kevin, Paul, Omar, and Jim

Ron Smith has been putting on BJCP study groups for the last 3 years and new he's making a mini-class called Master of Beer Appreciation (BeerMBA.com). The first three-class series will be April 12, May 3rd, and May 31st at Payless Liquors, I-69 & 96th St. in Fishers. Ron's web site gives all the details.

Sam Adams' offer of 20,000 pounds of hops to other breweries is slightly oversubscribed. Over 100,000 pounds of hops have been requested.

New Glarus is building a 2nd brewery in New Glarus, WI. The 65,000 bbls they created last year just isn't enough. article

Coming up (more in the calendar including many liquor store tastings)

• Mon, Mar 17 - Upland Tapping of Ard Ri Imperial Red Ale.
• Sat, Mar 22 - RockFest at Rock Bottom Chicago. 1-5pm $20. To benefit the Chicago Food Depository.

March 16 "I have heard that a new brew pub is opening up in Kokomo.  They have a website with beers listed. brassmonkeybrewery.com -Tom"

Indeed, Tom, it appears that you have broken some news for us. We are thirsty and in need of another. Thank you.

March 14 AHA Members - it's voting time for the AHA Governing Committee. link David Bilger of Muncie is running along with 7 others for 6 spots.

The Michigan Brewers Guild Board of Directors is now President Eric Briggeman, Rochester Mills; Secretary Steve Berthel, The Livery; Treasurer Mike Stevens, Founders; Plus Ron Jeffries, Jolly Pumpkin and Scott King, King Brewing.

If you're in Detroit and see a 6ft glass of beer the police (and Guinness) would like a phone call. article

Liz's Fire Chief at Rock Bottom, 86th St, Indy, has a bit more bittering hops than the normal American Red. That makes a big difference and gives a nice long aftertaste. Her "Purge Pale Ale" was named for a purge of the hop bin (including Ahtanum hops) to bitter it up, not for National Bulimic's Day. It's mildly citrusy but mostly a nice Am Pale. If you look closely in the brew room, there's some Imperial Oatmeal Stout resting in a bourbon barrel until autumn.

Beer name available for use: 10w30, 10w40, 10w50. Sounds like it's time to make a series of Scottish ales.

The Ram's Ca-Cow Chocolate Milk Stout is a reasonably thick Sweet Stout with hints of oak, then chocolate coming in late. Drinkable as a session beer. Just in time for Monday. Their India Brown Ale is a crispy-hopped Southern Brown. The bitter sticks around nicely.

India Brown Ale is a rare style that's just emerging - a hoppier, stronger Brown corresponding to an IPA. Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale and Jerry Sutherland's IBA that was at the downtown Indy Rock Bottom last year are the only other examples that come to mind but we here they barrel aged some up in Warrenville's RB.

March 12 Three Floyds Munsterfest. A bubbly Oktoberfest style lager. Crystal clear, smooth, mild, and malty. Amber in color. First quaff, mmmmm! Fifth quaff... hmmmm. Socks not knocked off. Wait, don't take it away... I want to finish it! Official description: "A Bavarian-style Oktoberfest bier brewed with the finest Bavarian malted barley, aromatic German noble hops and traditional yeast brewed in strict accordance with the German bier purity law of 1516, the Reinheitsgebot. This rich malty lager is one of the few that remain true to the tradition of fest beers originally brewed to honor the marriage of Prince Ludwig in 1810. We hope you enjoy this fall offering. Es is nicht normal. Prosit."

March 11 Here's a cool panorama of Alefest INDY!

March 10 Photos from Indianapolis' First Annual Alefest!

March 9 The numbers at Joe Waizmann's AleFest Indy brought open-mouthed awe to many on both sides of the tables. Over 150 beers from the World Class Beverages warehouse were available for tasting and over 850 people were at the Murat Egyptian Room to sample all that beer. So many people, in fact, that many of the tables ran out of beer about 3 1/2 hours into the 4-hour festival.

This was the first ticketed event in the area for some time. Ticketed, in that it wasn't unlimited sampling. Sample pours were a generous 4oz and each patron got 20 tickets. You can do the math. No one - not one person - used all 20 tickets.

Notable extras to the expected festival fare were Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA served through a Randall (below top left), Darrell and Paul's Kolsch and RyePA homebrews at the Great Fermentations booth, and the public debut of Wabash Valley beers.

Bell's Hopslam supplies are running out at most pubs but Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA is headed our way. 13% ABV. 112 IBU. BadaBoomz in Indy tells us it will replace the Hopslam on the handpull this next week.

The good news is "People who started drinking in middle age were 38 percent less likely to have a heart attack or other serious heart event than abstainers -- even if they were overweight, had diabetes, high blood pressure or other heart risks" article On the other hand "Their study of 44,000 people showed that men who had five or more drinks on days they did drink were 30 percent more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than men who had just one drink a day -- regardless of what their average drinking intake was." Oops.

The best way to put a lime in your beer is with the Lime Bomber.

March 7 At the downtown Indy , Jerry Sutherlin has brewed Fire Chief Red with a dash of Cascades which gives a fresh taste and a hoppier-than-expected character to this red ale. The tapping party last Thursday was downstairs with about 60 people and a nice buffet. Door prizes included a polo shirt for Jennifer Clark (right).

New Holland is now brewing on their German 50bbl system and a new bottling line which will let them expand to 10,000bbl annual production. article
 

March 6 RateBeer now has Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord listed as the best beer in the world (the "normal" Dark Lord ranks 13th). Dreadnaught ranks 43rd, Alpha King is 65th, Behemoth Barleywine is 81st and Alpha Klaus is 93rd.

Bells also scores many times: Expedition Stout #7. Bourbon Barrel Double Cream Stout #9. Batch 7000 #19. Hopslam #78. Two Hearted #79.

Plus, Rich O's is the 8th best bar in the world and The Heorot comes in at #30. Mad Anthony's Fort Wayne tap room is #48. Go Indiana.

Who's that on the Upland Ard Ri label? It's Stan Stephens, Wolfie, and Harley. Bonus: Stan's wearing his home-made chain-mail. very interesting article Thanks JeffreyT

Utah - "The amount of liquor allowed in the standard cocktail will increase from 1 ounce to 1.5 ounces . . " - "Gov. Jon Huntsman has said he wants the change so Utah won't appear so strange to the rest of the world." article

March 5 BadaBoomz in Indy has a Monday $2.75 pints special. Indiana pints are $3.75 on Wednesdays.

Berliner Weisse is back in Indiana. 1809 Berliner Weisse (5% ABV) from Weihenstephan is available at the bigger liquor stores who stock such things. Cole tells us Kahns in Indy has it for instance. Also Ola Dubh - Old Engine Oil (8% ABV) aged in Highland Park casks - that we discussed before.

“1809” is a very traditional interpretation of the “Berliner Style” Weisse with an intense blend of lactic tartness and complex fruitiness. It is bottle-conditioned, unfiltered and unpasteurized. "1809" will age beautifully in a dark and cool location. Its complex fruitiness and tartness will most likely develop in quite astonishing ways. “1809” is fermented in traditional open fermenters and horizontal lager tanks. The applied mashing regime is a single step decoction mash with 50 % wheat malt.The total amount of hops is added to the mash so that isomerisation takes place in the decocotion part of the mash. The wort is not boiled but only heated up to boiling temperature and then transferred to the open fermenters and pitched with yeast and lactic acid bacteria (isolated from malt) at 64°F.

More beers in Indiana. Winding Road Distributors' sales sheet lists Rademacher, Podkovan, Aktien, Allgauer, Weltenburger, Aldaris, Alhambra among their large selection. You'll find these mainly in the northern climes of Indiana.

At the start of Gravity Head, high-alcohol beers get ink in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Great Fermentations will order hop rhizomes before April 1st. Contact them to order and grow your own hops. Plant this spring and get anywhere from 1/2 lb to 2 lbs next year.

Homebrewer, get raided in New Zealand for having a meth lab. Whoops, that was a "still" or as the wife refers to it: "my husband's bloody ginger beer set-up". article

The Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, England's oldest pub, is built into a cave. In Limpopo, South Africa, there's a bar inside a tree.

Two years ago Britain expanded their opening times and the media screamed "24-hour binge drinking will ruin the country". Turns out there is 1 (one) pub in the whole country that stays open all the time. Where? Would you guess Blandford Forum, Dorset - a town of 9,000 people? article

Some beers and other drain food to avoid:

• Nick Stafford's Hambleton Ales Toleration - "Brewed using water, Challenger, Liberty, and Cascade hops, top-fermenting yeast and specially prepared sugars." 4.4%. Gluten-free but not marked that way on the label. In fact, the logo in the center of the label includes a stalk of grain. But that's not the only reason not to drink this. It's sweet with a rank taste reminiscent of burnt sugar (but that's probably a subconscious effect).
• Sprecher Original Seefurth Family Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer - "Ale brewed with Oregano, Basil, Tomato & Garlic". The oregano and garlic come through in the aroma. Lots of taste but raw and rough. Come on now. Garlic beer? This gimmick will fade fast but the aftertaste lingers on.
• Christengel Gluhwein - "Compliments cakes, stollen and desserts". Because only something even sweeter than this will keep you from going into diabetic shock. 10%.

March 4 Tony Gonnella has his brew and eats it too at Sheffield's Unibroue beer dinner in Chicago

March 3 Just a little update on what's available up north on tap:

At Fiddlers Hearth, Founder's Dry Hopped Pale Ale is on tap. As well as Three Floyds Alpha King. Chimay Trippel is also available, and supposedly Fiddler's is one of two draft accounts in all of Indiana. One of Bob's personal favorites, Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier is available for a limited time, and is drinking excellent right now. Apparently Thursday nights are Bell's nights, and this Thursday they have a keg of HopSlam which they are tapping!

Buffalo Wild Wings in Mishawaka currently has Bell's Two Hearted on tap, so drink up.

Wine Down Bar and Bistro in Granger has Two Hearted also on draft, as well as an extensive bottle selection, of more than 65 choices from all over the world. Chimay Red,  Duvel, Gulden Draak, Samichlaus and several Unibroue choices are available. A very nice, upscale bar, Wine Down is the perfect after dinner place to get a great glass of wine or import beer.

Cheers

Jeremy Schmidt

February 29 Wynkoop's Beer Fiend of the Year is Matt Venzke of York, VA. You don't know him but you want to. pick an article

A while back archeologists found dregs of a beer in a 3100 year old pot in Honduras. Analysis showed it was brewed from cacao (chocolate) pulp. Now Dogfish Head is replicating that beer for an August release. Theobroma is made with cacao powder, cacao nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto seeds.

If Miller Chill (lime & salt) sends little sparks of electricity running through your insanity meter then Bud Light Lime should make you shudder. Rolls out on May 5 with a $35,000,000 national ad campaign. Think how much Dark Lord they could buy for $35M. "Bud Light Lime is preferred 50% over the competition Miller Chill." That probably means Miller Chill was preferred 50% of the time over Bud Light Lime. Insert animated exploding head graphic here.

"The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokesman Nick Hays says the idea of mobile liquor stores is just one of several possibilities the agency is weighing to make wine and hard liquor more available in rural parts of the state." article

February 28 Homebrewers, you may want to consult with a beer judge before you enter your beer into the Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup. This email from Anita Johnson tells it all.

Would you like to enter your beer in a competition but you aren't certain which beer style category best describes your beer? One of the most common mistakes beer competition entrants make is mis-categorizing their beer--entering it in the wrong beer subcategory.

At the Beer Entry Categorization event, we will have panels of trained beer judges available to taste your beer and help you determine which subcategory best describes it. This is your chance to interact with beer judges about your specific beer. Judges will be available from Noon to 2 PM on Saturday, March 15th at the Communications Building on the grounds of the Indiana State Fair.

The timing of this event will help those who want to enter the National Homebrew Competition or the Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup in July. There is no charge for this informal event. All we ask is that you email us at brewerscup@indianastatefair.com  to let us know you are coming and how many beers you will be bringing for evaluation.

For a complete listing of beer styles and descriptions, go to the Beer Judge Certification Program Style Center. Watch the Indiana State Fair Brewers Cup website for details of the 2008 competition.

Butler Winery's hop allocations is becoming a necessary evil. Amy Butler (Butler Winery, Bloomington) tells us this:

I have had to make some changes to the way we sell our hops & I feel that the system can work as long as people are honest & do their part to help conserve hops so there will be enough for everyone. Soon, I will post a list hops we are able to purchase this year on our website so you can plan your recipes accordingly.

a. Currently our new rule is that brewers may not purchase any more than 8 oz. of hops per month. You can purchase your hops at any time throughout the month, as long as you don't go over the 8 oz per month limit. You can brew any beer(s) you'd like but the hoppier beers will eat into your hop allocation.

b. You may purchase up to 2 oz per variety with some exceptions. Those hop varieties: vanguard, cluster, US spalt, UK goldings & Czech saaz can only be purchased 1 oz at a time.

c. You may not purchase the same variety two visits in a row, with the exception of cascade and maybe others (TBD). A visit constitutes a new trip to our shop the following week and/or month from your previous visit.

d. We will record the date, your name & the amount of hops purchased to be sure that everyone is getting the fairest deal possible.

This system should give you enough hops to brew one big beer or several batches of lighter hopped styles per month. This maximum amount may change in the future; it may increase or decrease. We will constantly assess the hops being purchased & the hops available for us. (We will be allotted more hops but the varieties & individual quantities are TBD as LD Carlson has not contacted me with their decision yet, I should know soon) But, until I know these things for sure we will be more limiting so as not to sell too many hops in the beginning of the year.

I can make some exceptions for a few people but you must contact me about it directly & a decision will be made on a case by case basis. If you bought supplies & ingredients from us last year we will be more lenient but less established Butler customers will not be able to get hops that established brewers will need. I am still working on this so I guess it is a fluid situation & we will have to play it by ear.

You could also see this as a good opportunity to consider making something that calls for less hops. Belgian styles (wyeast & white labs have some nice strains for Belgians) or wheat beers with minimal hop additions would be a good option. Or how about some wine, or cider or mead? We will also try to have copies of Radical Brewing & Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers on the shelf for those who are interested.

Thank you for your patience & understanding while we adjust to the 2008 hop shortage. I know these are restrictive guidelines, but I believe it is the best we can do right now. The situation may improve, but for the time being this will help to stretch the hops we have been allotted for the year. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!

Butler Winery is also placing an order for hop rhizomes on Fri, Feb 29th. Call 812-339-7233 if you want to grow your own Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Fuggles, Glacier, Goldings, Hallertau, Horizon, Liberty, Mt Hood, Nugget, Santiam, Sterling, Tettnang, or Willamette.

"The Great Lakes Region — comprised of Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio — saw a 28.1 percent increase in (craft beer) sales from $54.4 million in 2006 to $69.6 million in 2007." article

February 26 Rich O's invites you to pick the your favorite for the start of Gravity Head this next Friday.  Choose from Delirium Noel, Dupont Moinette Brune, Dupont Moinette Blonde, Kasteel Rouge, *Podge Belgian Imperial Stout, Regenboog Guido, Ettaler Curator Doppelbock, Koningshoeven La Trappe Quadrupel, and lots more. See the program for more info.

Heineken has been told to take down their website www.heineken.fr because it violates French alcohol advertising laws. "The brewer was also banned from using its ‘for a fresher world’ slogan on ads, because it implied drinking could make the world seem a better place." article

In an unrelated ruling, Nutella has been told to pull a TV ad that claimed Nutella is edible. article

Headline: "Jack Daniel's Master Distiller to Retire". That means there's a job open in Tennessee and you don't have to bring your own hops. article

February 25 The Elkhart Truth says a Mad Anthony franchise will be the centerpiece of a big redevelopment project in Elkhart's downtown area. article It isn't signed in blood yet exactly but a Truth editorial says ""It's not just a dream. It is possible."

The first of Oaken Barrel's small-batch series is on tap now. Snake Venom has been aged in bourbon oak.

Half Moon's Honey Rye is just about gone. Great balance between drying rye and sweet honey. It's been selling like Sugar Bear's Buckwheat Hotcakes. Yumm. Also on tap: Mom's Pumpkin Pie Ale is 6.3% and quite restrained. Coming up: Chocolate Stout.

Snowplowed Winter Ale is on at all Mad Anthony locations. Grab a growler. Assertive yet friendly - just like an uncle I once had.

Grumpy's Oatmeal Stout at the Mishawaka Brewing has remarkably thick mouthfeel for a 6.2% beer. Very opaque and served on CO₂.

Legends in South Bend has local beers on tap from Warbird, Upland, Mad Anthony, 3 Floyds, and Mishawaka.

Shoreline's bottling line isn't ready yet but the first of Sam Stupek's 7 Oak Aged Porters will be out this spring. They are also going to start a "Firkin Thursday" with a fresh cask of something different will be offered until it runs out. At right, Nicole Miller helps the Smoked Porter run out for a take-home customer.

They've also expanded their homebrew supply center with kits, supplies, vessels, etc. Grain is milled to order from the brewery stock.

Anthony's Cafe, Highland, has Holy Grail, Bitburger, Warbird, and Upland beers on tap along with a fairly expensive goblet of Chimay.

Stopped at the Bone Dry in Highland and was the only car in a sea of pickups and Jeep Libertys. OK, there was also a 93 Olds station wagon. Some patrons were wearing more leather than the drivers seat of my Toyota. The crowd hasn't changed much but the beer selection is down to some Bells and some 3 Floyds on tap.
 

Three Floyds, new, more not normal entrance

A tale of 5 Smoked Porters. During a trip to Chicago we tried some very varied variations.

• Shoreline's Smokestack Porter - Over the top. Roasty, sweet chocolate, some smoke in the background. Chewy thick.
• Three Floyds Ham on Rye - Brewed in conjunction with Piece Brewing's Jon Cutler. Wyermann malt for smoky goodness. Rye for drying. Much like Schlenkerla's Weiss beer. Excellent marriage. If Schlenkerla is your go-to desert island beer this will be your very close second choice.
• Goose Island (Wrigleyville) Second Hand Smoke - Big creamy CO₂ head with shocking effervescence. Good mouthfeel. Medium use of smoked malt in a good, basic porter. This is actually a "Small Beer" made from the 2nd runnings of Ed. 5% ABV.
• Goose Island (Clybourn) Ed Imperial Smoked Brown Goose uses 80% beechwood smoked malt. 9%. More smoke. Served in a snifter. Very dark brown. Leather, smoke, and beef more than bacon. Starts sweet and alcohol is quite noticable.
• Piece Big Black Mariah Smoked Porter - Touch of smoke in a robust brown porter. Easily the easiest drinking of the five.

But George Washington's favorite porter was from Philadelphia. article

La Deuxieme was on the handpull at G.I. Clybourn. It's a 7% Belgian Dubbel (Maybe an Imperial Dubbel?). Rich and really seriously stoutish thick. Always one of my favorite bars in the midwest.

Piece also has Top Heavy Hefe - Wow, the banana. Hard to fathom how all that came from just tiny little yeast cells. 2007 GABF Bronze.

And the reason for a trip to Chicago? Indiana Beer Night at the Map Room. Erik and Perry Huntoon, Bill Jackson, and no doubt way more people used February's Beer School to spotlight 10 Indiana bottled beers. A full classroom of 50 "students" helped pack the place on a busy Saturday night.

Meanwhile, up in Grand Rapids, the Michigan Brewers Guild's Winter Beer Festival had some location problems. Ice, multiple levels, lack of loos, and outdoors. Let the flame wars begin.

Celis comes to Indiana. Pierre Celis licensed Michigan Brewing Company years back and their growth has finally brought them south. Celis White, Grand Cru, Pale Bock, and Belgian Raspberry along with the full line of Michigan beers (including Mackinac Pale, Sunset Amber, High Seas IPA, Nut Brown Ale, and Wheatland Wheat Ale) will be available soon from Cavalier Distributing.

Also new - Lakefront IPA and Bock, Dixie Lager and Blackened Voodoo, Mendocino Bock, and Koninghoeven Trappist Bock will also be here by March.

The newest Indiana homebrew club is in Kokomo. The Howard County Homebrewers are just starting up and if you're in the area stop in for a meeting. www.setbb.com/hchomebrew

Got a picture of the building Jim Cibak's Crown Brewing will be inhabiting in Crown Point.

BJ's Restaurant's conference call says they'll open in Indianapolis (Greenwood) in the 2nd quarter, 2008.

Overheard at the bar in Mad Anthony's, Warsaw "I used to be a filet guy but I've switched to rib eye."

Wanna see a picture of a green-haired Tom Schlafly?

Dinners and Tastings and more:

• Wed Feb 27 - Beer and Food Symposium. L'explorateur Restaurant, Indy. $65.

  Chef Neal Brown has put together a very serious menu while Ted Miller picked the beer:
  Frank Boon Gueuze w/ Stinky Fondue & Rabbit Sausage Meatballs
  Brugge Black w/ Chilled Oyster | Oyster Tempura & Black Oyster Stew with Pearls
  Czech Pilsner w/ Loup De Mere & Hot Buttered Popcorn & King Crab Salad
  Broad Ripple Ankle Biter Barleywine w/ Curried Leg of Lamb & Cassis and Cassia Lentils
  Brugge Triple de Ripple w/ Banana Pot Crème

• Thurs Feb 28 - Lafayette Brewing Firkin Thursday - Bourbon Barrel Black Angus Oatmeal Stout. 7pm
• Fri Feb 29 - Gravity Head starts at Rich O's New Albany
• Fri Feb 29-Sat Mar 1 - Beer & Soda Can Expo - South Bend
• Sat Mar 1 - Night of the Living Ales. Chicago.
• Mon Mar 3 - Upland Beer Dinner. Bloomington. $50 Call 812-336-2337 x 1 for reservation.

Upland Bad Elmer’s Porter w/ Welsh Rarebit
St. Peter’s English Ale w/ Organic arugala with green herb vinaigrette, goat cheese, marinated tomatoes, balsamic reduction, crispy Spanish onions and roasted pecans
Samuel Smiths Taddy Porter w/ Smoked Buffalo Filet medallions, demi glace, roasted leek and wild mushroom ragout
Okocim Porter w/ White Marble Farms Pan Roasted pork tenderloin, sweet cherry reduction, baked mashed sweet potato
Upland Chocolate Stout w/ Dark roast Tiramisu with shaved bittersweet chocolate

• Thurs, Mar 6 - Fire Chief Ale release party. Both Rock Bottoms in Indy. 6pm
• Sat, Mar 8 - Alefest Indy - Murat Center Egyptian Room. 2-6pm. $30. Tickets at box office now.
• Sun, Mar 9 - Mad Anthony Warsaw BBQ Beer Dinner. with the founder of Sweet Baby Ray's. 6pm. $45.
• Wed, Mar 12 - Bushmills 400 anniversary. Irish Whisky tasting at Vine and Table, Carmel. W/ Martin Duffy - brand ambassador for Bushmills and Classic Malts. $10. By reservation only rick@vineandtable.com

February 24 Luke Trinosky provides a fresh perspective in his commentary on the Brugge Brasserie

February 23

Correction: We made a big mistake in mentioning that Matt Robinson's Beer Blog was authored by Matt Dunn. It is not. Sorry, Matt!

February 19 Nick Floyd got interviewed at DrinkCraftBeer. "We will be doing some sour stuff. A real Berliner Weisse… some krieks… and framboise I think."

Coming: Crown Brewing, Crown Point, IN. www.crownbrewing.com for some details. There is also a tiny 5-gallon brewery in the works in the Sycamore Marketplace in Kokomo.

Shoreline has acquired a bottling line and will release 7 styles of Bourbon-aged beers starting in April.

Also coming to Indiana: Magic Hat. Maybe Primator with a full line of beers. And New Belgium is looking to expand to Indiana.

Ahh, an Old Peculier mahogany beer on a mahogany bar. But that's a 12oz beer in what I was told is a 16oz glass. With good food, enthusiastic staff, great service, is $6 for a 13oz Guinness too much? Maybe the $4 for a Two-Hearted at the Chatham Tap on Mass Ave, Indy is the better way to go.

Brian Graham is planning a Downs Syndrome charity beer festival and Homebrew Competition at Hot Shotz in Carmel on May 3rd. Homebrewers will put in 5 gallons of their beer for tasting and public voting. First place is a Kinetico Reverse Osmosis system and more. Get your entry form HERE. Right now Cantillon Grand Cru is on tap.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTRY FORM

It may only be rumor but there might be a pilot batch being brewed in a Broad Ripple basement of what may become Brugge Cripple de Ripple - an Imperial Tripel at 1.114 OG.

Lafayette Brewing has teamed up with The Buffalo Ranch in Buffalo, Indiana for their new bison steaks and burgers. Grass-fed, organic, and lean.

Rock Bottom Chicago will have it's first RockFest on March 22nd. $20 to sample menu and special beers from all Chicago and beyond (including Indy).

New Holland is adding a 50bbl brewing plant they acquired from Brauerei Bahr in Germany. They are also leasing their Sun Dog trademark to A-B.

Breckenridge's Agave Wheat has been delayed because of a third rejection of federal label approval. "This is a completely different approval process since the Agave Wheat Ale is brewed with an additional, non typical, ingredient (agave nectar). We believe final approval will be granted in the next two weeks and until then; we have halted both packaging and shipping."

Shepherd Neame Scallop Stout. "'There's a hint of smokiness and a slight taste of the sea but no fishiness. I can find no scientific reason for why it works, but it does,' said brewer Stewart Main." They also plan crab and periwinkle. article

"We do not imagine that His Holiness will be swapping holy water for Holy Grail just yet, but to have him enjoy one of our favorite tipples is a real honor for the whole brewery and give the Holy Grail ale name a whole new meaning.” article

Here's a link to the video of Rick Reed's 3-beer brewery tour/rant at Cricket Hill Brewing. That's passion. What does "cold" taste like?

Boston Beer (Sam Adams) is going to share 20,000 pounds of EKG and Tettnang hops with other commercial brewers. Neat idea. Nice guys. Nice publicity. At least two Indiana Brewers have already applied. info

Rwandan brewer Bralirwa plans to replace malt with 5,000 tons of maize in their Primus brand of beers. "The brewer has revealed that it will be replacing malt in some of its brands with locally grown maize in a bid to hedge off the impact of rising global prices for the basic inputs of beer production. Company officials say global prices for grains such as malt, yeast and other inputs including sugar and fuel were rising sharply leaving, brewers in the unenviable position of either increasing consumer prices for their brews or limiting the impact on margins by attempting substitution. . . Primus used to contain a sorghum content of 12 per cent. Sources say that ongoing laboratory tests will determine whether this ratio can be stretched to as high as 20 per cent without affecting consumer perceptions of the brand."

February 14 B.I.G. News: The Board of Directors is now Mike DeWeese, Jeff Eaton, Greg Emig, John Hill, Penn Jensen, Ted Miller, and Blaine Stuckey. Some of these will serve 2-year terms and some 3-year.

Ted Miller has been elected the new President, ending Blaine Stuckey's three years of service. Thanks Blaine. There's now a VP - Greg Emig. Jeff (and Linda) Eaton is staying on as Secretary Treasurer.

D.O.T. "tourist oriented directional signs" have been approved by the Indiana State Bureaucracy for placement on US highways and State highways that are 4-lane with a median. Individual breweries will need to work with the D.O.T. to best fit their situation. Signs will cost about $350 each. More, much more, on Interstates. We're also hoping to get some form of this permission codified in Indiana law.

There is consensus and enthusiasm to hold a Winter Microbrewers Festival next year.
The Director of the Indiana State Fair, Pat Berger, is not opposed to have beer stands at the fairgrounds during the fair. This will require a change to state law which we will work for in the 2009 session.

The 2008 session has one omnibus bill about alcohol, HB 1118. It's called a "Christmas tree bill" because everybody is trying to hang ornaments on it. Right now the bill has bright and shiny baubles for wholesalers and liquor stores and has passed through the committees and B.I.G's lobbyist, Mark Webb, hops to get something in there for us. Mark also sees a problem with another provision that puts Marion County style rules on permits into force statewide. This would mean a more difficult time selling a brewpub (or any bar) since all zoning ordinances would have to be met. Don't know where this is going.

Update: House Bill 1118 has passed the House and is headed for the Senate for a vote on Feb 13. As it stands, it does not contain anything for Sunday sales at brewpubs. B.I.G.'s legal guy, Mark Webb, hopes to see our amendment added in the Senate.
This year's ReplicAle will be a 70/- Scottish. The B.I.G., through Dave Colt, might provide breweries that make a ReplicAle with a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel to age some for the 2009 Winter Festival (or Winter Warmer).

February 11 "I wanted to let you know we have listed just launced a new website devoted to the great microbrews of the Midwest. Check us out at www.midwestmicrobrews.com. From our home offices in Green Bay Wisconsin, MidwestMicroBrews.com was established to serve as a source for "Brews, News, and Reviews" of the great microbrewers in the Midwestern United States. We hope that this site will be a great complimentary site to the information provided on IndianaBeer.com"

Cheers!

Michael Bergman

[We hope so too, Michael. Good luck with your new site]

February 10 Click here for a photo gallery of LBC's 2008 Winter Warmer!!!

Now for Bob's news...

Shoreline is adding 3 more fermenters and another bright tank. Beer is just flowing across the bar and Sam wants more capacity. So much so that he's thinking of going to 30bbl vats. He has been hit by the hop shortage though, the venerable Queen Mum which he developed back in Valparaiso has been replaced temporarily with Cluster Phuch - the same recipe but with Challenger hops replacing Fuggles.

Jon Lang has put some of Barley Island's Brass Knuckles Oatmeal Stout in a bourbon barrel for future release - that not news. He's added a bunch of raspberries - that's news. Next: Blackberries.

At least the New York Times has found out burning ethanol in cars is an environmental bad bad. article

Alberta Krieg was 108 when she passed away Thursday morning at Heritage House, Wilkes-Barre, PA. "Krieg had frequently credited drinking Coors Light as the key to her longevity." article that doesn't say much more

(Here are some of Bob's photos from the 2008 Winter Warmer followed with some reviews...)

Brewers Guild of Indiana at the 2008 Winter Warmer

Jon Template (Half Moon) and Omar Castrellón (Alcatraz) reunite for the first time since they both brewed in Little Rock.

Power House Junkyard Diesel Oil Stout

Linda Swihart (not pictured) won the women's division with a time of 156 seconds.

The Tippecanoe Homebrewers Circle displayed and gave out homebrew.

Blaine Stuckey (Mad Anthony) and his family get their veggies before the Winter Warmer.

Short Sips - at the Winter Warmer and elsewhere:

• Back Road Black IPA - Aged on oak to 7.4%. Thick body. Wood is peeking through.
• Half Moon Honey Rye - Lots of rye. The sweetness from the honey has been largely converted into part of the 7.2% ABV since it went from 1060 to 1004 in the fermenter. Lovely strong stuff.
• Lafayette Brewing Piper's Pride Scottish Ale - Yummy, smooth, thick, rich. Even at only 5.7%.
• Lafayette Brewing 2007 Big Boris Barleywine - Aged beautifully. Orange. BBB has been voted the favorite LBC beer and when given some extra time to extra-mature it's always wonderful.
• Mad Anthony IPA - Strong Cascade front, middle, and finish.
• Ram Dopplebock - They've taken Dave's skills at making Maibock and expanded them to a well-rounded deceptive Dopplebock. They've laid some down in a Jack Daniels barrel for another try at a GABF medal.
• Rock Bottom (Downtown) Sub Zero - 9% Scotch Ale that is spicy, malty, with a long coating finish.
• Rock Bottom (Downtown) Fast Freddie's IPA - As to be expected, lots of Cascades.
• Rock Bottom (Downtown) American Pale Ale dry-hopped with Goldings - Giving it a bit of a British Golden Ale character.
• Shoreline Discombobulation Barleywine - Dark thick brown. Beautiful fluffy white head. Solid and drinkable now without years of seasoning.
• Shoreline Lost Sailor Imperial Stout - Full bodied, sweet. Obviously more alcohol than a Milk Stout but with that mouthfeel. Not nearly a bitter balanced as an Imperial Stout or even Guinness.
• Upland Ard Ri - A preview of March 15th release. An Irish red with a seriously dry finish. Red taste matches red color. 22lbs of Amarillo hops per batch.
• Upland Winter Warmer - Everything we said about the State Fair Brewers Cup Silver Medal 2007 version is applicable this year.
• Linda Swihart's Sour Porter which was among those served by the Tippecanoe Homebrewing Circle at the Winter Warmer - Wow. All the power of a Berliner Weisse plus all the malty goodness of a oak-aged Porter. Made by fermenting some excess Porter wort with serious Brett. New style.

February 9 Love craft beer? Like to write? Our sponsor has given indianabeer.com the green light to recruit more writers! Mileage and expense reimbursement as well as free samples of the newest beers on the market are all great reasons to contact us about this great opportunity! We need YOU. email webmaster@indianabeer.com

February 9 Be sure to be at Oaken Barrel on Monday the 11th when Mark and Andrews start unveiling a new series of small batch beers (Snake Venom Bourbon Oak-Aged Porter, Der Alte Konig Altbier, The Rhein's Fire Kölsch, Famine's Dark Rider Vanilla Stout, The Bean Cup's Best Java Stout). Starting it off will be a sampling of a 2002 Barleywine made by Brook Belli.

Not the last call but Roger Baylor needs to know if you're going with the group on the Pacific Northwest Brewery Tour May 6 through the 14th. Portland, BridePort, McMenamins, Full Sail, Tacoma, Harmon's, Hale's, Seattle, Pike, Pyramid, Astoria, Wet Dog, Fort George, Newport, Rogue, Brewers on the Bay. Plus museums, aquarium, scenic drives, waterfalls, and more.

Clipper City' Oxford label will be going organic in March. The first two will be an Amber and a Raspberry Wheat. Also the 2008 Holy Sheet Uber 9% Abbey Ale will be out soon.

March Madness Hops Championship starts February 23rd. Get your bracket here. Win a case of beer. Yep, that says Hops; it's for IPAs and done by Brewing News.

The largest liquor store is Daveco Liquors in Denver. 102,000 sq ft. Walk in beer cooler plus 66 doors. 800 beers. Guinness-certified - the world record book Guinness. Just thought you'd like to know.

Coming up:

• Monday, Feb 11 - Upland Ard Ri Imperial Red Ale release.
• Tues, Feb 12 - United Package Liquors Beer School. Camby. 5-7pm. RSVP 317-856-7656
• Wed, Feb 13 - Rita Kohn will be the guest celebrity bartender at Ruth's Chris Steak House (96th & Keystone, Indy). 5-9pm
• Thurs, Feb 14 - Arbor Brewing Co. Big Ales Tasting. Ann Arbor, MI
• Fri, Feb 15-Sun, Feb 17 - Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest. Boston

February 7 Alcatraz has a Belgian Dubbel named Sinister Double that spent 3 1/2 hours in the boil and came out at 6.8%. It's an excellent, smooth, just spicy enough to be noticed, brew. Omar's Black Lager is, as he's done before, almost a Stout - chewy, roasty, and served on nitro. He used Cascade and Southern Cross hops along with Crystal and Black malts, honey, and some corn for body (which is milk-stouty).

More ratings from RateBeer: Keg Liquors in Clarksville is rated 15th best retailer while Kahn's Fine Wines in Indy is 19th. That makes both of these higher than Sam's in Chicago. Wow. Mike Sprinkle's Crown Liquors in Fishers is rated #43.

If (and only if) you have a ticket to Lafayette Brewing's Winter Warmer this Saturday you can taste beers from Alcatraz, Back Road, Barley Island, Broad Ripple, Brugge, Half Moon, Lafeyette, Mad Anthony, Powerhouse, Shoreline, Three Floyds, Upland, and a special treat - Ommegang. Band' are Big Willy and the Naked Bus Drivers. Pulled pork, black been burgers, and the Keg Grip Challenge is back. Oh, and free taxi rides.

Irina Voronina is the 2008 St. Pauli Girl. You probably don't remember her from Epic Movie and Reno 911.

February 5 Ratebeer has Rich O’s Publick House listed as the 39th best beer bar in the world. And one near Philly has overtaken the Kulminator for top spot (although the descriptions don't sound like it deserves it except for references to gray market beers). The Map Room in Chicago is #4.

Maryland considering eliminating taxes on school textbooks and raising taxes on beer from 9¢ to 54¢ per gallon. Where are their priorities?

For only $460 plus postage from Cornwall you can have a Mikrocellar that keeps 36 pints of Real Ale fresh for "extended periods".

Italy's Le Baladin brewery is producing some very nice ales (not available in Indiana). We heartily recommend their Xyauyù barleywine. One reason might be headphones clamped to the fermenting tanks helping the yeast with soothing guitar music. Whaddaya expect from the following picture of the brewery and pub staff?

Claude Arkell, owner of Donnington's Brewery of Stowe-on-the-Wold, England has died at age 89 after running the family brewery for over 50 of its 184-year existance. Much local speculation has taken place over the last few years about the continuation of the brewery since Claude's only relatives were the family of the Arkell Brewery of Swindon - still real ale brewers but not notably revered.

Claude left Donnington's to cousin Peter Arkell and his son James rather than to the Arkell Brewery. James is now in charge and says the two breweries will continue as completely separate entities and no changes to Donningtons will happen (except one batch of commemorative bottled beer, Double Donn, celebrating Claude's life.

Residents of the Cotswolds are much relieved. Donnington's real ales, BB, SBA, and occasional XXX, will continue to be sold only in the breweries 15 tied houses including the Queens Head in Stowe and the Fox Inn in Broadwell (two of this writer's favorites).

At the brewery (below) Claude started each day at 6am with an inspection of the brewery workers. His beers were known to be the least expensive in the area at under £2 per pint.

The Pickled Few (at the Fox Inn in Broadwell).

Headline: "Booze Bra Gives Women a Wine Rack". Yes, with picture. $29.95

February 3 There are two authors now writing books about Indiana beer. They haven't met and their two efforts attack the subject from two different angles.

Douglas Wissing from Bloomington is working with the Indiana Historical Society. His book will cover the history of brewing in Indiana. He writes many magazine articles and is the author of "Scenic Driving Indiana" and "Pioneer in Tibet: The Life and Perils of Dr. Albert Shelton".

"Breweries of Indiana will explore the history and living artisanal culture of our state's long, vibrant brewing tradition. Using regional, ethnic and commercial lens, the text will depict the early 19th-century origins of Indiana's commercial breweries that started with Richmond's Buhl's brewery, through the early 20th-century heyday when 41 Hoosier breweries hustled beer, to the mid-20th-century consolidation and decline. Extensive historic photos, maps and contemporary spot illustrations will leaven the historical section layouts. The book will focus on Indiana brewing's remarkable post-1989 renaissance. Today more than twenty breweries produce award-winning microbrews across the state. Breweries of Indiana will provide a travel guide to these craft breweries, interweaving their stories with Indiana architecture, ethnicity and regional specificity, connecting the dynamics of today with the luster of the past. Profiles, sidebars, commissioned photographs, spot illustrations, vintage photos, maps and ephemera will further illuminate these diverse breweries' colorful characters and unique styles."

Rita Kohn of Indianapolis writes for Nuvo and has 20 books to her credit. Her mother homebrewed back in the bad old days when it was illegal, even in the Catskills. Her book, A Good Head: A Social History of Indiana Brewing, will spotlight past and present brewers and brewery owners and how they have affected society. She hopes to have it out in July, 2009.

Alabama still has a 6% cap on beer and the big A-B distributor is trying to kill a bill to raise the cap to 14.9%. In response a Bud boycott has started. article

Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin have lower alcohol taxes and no container deposits. This can save the people $5 per case of beer. This can entice liquor store owners in Niles to buy beer in Indiana. This can cost the Michigan government $14,000,000 in lost taxes? article

The Catholic church is asking members to celebrate St. Patrick's Day to March 15 this year. Pubs everywhere in mass confusion. article

"Costco Looking at Selling Own Line of Beer". Kirkland Signature Pale, Amber, Hefe, and Lager. "Craft-beer styles such as Hefeweizen might appeal more to drinkers who would otherwise be buying Michelob or Sam Adams than they would to the typical purchaser of a Busch Light 30 pack." Brewed by Gordon Biersch. article

February 2 On the handpull at Broad Ripple Brew Pub is Ankle Biter, A silky smooth strong ale, amber in color, served just below room temperature and weighing in at 9.5%. A mere $3.00. Thank you, sir, may I have another?

January 30 Upland's Nut Hugger Brown Pils acts like a Southern Brown. Dark mahogany. Malty and a little toasty. Their Ard Ri this year will have 70 IBU and be released on March 15th which only leaves 2 days to stock up for St. Paddy's Day.

There are 4 more wood casks in the brewery to expand the Upland Lambic line to include cherry, peach, and hopefully kiwi.

Brugge's Old Dog Cru is a strong belgian pale with a creamy body and a short dry finish. All the better to quickly want another.

Brewers: next July the federal "special occupational taxes on producers and marketers of alcohol beverages" will go away but "recordkeeping and registration requirements remain" (the 4 R's). info from TTB if you can figure it out.

We here in Indiana should get MGD 64 in March. It's a lighter version of Miller Genuine Draft Light with only 64 calories. That's about 15 M&Ms.

He drives around in a Miller High Life delivery truck, revoking snooty people's right to sell his beer. And he was in northwest Indiana on a promotional tour. article

Carlsberg follows their invention of lager yeast with a $400 10.5% lager, "Vintage No. 1". Pricing formula: 2008 Danish kroners. Next year it will be 2009DK, etc. "hints of prune, caramel, vanilla, and oak from the French and Swedish wooden casks in which it is stored". article Look for Utopia to cost $1776 real soon now.

Heineken and Carlsberg have bought Scottish & Newcastle for $15.4 billion in cash. They'll split it up with Heineken gets Europe and American business and Newcastle Brown. Carlsberg gets French, Greek, and Chinese operations.

Fake Whisky? Yep, just look on eBay. rant

Best bidding on whisky is at www.whiskyauction.com.

This week's "truckload of beer overturned on highway" story is enhanced by people stopping on the freeway to put a case or two in their trunk. Further enhanced by video. Ahhh, Carlsberg. Ahhh, Malaysia. article & video

Did you know Sangria is illegal in Virginia? article

A study done by researchers at the California Institute of Technology found that inflating the price of a bottle of wine "enhanced a person’s drinking experience". Volunteers were told the price of a wine, once with the true price and once with a fake one. The “higher priced” wine was consistently given higher ratings in tastings even though it was exactly the same wine.

Recipe for Bacon Vodka. Makes one pint.

1. Fry up three strips of bacon
2. Add cooked bacon to a clean pint sized mason jar. Trim the ends of the bacon if they are too tall to fit in the jar. Or you could go hog wild and just pile in a bunch of fried up bacon scraps.
3. Optional: add crushed black peppercorns.
4. Fill the jar up with vodka. Cap and place in a dark cupboard for at least three weeks. (No need to refrigerate)
5. At the end of the three week resting period, place the bacon vodka in the freezer to solidify the fats. Strain out the fats through a coffee filter to yield a clear filtered pale yellow bacon vodka.
6. Decant into decorative bottles and enjoy.

Coming up:

• Thurs, Jan 31 - Lafayette Brewing Firkin Thursday - Double Dry-hopped Tippecanoe Common. Plus music from Al Gerth.
• Thurs, Jan 31 - Keg Liquors Schlafly Beer Tasting. Clarksville, 5-8pm
• Tues, Feb 5 - Rock Bottom downtown Indy Brewer's Dinner. Fat Tuesday theme. $35
• Tues, Feb 5 - Sinister Double tapping. Alcatraz downtown Indy. 6:30-8:30pm.
• Thurs, Feb 7 - Sub Zero release party. Both Rock Bottoms in Indy. 6pm
• Thurs, Feb 7 - Dopplebock tapping. Ram downtown Indy. 6:30pm
• Fri/Sat, Feb 8/9. Schlafly Cod & Cask Festival. St. Louis.
• Sat, Feb 9 - Lafayette Brewing Winter Warmer. 5-9pm. Sold Out.
• Sat, Feb 9 - Food & Froth Fest at Milwaukee Public Museum. 7-10pm. $50. Reserve at 888-700-9069
• Sun, Feb 10 - Mid-Winter Brewfest. Milwaukee Ale House. 1-5pm. $35.
• Mon, Feb 11 - Upland Ard Ri Imperial Red Ale release.
• Every Friday - Parti Pak, Indy, tasting. 6-10pm and Norma's Fine Wines, Indy, tasting. 6-10pm

January 19 From Lafayette Brewing, Greg says "For you bison fans out there, we've got some good news. As our previous bison farmer has been unable to keep up with our demand, we recently entered into agreement with The Buffalo Ranch based in Monticello, IN, to begin providing for our bison needs. Not only are they an Indiana-based operation, but they also are certified grass-fed and organic producers."

Ram's Drommel Rode is medium orange Strong Belgian Pale. Substantial and style-perfect (once warmed up from the ice-cold cooler, at least at the Fishers location). 9%.

Columbus Bar has a record three of Power House Brewing's offerings on tap: Black Hole Porter, Scotch Wee Heavy, and Junkyard Diesel Oil Stout. They'll also tap a firkin of Two Hearted on Feb 25th. 8pm.

The New Albanian Brewery is looking to expand. Not enough room? Out of parking spaces? Bought out the rest of the building and can't add more? What to do? Expand to downtown. article but still no specifics on the location. BTW, they hope to be up and running with 2nd brewery and a tap room by Labor Day.

BadaBoomz has Goose Island Pere Jacques ON TAP. That's unique. Also Hop Slam and Black Majik.

Genesis beers could be coming to Indiana. No, the He'Brew Genesis Ale, it's Greece's top selling beer. Three styles are:

• Genesis Premium Lager Beer - Plenty of East Euro Pils yeast and hops. Not overly strong but certainly squarely in that style.
• Genesis Premium Weiss Beer. A standard American Wheat that pretty heavily dependant on Hallertau hops. Oily mouthfeel that may be exacerbated by diacetyl notes.
• Genesis Premium Red Ale Beer - Bright brown/red color. A malty red lager that's not "Irish". Clean and fairly light in hops.

A couple of special beers from the UK will hit the shelves here soon. Fullers Vintage Ale version 11 uses Maris Otter malt and Fuggles, Target and Super Styrian hops to make an 8.5% that will mature nicely. Harviestoun's Ola Dubh is basically Old Engine Oil aged in Highland Park barrels. There will be three versions aged in either 12, 16, or 30 year old wood. 8% ABV.

January 16 Downtown Indy On-Tap

Alcatraz

• Regulars: Searchlight Golden Ale, Weiss Guy Wheat, Pelican Pale Ale
• Eagle Creek Rouge - Lager with lots of sweet aroma. Yeast adds a lot of aroma & taste.
• Knife Maker Stout - Black. Good roasty notes. A bit thin in body.
• Saxaphone Saison - Crisp copper look. Earthy. 5%
• Sledge Hammer - IPA. Unfiltered. Soft-edged and quite drinkable. Southern Cross and Crystal hops. 6.8%
• Coming up: Belgian Double. Another Belgian Double.

Ram

• Regulars: Indy Blonde, Butt Face Amber, Big Red IPA, Big Horn Hefeweizen, Total Disorder Porter, Pale 71
• Big Horn Kölsch - Just right to style.
• Crystal Rye ESB - Mahogany color. Rye dryness predominates. Uses 4% Simpson's Crystal Rye Malt in the recipe.
• Tapping on Thurs, Jan 17 (official tapping at the Fishers location): Drommel Rode Strong Belgian Pale Ale
• Coming Up:  Winter Stout, Brown, Double Barrel Bock, Imperial IPA

Rock Bottom

• Regulars: Circle City Light, Sugar Creek Pale Ale, Raccoon Red, Brickway Brown
• This month's Hoosier Ma Stout: English Stout
• This month's Wheat: Hefeweizen
• Trouble Belgian Tripel - Worthy strong, sweet Tripel. 8.6%
• Old Curmudgeon IPA - OK, it's a IIPA with all the big mouth bitter that that implies.
• On the Handpull: Pumpkin Porter
• Tapping on Thurs, Feb 7: Sub Zero Wee Heavy
• Coming up: IPA with Simcoe and Willamette, Oatmeal Stout

The Brewers Guild site has an On Tap list for all Indiana brewpubs.

Watch Fox 59 on Thursday morning (the 17th) when Jenna Maloney will be reporting live from the brewery at Barley Island. "We will run the bottle filler and I will make her wear safety glasses!"

January 15 An all-Indiana update today.

Kevin Matalucci just brewed the 1800th batch of beer at Broad Ripple Brewpub - an ESB. Try it with a Scotch Egg Pizza.

When in downtown Indy, try the vegetarian haggis at MacNiven's. And you thought Scots only ate deep fried Snickers bars. In related news, vegetarian haggis turns out to be Canadian.

Liz Laughlin's Belgian Pale Ale at Rock Bottom, 86th St, Indy, is bright copper with moderate aroma and plenty of taste. More malty than the appearance promises with a good balanced finish. At 5.3% it's very drinkable. Very.

Barley Island gets ink in the Noblesville Daily Times. "They distribute in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and recently added Kentucky. Jon Lang has been working at Barley Island for six years serving as Brew Master. It’s a job that keeps him excited and challenged while still allowing him to enjoy his work. 'I love it,' he said. 'I’m one of the few people that loves their job.'

Brugge Brasserie is expanding to the upstairs as Netheads has moved out. They hope to have the place renovated and open in April.

New Albanian plans to have many of their beers on the handpull and/or gravity in the next few weeks including Jasmine the Mastiff, Malcolm's Old Setters Ale, Phoenix Kentucky Komon, Old Lightning Rod, Community Dark, Flat Tyre, Bob's Old 15-B, and Bonfire of the Valkyries. This is a run-up to Gravity Head starting Feb 29. Locals (mainly) are invited to enter their ideal menu for (Your name here)Fest.

"INDIANA – Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have filed legislation to allow bars and taverns to offer paper pull tabs and other small-stakes gambling opportunities." article Bonus: “I think a lot of this goes on today anyway,” he said. “It’s attractive to a lot of legislators.”

Yesterbeer's website is up and running at last. Add to your T-shirt collection with a Circle City, Katz, or other now-gone beer. Cook's 500 Ale shirts are on sale. Huzzah.

January 7 During January growlers are half price at the Ram. Most fills are $4 (the growler itself is still $3). No, you can't drink them at the bar. Ram will also make appetizer trays for your playoff party.

Power House / Columbus Bar is staying at the forefront with 2 beers on tap at once (a first for this 20-gallon brewery) and a bonus:

• Black Hole Porter  - "A beer so dark it collapsed in on itself". Little aroma, perfect temperature. Strong black taste with big balanced black aftertaste. Served on nitro.
• Scotch Ale - Some peat smoke. Perfect for a wet winter afternoon. Sweet touch but well under control. We stopped back later for more.
• Nana's latest hop ice cream has Columbus, Centennial, Chinook, Simcoe, and Warrior hops. 1/4 oz of each. In 1/2 gallon of ice cream. It has an excellent home-made texture. The first couple of bites give a hop-head's bitter finish. Subsequently the bitterness adds as if you're palette is a battery being charged up.
  
  They've also added Wi-Fi and a free browser terminal on the bar.

Coming to Indiana soon: Allagash Black. Torrified wheat, oats, roasted malt, candi sugar, Belgian yeast. Methode champenoise. 7.5%. Want to watch them make some lambic? YouTube

Also coming up: Left Hand Widdershins Barleywine. 9.1%. 70 IBU. And a very interesting press release.

Fred Scott tells ust to check out the Cantillion Grand Cru on tap at Hot Shotz in Carmel. "They bought it from Chalkies. Pretty old in a good way. They bought several cask/firkins and this was the only beer that was drinkable."

You gotta be kidding. Budweiser + Clamato + can = Chelada. This stiff might make Miller Chill look good by comparison.

Futurama fan makes Bender with a brewery inside. Complete with plans, pictures. No plans for R2D2 model.

The Many Myths of Jack Daniel

Ya gotta hate it when this happens.
Especially embarassing in Munich's Hofbrauhaus. Flickr original

January 3 Random tastings:

• Upland Pilsner - Medium bitterness. Good body. Worthy. Rumor has it this may find a place in the regular lineup.
• Brugge Sint Sylvester Vooranvand - A keg of this new beer was tapped at midnight 1/1 at Deano's Vinos and was floated well before 1am. Ted will probably correct me but it acts like an unfiltered Grand Cru Wit. Fuggles hops? Translucent dirty orange color. Alcohol is not doubt high but is only noticeable later. (December 31 is Sint Sylvester's Eve in Belgium)

Heroes at Deano's new beers eve party: Bob & Lisa Mack who went back to the World Class Warehouse at 11pm to get second kegs of Two-Hearted and Delirium Tremens.

Hoosier Beer Geek's review. Better pictures here.

Ratebeer's reader favorites by brewery:

Alcatraz Penitentiary Porter - 3.44
Back Road Christmas Ale 2005 - 3.88
Barley Island Black Majic Java Stout - 3.48
Bloomington Strong Ale - 3.35
Broad Ripple ESB - 3.46
Brugge Brasserie Diamond Kings of Heaven & Quadripple (tie) - 3.72
Half Moon Brewery Elwood’s IPA - 2.95
Lafayette Big Boris Barleywine - 3.58
Mad Anthony Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter - 3.86
Main Street/Turonis Blue Eyed Moose - 3.30
Mishawaka Loopy Lupilin - 3.49
New Albanian Solidarity Baltic Porter - 3.76
Oaken Barrel Superfly I.P.A. - 3.49
Power House Black Hole Porter - 3.11
Ram Big Daddys Bourbon Brown Ale - 3.50
Rock Bottom College Park Weizenbock - 3.11
Rock Bottom Indianapolis Chai Porter - 3.27
Shoreline Lost Sailor Imperial Stout - 3.81
Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout - 4.48
Upland Raspberry Lambic - 3.94
Warbird Thunderbolt Wheat  - 3.32

If you were walking along the Scottish coast at Stinky Bay and found this 90ft long tank would you think it was a) a fuel tank for a rocket, b) an oil filter for a Hummer, c) a beer fermentation tank. Congratulations, your beer-addled brain got this one right. article

In the "huh?" department. Is a Bock an Ale? Did we sleep through a double leap year? Or was that just a Gambrinus Society Christmas party?

$3000 worth of Australian wine smashed at airport security. And that's just 2 bottles. article

We're told Jim Koch may be in Indy sometime in January. We'll keep our ears open.

Payless Liquors has purchased the Castleton Wine & Spirits and the two Fishers Liquors. Cavalier Distributing reports shipments to these three stores have gone up in volume and quality.