'Ol Floyd Rosenbaum isn't afraid to mix with customers at the bar. The head brewer slides onto a barstool and orders up a pint of his Java Porter. But not just any Java Porter. On the hand-pull is a precious quantity of cask-conditioned goodness whose heavenly aroma is laced with the residual whisky from the barrel in which it rests. Floyd knows this is his signature seasonal. That's why today, on the day of it's release, October 1, he proudly quaffs the brew in his Java Porter T-shirt.

Floyd chuckles when customers come in to get a pick-up from his java porter. He knows the coffee lends a generous amount of aroma to the beer but very, very little caffeine. Even so, Floyd has a loyal following- and they follow every batch he makes. Why? He is honest to the bone... "I made a bad batch the other day..." ...he's unpretentious... "I worked my way up but there's much more to learn..." and he's completely committed to his job. This is what beer drinkers are looking for: An honest brew from a humble artist.

The Bloomington Brewing Company pays close attention to detail. Even on the sunniest of days, the bar is softly lit and everything is just right. Fiercely loyal regulars come and go like a gentle tide- sipping one or two of Floyd's brews or grabbing a growler to go. Smooth jazz floats aloft above a chalkboard celebrating his brews- scribed in multiple colors- a big "#700" denoting the seventh hundred batch. From the window you can view an array of brewing equipment jammed into a barely navigable space. But it's clean as a whistle- just how Floyd likes it.

On the other side is an upscale pizza/Italian house that has become a pretty classy place with items like garlic blue crab pizza and Portobello mushrooms every where you look. Chef Fred Manion from the Culinary Institute of America. There's an Exotic Pizza of the Month - such as Chicken Pad Thai, and all pizza pies are served on a pedestil. But...... don't come for the pizza, come for the beer.

Basics 1795 E. 10th St. Bloomington 812-323-2112 In a small strip mall east of Jordan. Web site Owners: Jeff Mease, Lennie Dare Head Brewer: Floyd Rosenbaum Bar seats 9. Lennies opened in 1989. Brewery built in 1994. 15 bbl brewhouse in 700 sq. ft. Sun - Thurs 11am - midnight Fri - Sat 11am - 1am Casual dress. Pizza, Sandwiches, and dinner entrees. Reservations taken and suggested for busy nights in the dining room. Entire premise is smoke-free. Must be 21 to enter bar side.

Awards World Beer Championships Silver - Quarrymen Pale Ale Silver - Big Stone Stout Silver - Vision Weiss Indiana State Fair 2004 - Silver - Ruby Bloom 2003 - Gold - Big Stone Stout 2003 - Silver - Pale Ale 2003 - Silver - Freestone Blonde Bob's Picks Anything except the watermelon beer. That might have been a mistake - but then there's a lot of avid adherents.   Suitability factors: Sitting at the bar Good conversation. On a date Classy or casual dinner. Out with the guys Only if they like beer. Business dinner Sure.

Representative Beer Menu Free Stone Blonde Light ale with Mt. Hood and Noble hops. For quenching thirsts.   Quarrymen Pale Ale American-style pale with moderate amounts of Cascade hops. Light body with darker color. Nice big head. Ruby Bloom Amber A sweeter, mild beer with caramel malt. Good body. Balanced. Michael Jackson says it's more toward a brown ale.   Big Stone Stout Robust dry stout with smoky and woody notes. Tan head with good lacing. Vision Weiss (seasonal) German-style hefeweizen with typical banana and clove notes.   Java Porter (seasonal) Coffee, of course, and richness. Floyd says "Beer with a little coffee in it or coffee with plenty of beer in it." Canadian Ale (seasonal) Lightly hopped session ale at 4.2% ABV. Actually a pretty good, clean, crisp beer. Compare to Labatt 50.   Watermelon Brew (seasonal) The Canadian Ale went on tap for a while with sweet flavoring much like Jolly Rancher Watermelon candy. I had the watermelon burps for 8 hours.     CO2 dispense Nitro and Handpull dispense $2.80 per 12-oz glass $3.20 per 16-oz pint. $3.80 per 22-oz "Imperial pint" $11.70 per 60-oz pitcher. $3.05 per 12-oz glass $3.55 per 16-oz pint. $4.55 per 22-oz "Imperial pint" $12.95 per 60-oz pitcher. Sampler tray is $3.80 Growlers (1/2 gallon): $10.65. Refills are $8.40. Kegs are available through Big Red Liquors. Served on tap at other restaurants around Bloomington. list Often a single brew may be presented under CO2 pressure, nitrogen, and on the hand pull (dry hopped and cask-conditioned). It's interesting to make comparisons.

Representative Food Menu   Lunch Dinner Appetizers   $4 - 7 Salads $6 - $8 $9 - $11 Sandwiches $7.50 $7.50 Pizza (traditional and multi-grain crust) $11 plus  $2 per topping $11 plus  $2 per topping Strombolis $9 $9 Pasta $6 - $8 $9 - $12 Deserts $4 - $5 $4 - $5