Back Road Brewery’s 10th Anniversary

June 23, 2007

by Tony Gonnella

Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the 300 plus attendees at the 10th anniversary celebration of Back Road Brewery where Back Road owner and head brewer, Chuck Krcilek, proudly proclaimed,

“We’ve put LaPorte on the beer map!”

As my wife and I sampled, under the “Big Top”, we soon realized that Chuck wasn’t bragging—his beers are good.

The event kicked-off around 1:00 on Saturday the 23rd of June in the parking lot of the warehouse where the brewery is located. It was easy to find right off of US 35 which exits from I-94 and takes you right through downtown LaPorte. Directions from there: Turn onto Perry St. (more like go straight into) just before you veer toward the bridge. Turn right on Lake St. and the parking lot is on the east side of the warehouse. They offer free tours of the facilities every Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00. The gift shop inside sells their beers by the glass, growlers, party pigs and kegs.

The $15.00 entry fee included a commemorative pint glass, to sample the beers and a brewery logo patch to bring home as souvenirs. The Brewery provided eight different beers for the partygoers to celebrate with.

There were four stations with two beers being served out of each picnic “jockey” box. Some, of course, were colder than others, due to the pace of pour for each beer- but none of the beers were being served too warm. The servers manning the stations were friendly and knowledgeable about the beers they were serving and didn’t hesitate to tout their wares.

Among the offerings was a first time brew, LaPorte Saison, a beautiful interpretation of Belgian farmhouse ale.

There was of course, their namesake and 2006 Indiana State Fair gold medal winner, Back Road Ale as well as Maple City Gold and Millennium Lager, the silver and bronze winners in their respective categories. A unique Blueberry Ale, which is brewed exclusively for Chumley’s in Lafayette, IN, was also tapped for this special event.

Chuck Krcilek’s passion for perfect brews shows through in his strong work ethic. He not only brews his beer and personally delivers his kegs, he cleans and maintains his product lines at each establishment. Now, that’s dedication to quality that craft beer drinkers are beginning to demand but seldom receive.

There was food available for a reasonable price just inside the warehouse. Colima Mexican Restaurant served up some authentic tasting fare. A hodgepodge collection of arm chairs and recliners inside the warehouse provided comfortable seating.

The actual brewing facility is surprisingly small. First-timers to the brewery are always shocked to discover that it only takes up one small corner of the entire warehouse. In fact, their website even includes the tagline:

“Small Brewery, Big Beers”

It certainly seems Chuck has carved out quite a reputation for himself in the craft brew industry. His dedication to quality over quantity is evident in his final product. Check out Back Road Brewery’s website for a current list of retailers and purveyors.

Cheers,

Tony Gonnella