Blue Chip BrewFest Recap

For those of you that took me up on several reminders to attend the Blue Chip Casino BrewFest last Saturday, congratulations, I'm sure you had a great time. For those who were unable to attend, you missed out on a lot of really good beer!

First off, let me say what a great job Ben Amster of Indiana Beer and everyone did with this event. I hope Blue Chip agrees to another BrewFest next year! There were approximately 25 breweries representing around 125 different beers from the likes of Pyramid, Upland, New Holland, Figure 8, Bare Hands, New Belgium, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada and many more.

I could write a novel on all of the beer I sampled, 2oz at a time, but the most exciting part about the event was Figure Eight out of Valparaiso and Bare Hands in Granger.

Making our way over to the Figure Eight booth, I picked up a sample of Ro Shampo, their Imperial Red Ale. Brewed with four types of hops and 6 types of malt, Ro Shampo has big flavor, but is also very smooth. In addition to the delicious I.R.A., they had Where Lizards Dare (IPA 4%), First Ascent (Belgian Honey Lagar 4%) and Snake Pro (DIPA 9%). Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to try anything other than Ro Shampo, so I will have to take a drive out to their brewery for some extensive tasting.

While at the Figure Eight booth, a friend of mine tapped me on the shoulder and said "try this." Normally I would question the offer, however I was fairly confident the sweet liquid inside was not laced with roofies, so I took a sip.

W-O-W. What the hell is this? THAI.P.A. from Bare Hands Brewery in Granger, IN.

I really liked Figure Eight, they were great, but I had to check out this new brewery from the same area I live. Already trying THAI.P.A, I wanted to see if lightening could strike twice. It did, with their Apollo Double IPA. Big grapefruit and hoppy flavor, balanced very well with malt for a touch of sweetness, this was another mighty fine beer. Next up, the Imperial Chocolate Stout. This one had lots of chocolate and fruity flavors with a good balance of bitterness. Last up was the Amarillo Pale Ale, a very nice brew. This was a smooth, enjoyable brew that would be great for a drinking session. Overall, Bare Hands generated a TON of excitement within my group of friends. They're new, interesting and best of all, local. The South Bend area has long needed a brewery that beer enthusiasts could get behind, something we've not really had before (I'm looking at you, Mishawaka Brew Co.).

When the event was over, we were left feeling impressed at how smoothly it was run, the great offering of local and national beer, as well as all the really cool fellow beer fans. Next year it would be nice to see some more of the local favorites such as FFF, Bell's, SunKing and Founders, along with the newer local breweries like Triton Brewing Company (Indy), The Livery (Benton Harbor) and others. I hope that Blue Chip agrees that this was a success, because I'm looking forward to coming back next year!