More Four Horesemen Brew Co Pics

Here are a few more pics from my trip to Four Horsemen the other day. I am definitely not a professional cameraist, but I have a great eye for beer.

Four Horsemen Brewing Co (South Bend, IN)

"Brew Like a Champion Today!"

I gave you all a taste of my trip to Four Horsemen Brewing Company this week, and now I'd like to share with you the entire experience...

First let me say how great these guys are for letting me stop by to tour their operation. I briefly met Stephen Foster, Master Brewer, as he was busy brewing his ass off in preparation for the opening, which should be coming the week of August 15th. Trained in Germany combined with years of experience working for micro and macro breweries, Stephen is certainly a seasoned veteran. Of course, working for SAB Miller in South Africa at one time in his career, I had to make sure they will not be using adjuncts in their beer; they will not.

Ben Roule, part owner and responsible for marketing was kind enough to show AV and I around. Since we went in through the delivery entrance around back, he brought us up to the front, where people will come in on their way to the tasting room. There isn't a ton of parking in front (think 3 Floyds, only a little smaller), but you can also park along the road, which should be plenty of space. Walking through the front door you'll notice cubicles and offices on either side, as it guides you past the bathrooms and Stephen's office/lab to the tasting room.  From the pictures you've seen, it's not huge, but it's very nicely done with around 20 or so seats. It has a cool industrial feel that I really dig, and could see myself downing a few pints at the bar. From what Ben says, the tasting room should be open Wednesday through Friday, from 3-8, and Saturday 12-6. On tap first will be an Irish Red, Irish Stout, a Pale and a Blonde. After that, they will be bringing out some IPAs, Black Lager, Irish Lager, and more. 

Speaking of beer, we were able to try some. Ben set us up with a couple Four Horsemen glasses and we headed over to the fermentation tanks. Up first was their pale ale that they will be opening with. Keep in mind, they are establishing their base with beer that everyone can enjoy, and that certainly is the case with the pale. Subtle sweet malt and subdued hops gives this one a very drinkable quality to it. A little on the green side, but in time it would mature and taste great. Next up was another pale, brewed with all English malt. This was was much maltier and sweet, but still not overdone. Ben mentioned they are considering blending the two pales, which would be interesting to try.  While we were there, they were also working on their stout, which still needed time to develop, but it was a great peek into what it would become. Roasty, chocolatey with a touch of tobacco, this had a great flavor profile for only using 4 ingredients and was also a very easy to drink beer. At Four Horsemen, their aim is to brew mostly session beers, with exception of their Horsepower series that they will be coming out with.

Want to buy some of their beers? Stop by and have a pint, get a growler and pick up a sixer, all of which will be available. You'll also be able to find their beer at local liquor stores and on tap at area watering holes as well, so you have no excuse to not give them a try and support a local brewery. You'll also have access to bottles of beer by Evil Genius, for whom  Four Horsemen is contract brewing.

This was a really great trip, I'm glad I had the opportunity to check this place out before it opens. Having a brewery in the South Bend area is a great thing!

Brew Haven Beer Festival Update (New Haven, IN)

Just heard from our friends at Trion Tavern in New Haven, putting on the "Brew Haven Beer Festival." Below is a cut/paste job from the email they sent me.

•  Brew Haven is going to be part of Sam Adams' "Beer Lover's Choice" promotion: attendees will get to taste samples of their as-yet-unreleased Oaked Ale and Maple Pecan Porter... and then cast their official vote on which should be added to the Samuel Adams family of beers!!  Sam Adams is only doing this at their Boston brewery and "select events around the country". Plus, SA is also sending kegs of an Oak-Aged Porter (which they do not bottle or sell, its for festival only) and the Hallertau Mittelfrueh version of their "Deconstructed" Latitude 48 IPA (that only comes in a "limited release" variety pack).

Also on tap:
•  New Belgium: 1554 Enlightened Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pils, Abbey Grand Cru & Trippel
•  Founder's: Centennial IPA & Porter
•  Stone: Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
•  Lexington: Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale
•  Flat12 Bierwerks: Half Cycle IPA, Upside Down Blonde, and "a one-off of something special"
•  Upland: 3+, TBD
•  Sun King: 3, TBD
•  Goose Island: TBD
•  Three Floyds: at least Gumballhead, maybe another
•  Mad Anthony: "a specialty beer" and maybe another

Plus, DOZENS of other beers from the rest of the line-up and plenty of
surprises...

This inaugural Brew Haven will feature 6 Indiana breweries and 3 from
Michigan.

Fiddler's Hearth Tap List (South Bend, IN)

I spoke with the bar manager over at Fiddler's Hearth yesterday and he filled me in on what he's pouring this week.

Hair of the Dog - Blue Dot (just put it on last night)
Two Bros - Hop Juice
Goose Island - Fleur
New Holland - Mad Hatter (cask)
Bells - Kzoo Stout (cask)
Bells - Oarsmen
3 Floyds - Alpha King (Friday)
3 Floyds - Gumballhead (Friday)
3 Floyds - Gorch Fock (Friday)
People's - Hefe (Saturday)

That's a really great lineup, make sure to stop by and have a few pints with some of their awesome food (I recommend the Jameson Pork)!

Potawatomi Zoo Brew Update (South Bend, IN)

Plagiarized directly from Potawatomi Zoo's Facebook page...

"Mark your calendars...Zoo Brew tickets go on sale Monday, August 1 at 10 am! $30 for Members, $35 for General Public and $25 for Designated Drivers! Zoo Brew is scheduled for Saturday, September 10; 7-10 pm at Potawatomi Zoo! Enjoy an evening a beer tasting, live music from Vyagra Falls and food from local vendors!"

Call 574-288.4639 or visit http://potawatomizoo.org/Z​oo_Brew.asp to purchase. Act quickly, tickets usually go very fast!

Also feel free to check out an previous post about Zoo Brew that contains more info.
  

Founders Backstage Series Update

Just a quick update on Founders Backstage Series, of which Blushing Monk was the first in the series to be released... I confirmed with Founders Brewing Co that they will be announcing the next in the series in September. It's anyone's guess what it will be, but I'm sure it will be good!

Four Horsemen Brewing Co. (Sneak Preview)

Some of you may know that my good friend AV and I stopped by Four Horsemen Brewing Company in South Bend to talk with resident marketing genius, Ben Roule and take a sneak peek at their facility prior to their opening next month. Above is a "tasting" of what you can expect... Look for a more detailed posting within the next few days.

And yes, I really do have the coolest hobby ever.

Beer finds around Michiana

So I was out running errands on Saturday and decided to stop by Belmont on South Bend Avenue, and Citywide on Jefferson Avenue. Cutting on the chance, here is what I found...

Belmont (South Bend Avenue)
- At least 1 4-pack of Founders Devil Dancer
- 2 bottles of Founders Blushing Monk
- A large lineup of 3 Floyds bombers
- Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree
- Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster

Citywide (Jefferson Avenue)
- Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
- Great Divide Belgian Yeti
- Great Lakes Doppelrock (It's outside it's date by a month, but they've lowered the price to $4.99, a great deal)
- Still a few 3 Floyds Blackheart, APW, etc
- Left Hand Wake Up Dead
- Tons of delicious Caldera IPA, Amber and Pale
- 3 year vertical of Stone Imperial Russian Stout
- Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster

That's just a sample of what I found, feel free to share what you've come across as well!

Legends of Notre Dame Beer List (South Bend, IN)

Had dinner at Legends of Notre Dame on the campus of Notre Dame last Friday and wanted to share the beer list with you. I've been there numerous times over the years, and it doesn't seem that the beer list changes much.

Not a whole lot to get excited about, but they do have Bells Two Hearted, Founders Porter (my absolute favorite porter), and 3 Floyds Robert the Bruce, all on tap. In bottles, the only standouts are 3 Floyds Alpha King and Ommegang Abbey Ale.

Looking for a good bite to eat, a nice atmosphere and some decent brews, give this place a shot if you haven't already.

On Tap this week at Fiddler's Hearth (South Bend, IN)

Just spoke with the bar manager at Fiddler's so that I can update you all with what is on tap over there this week. Below is the list, so stop by and have a pint or more...

3 Floyds Gorch Fock (Helles Lager 4.5%)

3 Floyds Apocalypse Cow (Imperial IPA 9.5%)

Bell's Oarsman (Berliner Weissbier 4%)

Goose Island Matilda (Belgian Strong Pale Ale 7%)

New Holland Farmhouse Hatter (Belgian IPA, ABV ?)

Tap List at Bleachers (Mishawaka, IN)

"When did Bleachers become awesome???" --Corey

Thanks to Corey, I have the tap list for Bleachers on Grape Road in Mishawaka. Now I haven't been to Bleachers in over 5 years, and the last time I was there, all they had was the typical bud/miller/coors stuff. Apparently they have expanded their menu, and I'll be sure to stop by and check it out. Corey also mentioned that pitchers were $5.75...

Rogue Dead Guy
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale
3 Floyds Gumballhead
Two Brothers Cane and Ebel
Great Divide Yeti
Stone Levitation
Flat 12 Half Cycle IPA
Southern Tier's IBA

**They just ran out of 3 Floyds Zombie Dust. I'm bummed that both Bleachers and Bar Louie had this on tap and nobody seemed to know about it until it was out.

Tap List at Bar Louie (Mishawaka, IN)

The wife and I had dinner at Bar Louie last night (7.16.11), and as usual, I'm sharing the tap list. This list is accurate, with exception of 3 Floyds Dreadnaught, which wasn't available at the time.

Tap List at The Mark (South Bend, IN)

Thanks to AV, I present you with the most up to date Tap List from The Mark Dine and Tap from 7.16.11 (yesterday). This is one of my favorite places to grab a beer in the South Bend area, so if you haven't already, stop by and have a drink. Their food is also pretty good.

The List includes...
He'Brew Jewbelation Vert.
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Bourgogne des Flandres
New Belgium Mothership Wit
Upland Preservation Pils
Great Divide Rumble IPA
Southern Tier Hop Sun
Two Brothers Hop Juice
Flat 12 Half Cycle IPA
Figure 8 Raven Tor (nitro)
**Chocolate Yeti is no longer available, but they do have the Belgian Style Yeti in its place.
**They also have New Belgium Somersault, which wasn't on the menu.

The Life of a Beer Smuggler

Have you ever traveled to another city via plane and found that there is not enough time to drink all of the delicious beer that you cannot find where you live? Bringing it back in your suitcase can seem daunting. What if it breaks and soaks all of your stuff with beer? This would certainly be a tragedy, so I went searching for the best way to transport beer in my luggage for my most recent trip.

Knowing wine snobs have been smuggling their drink of choice for quite a while, I thought I'd scour the interwebs for how they do it, and products they use. I came across many products, most of which seemed impracticable, or overkill for my 28'' suitcase. After much searching, I came across Wine Diapers. A Wine Diaper is essentially a long white ziplock bag with a thick paper towel inside. Fortunately the padding inside is not only thicker than a paper towel, but it has special crystals inside that are able to absorb an entire wine bottle worth of liquid. Since most "bombers" of beer are only 22oz, less than a typical wine bottle; this was perfect. Not only did this product seem great, there was a nifty video of someone putting wine into these bags, then into a suitcase, and tossing the suitcase from a 2nd floor balcony onto the ground below. If that weren't enough, a rather robust man jumped on top of the suitcase a couple times. After the mayhem, they opened the suitcase and the wine diaper to find the bottle still intact. I was sold, I bought 12, at approximately $9 per 3 pack.

Of course, being the inquisitive individual that I am, I had to put it to the test when I received them. I placed a bottle of beer inside a Wine Diaper, sealed it shut and dropped it from about shoulder length onto my hard kitchen floor. I opened it up to find no breakage. The Wine Diapers were ready for prime time.

Transporting 8 breakable bottles of not-exactly-cheap beer can be a little nerve-racking at first. Knowing that wine bottles are larger than beer bombers, I decided to utilize the extra space in the bag by wrapping each bottle once around with bubble wrap, the kind with small bubbles. To sum up this very long-winded post, the 8 bottles I packed for a trade in Las Vegas arrived in perfect condition, even with the TSA searching my luggage, they placed each bottle back in the wine diapers just the way they had found them. The 10 bottles I brought back also arrived in perfect condition. No TSA inspection this time, but 2 very bumpy flights, and a 4 hour unexpected layover with many gate changes.

I've heard of several ways to transport bottles of craft beer in a suitcase, some of them not costing any additional money. The great part about the wine diapers is that they are reusable (assuming a bottle didn't break inside) and for a reasonable price, you really can't beat the insurance you're getting against ruining the contents of your suitcase. Check them out the next time you fly somewhere, I bought mine on Amazon.

For the record, I'm not getting paid for this post (although I'll gladly take their money), I just think this product is really great for transporting beer in your suitcase, assuming you have space available.

Buffalo Wild Wings Tap list (Mishawaka, IN)

Thanks to Corey and his insatiable lust for late night wings, I bring to you the tap last over at Buffalo Wild Wings on Grape Rd in South Bend.

3 Floyd's Alpha King
3 Floyd's Gumballhead
Bell's Oberon
New Belgium Fat Tire
New Holland Mad Hatter
Killkenny's

Fiddler's Hearth and The Mark taps

Even though I'm nearly 2,000 miles from the South Bend area, that doesn't mean I don't get updated information from my contacts regarding what's on tap. Below is what you can find at local craft beer bars in the Michiana area, so make sure to stop by and have a pint!

Fiddler's Heart
- Flat 12 Half Cycle
- 3 Floyds Thich White Freeks
- Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster
- Bell's Amber and Stout on cask

The Mark
- Two Brothers Hop Juice

As always, if you happen to stop by for a cold one somewhere in our area, drop me a note to andy@thebeerisgood.com so I can make sure to post it. The kind of places I could use updated info on are the Chubby Trout in Elkhart, The Pub in Mishawaka, Bar Louie in Mishawaka and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Founders Blushing Monk available in South Bend, IN (again)

Just stopped by Belmont Beverage on South Bend Ave in South Bend, they have 2 cases of Founders Blushing Monk. This will be the last time you ever see it, so get it while you can!

Russian River Pliny the Elder

This is how AV and I do a random Thursday night in South Bend. Jealous? You should be. In case you haven't heard of it, Pliny the Elder is made by Russian River Brewing Company in California (not for sale in the South Bend area), and is rated as one of the top beers in the world. This is one of the most delicious beers I've ever had, and can't wait until the next time I can find some.

New Taps at Fiddler's Hearth (South Bend, IN)

Just a heads-up about a few new taps that will be available at Fiddler's Hearth today, tomorrow and beyond.

7.7.11 - Flat 12 Black IPA
7.7.11 - Founders Devil Dancer
7.7.11 - Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster
7.8.11 - 3 Floyds Thick White Freeks
7.9.11 - Flat 12 IPA (Not sure which one)


It sounds like Two Bros. Kain and Abel and Stone IRS (both very good) are still on tap, along with a few others. Stop by and try these while you can!

Tap List at The Mark (South Bend, IN)

Stopped by The Mark in South Bend yesterday after work for a few drinks and thought I'd share the tap list. I had the 3 Floyds Apocolypse Cow, Figure 8 Raven Tor (nitro pour), Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti, and a small sample of the He'Brew Jewbalation Vertical.

I pressed the bartender for details on future taps, but he didn't know of anything else coming out. Sounds like I'll just need to stop back by in another couple of weeks.

South Bend Brewfest Update

From Indiana Beer Distributor's Facebook Page, plus their nifty new logo for the event.

"South Bend Brewfest 2011 is coming! Mark your calendar for October 22nd from 12 - 4pm on the Island at the Century Center! Stay tuned right here on 574-Beer and to centurycenter.org for info on tickets, pricing, breweries attending, and much more!!"

I can think of no better way to spend my time before a home ND football game than to go to a brewfest!

Founders Blushing Monk available in the South Bend area!

Blushing Monk (9.2% "Belgian Style Ale fermented with pure raspberries") has hit the South Bend area in VERY limited quantities, with most stores getting a case of the 750ml bottles. Blushing Monk was once bottled, but retired quite some time ago, and recently resurrected for a one-time release as part of their "Backstage Series."

Here's a list of places in the area that I know do, or do not, have this in stock.

Citywide (Jefferson Rd, South Bend) - The entire case has been allocated.

Citywide (Grape Rd, Mishawaka) - Should have some bottles available, received 1 case.

Belmont (South Bend Ave, South Bend) - Did not/will not receive any.

Belmont (933/Dixie Way, South Bend) - Did not/will not receive any.

Chalet Party Shoppe (Nappanee, CR17 & Cass in Elkhart) - None of these locations have it in stock, the CR17 location hopes to get a case today, but aren't sure if they will receive any.

If you want this limited edition brew, get it while you can, because if it's available by Friday (or even tomorrow), I would be very surprised.

***Update on the Blushing Monk at Belmont, I mistakenly mentioned that they received a case. This was based on bad information I was given, and they in fact did not receive any Blushing Monk.

Hopcat (Grand Rapids, MI) - Best Beer Bar Ever

"Don't put too much horseradish sauce on your pretzel, you'll feel it burn in your nose!" --Wife

I'll get to the quote in a moment, but first I would like to tell you about the best place I've ever visited for a beer - Hopcat in Grand Rapids, MI.

Maybe it was the weather (sunny, low 80s), or my company (my wife came with me), or the fact that I had already consumed some very high ABV beers at Founders Fest, but my time at Hopcat was about as good as it gets. Sitting in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids on Ionia Avenue, Hopcat is a restaurant / bar that specializes in a ridiculously long beer list and some damn good food.

Only a 5 minute walk from Founders, we decided to grab a bite and see what all the hype was about. Meandering Walking from the festival to Hopcat at about 6:30pm, I was surprised to find that there was no wait at all. Sure there were a ton of people in there, but there were still plenty of tables open. We made sure to grab a high-top in the middle to get a good feel for the atmosphere, and of course to be close to the tap handles. If I owned a bar, this is what it would look like, with lots of wood, exposed brick walls and huge windows in the front.

Did I mention their ridiculously long beer list? Go ahead, take a moment to look, but don't forget to come back. It's really hard to choose something from that, where to even start? I'm a bit on the roasted side by this time, so I went with something that had big flavor and lower ABV - Odd Side Ales Citra Pale. I have no idea what the stats are on this, but it is brewed primarily with Citra hops. What a mighty fine choice, this was a very solid beer. What did my wife have? I couldn't tell you, as I was starting to get a little fuzzy. Time to eat something...

We started out with a pub pretzel with cheese sauce and horseradish sauce on the side. I've never been a huge fan of horseradish, but hell, I'll give it a shot. As I'm taking a piece of the pretzel, and a massive dip of this devil sauce, my wife says, "Don't put too much horseradish sauce on your pretzel, you'll feel it burn in your nose!" What does she know anyways? I'm a man, I can handle a little spice. Apparently this is a bit different than the habanero burn I've grown to love... this felt like being stung in the nose by bees. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, but fortunately I had a cold beer to wash it back, making my respiratory system return to normal.

Aside from the horseradish sauce, the food was pretty damn good. I had a turkey wrap and some awesome fries; great buzz food. It was time to call it quits on the beer for the night, so after finishing our dinner and brew, we decided to get moving. After walking out, I wished I could walk back in and do it all over again. When I come back for the Founders KBS release, I will definitely make more time for the Hopcat.

Overall, downtown Grand Rapids is a really cool place to hang-out, especially when the weather is nice. There are plenty of places to dine, get a drink and relax. If you get the chance, this is a great place to spend a weekend.

Brew Haven Craft Beer Festival (New Haven, IN)

Another Craft Beer Festival announcement that I wanted to share with you all. This is the first annual "Brew Haven" Craft Beer Festival in New Haven, IN (Outside of Ft. Wayne). With a great lineup (and I'm told more are coming) and reasonably priced tickets, I'm sure this will be an awesome time!

Below is the official press release... See you there!

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New Craft Beer Festival Features Extensive Line-Up

June 30, 2011 – New Haven, Indiana – The list of participants for the 1st Annual “Brew Haven” Craft Beer Festival continues to grow. The breweries whose beer will be poured now includes: Sun King Brewing Company (Indianapolis, Indiana), Flat12 Bierwerks (Indianapolis, Indiana), Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo, Michigan), Dark Horse Brewing Company (Marshall, Michigan), Bee Creek Brewery (Brazil, Indiana), Samuel Adams/The Boston Brewing Company (Boston, Massachusetts), Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California), Moylan’s Brewery (Novato, California), Widmer Brothers Brewing (Portland, Oregon), Upland Brewing Company (Bloomington, Indiana), Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago, Illinois), New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado) and Granite City Food & Brewery (Fort Wayne, Indiana). Five Star Distributing, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing, Winding Road Beverages and Aalco Distributing have lended their support and will also be present at the festival. Other participants include: Brewer’s Art Supply (Fort Wayne, Indiana), Old Crown Coffee Roasters (Fort Wayne, Indiana) and M.A.S.H. (Fort Wayne’s Homebrew Club).

The 1st Annual “Brew Haven” Craft Beer Festival will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 2pm to 6pm. Downtown New Haven, Indiana, will be the site of northeast Indiana’s newest and largest craft beer festival. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste dozens of different beers as samples are poured from numerous craft breweries. This event is being co-hosted by Trion Tavern and M.A.S.H. (Fort Wayne’s Homebrew Club). The festival tent will be located on Main Street just east of Broadway Street along the north side of Trion Tavern.

Advance tickets cost $25 and include: unlimited samples, a souvenir tasting glass, a meal and water. Tickets can be purchased at Trion Tavern or through www.triontavern.com. A limited number of tickets will be sold the day of the event for $30. Designated driver tickets will also be available for $5. A portion of the proceeds will go to the New Haven Downtown Improvement District. This will be a smoke-free event both under the tent and inside the bar.

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Trion Tavern is located at 503 Broadway in downtown New Haven, Indiana. “The Trion” features the greatest selection of craft brews in the area with 58 different taps and dozens of bottled beers. Many of the brews are regional, some of them rare, and all are carefully chosen for their distinctiveness in order to provide the widest possible range of styles for any palette. Owner and operator Greg Jacquay proudly provides a friendly, authentic atmosphere with a unique, handcrafted bar as its centerpiece. Trion Tavern has a full menu and a separate family room.

The Stray Dog (New Buffalo, MI) Beer List

Thanks to AV, my good friend and fellow craft beer enthusiast, I have the beer list from The Stray Dog restaurant in New Buffalo, MI. Not that I needed another excuse to visit one of my favorite warm-weather restaurants around, but they also have a pretty respectable lineup with Lagunitas Pils and IPA, Rogue Dead Guy, Founders Red's Rye, Shorts Huma-Lupa-Licious (very delicious brew), Avery White Rascal, etc. I don't remember them having this much of a selection the last time I visited a year ago, so this is great news.

In case you've never heard of The Stray Dog, find some time to check them out. Great food, very nice atmosphere, close to the beach, and apparently some decent beer now too!