Bare Hands Brewery Opening Soon!

If all goes as planned, it will be a very merry Christmas this year for craft beer drinkers in the Michiana area, with Bare Hands Brewery in Granger set to be unwrapped within the next month.

After weeks of schedule mismatches, I was finally able to stop by the brewery to hang out with Chris Gerard last week to discuss progress and beer.

When starting a small brewery like Bare Hands, it's incredibly useful to not only understand beer, but carpentry as well. I walked into the tasting room to find Chris's dad furiously sawing away on a piece of wood for the bar. There was a world of difference from the last time I visited over the summer, the floors, ceiling, walls and bathrooms are all done and look great. The bar looks to be the last project to complete, and it also seems to be coming along nicely. The Fire Marshal was by a few days prior to my visit for an inspection and placed a limit of 49 people on the tasting room, a space they will have no trouble filling.

Through the tasting room and into the brewery is where I found Chris, getting down and dirty cleaning up some kegs he recently bought. As with the tasting room, the brewery side of the building has come a long way since the last time I was there. The cooler, fermentation room, shelving and much more has been installed, giving Chris the ability to brew beer in anticipation of their opening.

Speaking of brewing beer, this is what he's currently working on for the brewery opening. I don't currently have stats on any of them at this point.

Russian Imperial Stout
Peppery Pale Ale dry-hopped with Cascade Hops
2 IPAs (Maybe Thai.P.A.)
Cream Ale
Barleywine

Obviously as I hear more about an opening date, I will pass it along. I'm definitely excited for Chris and his tasty brews!

A visit to Sun King Brewery (Indianapolis, IN)

My craft beer hobby has been an embarrassment of riches lately, with trips to Sun King, Flat 12, a Craft Beer Party, etc. As a result, a few things I've meant to share with my fellow beer geeks have been neglected, one of which is the road trip to Indianapolis that Jeremy (Fiddler's Hearth) and I went on the week before The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth.

The road trip consisted of three brewery stops, starting with Sun King, then Flat 12, and finally Barley Island. Our visit to both Sun King and Flat 12 was incredible, so I plan to do two separate posts on them to cover each in detail. The mission was to drive from South Bend to Indy to pick up kegs of Sun King beer to have on tap at Fiddler's Hearth. Once we had the kegs, we intended to make a very quick trip to Flat 12 before heading home. We planned to spend about a half hour at each brewery... it didn't exactly work out that way.

Opening in 2009, Sun King is the first full-scale production brewery in Indianapolis since the Indianapolis Brewing Company closed in 1948. In just a couple of years, they have become the 3rd largest brewery in Indiana while rocking the 2011 Great American Beer Festival by bringing home 8 medals for their beer! For those of you keeping score at home, that's placing in nearly 20% of every category!

So anyway, we expected to taste a few of their beers and bring back two kegs for the pub. Upon arrival and finding our way into the tasting room, our dreams of drinking a full pint of refreshing brew after the long drive were smashed. Apparently, and I knew this but had forgotten, full pints cannot be sold in a brewery without food also being available. This meant that we were tasting their lineup in shot glass sized cups, one at a time. While waiting for our pours to be brought over to us, we watched as a new 90 barrel fermenter and a bright tank were installed. It's always fun to witness a brewery expanding right before our eyes!

We sipped and discussed each of the beers available, starting with their house beers which consisted of Sunlight (Cream Ale, 5.3%), Wee Mac (Scottish Ale, 5.3%), Bitter Druid (ESB, 5.8%) and Osiris (Pale Ale, 5.6%). The only Sun King beer I had experienced prior to this visit was Osiris, when it was on tap at "The Pub" in Granger, IN. What I began to notice about their lineup was that each beer was solid, flavorful and refreshing. I wasn't blown away with any of these four, but instead I was impressed with how drinkable each one was. These beers had zero pretension, they won't coat your mouth like motor oil, nor will they burn off your taste buds. In my opinion, these four are perfect for socializing, drinking with friends and enjoying good beer without snobbery. Trying to convert a Bud-Miller-Coors zombie into a Craft Beer drinker? Have them try Sunlight or Osiris, and watch as they realize that there is so much more to beer than the "fizzy yellow stuff" they've been accustomed to. 

Next up was their season/specialty lineup, which typically gets my attention at most breweries. Available at the time we were there was Colt's 444 (Malt Liquor, 6%), Rathskeller (Amber, 5%) and El Gallo Negro (Black IPA, 7%). Colt's 444 was the first malt liquor I've ever had from a craft brewery, and first of its kind since a bottle of Olde English about 10 years ago; I was surprised at how good it was! Colt's 444 was a refreshing lager with a thin, sweet corn body. Not something I would typically go for, but I liked it. After the shot of malt liquor was the Rathskeller Amber. Although I didn't take specific notes on any of the beers, I remember this being a very good, caramelly sweet amber, a beer I hope to see on tap around South Bend in the future.

Last up, or so I thought at the time, was El Gallo Negro. Black IPAs are quickly becoming one of my favorite styles, which unfortunately can be hit or miss. A few of the best representations that I've tasted include Anger from Greenbush, Hop in the Dark from Deschutes and 15th Anniversary from Stone...  add El Gallo Negro to that list! The Black Rooster has great hop aroma, combined with a very nice roasted malt backbone, ending with a bitter slap in the face. Jeremy agreed that we should bring a keg of this back to Fiddler's Hearth...

We were done within a half hour, decided to get the invoice for what ended up being 5 kegs (we went there for 2) and move along to our next stop, until Debby (Office Manager, rockstar) realized Jeremy was from a restaurant, and we were planning a huge craft beer bash just 3 days later... What started out as a good time began snowballing into one of the coolest experiences I've had while exploring this hobby! When I asked if they had anything they would like us to pass out to patrons for the party while Sun King beer was on tap, they generously supplied us with tons of stuff!

While they were pulling the schwag bags together for us, Jeremy and I were hanging out with guys involved in Sun King sales, Eric and Dustin. These guys represent the brewery well with their passion for beer and great hospitality. With CanFest in Reno quickly approaching, the brewery was preparing some of their brew for the event, one of which they cracked open for us to try; Jungle Room. Jungle Room (Imperial IPA, 10%) is a twist on their Grapefruit Jungle, with guava, peach and grapefruit notes. This totally hop-forward beer was nothing short of incredible! There are only a handful of beers I would drive further than an hour for, this is one of them.

After a larger pour of our brew of choice (more El Gallo Negro for me), Dustin set out to give us a tour of their brewery. If I didn't know any better, I would say this brewery has been open for at least 5 years based on how large and efficient their operation is. With an eye toward expansion, Dustin talked about increasing the footprint of their brewery, along with continuing to pump out more amazing craft beer. Of course I had to ask, when will we see Sun King is South Bend? According to Eric, every time discussions around branching out come up, it seems like another local burst in demand for their beer occurs. Instead of spreading themselves too thin, they have opted to continue to supply those that helped get them to this point, the Indianapolis market. Although this is a bummer for South Bend, I certainly applaud their loyalty, and still hold out hope for their beer further north.

So what started as a quick trip to Sun King to pick up two kegs, turned into a great experience hanging out with the employees of the brewery, tasting amazing beer and bringing back five kegs for the patrons of Fiddler's Hearth. We appreciate the hospitality we were shown while there, along with the great schwag for the event and the tasty specialty brews they poured for us. Consider Jeremy and I the newest in a long list of fans!

By the way, if you're interested in trying beer from Sun King, check out Fiddler's Hearth while it's still flowing, because once it's out, it's out... or until our next road trip!

   

The Manhattan Beer Scene (Part 1)

"One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years." --Thomas Wolfe

I'm fortunate enough to work for an employer that invests in its employees frequently, and as a result, I've been able to take classes and attend conferences around the country while soaking up the beer scene in my down time. The Beer Is Good in Sacramento, Houston, Vegas (kinda), Chicago and Columbus, but there is nowhere I'd rather drink than my home away from home, New York City.

The previous time I was in The City I explored the subway, got lost in Central Park, and ate folded pizza while standing. It's a place that can be intimidating when visited alone for the first time, but you'd be amazed at how quickly you learn the ropes.

This time, armed with a metro card and and better understanding of Manhattan, I set out to find the "Big Three," as described on BeerAdvocate.com as The Ginger Man, Rattle 'N Hum and Blind Tiger. The first two were in Midtown, with the 3rd located in the Village. Tired from travel when I arrived at my hotel around 2pm, I set out for the closest pub on the list, The Ginger Man, located in the shadow of the Empire State Building, on E. 36th.

Although The Ginger Man is a chain, which I typically avoid while traveling, I had to give it a try based on great reviews, pictures and a killer tap list. Due to the NYC Marathon going on that day, the pub was nearly empty at 3pm, just the way I like it. After taking up a cozy spot at the rich, dark wood bar overlooking two long copper back-splashes packed with dozens of tap handles, I started searching through the absurdly long list of beers available.

Amid the well known breweries represented such as Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn, Founders and Lagunitas, I was able to choose from a list not available to us in the Midwest. 21st Amendment, Oskar Blues, Chelsea, Smuttynose, Bronx and many other American breweries were on tap upon my arrival. No reviewing or pretension, I was there just to take in the atmosphere with a solid beer in my favorite city to spend time in. First up was the Maduro Oatmeal Ale (5.5%, $7.50/Pint) from Cigar City in Florida. Relatively thin for my palate, but well balanced with roasted malt and a touch of bitterness.

Next up would be a Bronx Pale Ale (6.3%, $7/Pint). This would have been a good one to review from a new brewery in the Bronx, especially when I later found Beer Advocate only had two reviews for it. A solid representation of this style for certain, but nothing out of the ordinary for this west coast hophead to txt home about.

Last up for this trip to Ginger Man, for which there would be two, was a Mikkeller Citra IPA from Denmark. Even though Mikkeller was available in South Bend for quite some time (and still kinda is, depending on remaining stock in local stores), being a Citra hop addict, I had to try this single-hopped IPA. Maybe it was the fact that this was my third beer, or a stuffy nose, but I was quite underwhelmed with this beer. Hoping for a citra hop explosion, I got only a reasonably hoppy brew with a good dash of malty mediocrity. As with the Bronx Pale, I would consider it a good beer, although it just didn't do much for me.

Not wanting to spend my entire sobriety in one place that day, I decided to tab out and move along to Rattle 'N Hum (See Part 2 for more). Fortunately The Ginger Man is so close that I was able to make a second stop before the week was over, a few evenings later.

The second time around would be a much quicker trip, with my goal to try one more tasty brew and pick up their really cool, special edition 2 liter ceramic flip-top growler. A delicious treat was tapped just a few hours prior, a cask of Smuttynose IPA (American IPA, 6.9%); I could not resist. This was bar far the best east coast brewed IPA I have ever had! Floral, Citrusy and a thin malt backbone made this beer one of the highlights of my drinking experiences that week. What a great introduction to Smuttynose, they have certainly lived up to the good things I've read.

The only downside to The Ginger Man for me, and this may not apply to everyone, is that they could have had more American craft beer and less imports. Although I estimate about half of their long list of taps were American, it would have been nice to see 5 or 6 more. With that being my only complaint, I really enjoyed my time at The Ginger Man. They have everything I look for in a craft bar; a good selection of craft beer, and a laid-back atmosphere. If you happen to find yourself in the big city sometime, definitely add this place to your list of places to drink!

A side rant... The Ginger Man has more unique beers on tap at any given time than any bar/restaurant in our area. On any given night, the place is packed and blowing through kegs regularly. If any place would have an excuse to not keep up with their beer list, it would be them, yet they manage to not only keep an updated beer menu printed daily, but also keep their website list updated in near-real time. If I ever own a craft beer bar, I will undoubtedly do the same.

In Part 2 of our series on the Manhattan Beer Scene, I will write about Rattle 'N Hum, another really cool beer bar located on E. 33rd with a style that varies greatly from The Ginger Man...

On tap around South Bend (11.18.11)

Bar Louie (Grape Road, Mishawaka)
Flat 12 Walkabout (American Pale, 5.3%)
Flat 12 Tangerine Porter (American Porter, 5.5%)
Sierra Nevada Pale (American Pale, 5.6%)
Sam Adams Lager (Vienna Lager, 4.9%)
Sam Adams Winter Lager (Bock, 5.5%)
Bell's Two Hearted (American IPA, 7%)
Bell's Special Double Cream Stout (American Stout, 6.1%)
Left Hand Milk Stout (Milk Stout, 6%)
3 Floyds Dreadnaught (Double IPA, 9.5%)
3 Floyds Gumballhead (American Pale Wheat, 4.5%)
3 Floyds Robert the Bruce (Scottish Ale, 6.5%)
Founders Red's Rye (Rye Beer, 6.6%)
Founders Breakfast Stout (Imperial Stout, 8.3%)
Founders Backwoods Bastard (Scotch Ale, 10.2%)
Greenbush Dungras (American IPA, 6.7%)
Stone IPA (American IPA, 6.9%)
Schlafly Kolsch (Kolsch, 4.5%)
Rogue Dead Guy (Helles Bock, 6.5%)

Fiddler's Hearth (Main Street, South Bend)
Wee Mac (Scottish Ale, 5.4%)
Sunlight (Cream Ale, 5.3%)
Bell's Two Hearted (American IPA, 7%)
Alpha King (American Pale Ale, 6%)
Thick White Freaks (Witbier, 8.5%)
Greenbush Distorer (Saturday) (Porter, 7.2%)
Greenbush Dungras (Saturday) (American IPA, 6.7%)

The Mark (Eddy Street, South Bend)
North Coast Old Rasputin (Russian Imperial Stout, 9%)
New Belgium Mothership Wit (Witbier, 4.8%)
Great Divide Hibernation Ale (Old Ale, 8.7%)
Gulden Draak (Belgian Dark Strong, 10%)
Brouwerij St. Bernardus Abt 12 (Quad, 10%)
Greenbush Momento Mori (Oktoberfest, ?%)
New Holland Full Circle (Kolsch, 4.9%)
New Belgium Ranger (American IPA, 6.5%)
New Holland Dragon's Milk (American Stout, 10%)
Great Divide Hercules (Double IPA, 10%)

The Pub (Cleveland Ave, Granger)
southern 2XIPA (American Double, 8.2%)
Sun King Bitter Druid
Sun King Wee Mac (Scottish Ale, 5.4%)
Sun King Sunlight (Cream Ale, 5.3%)
North Coast Old Rasputin (Russian Imperial Stout, 9%)
Bell's Two Hearted (American IPA, 7%)
3 Floyds Gumballhead (American Pale Wheat, 4.5%)
3 Floyds Alpha King (American Pale Ale, 6%)

Chubby Trout (2730 Cassopolis, Elkhart)
Upland Helios (American Pale Ale, 4.9%)
Sierra Nevada Pale (American Pale, 5.6%)
Bell's Best Brown (English Brown, 5.8%)
3 Floyds Gumballhead (American Pale Wheat, 4.5%)
New Belgium Ranger (American IPA, 6.5%)
New Belgium Fat Tire (American Amber, 5.2%)
3 Floyds Alpha King (American Pale Ale, 6%)
Stone Arrogant Bastard (American Strong Ale, 7.2%)
Rogue Dead Guy (Helles Bock, 6.5%)

Miles Lab (East Jackson Blvd, Elkhart)
Shiner Bock (Bock, 4.4%)
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout (Oatmeal Stout, 4.95%)
3 Floyds Alpha King (American Pale Ale, 6%)
Rogue Dead Guy (Helles Bock, 6.5%)
3 Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf (Double IPA, 9%)
Bell's Oberon (American Pale Wheat, 5.8%)
Upland Dragonfly (American IPA, 6%)
Boulevard Nutracker (Winter Warmer, 5.9%)
Bell's Two Hearted (American IPA, 7%)
Anchor Christmas (Winter Warmer, 5.5%)
Tyranena Rocky's Revenge (Coming Soon) (American Brown, 6%)

Wheatberry (Redbud Trail, Buchanan)
Rogue Dirtoir Noir (Black Lager, ?%)
Anchor Steam (Steam Beer, 4.9%)
Big Sky Moose Drool (American Brown Ale, 5.1%)
Ommegang BPA (Belgian Pale, 6.2%)
Stone Lukcy Basartd (American Strong, 8.5%)
Lagunitas IPA (American IPA, 6.2%)
Arcadia HopMouth (American Double, 8.1%)
Bell's Special Double Cream Stout (American Stout, 6.1%)
Bell's Quinannan Falls Lager (American Pale Lager, 6.4%)

Own, Manage, or frequent a Pub/Restaurant? Send an email to andy at thebeerisgood.com with what is currently on tap and I will make sure it gets added to the Friday post. Cheers!

Schlafly Night at Fiddler's Hearth (South Bend, IN)

We don't have a ton of details on this currently, but I can say that there is going to be a special night of Schlafly Beers on tap at Fiddler's Hearth on November 30th. In addition to a special lineup of beer, a rep will be around to talk beer, and maybe even give out some schwag.

When more info becomes available, I will certainly forward it along.

Flat12 Bierwerks Joe Brahma

Due to unfortunate (for him) circumstances, Andy was unable to enjoy this little gem that he brought back from Indianapolis, which meant... More (all) for me! You may have also enjoyed this yourself if you were early enough to The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth on the 5th.

Style: Brown Ale/Milk Stout hybrid
Brewery: Flat12 Bierwerks
Package: Growler into pint glass (Note: I drank this shortly after it was purchased, but am just getting around to posting about it. No stale beer was consumed here.)
ABV: 5.1%
IBUs: 28.5%

From Flat12's description:

A Brown Ale/Milk Stout hybrid with a dose of Nicaraguan Coffee. 

-Lactose added to balance the acidity of the coffee. 

-Smooth and easy going down just like your favorite morning cup of Joe.

Appearance: Chocolate brown that is dark ruby when held up to light. One finger of very creamy, tanned head that, despite it's initial thick appearance, disappeared quickly. (This was more apparent on tap than from growler. I had a sloppy and poor pour from the growler.) Tiny bit of lace webbing left on glass.

Aroma: Fairly heavily creamed coffee. A little sweet malt. Overall aroma was very subtle and I didn't get much from it.

Taste: Cocoa (more so when colder) and coffee (more so as it warmed). Hints of earthiness. Bitter at the end, but also sweet from the lactose. Robust flavor, while managing to not be overwhelming. Very pleasant, rich aftertaste as well.

Mouthfeel: A tad north of medium bodied. Velvety and creamy. Coats the mouth well, but with a silky coating that slides right down. Very low carbonation. (Again, could have been the growler. It was more noticeable on tap the weekend before.)

Overall: Pretty sure I've never encountered another brew billed as a brown ale/milk stout hybrid. (With coffee!) Still, I'm sure there are other brands out there that are similar in taste, if not style. However, if they're even half as good as Joe Brahma is, then the world would be a better place. This is a phenomenal example of how to make an outstanding smelling, tasting, and overall drinkable beer. It's amazing how much flavor is packed into this at a mere, sessionable 5.1%. I could, and did, and would again, drink the entire growler in a sitting. Now if only we still had that growler of Flat12's Bleeding Heart IPA...

Grade: A

Bonus info: No intangible for this review. It's just a growler. Therein lies this interesting factoid: Growlers aren't the only vessel that Flat12 offers to take your beer home from the taproom in. They also sell the "bullet bottle" for which they were featured on craftbeer.com in an article about growler advancements. (Picture in link.) It's a 32 ounce plastic bottle with the benefits of costing the consumer less, is easier to transport, and can be taken into venues where glass isn't allowed!

Greenbush Brewing Co. In Beernews.org's Spotlight

In what's described as "...the first in a series of Spotlight posts on new breweries...", Beernews.org has chosen Michiana's own Greenbush Brewing Co. for its inaugural feature.

While informational for those who've had limited or no exposure to Greenbush, the 10+ Q&A session with owner/brewmaster, Scott Sullivan, also lends some brilliant insight into this fledgling company.

With all apologies to 3 Floyds ("not normal") and Dogfish Head ("off-centered"), I love the whimsical and quirky nature of Scott's responses that seem to follow in the footsteps of those that have come before Greenbush, yet are still unique in their own right:

2) It sounds like the beers are being received favorably. What resources have you used in forming your recipes? 

Interestingly enough, I’ve never had any idea what commercial breweries use for this sort of thing and now that I know people at other breweries, I still forget to ask. I started out homebrewing using Beer Tools and never switched. It does what I need it to, so I figure why reinvent the wheel? As for recipe development itself, I used to always pick a style I wanted to do and sort of get an idea of how other breweries I liked did things. Then I’d build a recipe that I thought was sort of something like that particular family. Usually, I was wrong. Apparently, people like our wrong-headed approach to brewing because yes, we’ve been at capacity from just about the first day and have another 60 barrels worth of fermentation coming online.

It's almost as if they don't really have a plan, don't care for one, and have shown they don't need one to be successful. (Note: I'm sure Scott, Jill - the Ambassador of Everything - and the rest of the crew do have a plan, they've just executed it with such ease that one could hardly tell.)

Furthermore, I absolutely respect his thoughts on growth:

 11) How big do you guys want to grow? Into the size of a regional craft brewery or stay smaller?

Ha, this and anonymous rating forums are my favorite topics! I have no problem with breweries getting big and I hope we are fortunate enough to do so. I do however have a problem with breweries sacrificing quality and creative aspiration. The indie beer cred community thinks those two things are synonymous, which I think is flat out ridiculous. If I can maintain quality standards and creativity and grow big, I will without hesitation do it. Is that the measure of success? No, not anymore than staying small is a measure of credibility. People in Michigan love piling on Larry Bell for being big, as if that’s against the code of beer ethics. Anybody who says they wouldn’t do the same thing if given the chance is couch quarterbacking.

If (When?) they really start to hit it big, there will undoubtedly be those who proclaim, "I liked Greenbush before they got popular/before everyone else did." The notion of "selling out," as far as simply losing credibility due to growth, is a terrible one. As the man said, if they're able to maintain quality standards and creativity and still grow big, who in their right mind wouldn't do that? It's about simple economics, not beer geek cred.

Remember, "Good Beer Wins", and right now Greenbush is winning. Head on over to the very well ran Beernews.org and read the rest of the article for more!

The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth... RECAP!

For those that didn't make it, this post is somewhere between a "nana nana boo boo" and "Dude, you totally missed out!"

After months of planning, beer "tasting" and advertising, everything came together perfectly on November 5th for the first annual "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" craft beer party. We have been spreading the word on this for quite a while now. Craft beer has been exploding more and more by the month, but would people actually show up to a dedicated craft beer party?

I figured I'd be drinking alone for at least 30 minutes after Fiddler's 11am opening, but fortunately TheBeerIsGood.com supporters Corey, his wife, and Shawn were there right away. Nobody expected the mayhem that would ensue as we patiently waited for the great staff of Fiddler's to put a few last minute touches on the restaurant before we received our first beers.

What to go with? The list of things I wanted to try was huge! I really wanted the Four Horseman Porter that Jeremy and I helped brew back in September... but while Jeremy cleaned out the lines for the casks, I started with a very delicious Flat 12 Joe Brahma Coffee Brown Ale. It was so good that I would have it at least once more that day.

Fellow TheBeerIsGood.com contributor, AV, and his wife, strolled in shortly after opening and by 11:30, the entire Pub was full of people drinking great beer and ordering from a very impressive food list. Sean, the pub owner, manned the bar while an awesome crew of servers raced around the restaurant taking orders.

With people standing 2-deep at the bar, and every table full at 12:30, this was a great turnout so far, but it was still early... was this just a lunch hour rush?

After getting a chance to talk to Matt from World Class Bev, Ben and Stephen of Four Horsemen, Michele of SouthBendFoodies.com, among other craft beer supporters, it was time to take a break and head home for a bit, watch some football and prepare for round two.

Nearly asleep on my couch from the high gravity beer I was drinking earlier, I received a txt from a friend who was still there. It was 3pm, the place was STILL packed, and WNDU was there to cover the event! Although WNDU decided to change the name of the event to "Total Tap Takeover" and totally disregarded the fact that this was a joint event between TheBeerIsGood.com and Fiddler's, at least it was more free advertising.

Around 6pm, it was schwag'oclock. We had cases of brewery pint glasses, mountainous stacks of stickers, tshirts galore... It was like Christmas, only better, and I was Bad Santa. Everyone there that was a known regular got something right away, and that was only a slight dent in our stash. From there, I went around with handfuls of stuff, spreading the love to each table. A very special thanks to Sun King, Flat 12, Ben Amster of Indiana Beer, Matt Johnson of World Class and KC Mars of Cavalier for providing TONS of schwag to hand out to all the great craft beer fans that showed up. My personal favorite hand-out of the night were the Southern Tier glasses from Ben Amster. Everyone wanted one, and we tried to hook-up as many people as we could. Next year we'll start handing out schwag much sooner so that the early crowd get some as well...

This event was so much more successful than I could have imagined. The pub was packed all day and some staff that were scheduled to get off at 5 where still working at 9:30 when I left. People were eating, drinking, being merry and certainly enjoying the event! Thanks so much to Sean & Jeremy at Fiddler's Hearth for letting me have a hand in this party, and being such amazing hosts. Also thanks to my close friend AV, who contributes really great stuff to this site and shares this killer hobby with me. Shout-out to all of my friends that came down to support this event, you all are awesome and the best friends a guy could ask for.

I'm already thinking of ways to do it even bigger next year... we'll see you then!

---

For those that didn't make it to the event, below is the list of beers that were on tap at one point or another during the day...

Bell's Batch 10,000
Brewdog Punk IPA
Dark Horse Scotty Karate
Dogfish Head My Antonia
Dogfish Head/Three Floyds Popaskull
Flat 12 Joe Brahma
Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale
Founders Nemesis (2010)
Four Horseman Vanilla Porter (Cask)
Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti
Great Lakes Market Street Wheat
Hair of the Dog Fred
Harpoon Leviathan
Hitachino Nest White Ale
Leifmans Oud Bruin
New Albanian Yakima Rye
New Belgium Clutch
New Belgium Kick
New Holland Ichabod (Cask)
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (2008)
Southern Tier Backburner (2009)
Southern Tier Creme Brulee
Stone 15th Anniversary
Sun King Osiris
Three Floyds Moloko
Three Floyds Thick White Freeks

More Beer at Citywide on Jefferson Ave! (South Bend)

Afraid of commitment? We are too... and now you won't have to commit to a 4-pack or Sixer, you can peruse over 120 different singles at Citywide on Jefferson Ave. with the recent reorganization that they did to their beer cooler..

22oz Selection

Typically when I wanted to search through singles quickly, I would check out the Belmont on South Bend Avenue, but Citywide just upped the ante with their reorganization. Now, not only is their selection better than anywhere else in the area, but the beer is also rotated through faster (Fresher) and kept in the cooler.

12oz singles

In the interest of full disclosure, this is something they always did to a point. If there was a beer in the cooler that you only wanted a bottle or two of, they've always been accommodating about piecing them out.

So the next time you are looking for singles, stop downtown and try a few before making a commitment!

Last call on The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth

One final reminder for the first annual "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" Craft Beer party tomorrow (11/5) at Fiddler's Hearth on Main Street in South Bend from 11am-Midnight. We hope you can stop by and tip back a glass with us while celebrating the craft beer movement! Below is some pertinent information regarding the event....

• No tickets / cover. Come in anytime between 11am-Midnight, order/pay for whatever is on tap at the time.

• There is roughly 2 dozen different beers on throughout the day, and taps will be changed out periodically. Here is the opening lineup of beers available at 11am.

• The taps will consist of beers you wouldn't normally find in this area such as Sun King and Dogfish Head, vintage beers that have been undisturbed for years, and special beers that no other restaurant in the area was able to get.
   
• The ND v. Wake Forest game will be on multiple TVs, and the sound will be piped in through the pub speaker system.

• There will be a very tasty selection of food specials, which you can find here.

• Free brewery schwag will be handed out throughout the day on a random basis, while supplies last.

Learn to Homebrew Day in Elkhart

Just a quick heads-up from my friends over at Michiana Extract and Grain (MEGA), there is going to be a "Learn To Homebrew Day" tomorrow (November 5th) from 10am-6pm at Quality Wine and Ale Supply, located at 108 S. Elkhart Ave, in Elkhart.

Make sure to stop by and check out what I'm sure will be a very interesting and informative event, then swing by Fiddler's Hearth for "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" craft beer party going on from 11am-Midnight.

For more information, check out the Michiana Extract and Grain Website

Goose Island Bids Demolition Farewell, Welcomes King Henry This Winter

Sometimes, you take the good with the bad.

In a press release last week, Goose Island announced the demolition of, well... Demolition.

According to Goose Island VP Sales, Robert Kenney, the brewery is removing a beer from its portfolio.

I regret to inform you that Goose Island Beer Company has halted future production of Demolition, which was available in 22 oz bottles (4IE22’s). While we are still very proud of the beer and stand behind the product in the market, effective immediately, we will no longer make it available to our distributor network.

The 7.2% Belgian Style Golden Ale hasn't been terribly difficult to find on most bottle shop shelves. I know you can currently score some at most, if not all, of the City Wide and Belmont locations in the South Bend area. However, you may not want to delay in picking some up before their supplies are exhausted and it's gone for good!


In other Goose Island news, King Henry, previously only available on draft, is finally slated for release this December in 22oz bombers.

Brewer's Notes: Aged in bourbon barrels, King Henry is a burgundy hued English-style barleywine with aromas of vanilla, oak, and dark fruit. Caramel and toffee flavors blend together with bold notes of bourbon delivered in a smooth body followed by a malty finish. No matter the occasion, King Henry promises a regal drinking experience.

Rumor has it that Goose Island was concocting the King as far back as 2008, but it never saw the light of day for most. Other brands rising to popularity, problems with the recipe, or simply a brewer's decision is just some speculation I found as to why.

Still too early to know if we'll see much here in town. If availability of the other members in Goose Island's "Extreme Ale" series (Night Stalker, Big John, and the various Bourbon County Stouts) is any indication, it will be scare, if at all.

Speaking of Bourbon County Stout, a fun fact: King Henry, a 13.4% or 11.5% barleywine - depending on if you believe the Goose Island website, or the approved King Henry label - is evidently aged in barrels previously used for Bourbon County Stout.

Goose Island Brewmaster Brett Porter has some additional information in this video introducing King Henry on their YouTube channel: