LaSalle Grill Beer Dinner Featuring Flat 12

LaSalle Grill (South Bend, IN) is at it again with another great Beer Dinner planned for August 30th. This seems to be a regular concept for them, and I've been hearing nothing but great things. This time around, they are teaming up with my friends at Flat 12 to pair with some delicious-sounding food. The cost is $65 per person, and reservations can be made by calling 574.288.1155.

Potowatomi Zoo Brew Reminder

This is just a reminder and a quick update - don't miss out on this year's Zoo Brew. Your humble beer blogger (Ok, humble isn't the right word) has been honored with an invitation to be one of the beer judges for the event, which I happily accepted.

If you're on the fence, please know that this is the largest fund raiser of the year, every year, for the zoo. Every dollar they receive makes an impact, and helps maintain an important piece of our community.

Date: September 8th, 7-10PM
Ticket Price: Designated Drivers - $25, Zoo Members - $35, Everyone else - $40

Check out the Zoo Brew webpage for further details and to purchase tickets, which did sell out last year... see you there!

Sylvester Stallone's Birthday July 6th at Local Option (Chicago, IL)

I just received an email from one of my favorite bars in Chicago, Local Option, about an upcoming party they are having on July 6th. This pub is seriously badass... the food is really good and they have a very impressive tap list at any given time. If you were looking for an excuse to visit the city, here go you.

Sly will celebrate his birthday by beating your palate into submission on July 6th.
On Friday July 6th at 3pm Local Option will host “Sylvester Stallone’s Birthday Celebration” – a beer event honoring the Italian Stallion’s illustrious film career.  The events beer list – which  features new, rare or highly sought after releases from Ölvisholt (Iceland), Three Floyds (Indiana), Scheldebrouwerij (Belgium), Firestone Walker (California), Nøgne-ø (Norway), Evil Twin (Brooklyn) and Local Option Bierwerker (Crook County) – will be paired with screenings of the entire Rocky series.

Draft List:
Against The Grain Oaken Dagger
Boulevard Rye on Rye
Boulevard Saison Brett
Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout
Central Waters Mud Puppy (Nitro)
Coniston Bluebird Bitter
De Glazen Toren Cuveé Angélique
Dieu Du Ciel! Equinoxe du Printemps
Evil Twin Femme Fatale
Evil Twin Who’s Drinking Gilbert Grape?
Firestone Walker Parabola
Green Flash Imperial IPA
Haandbryggeriet Bestefar
Hopfenstark Saison Station 16
Hopfenstark Saison Station 55
Hopfenstark Saison Station 7
Jandrain-Jandrenouille IV Saison
Jolly Pumpkin E.S Bam
Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura
Local Option Bierwerker Bourbon Barrel Aged Kentucky Common
Local Option Bierwerker Morning Wood
Mikkeller/Grassroots Wheat Is The New Hops
Nøgne-ø Batch #500 Imperial IPA
Ölvisholt Lava
Port Anniversary Ale
Scheldebrouwerij Oesterstout
Thornbridge St. Petersburg
Three Floyds Al-Dabeyoun
Three Floyds Zombie Dust

411:
When: Friday July 6, 3pm
Where: Local Option, 1102 W. Webster, Chicago, IL 60614
Sylvester Stallone’s Birthday Celebration on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/237665303019691/
Beer Advocate: http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/55265
RateBeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/event/17868/sylvester-stallones-birthday-celebration/
BeerMenus: http://www.beermenus.com/events/9120-sylvester-stallone-s-birthday-celebration

The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth (Update)

Ever since the announcement here two months ago that we are doing another "The Beer Is Good at Fiddler's Hearth" craft beer party this summer, we've been working pretty hard at getting all of the pieces put in place. I just wanted to provide everyone with a reminder, and a few updates...

Where: Fiddler's Hearth (Main Street, South Bend)
When: June 30th, 11am-11pm
Price: No ticket required to get in, pay for only what you order

We are working on a really unique and special tap list for the day, consisting of constantly rotating taps. In addition to the Founders KBS that was originally announced, we will have the FIRST EVER sale of Bare Hands beer outside of the brewery, with a firkin of ThaiP.A! This is one of their most popular beers, and the first firkin of it ever made.

Alongside the great beers from Bare Hands will be two special Four Horsemen beers (Porter & American Wheat), personally crafted by your favorite (I hope) South Bend beer blogger - me! The Porter is an intensely roasty beer with hints of chocolate and coffee, smoothed out with caramel and rich mahogany. On a lighter side is a citrusy and hoppy American Wheat brewed exclusively with the immensely popular Citra hops. Both the Porter and American Wheat are great examples of fun beers coming from my experience with Four Horsemen. Stephen, Sam, Ben and John have been so great to work with and I'm learning so much about the craft beer business!

So when I originally sat down with Sean and Jeremy of Fiddler's Hearth, we all agreed that we wanted this event to be even BIGGER and BETTER than the already successful party back in November. So in addition to the ultra-limited Founders KBS and the specialty beers from Bare Hands, Four Horsemen, etc., we needed one more beer to really put this event over the top...

So without further ado, we would like to announce that an extremely rare keg of Black Note from Bell's will be on tap at some point during the day! If you haven't had the opportunity to try this highly sought after beer yet, you will not want to miss it!

So this is just a taste of what's to come, and the very long final tap list will include specialty beers from such favorites as 3 Floyds, Greenbush, Founders, etc. This party is exactly four weeks away, so look for updates and more info as we get closer!

Greenbush Beer Dinner at LaSalle Grill

I received an email from the manager over at LaSalle Grill last week about the Greenbush Beer Dinner they are doing on May 10th, and totally forgot to post it, so here it is...

Some really incredible beers on that list, all of which I've had at one point or another, with Brother Ben, Anger and Distorter being some of my favorites. I've never actually been to LaSalle before, but I hear they have great food, wine, and are definitely taking craft beer seriously.

For all my guy readers with wives/girlfriends/whatever-you're-into, you can easily count this as date night, while enjoying some great food and beer. As Michael Scott would say, it's a win-win-win.

Iechyd Da "Leaps" into brewing on February 29th

In my best Pauly D voice, I would like to inform you that, "Beers here!"

We will be welcoming the 4th brewery within a year to our area (Four Horsemen, Bare Hands, Greenbush), Iechyd Da Brewing Company. They are taking an opportunity to "leap" into their business venture on leap day, February 29th, by hosting a invitation-only beer tasting at their new brewery in Elkhart. About 65 lucky people that follow their Facebook page had a chance to receive an invitation to tour the brewery and taste 8 of the beers that will be flowing.

TheBeerIsGood.com was fortunate enough to be invited to cover this event, taste some beer, and share in the celebration of the latest brewery to join the craft beer community. For those who missed out on an invitation this time around, I'll make sure to take plenty of pictures, try all of the beers and rub-in the fantastic time we are all sure to have. Don't worry though, their opening is right around the corner, giving everyone the chance at some great brew!

On a side note, their logo is pretty badass, amiright?

Michiana Beer Nuts 3rd Anniversary Party

If you live in the Michiana area and don't read Michiana Beer Nuts by Eric Strader, then you are missing out. Over the last 3 years, Eric has pumped out hundreds of high-quality and informative posts about craft beer in our area and beyond.

On March 8th, Eric will be celebrating the 3rd anniversary of his beer blog at the Constant Spring in Goshen, his typical hangout as Fiddler's Hearth is mine. For this event, there will be 6 beers from Greenbush on tap, along with the attendance of the ambassador of all things Greenbush, Jill. For more information regarding the lineup, check out this post.

The journey from South Bend to Goshen isn't short, of course, but last year was a great time, and this year is sure to be no different.

Cheers, and congratulations to Eric on all of his hard work!

2nd Annual Blue Chip Brewfest Update

Just received an email from the fine folks at Blue Chip with a poster that provides a little more information about the brewfest in April...

Per the poster, it looks like the VIP admission will give you access to limited release beers paired with food, and you will also get a few other goodies. Tickets go on sale at 10am on February 1st at Ticketmaster.com, so don't miss out!

South Bend Brewfest Reminder

Just a friendly reminder that we are a day away from the first annual South Bend Brewfest, held at the Century Center from 12-4. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $30, or $10 for designated drivers. It's certain to be a great time!

Here are a few links for further information...

Event Information
Beer List

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.
  

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.

Citywide Liquors Craft Beer Tasting!

I completely forgot to mention that there is a craft beer tasting at Citywide Liquors tonight from 5-7. Here is a copy/paste job from a facebook note I saw reminding me of the event. I can't make it, but you should!

"Big beer tasting tonight at Citywide featuring three different distributors. We will be tasting all the Great Lakes products, Sam Adams Longshot, Sam Adams latitude deconstructed and many different styles of Belgians. Starts at 5 and goes til around 7. Bring your ID and a fresh palette!"

Rare Sam Adams Beer Tapping at Fiddler's

Straight from the Indiana Beer Facebook page...

"For one night only, we will be tapping three very special kegs from Samuel Adams: Imperial White, Old Aged Porter, and Cherry Chocolate Bock. This is the first time any bar in Northern Indiana has put any of these beers on tap, and the first time the Porter and Bock have ever left Massachusetts. There is only a quarter barrel of each and once they are gone, they are gone. So show up early and enjoy these rare and spectacular beers!"

Fiddler's Hearth (Main St., South Bend)
April 21st
4-7pm

Ommegang tapping at Fiddler's Hearth

Ommegoodness Fiddler's on Main Street in South Bend is tapping four different great brews from Ommegang on April 7th! According to the Bar Manager's tweet, they will have Abbey Ale, Adoration, Gnomegang and Witte available.

I don't know if I will be able to make it, but you should stop by and try some great food and brew!

Potawatomi Zoo Brew 2011

Have you ever wanted to drink great craft beer while hanging out with animals that could probably eat you?  If so, mark your calendar for the annual installment of South Bend's Potawatomi Zoo Brew that will take place at the zoo on September 10th (This is an away game day for you Irish fans) from 7-10pm.

If you have never been to a Zoo Brew before, this is a great opportunity to sample regional beer from the likes of 3 Floyds, Bell's, Upland, Dark Horse, New Holland, and the list goes on.  For $35 dollars ($30 for Zoo membership holders and $25 for Designated Drivers), you will receive a 4 ounce commemerative mug, unlimited craft beer sampling and area restaurant food samples.  Best of all, proceeds from this event supports wildlife conservation, new exhibits and education!

Tickets generally go on sale a few months prior to the event, so check back here and the Potawatomi Zoo Brew site for more information.

Dark Lord Day ticket info

For all those attending Dark Lord Day 2011 at the 3 Floyds brew pub in Munster, below is updated ticket information. Good luck!

1. Dark Lord Day tickets will go on sale Saturday, March 19th at 1pm central time.

2. Check the 3 Floyds website, twitter, Facebook, ratebeer and beer advocate sites for the link at the time they go on sale.

3. Only two tickets per order.

4. Everyone must have tickets to attend, and each tickets permits you to purchase an unknown quantity of Dark Lord.

Blue Chip BrewFest Lineup

As mentioned in a previous post, there will be the 1st annual BrewFest at Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City on April 9th.  Thanks to Ben over at Indiana Beer (one of our local beer distributors), I have a more complete list of Breweries/Beer that will be available at this event, since the Blue Chip site doesn't give many details.  Keep in mind that the below list is subject to change, but is the tentative lineup at this point.

Belukus

-Blanche de bruxelles

-Bourgogne des Flandres

-Hopus

-Timmerman’s Kriek

-Timmerman’s Framboise

-Timmerman’s Strawberry

New Holland

-Mad Hatter

-Poet

-Golden Cap

-Dragon’s Milk

-Beerhive

-Imperial Hatte

-Night Tripper

North Coast

-Pranqster

-Red Seal

-Red Seal Cask

-Old Raspy

-Thelonious

Southern Tier

-Unearthly

-Mokah

-Oat

-Backburner

-2xIPA

-Cuvee #3

Magic Hat

-#9

-Vinyl

Pyramid 

-Haywire

-Audacious

-Outburst

Shiner 

-Shiner Bock

-Shiner Hefeweizen

-Shiner Black Lager

-Shiner 102 Anniversary

-Shiner Ruby Redbird

New Belgium

-Fat Tire

-Mighty Arrow

-Ranger

-Mothership

-Sahti

-Dunkelweisse

-LOF Beer TBD (VIP BEER!!!!)

Boston Beer

-Boston Lager

-Noble Pils

-Old Aged Porter

-Cherry Chocolate Bock 1/6BBL (VIP BEER!!!)

-Imperial White

-Sam’s Double Bock

-Imperial Stout

-Wee Heavy

-Boston Ale

-Cherry Wheat

-Latitude 48 IPA

-Black Lager

-Light

Blue Moon

-White Ale

-Summer Honey Wheat

Miller-Coors Imports

-Peroni

-Pilsner Urquell

-Grolsch Flip Tops

Leinenkugel’s

-Summer Shandy

-Classic Amber

-Sunset Wheat

-Creamy Dark

-Limited

Upland

-Wheat

-Dragonfly

-Double Dragonfly

-Ard Ri

-Winter Warmer

-Cherry Bourbon Barrel Teddy Bear Kisses Corny (VIP BEER!!!!)

Woodchuck

-Amber

-Dark and Dry

-Granny Smith

-Pear

-Spring Cider

Random Imports

-Foreign Extra Stout

-Hacker Pschorr Weisse

-Konig Ludwig Weisse

-Sheaf Stout

-Tiger/Asahi?

Back Road Brewing

-Maple City Gold Marzen

-Aviator Doppelbock

-Hop Monster Imperial IPA

-Millennium lager (pilsner)

Merchant du Vin 

-Beers TBA

Sierra Nevada

-Beers TBA

Goose Island

-Beers TBA

Shoreline Brewing

-Beers TBA

Figure 8

-Beers TBA

Bare Hands Brewing

-Beers TBA

Dark Lord Day

It's that time of year again.  The sun starts to shine more often, the snow melts and Dark Lord Day is just around the corner on April 30th.

For those of you unfamiliar with DLD, it is an annual event held at 3 Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana.  The entire day centers around their famed Dark Lord Imperial Russian Stout, which is only available for purchase on this day, every year.  In addition to the opportunity to purchase Dark Lord, those attending also have the ability to try a wide variety of beer from 3 Floyds and other brewers from around the country, combined with plenty of food and live music.

Tickets go on sale March 19th for $10 each, with a portion of the proceeds going to local charities.  For more information, visit the 3 Floyds Website.

Blue Chip Brewfest

On April 9th, Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City will be holding their first annual Brewfest.  This event boasts more than 125 different brews from great companies such as Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Goose Island and Upland.  In addition to the large amount of beer to taste, they are also going to give home brewing demos.

I have already bought my ticket, and am looking forward to trying some great craft beer!

Blue Chip Brewfest
April 9th, 2011
1-5pm (Central Time)
http://www.bluechipcasino.com/whats-new/events/2011-blue-chip-brewfest

Beer Tasting Event at Citywide Liquors

I spoke with one of the guys that works at the Citywide Liquors downtown South Bend and was informed that there would be a beer tasting coming up, featuring Goose Island and some others.  Although the date is not set in stone, tentatively this is scheduled for 3/24. 

Look for more information to follow in the next week or two...