Dark Lord Day 2016

Yeah, I'm with you. Just looking for the ticket numbers in the 10-12,000 range now to confirm my suspicions.

 

First time attending DLD and I have a couple questions regarding the area. I will be driving in from Cincinnati early and planning going to some local pubs or bottle shops in the area. With Ohio distro lacking in some aspects, I would appreciate any good tips to good places to stop by around Munster/Hammond. Also a good restaurant for Friday night or Breakfast for Sunday would be helpful too. Anything on the path from Cincinnati to Munster would be helpful too! I appreciate the help.

 

Depends on your route...if you head up thru Indy you can find plenty of places / breweries (will let the Indy folk comment here)

Bottle shops in Northwest Indiana...Wise guys, the liquor stop, cask and cellar, delocks...depends on what you are looking for.

Dinner - Bdubs, New Oberpfalz Brewery, Crown Brewing, Byway Brewing, El Taco Real...need to know what you'd be looking for.
Breakfast- Scrambled Diner, Jelly, Benedict, Toast & Jam

Breweries - Byway, New Oberpfalz, Wildrose, Pokro, Windmill, One Trick Pony, Devils Trumpet, St. John Malt Bros., FFF, Crown Brewing, 18th St.

Beer Bars - Beer Geeks, Beerfest

 

To piggyback -
Bottle Shops - for most smaller Chicago distro you'll have to dip in to Illinois. If you're happy with Michigan/Indiana distro, then any shop will do.

Dinner - Floyds themselves have a fantastic menu but it's probably packed being a Friday+the influx of out of towners. If you want the best food that has a decent craft selection, Bomber's BBQ in Munster is the spot. 18th street has a full kitchen in their Hammond location so that could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Breakfast - Scrambled has the best breakfast food around, but jelly has build your own bloody marys. I assume you'll need one of those after DLD, and the food is also great.

Breweries - Byway's Porter is see through and can probably be scratched off as a "must visit." I haven't had but a single New Oberpfalz beer so I don't feel qualified to speak on them. Wildrose has an enjoyable computer brewed coffee stout. Pokro is always closed for some reason. Windmill has a 3 beer limit but their stuff is pretty decent for being having just opened. One Trick Pony usually has at least one really solid beer on tap and they're approachable dudes with a good atmosphere, Devil's Trumpet's IPA's are all very solid but their porters and stouts are nothing to write home about and they're way out in Merrilville, grab a bomber or two of some of their pale ales at the bottle shop. St. John Malt Brothers has one great beer, burnt bottom brown, and a bunch of passable but not inspiring beers. You're not missing the next TG. Crown Brewing has beers you could get your stubborn MGD swilling uncle to drink, and really cool stuff like their white Russian java porter. I'll assume you're aware of the delicious 2nd coming of Christ known as 18th street and you're attending DLD so floyds is on your radar.

Beer Bars - Beer Geeks has a pizza and gyro place right next door to it, they let you bring in food, and have pretty great taps. They also usally have a whale tapped on DLD. Last year it was CBS. The one time I tried to go to beerfest they were closed an hour ahead of their posted hours and I haven't been back. It's one of those "pour your own" places. I think Munster has 2 bars, one has never heard of craft beer, and the other is like a 1980's sci fi movie version of 2010 made into a bar and their light up beer weirds me out so I don't go there often. Kilroys just across the border from Munster in Lansing has been known to have BCBS on tap (as well as floyds, revolution, and bells) and the bartenders usually don't know better than to give it to you in a pint glass. Silver Buckle Saloon has indoor bags and ski ball, and a rotating selection of floyds / sun king / bells.

 

Solid write-up

Byway is worth visiting for the food. The beer is nothing to write home about. Decent IPA and a mildly hoppy, malt forward red.

 

Weather update.

 

Periods of rain
Raining blood
Reign in Blood
Slayer at DLD confirmed.

 

I think the main thing here is that we do have plenty of options available in NWI. Do we have 30 breweries that knock everything out of the park, no, but most places I visit on my travels can fall under the same stipulations. If you go to a place and it is not what you feel, then leave. I am happy to have more options then what I had 10 years ago.

 

No doubt, good time to enjoy the cheap property taxes of Indiana. Wasn't knocking your information, just giving my opinion on the places.

 

So at this point, it's just going to rain every day in April.

 

Yeah. I'm expecting absolutely miserable weather. Just get myself in that headspace.

 

Umm, don't forget about the snow.

 

To pick up the thread from @boilermakerryan... If you're coming through Indy and are looking to stop here, the best bottle shops are the Crown Liquors downtown, Kahn's Fine Wines, and Vine & Table in Carmel. (Most accessible from the interstate if you're just passing through is probably the Crown.) Breweries - Black Acre and Deviate are doing amazing things, and both are easy to get to (Deviate especially) if you don't have much time. If you aren't in a huge hurry, I also like Indiana City, Daredevil, Chilly Water and Bier. For beer bars, Twenty Tap and Hopcat are literally five minutes apart from each other and are my favorites, and Ale Emporium is not far from the interstate and is also great (get the Hermanaki wings). Hope that helps!

 

Maybe we'll get lucky and see a light dusting of locusts

 

...and Motorhead on stage with a cgi Lemmy!

 

Hologram Lemmy

 

Group D - # 7416 on the back of the ticket

 

I have come to the conclusion that the numbers tell us nothing

 

No, the group D 7416 means there's at least 7,000 in every group and there will be 35,000 people there!!!!!

 

2 years ago freezing, last year a monsoon. Based on April so far, DLD will have 60 MPH constant winds and we will chug whalez sideways while hanging onto poles anchored in the ground.