Indiana Beer love

but but....they've won medals and were named Indiana's best brewery!!


http://www.nwitimes.com/business/lo...cle_9a28714b-d3ce-57c1-9848-3477a1e8fc42.html

 

Quaff on Common Necessity(Hazelnut Coffee Stout) and Upland CoastBuster IPA are my two favorite Indiana Brews. I refuse to support 18th street or FFF because of how they do business but they do make good beer. There's 10-12 Indiana breweries that make good beers and several more that make okay beers. Indiana is a good state to drink local IMO. Cheers!

 

Completely agree with both of these. My home office is in South Bend, so I visit Bare Hands a few times a year. They have above average beers (I do love Mail Order Bride), and an enjoyable taproom, but I rarely buy anything to go or in stores. Just way overpriced.

 

Yeah I know....where in the hell are they finding these judges and what the fuck kind of beer do they like to drink? I mean un fucking real.

 

I live in a border county in Michigan and frequently go to Indiana for shopping. That said I rarely buy Indiana beer when I go to a store like Gay's for example due to pricing as many have said. Alpha King, Gumball head and Zombie Dust are great but usually start at $11.99 on up. I can get way to many equal if not better beers in Michigan for $8.99-$9.99. I like most of the Indiana breweries stuff I have tried (Flat 12, Upland, FFF) but the overall cost of the majority of the beer I see on shelves when I visit stops me from pulling the trigger.

 

There seems to be a lot of angst about Indiana prices. That said, and I plead ignorance on this, is it something about Indiana taxes? Perhaps an excise tax? I can remember buying Gumball Head for $7.99 per sixpack 10 years ago. The cost of production went up, but something has changed maybe? Or are Indiana Brewers just hosing us because they can?

 

That is essentially what has happened I think. Grocery stores not being able to sell cold beer is an issue too. It irks me when I'm out of state and most beers are cheaper out of state than they are in Indy. Sun King came in with a big price tag and many people have followed their pricing structure. Taxes are not high here compared to border states, but a combo of a number of issues here.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't feel like the prices you're describing seem abnormally high. I can't remember the last time I paid less than $15 for a pack of beer, but I don't buy much packaged beer anymore. Mostly special releases when I do.

Last time I grabbed GFJ it was ~$20 for 4 pints. I paid about the same at Alvarado Street in California, Modern Times sells their special releases for about the same (Their regular 4 pint packs sell for around ~$15), and here locally Arizona Wilderness sells 32 oz cans for $10-12. I don't remember the bombers at FFF last year being out of line either.

I get that places like Stone or Sierra Nevada can sell sixers for $10, but lots of the smaller places have to charge more due to economies of scale. Others, like Ballast Point, and probably Sun King, could charge less, but it would hurt their cache. Plus, people are paying it. FFF is a world class brewery. You're lucky to have access to them, regardless of the price. Others in the country aren't so lucky.

That's messed up, though, about Indiana City and their BA release. Talk about taking advantage of a trend.

 

I love everything they do, and I don't find their pricing offensive. Their taproom is basically a closet but everyone is cool and the brewers will engage you to talk about beer all day. Love their experiments and their distro'd beer doesn't touch on what they're doing in house.

 

I could see through their porter and wrote them off, but my brother grabbed me a growler of their ChIPA and it was pretty good.

 

Late to the party but going to comment anyway:

Windmill had the N.E. IPA nailed with the first batch of two if by citra, and it was outstanding. They realized they had a hit and rushed another batch out to cans and it lost its haze entirely and it isn't the same beer. It's still really drinkable but I wouldn't have run in for 3 4-packs if I knew it was off. If they can find the original recipe that's going to be the area's next hit. It was that great. None of their other beers are anything to write home about.

Devils Trumpet has their IPA game on point and there's plenty of drinkable stuff, but either my stout/porter tastes are too demanding or they haven't quite figured those out yet.

You're giving a lot of love to New Oberpfalz and I put them on par with St. John Malt Bros.

For my money in NWI, you're going floyds/18th/burn 'em and the rest are also rans.

 

The Windmill owners are really good dudes and I hope they succeed. I had the Two If By Citra and thought it was only ok. Thought it was their first batch but I could be wrong. I do like their Pale Dutch Boy and their ipa, Against My Will, was against my will to drink. Had a nasty overpowering diacetyl taste that literally had me brushing the back of my tongue with a toothbrush. Had the same issue once at Devil's Trumpet. Bad batches maybe, but shoulda been ditched rather than served. But I get it, tight budgets and all. People new to craft may just think its part of the flavor profile...

I'm not a big fan of the style of beer New Oberpfalz is going after, but I think he's brewing what he wants to the style he wants. SJMB is just flat out homebrew. Feel the same about Wildrose, but at least SJMB is a nice, inviting place.

 

I guess I'm just a negative Nancy lately on this forum, but I've hated every beer I've had from Burn 'Em. Black Beerd, Brindle Brown & Hopkick Dropkick all got drainpoured.

I'm from Michigan City so I'm dying to like this place (and Shoreline for that matter), but 0 for 3 so far.

I heard that Zorn Brewing just opened in MC; anybody been there yet?

 

I've enjoyed what I've had from Burn 'Em. Creamed Corn, MCA, Black Beerd, and Monkey Business were all solid.

That said, anyone tried Route 2 Brews in Lowell?

 

A lot of the IPAs Ive had from burn em have been buttery.

 

Stopped by a couple of Saturdays ago on the way back from southwest Michigan (a different topic perhaps). They only had two of their own beers up. Had a real light something or other. Interesting space that I'll stop at again but nothing screams out that they'll be different...as in good.

That's the diacetyl taste I'm thinking. It can get overpowering. For the record I've had some good beer from these guys, and some bad. I kinda like the place though. Just a couple of brothers and their buddies having a party at their place in the woods..

 

I've liked a couple beers I've had from them, though I can't recall exactly which ones...I've only tried singles though, and until last time, most had been at least decent if not good IMO, but...Last visit they had 6ers of MCA IPA, something like $16.99 a sixer (though this shop is def. on the high side, so we'll say 15ish for a sixer of 12 oz-ers) Got a single. Not good to say the least, but at that price point?!?!?!

I'm just pointing them out as an example, I just want to concur with the general theme in this thread. Many newer Indiana brewers are literally berserker when it comes to pricing. As far as I know (and I'd love to hear otherwise), it's simply because they can...taxes and whatnot are not THAT, if any, much higher than other states. They're just riding the wave...and then when it finally crashes on the shore, I'm certain that many of these outfits will be gone.

You can charge a buck or two extra for the local thing, maybe 3 depending on quality. But when run of the mill IPA's or what not are coming in at 15 plus a sixer, and pale ales are $10 plus for 22's, and you have the likes of fresh bell's or founders for 9.99 are even 10.99 FFF (not to mention Sierra on Lagunitas 12's for the price of a local 6)...I just don't know what to say. Not a recipe for long term success.

 

I wonder if the Indiana brewers guild reads BA? A mutiny seems to be forming.

 

To each his own, but I'm not okay with the blatant misogyny coming out of there. Then they defended it back when the leg spreader label came out and made it so much worse. I won't ever put any of my money towards an operation like that.