Beer Festivals

TAXMAN DEATH & TAXES DAY – BARGERSVILLE

Hoppy attended the Taxman Death & Taxes Day Beer Fest in Bargersville on Saturday. This is Taxman Brewery’s annual event where they release their Deadline Belgian-Style Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout and its variants.

Brews which Hoppy sampled, at the event, are listed below:

Taxman Deadline (2023) – Their original Belgian-Style Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. 14.2% ABV.

Taxman Maple Syrup & Vanilla Deadline (2023) – Belgian-Style Maple Syrup Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. 14.7% ABV

Taxman Orange Chocolate Deadline (2023) – Belgian-Style Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. 14.2% ABV

Taxman Double Barrel Deadline (2023) – Belgian-Style Imperial Stout aged in 6-11-year-old Rye & Bourbon Barrels. 15.1% ABV.

Deviate Brewing Little Doobie – An Oatmeal Creme Pie Imperial Stout. 10.5% ABV.

18th Street Brewery Ready for Contact – DDH Double IPA with Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe Cryo Hops and OG Cush Terpenes. 7% ABV.

ZwanzigZ Brewing Fulcrum Imperial Stout – 8% ABV.

Moontown Brewing Belgiumnasium – A 21month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Quadrupel described as Oaky – Dark Fruit – Vanilla Maple. 11.7% ABV.

Moontown Brewing Rocket to the Moon – A 36month Tawny Port Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout. Described as Brown Sugar Molasses – Dark Fruity – Chocolate – Tobacco. 14.2% ABV.

Terre Haute Brewing Wango Tango – A West Coast IPA described as a luscious IPA brewed with Apollo and Citra hops. It brings a soft and smooth body, amplified notes of citrus and a tangy tangerine finish that is out of this world. 7.5% ABV.

Planetary Brewing Gamma Ray Burst – An American IPA clocking in at 6.5% ABV; 65 IBU.

Damsel Brew Pub Skylar – An Imperial IPA described as the sky is the limit on hoppiness. Mounds of Mosaic Cryo, Citra, and Azacca hops were utilized in the dry hopping, and in the boil kettle to bring out the sweet aromas and flavors of berries, guava and papaya. 6.5% ABV; 65 IBU.

Nailers Brewing Funny Bones – An Imperial IPA with 9.1% ABV; 65 IBU.

Mad Anthony Brewing Rocky Moutain High – A Hazy IPA utilizing a danky hop blend of Simcoe and Columbus. 7.5% ABV; 25 IBU.

The following are pictures from the event:

BREWERS OF INDIANA GUILD WINTERFEST

Hoppy attended the 14th Annual Winterfest yesterday and he had a fun time enjoying the party atmosphere, with thousands of others, while imbibing excellent craft brews from the largest selection of beers available at any Indiana brewery festival. (Some of the beers scheduled to be on tap.)

Pictures from the event follow:

WINTER WOODLANDS/WINTERFEST – INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUNDS

Time is running out to purchase tickets, at advance ticket pricing, for the Winter Woodlands and Winterfest events.

What better time to show your support for the Brewers of Indiana Guild while also supporting Joy’s House and/or The Arts Federation, while having an enjoyable time sampling some of the best beers available anywhere!

The craft brewing industry has been severely hurt and is still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is evidenced by the closing of breweries such as Black Acre and Indiana City in Indianapolis. There have also been cancellation of beer festivals, including the Oregon Brewers Festival, recognized as one of the top beer festivals in the world.

As craft beer lovers, let’s get out there and show support for our beloved Indiana Breweries and the Brewer’s Guild of Indiana!

Christkindlmarkt – Carmel

Hoppy made a couple of visits to Christkindlmarkt in Carmel over the holiday season. It is described as a festive ambiance of an authentic German market, where guests can peruse a vast variety of products sourced from Germany and other German-speaking European countries. A blend of traditional German foods, drinks and gifts are sold from small wooden huts, and a beautiful outdoor ice-skating rink forms the center of the market.  It was named the best holiday market in the U.S. in the USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards in 2019, 2021 and 2022! It also features the first Glühwein Pyramid of its type in the United States.

Also, you may purchase handmade steins made by Zöller & Born in Germany, that are only available at Carmel Christkindlmarkt. These include the City of Carmel, the State of Indiana, Indiana University, Purdue University and Butler University.

While there, Hoppy quaffed the following brews:

Christkindlmarkt from Bier Brewery in Indianapolis, made specially for Carmel’s Christkindlmarkt. It is a Dunkelweizen with orange peel and cocoa nibs. It is a dark wheat bier showcasing malts that display fruit characters reminiscent of plums, currants with toffee, and caramelized sugar notes. 5.5% ABV; 12 IBU.

Glühbier from Brouwerij Liefmans in Belgium. It is brewed with care for 6-12 months with real cherries in a barrel and described as full of cherry flavor and combined with fine spices such as cinnamon, clove and anise. Made exclusively for German Christmas markets, it is served hot. 6.5% ABV.

Pictures follow:

Entertainment

BEERCATION 2022 – HOPS & HERONS BEER FESTIVAL – SOUTH CAROLINA

Hoppy attended the 2022 Hops & Herons Beer Festival at the Conestee Nature Preserve in Greenville, SC. It took place in the scenic Henderson Meadow within the preserve. The following breweries were listed as attending: Eighth State Brewing, Tetrad Brewing Company, Birds Fly South, Carolina Bauernhaus, Liability Brewing, Brewery 85, Think Tank Brew Lab, Voodoo Brewery, Double Stamp Brewery, 13 Stripes Brewery and Grateful Brew.

Hoppy’s favorite brews at the event were not hop-laden brews, but a Marzen and a Sour.

These were as follows:

O-Fest Marzen from Think Tank Brew Lab which clocked in at a higher ABV than normal, for a Marzen, at 7.3%

An American Sour: Tart Cherry Ale from Birds Fly South Ale Project in collaboration with Thomas Creek Brewery. 6.8% ABV

Beautiful music was provided by The Well Drinkers, described as a progressive, original bluegrass and Americana band.

Pictures from the event follow: