Brewery Visits

On Friday afternoon Hoppy visited Creatures of Habit Brewing (COH) in Anderson. They began brewing under the Creatures of Habit name in 2017 and opened their taproom in April 2019. As well as a taproom and restaurant, they also have a bottle shop.

While there, Hoppy imbibed the following brews in a flight:

COH Brewing R2C2 American IPA– Described as a Malty IPA that brings balance to the hop force. Brewed with Centennial, Cascade and Magnum hops. 6.6% ABV, 58 IBU.

Guggman Haus Brewing Cosmic Horizon DDH American IPA– Brewed with loads of Galaxy, Simcoe and Mosaic hops, this DDH IPA offers big tangerine and citrus flavors and aromas, with notes of peach and tropical fruit. It finishes smooth and refreshing with subtle hints of pine. 7.5% ABV, 110 IBU.

Stone Brewing Sublimely Self-Righteous Black Imperial IPA – This is a rebirth of an ale first brewed in 2007 as the Stone 11th Anniversary Ale. They claim that it was brought back as they loved it so damn much and that they felt that it was truly sublime, and that you may now revel in your own self-righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of theirs. 8.7% ABV, 90 IBU.

COH Brewing Meridian Medicine British Strong Ale – Creatures of Habit states the following: The Meridian system is a concept of traditional Chinese medicine. There is no solid proof that it works. The fact is that our brewery is located on Meridian St. in beautiful downtown Anderson, IN. Meridian Street at one time had many pharmacies. We are not claiming to be a pharmacy or that our Strong Ale has any medicinal properties whatsoever, but with its rich malt bill, spicy notes from Nugget hops and the warmth from the alcohol, this beer is sure to warm you up and make you feel better. 8% ABV, 40 IBU.

Hoppy finished his visit with a pint of the Creatures of Habit R2C2 American IPA.

Pictures from the visit follow:

HI-WIRE BREWING – ASHEVILLE, NC

Hoppy’s next visit was to Hi-Wire Brewing in Asheville, NC. where he visited their original brewery which opened in 2013 in the South Slope area of Asheville. It currently is used for sour and wild ales, one-off small batch beers, and taproom exclusives. This is also home to their Tiki Easy Bar. They have taproom locations in five other states, and their beer is distributed in Indiana.

While there, Hoppy quaffed a Double Hi-Pitch IPA. It is described as an extra-large version of their flagship Hi-Pitch IPA seriously hopped with classic West Coast hops resulting in some eye-opening dank and citrusy aromas. Distinctive melon and grapefruit flavors balance out the malt in this dangerously drinkable IPA. 9% ABV, 65 IBU.

Pictures from the visit follow:

WOODEN BEAR BREWING – GREENFIELD

Hoppy next visited Wooden Bear Brewing in Greenfield. It opened its doors in 2014 and is located in the former Gant Opera House, which opened in 1895, next door to Greenfield’s first firehouse. As you might expect, there are a number of carved wooden bears at their location.

Wooden Bear offers food from Greek’s Pizzeria.

During his visit, Hoppy enjoyed a Dancing Bears Double IPA described as being dry hopped. It clocked in at 8.8% ABV, 90 IBU.

Images from the visit follow:

KING JUGG BREWING – FISHERS

Last weekend Hoppy made his first visit to King Jugg Brewing in Fishers. They opened their doors on June 1st of last year. They state that they brew extremely drinkable beer, and their trademarked slogan is “Good Beer for All.”

While there, Hoppy imbibed a King Jugg – The Earl of Citra, a hop-forward IPA highlighting Citra hops. 7.1% ABV, 65 IBU.

Pictures from the visit follow:

HEARTWORK BREWING – BLOOMINGTON

While in Bloomington, Hoppy also made his first visit to Heartwork Brewing. They are an independent, local, family-owned, and veteran-owned craft brewery that opened on November 30, 2023. They utilize reverse osmosis to filter their water and build mineral profiles to fit the style of beer that they are brewing. They also have LUKR faucets which are ideal for lagers (their specialty) by creating a uniquely wet, dense head that enhances a beer’s flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel.

Hoppy imbibed flight-sized offerings of the following during his visit:

German Pilsner – Drawn through a LUKR faucet and described as clean, floral and crushable. 6% ABV.

IPA (New England) – Described as dank, hazy and citrus. 6% ABV.

DIPA (New England) – An Imperial IPA described as grapefruit, pillowy and juicy. 8.5% ABV.

Farmhouse Ale – Saison – Described as banana and citrus. 6.3% ABV.

Vanilla Blueberry Berliner Weisse – A sour with 5.7% ABV.

Images from the visit follow: