Craft Beer--Beer Events Calendar--Information
HopCat in Broad Ripple reopens for dine-in today at noon. All beers on their current beer list will be from Indiana breweries and many of them will be at reduced prices. For Father’s Day, HopCat is offering free pretzel Nuggz, from Pretzilla, for Dads, and $2.50 Working Man’s Pils, from Fountain Square Brewing, for everybody! For further information check here.
Tin Man Brewery in Kokomo has announced that they have partnered with Sun King to become Sun King Kokomo Small Batch Brewery. It is staying under the same ownership of Amanda Lewton.
They will continue to brew small-batch beers in-house and will carry Sun King Year-Round, Seasonal, King’s Reserve beers and other unique brews hailing from the Sun King Fishers and Indianapolis breweries. Please check the Tin Man and Sun King Facebook pages for more information.
The Pint Room in Carmel is opening at 4PM today, Twenty Tap in Broad Ripple is opening this Wednesday at 4PM, and Ale Emporium in Castleton reopened on the 1st of the month. Click on the blue links for more information from their Facebook pages.
Now is the time for all good men, and women, to come to the aid of their brewery! With COVID-19, and many closures due to lack of business, it is especially important. This would also include newly opened breweries such as Nigh, in Plainfield, and Black Dog, in Mooresville, as well as Brew Link, in Plainfield, all of which I visited yesterday. Here are some pictures at Nigh, which opened on Monday, and has a full service patio.
Exterior
Black Dog is currently open for carry-out only. Check back with beerblogIN to find out when they open the brewpub. Here are a few pictures at the brewery.
Brewery
Downstairs Bar
Available BeersOn my last visit to Plainfield, Brew Link was in the process of moving to their new location at Oak Tree Golf Course. It was good to visit them at the new location. Here are some pictures at the brewpub.
Exterior
Bar
Taps
Beers On Tap
Find Hoppy!I enjoyed the ale at Nigh and both the beer and food at Brew Link yesterday. It was an added pleasure to partake of my growler fill of Shelby Dog IPA today!
Are you tired of staying home? Have you canceled an out-of-state or out-of-country vacation? Are you ready to navigate the Hoosier landscape? How about an Indiana Beercation or just a beer event or experience? Here are some ideas to satisfy your thirst!
Bloomington Ale Trail – To complete this trail you need to visit six brewery locations within Bloomington to earn a prize. You can also enter a drawing, upon completion of the required visits, for a chance to win a behind-the-scenes brewery tour. The current prize is not listed on their website, but it is my understanding that this Trail is still being sponsored in 2020.
Heartland Wine & Ale Trial – This trail consists of eleven stops in East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio. Some of the places offer discounts, but there is no prize for completion. Wayne County, Indiana does offer a free Passport to Savings Card that enables you to discounts at area restaurants, attractions, shopping, performing arts, etc.
Indiana Grown Brewery Trail – This trail currently has twenty-three brewery members throughout the State. Once you obtain a stamp from each of the breweries you can receive a custom Indiana Grown bottle opener.
Indy Craft Pass – With this option, for Indianapolis and central Indiana locations, you register the pass on your mobile device and check in on it as you visit each location. There are currently 40+ locations that include breweries, distilleries and craft beverage producers. After checking in at eight locations, you qualify for a Indy Craft Pass t-shirt. If you visit every participating location you earn what is described as the “ultimate Indy Craft Pass prize package.” (This would currently be a ceramic stein that you receive after only 35 check-ins.) You must complete the pass within a one year period.
Northern Indiana Beer Trail – This trail includes twenty-two breweries, some with multiple locations, primarily in the Fort Wayne area. Their rewards are as follows: with one stamp you get a sticker, seven stamps earn you a koozie, and with all 22 stamps you are rewarded with a hat.
South Shore Brewery Trail – This Northwest Indiana beer trail includes twenty brewery locations. With seven check-ins on your passport you receive a diecast Drink Indiana bottle opener, and after twelve check-ins the reward is a Drink Region South Shore Brewery Trail t-shirt.
IN Beer Brigade – Membership is offered through the Brewers of Indiana Guild. Its annual membership is $75 per year and the benefits include:
Entrance for you and a guest to the annual IN Beer Brigade collaboration bottle release, at your choice of various locations throughout the State. There you will receive your complimentary carry-out bottle and specialty limited edition glassware paired specifically for the year’s collaboration. You will also have the opportunity to purchase full pours of the collaboration beer at the event location.
An IN Beer Brigade t-shirt.
A Drink Indiana Beer sticker.
Advance notice of Guild festival ticket sales and members’ only discounts.
Invitations to participate in exclusive experiences and discounts at Guild member breweries throughout the year.
Tasting Society Membership – Offered through Indiana On Tap at the cost of $59.95 per year. Membership includes:
Exclusive members-only offers, via newsletter, for free and discounted tickets to craft beer festivals, member only events, brewery tours, etc.
If you auto-renew your membership you receive additional benefits each year, through year four. An example would be a free ticket to two of Indiana On major events during your second year of membership.
A number of Indiana breweries have mug clubs which you can join for an annual or a lifetime fee, depending on the brewery. Check with your favorite local brewery to see if they offer one, and the included benefits and the cost involved. One of the benefits offered by many of them include your individual mug, which you can fill for the same cost as a pint. Benefits sometimes include exclusive parties or in the case of Union Brewing, in Carmel, they offer the opportunity for joining in a Mug Club kayak trip.
Check out these links for Books & Brews (various locations) and Rad Brewing (Indianapolis) who are both offering lifetime mug club memberships at the special price of $50 through the end of May.
As always, check in with beerblogIN.com, to learn of new beer releases, special tappings, grand openings, anniversaries, brew fests and other events. While there, don’t forget to play the “Name the Brewery” game where you will have the opportunity to win a glass growler from a featured Indiana brewery! To make sure that you don’t miss anything, subscribe to the beerblogIN email list.
Hopefully, I have given you some new information, or peaked your interest in beer adventures, in this post COVID-19 lockdown period. When you feel comfortable, get out there and enjoy, but by all means stay safe.
Three Floyds has announced on Twitter that they are tallying up their vintage variants and Dark Lord bottles that they’ll have available next month. Online sale info and pickup details will be coming soon.
Also, according to the Chicago Tribune, Three Floyds has chosen to close its brewpub indefinitely over coronavirus concerns. They quote co-founder Nick Floyd as texting, “I can’t put people in danger; no one should die over a beer. I would die for beer and probably will, but I’m not going to make people endanger themselves.”
Stay tuned to beerblogIN for more information on the online bottle sale, and reopening of the brewpub, as it becomes available.