MIKERPHONE BREWING – ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL

At the start of his trip to Alaska, Hoppy stopped at Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village, IL, near ORD. They released their first commercial beer, inspired by music, in 2015. In that same year, Mikerphone Brewing was awarded Best New Brewery in Illinois by Ratebeer, as well as One of the Best New Breweries in the World by Beer Advocate Magazine. They continue to produce high quality, small batch beers inspired by music. Their tasting room is equipped with two bars and patio seating.

While there, Hoppy imbibed an I Want My IPA which is brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops. It clocked in at 7.25% ABV.

Photos follow:

**Brewery Barrels with reflection on window**

**I Want My IPA in Brewery Glass Listing Mikerphone Beers**

**Guitars – Some of which are Autographed**

HOPPY VISITS THE HAMMOCK COAST, SC

Hoppy visited the Hammock Coast during the week prior to and including Memorial Day weekend. Some of the places that he visited are shown in the photos below.

**Hoppy Riding on A.J.’s Mini Cooper on the Hammock Coast**

**Enjoying an Aptly Named Indiana Beer on the Hammock Coast at Litchfield Beach**

Look for Hoppy on the Hammock Coast and Mrytle Beach, at the following establishments, as posted previously on beerblogIN:

New South Brewing – Myrtle Beach

Inlet Beer Garden – on the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet

Southern Hops Brewing – Murrells Inlet

Pawleys Island Tavern – Pawleys Island

Big Tuna – Georgetown

Hoppy’s next visit will be to Alaska!

TIDAL CREEK BREWHOUSE – MYRTLE BEACH, SC

On a recent visit to South Carolina Hoppy visited the Tidal Creek Brewhouse in the Market Common area of Myrtle Beach. Unlike most breweries that serve food, they serve breakfast and brunch as well as lunch and dinner. They are a coffee roastery, as well. They are a woman/veteran owned business that was established in 2018.

While there Hoppy enjoyed a Grand Strand West Coast IPA clocking in at 6.5% ABV, 60 IBU.

Pictures follow:

DAREDEVIL BREWING INDY LAGERFEST

Yesterday Hoppy attended the Indy Lagerfest at Daredevil Brewing. This event included Food Truck Friday with ten food trucks, live music, Kids Zone and 20+ breweries. It celebrated the release of two Daredevil beers – Pils, a German Style Pilsner, and a Vienna Lager. As well as Daredevil, the following Indiana breweries were represented: Big Lug, Four Day Ray, Metazoa and Windmill. It also included three breweries from Chicago, two from St. Louis and eleven from Germany. (The full list can be seen in the photos that follow.)

Hoppy enjoyed many of the lagers, but being Hoppy, he succumbed to a couple of tastes of Daredevil Lift Off, as well. It is the largest selling Indiana IPA described as having a bounty of American hops that deliver the signature clean and crisp finish of a perfectly balanced West Coast Style IPA. 7.2% ABV; 72 IBU.

Pictures from the event follow:

**One of Two Daredevil Stattions at the Event**

METAZOA BREWING 7TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Last Saturday Hoppy attended Metazoa’s 7th Anniversary party. For the celebration, they provided a party tent, live music, food trucks, local vendors, and a large selection of their beer. Attendees, of course, included many dogs.

While there, Hoppy quaffed a DDH Hoppopotamus IPA with New Zealand Hops, a 2022 US Open Gold Medal Winner! It clocked in at 7% ABV; 40 IBU.

Pictures from the event follow:

The following are images of party attendees, both human and canine:

UPLAND BREWING – E 82ND ST, INDIANAPOLIS

Hoppy made his first visit to the Upland Brewing Tap House on E 82nd Street in Indianapolis yesterday evening. It opened last December, becoming the ninth location for Upland, and their third in Indianapolis (4th in the Indy area including one in Carmel). They opened their first brewpub in Bloomington in 1998 and they are currently celebrating their 25th anniversary!

Hoppy attended a Taproom Takeover there as part of the Indy Beer Meetup Group. While there he enjoyed sampling a couple of sours and imbibed an imperial IPA. They were as follows:

Raspberry Barrel-Aged Fruited Sour Ale – Described as having a fresh berry aroma with a touch of floral and wine-like notes, followed by a rich raspberry flavor. Reddish in hue with a pink foam appear upon pouring, with zesty amounts of carbonation. Finish is dry, with mouth-watering tanginess and raspberry flavor. It is 5.7% ABV; 9 IBU.

Boysenberry Barrel-Aged Fruited Sour Ale – Boysenberry is a barrel-aged sour ale that combines Upland’s take on a traditional Lambic-style base beer, with a fruit not typically found in traditional Lambics. They ferment their base beer, Basis, for six to eight months in oak tanks to produce tart flavors, fruity notes and funky character. Then, they blend individual batches before aging on boysenberry fruit for an additional month to extract the perfect balance of fruit flavor. 6% ABV; 10 IBU.

Coastbuster Imperial IPA – Inspired by the gloriously effervescent qualities of hop varieties common to West Coast style Imperial IPAs, Coastbuster displays the best of what these hops have to offer: their tropical, fruity, and floral aromas and flavors. With a light malt character and a dry finish, this is a beer designed to let the most succulent aspects of Simcoe, Amarillo, Columbus, and Cascade shine through while keeping the bitterness in balance. 8.5% ABV; 65IBU.

Pictures of the taproom and event follow: