Simon Floyd, who founded 3 Floyds Brewing with his father, Mike and brother, Nick, passed away on December 22nd. They began brewing in 1996 in Hammond and moved to Munster in 2000. Simon is remembered, not only for his connection to 3 Floyds, but also for being an excellent chef and a kind and generous individual. (See The Times of Northwest Indiana Article.)
3 Floyds was ranked the 20th largest craft brewery by the Brewer’s Association last year. They have also been named the Number 1 craft brewery in the world by RateBeer, five times!
Later Sunday afternoon Hoppy stopped by the new Moontown Brewing taproom in Carmel. This location, their third, opened in August of this year.
Moontown partners with the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation(INRF) in creating a Pints for Parks series of beers. Each brew in the series is named for one State Park, and a portion of the sales goes directly to the INRF for projects at Indiana State Parks.
While there, Hoppy imbibed a Tippecanoe River West Coast IPA, the twelfth beer in the Pints for Parks series. It clocks in at 7% ABV, 60 IBU.
He also enjoyed a Barrel-Aged Belgian Quad, similar to their Barrel-Aged Belgiumnasium, and aged for two years!
Pictures from the visit follow:
ExteriorTaproom/Bar SeatingTaproom NookTapsDraft BoardTippecanoe RiverBarrel-Aged Belgian QuadMerchandiseDecember Merchandise & Gift Card Sale!Hoppy’s On Top!
Hoppy visited Pax Verum Brewing on a lazy Sunday afternoon when many people were Christmas shopping. He had visited this location several times before, but had thought he had posted a visit, which was not the case.
They describe their brewery as, “a small destination brewery steeped in mystery and lore located in the heart of Lapel, Indiana. Specializing in lagers, hazy and west coast hoppy beers.” They celebrated their fifth anniversary in August of this year.
While there, Hoppy tasted the following beers:
Higher CallingMidwest IPA– This beer was brewed in collaboration with Elm Street Brewing and is part of the worldwide collaborative effort to raise funds for the breweries and communities in Western North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. It is hopped with Magnum, Michigan Chinook, El Dorado and Talus hops. It is described as kicking off grapefruit and tangerine notes aplenty. 7.4% ABV, 60 IBU.
Tremendously ChillCold IPA – Brewed with Magnum, Idaho #7, Citra and Simcoe hops and infused with gelato brewgas terpenes. 7% ABV, 40 IBU.
Orange5 Year Anniversary Imperial BBA Stout – Described as a 6-month aged stout in Starlight Distilling Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Barrel, Finished on Orange and Tahitian Vanilla. 10.4% ABV.
Hoppy finished with a pint of Venomous Pink Fruited Sour Ale – A blend of hibiscus, blackberry, raspberry and Madagascar vanilla. 4.2% ABV.
Hoppy has enjoyed quaffing Reptilia, Clouded Judgement, and Nectar of the Gods on previous visits.
Pictures from the visit follow:
ExteriorExteriorBreweryKegs & Brew TankBarTaproomTapsDraft BoardVenomous PinkBar SeatingPatrons Enjoying the Comfy SeatsTaproom SeatingMerchandiseHeated Outside SeatingOutside SeatingWall Logo
On you next visit to Pax Verum look for a Hoppy sticker!
They might have celebrated Easter in Munster, but there will be no Christmas! Three Floyds will not be opening their taproom, this year, as anticipated. Hopefully we will be learning more soon about 2025.
Kohola Brewing opened in December 2015 at the former brewhouse of Maui Brewing in the heart of Lahaina, Maui. Their entire brewing facility and taproom burned to the ground during the Lahaina Wildfire in August 2023. (All of their employees survived the catastrophe, but approximately 75% lost their homes.) As a result, within three months of the fire, they developed a contract brewing partnership with Kona Brewing and have continued in-state production at their Kailua-Kona facility on the Big Island. It is their intent to eventually reopen a brewery in Maui.
On July 21st, 2024, just under a year after the fire, Kohola opened a Taproom/Eatery in Wailea, Maui. Hoppy had the pleasure to visit this location recently.
While there, Hoppy drank The WaterMan IPA described as being a west coast style, refreshing and well balanced. It carries hop aromas of grapefruit and tangerine with slight tropical fruit in the background from Simcoe and Summit hop additions. 6.8% ABV, 70 IBU.
Maui Brewing opened this location in the summer of 2023. It is located directly on Ka’anapali Beach which was listed by TripAdvisor as the top beach in the U.S. in 2023.
Pictures from Hoppy’s visit follow:
Maui Brewing Ka’anapaliEntranceSeatingBar/TapsLogoSeatingPatio SeatingGuests and ViewViewViewMerchandise