This six pack project feature is brought to you by a girl in love with and missing her home state. I’ve lived in many states and countries, but I’m so proud to call Indiana home. I actually live in Missouri now, right outside St. Louis, and while St. Louis has a thriving craft beer scene I still miss the craft beer community back home. Indiana is this random pocket with an incredible variety, impeccable quality, and unbelievably affordable craft beer. The city I’m from (Muncie) is even more affordable than average, with specials found at local bars like $2 Bell’s nights, $0.50 PBR nights, and $4 Zombie Dust. That’s right. $4 Zombie Dust (prices of course may have changed since I moved). Indianapolis is teeming with new breweries like Flat 12, Fountain Square, Black Acre (please visit their website and say you’re under 21), Sun King, Cutters, Triton, I’m going to miss others if I keep going…and we can claim Three Floyds as an Indiana brewery. But that can be a familiar scene found everywhere. Craft breweries are springing up all over the place. So what is drinking craft beer like in Indiana?
Craft beer in Indiana is going to a local pub where the bartenders actually say hi (waves hi to Savage’s and The Fickle Peach), with clientele ranging from professionals going for a drink right after work, parents and grandparents getting a burger and a beer, to local university students. Of course you’ll have your lovely cast of local characters as well. Craft beer in Indiana is comfortable. It’s welcoming. It’s relaxed. It’s accessible and affordable. We just want more people to try craft beer. We’re excited about the beer we’re drinking. And we’re bursting with pride. I haven’t found it to be boastful, but more the sparkly-eyed “Have you tried this?? It’s amazing!” that you ask your friend after sipping a new beer. We want you to come join us for a beer (or a few).
Shirt from United State of Indiana. It’s my favorite.
My six pack review is probably going to be a little different from the others as I wasn’t able to select each beer from the store and as I don’t write typical reviews. As I’m currently living out of state, I was dependent on what my father was able to select last minute at the store before meeting me on our family weekend. While some of these do represent specific beers that you must try if you’re in Indiana, these represent breweries that make me really proud to be from Indiana and that I think are doing an amazing job to promote and carry forward the great craft beer culture in Indiana. That being said, as only six beers could be featured there are others I wasn’t able to highlight here but are doing a wonderful job. I would highly recommend that you check out Hoosier Beer Geek to explore all the amazing Indiana beers and breweries, and help plan a visit if you are traveling there soon.
Flat 12 Walkabout Pale Ale
This beer is like an exclamation point. If you take the brightness of a Two Hearted, subtract a little of the bite, and drop the ABV we’re on our way to a Walkabout Pale Ale. This pale ale is so juicy and so shiny that I want to have several of them for the middle of winter when I start to forget what summer feels like. This pale ale is for an evening camping, it’s for making a bonfire, and for the smell of evergreens. It pairs well with this song.
Flat 12 is one of my favorite Indiana breweries by far. I was so impressed with this beer the first time I had it a summer or two ago, and most beers of theirs that I’ve tried have been top notch. (With the exception of a kiwi hefeweizen…that just wasn’t for me) They even have a Brazilian Coffee Chipotle Vanilla Porter that sounds deliciously rich, which I’m currently trying to use to make a concept cookie. (Wish me luck!) Plus there’s a Cucumber Kölsch in my fridge I’m stoked about trying.
Fountain Square Workingman’s Pilsner
I first had a Fountain Square beer on the day of a bike race down in Fountain Square (how appropriate). I met up with a dear friend to watch the race and we walked a while to the Tomlinson Tap Room to catch up, enjoy the air conditioning, and have crepes. It was a gorgeous sunny day, we finished our beers, went back to the races, and enjoyed the summer day. That is a good day for an Indiana beer.
Pilsners are almost impossible for me to pin down. But this one was really enjoyable – after drinking some pilsners it can feel like I’m just drinking water, you know? But the Workingman’s Pilsner is heartier (not hearty like a dark ale) and smells like active dry yeast right out of the packet.
Mad Anthony IPA
This smells like summer. It’s sharp and sparkly and feels like fresh cut peaches. The Mad Anthony IPA doesn’t leave you with any bitter aftertaste, and is best enjoyed after a day in the sun. Drink one when your cheeks are pink from the sun and heat and the wind has tangled your hair. Unless you’re a guy. Then you’d probably have short hair that doesn’t tangle. You should still drink this anyways. (This is legitimately one of my favorite IPA’s)
Three Floyds Alpha King
Ah Alpha King. Ah Three Floyds…If you only try one beer out of this six pack, let it be Alpha King. This is the IPA for me. If I had to take one IPA with me to a desert island, I would take an Alpha King. When you’re exhausted at the end of the work day, when your Gmail Inbox “unread” count is reaching epic proportions, when you have dishes to clean, and people to call back, have an Alpha King. Then take a bubble bath. This thing has enough strength and heart to carry you through.
Sun King Osiris
Sun King is a big presence in the Indiana craft beer world, and the Osiris is my favorite of their flagship beers. If you love white grapefruit and love citrusy pale ales, this is the one for you. This definitely isn’t a brewery you should miss if you spend time in Indiana, and you won’t be able to miss them if you spend any time around bike races or cyclocross. Their beer truck is a familiar and welcome sight, and no matter what anyone says I’ll always like the Wee Mac because of having it for the first time on a chilly fall day at a cyclocross race traipsing around in muddy boots. Pairing a Wee Mac with a cyclocross race in the fall, boots, and cowbells is a winning combination. The one I have not been able to try but am dying to is their Popcorn Pilsner. I keep hearing amazing things about it, so if you have the opportunity to try it have one for me okay?
Upland Bad Elmer’s Porter
You know, I love summer beers. I love lagers. I love pale ales. But the Bad Elmer’s porter makes me miss rich, dark beers. This is boozy dessert in a cup. It is roasted coffee. It is chocolate. This is a go-to porter for me. And bonus! Only 5.0% ABV. This is a win.
Upland feels like the definition of an Indiana brewery. They’re settled in hilly and beautiful southern Indiana, sponsor camping weekends, and have their own cycling team. While I can’t say I would go to bat for every single one of the beers in their regular lineup, the Bad Elmer’s Porter and the Dragonfly IPA are not to be missed.
A big thank you for Bryan over at This is Why I’m Drunk for including me in his Six-Pack Project and letting me rave about Indiana. During the day (meaning when I get home from work at lunch and dinner) I’ll be posting links to the features for other states from this month. Hope you enjoy and find a few new beers to try in your travels!
Other six-pack projects for August:
- British Columbia by Matt at I Am the Beer Snob
- Connecticut by Kristen at Now Beer This!
- Maine by James at Insurance Guy Beer Blog
- Minnesota by Paige of Alcohol by Volume
- Montana by Ryan of Montana Beer Finder
- Oregon by Chris at I Think About Beer
The Bake & Brew 