Down to drinking

Brewpubs that NUVO visited serve a sampler tray with standards and seasonals on tap. What follows is an overview of who is crafting and what most pleased the palate of a “troller of brewpubs.”

840 E. 65th St.
253-2739
Traditional English pub decor and menu.
Hours
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Sunday, 3 p.m.-10 p.m.

“We brew almost exclusively English ales with very little carbonation,” said Kevin Matalucci, head brewer, adding, “hard Indianapolis water is conducive to English ales. We have flagship offerings that I don’t mess with because people have their favorites. The exciting part is coming up with new recipes for the cyclical beers. New ingredients come out that we want to try, and we want other people to try them.”

For spring, Kölsch, a refreshing German fruity pale ale, is equally alluring as an aperitif and a digestive. It’s presented in honor of Indianapolis’ sister-city, Cologne.

Matalucci says to expect new varieties that require longer brewing times as he expands his repertoire. Over the course of a year, over 25 different beers are on the menu. The staples include a malty E.S.B. Extra Special Bitter, a sweeter Red Bird Mild, a thirst-quenching Lawn Mower Pale Ale, a full flavor I.P.A. India Pale Ale and a rich coffee-dark chocolate Monon Porter.

Matalucci, who has been experimenting with dry hopping (adding hops to the finished product), prefers subtle spicing. An IU graduate with a degree in environmental science, he “got into brewing by way of waiting on tables, tending bar and hanging around Ted Miller,” who preceded him.

1011 E. Westfield Blvd.
255-0978
Fresh, handcrafted Belgian style ales and Continental lagers, homemade sodas and a full food menu of Belgian house specialties in a relaxed, family-friendly European gastro-pub atmosphere.
Hours
Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m.
Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
Closed on Sundays

In the midst of preparing for their April 22 opening, brewmaster Ted Miller spoke of this Belgian-influenced gastro-pub as “definitely the next wave of the way people want to eat.” Offering high-end comfort food in pairings with beer and beer-ingredient recipes, the ambience and service are unified with the Belgian cuisine. Bruegel paintings give you a sense of the cultural heritage.
“Come with the family, expose children to responsible use of alcohol and food,” Miller asserts.

While other area brewpubs offer a few house-brewed Belgian ales, Brugge provides a full range of the classic style whose malt and yeast character is more aromatic and spicy than is English pale ale. Belgian red ale, with its sweet-sour character, has been deemed the most refreshing. The complexity of Flemish brown ales allows for a range of flavors and pairings from appetite-arousing to being perfect companions for toffee pudding and chocolates. Expect to have each brew served in its “absolutely appropriate glassware.”

“Nothing goes on without its purpose,” Miller adds. “Everything is planned to a T.”

Since starting his brewing career with Broad Ripple Brew Pub in 1991, Miller has brewed in Seattle, Hong Kong, China, British West Indies and Taiwan. He’s earned World Cup gold medals for the companies he’s worked for, but he says it was time for him and his wife and three children to come home.

Partnering with Miller on Brugge Brasserie are his wife Shannon Miller, fellow Broad Ripple High School graduates Abraham Benrubi and Eli Schloss and internationally-based friends Charlie Midgley and Renee Stoltz.

40 W. Maryland St.
488-1230
Beers lean toward German lagers, the fare is eclectic and “an excellent wine cellar” is highlighted for what’s described as a “chic brewpub” that has one other namesake in California.
Hours
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; bar until 1 a.m.
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight; bar until 2 a.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; bar until midnight

Omar Castrellón graduated with a philosophy major and bio/chemistry minor. “I had a different agenda but got into beer.” A native of Panama, he earned the brewmaster accolade the old way by studying with a German brewmaster and, like Ted Miller, took years to advance from being an apprentice to building state-of-art breweries in a variety of locations.

Castrellón’s preference is to tone down the aroma. He referred to his crisp, clean Searchlight Golden Ale as a “good convention beer” with 10 percent corn flakes added to barley malt. Weiss Guy, an American style wheat beer, brightened with a slice of lemon. The spring special, “Hoosier Honey,” with 10 percent corn flakes added to a pale malt, is low on hops. Unfiltered, it proved to be a good sipping beer that travels into the nose from the middle taste, and puts a glow on with the malty aftertaste.

Closely observing reactions, Castrellón amplifies, “I’m experimenting all of the time by adding rolled oats, wheat and corn flakes to the barley.”

10 W. Washington St.
681-8180; www.rockbottom.com
With bistro fare, billiards, live entertainment and sidewalk cafe, it’s a cross between European and American as part of the Denver-based Rock Bottom chain.
Hours
“Open daily at 11 a.m. till we wave the checkered flag.”

“Being a brewer is a lot of cleaning,” Dustin Boyer quips. “It’s all got to be clean to work properly. Beer is the safest thing to drink.”

A graduate of Southport High School, he started out waiting on tables at Rock Bottom and came in on his days off to help brewmaster Clay Robinson, who took him on as an assistant. Following three years as an assistant brewer in Colorado, Boyer returned to Indianapolis as head brewer in October 2004.
Despite being part of a chain, the beers he brews here are his own personal recipes. He points out that every brewer has a menu that covers the range of stylistic categories to satisfy the choices patrons expect. “We’ve got one for every customer, hopefully.”

Raccoon Red, an Irish Red ale, is almost perfectly balanced between a sweet, soft malt and tangy, citrus hop. It’s a tad more out front than the medium-bodied Sugar Creek Pale Ale with its less imposing bitterness. This, and his choice wheat, are the most aromatic. The Pale Ale with its piney nose and the White with a banana cream pie and clove nose appeal are truly exciting. While Boyer creates a different style of stout with each brew, each is a perfect companion for a dessert that Rock Bottom’s kitchen features.

Boyer was in the midst of brewing “Fire Chief Ale” “so it’s ready to be tapped when the firefighters convention meets in Indianapolis on April 13.”

140 S. Illinois St.
955-9900
Part of the Big Horn chain from Tacoma, Wash., the decor and food menu are American: “Big Screens, Big Burgers, Big Horn Beer.”
Hours
Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 a.m. with
DJ entertainment
Sunday, 11 a.m.-midnight

“Anything made by humans is art. Some we exalt, some not,” points out Dave Colt, head brewer at The Ram. A graduate of Hanover College, Colt started at Circle V Brewing Company (1996-2001), founded by Mark Vojnovich, and earned his credentials through the old-fashioned Guild System, “learning as I was doing. Like any chef, it’s combining biology and chemistry to combine the basic ingredients in slightly different ways to create distinctive brews that will be appealing to beer drinkers who want a better quality than a mass-produced beverage.”

Colt provided a thorough account of the two kinds of barley, explaining that megabrewers use the less expensive six-row while brewpub brewers use the more expensive, richer tasting two-row variety.

Even though The Ram is part of a microbrewing class of beers and patrons expect “the regulars” to taste here as they do elsewhere, Colt says he is free to be creative with specials, as is every other local brewer.

He was preparing for May 1 and drawing lots as test-tastings for his Maibock seasonal. Bocks are strong beers that originated in Einbeck in northern Germany, close to the original Hanover, so it’s a beer and ceremony that resonates with Colt.

Of the seven regulars tasted on March 8, Indy Blonde, a golden ale, was particularly pleasant with its lemony-orangey aroma and citrus finish that totally surrounds the palate. Butt Face Amber hints of dark chocolate and caramel, its warming quality flowed through the body. The malt sweetness of Big Horn Hefe-Weizen provided a fruity quality reminiscent of banana and cloves for a refreshing cleansing effect. The Dopplebock is deceptive. With a malted milkshake aroma and taste, the 8.5 percent alcohol content can go unnoticed until you have to stand up.

750 E. Main St.
Greenwood
887-2287; www.oakenbarrel.com
(take exit 99 off I-65 south; turn right to Main Street; three-quarters mile on your right)
Hours
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Brewhouse bar Tuesday-Friday, 4 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, 4 p.m.-1 a.m.

Oaken Barrel carries Indiana’s beer legacy as the purchaser of Indiana Brewing Company with its century-old awards, posters and labels filling the walls of a German guesthouse with distinctly Americanized eclectic fare. Oaken Barrel packages Gnaw Bone Pale Ale and Indiana Amber for off-premise sale.

Head Brewer Ken Price is a classical guitarist who spent a year in England (“enjoying good beer”) and “ended up at IU, earning a performance master’s degree.” He got into homebrewing, brought samples to Upland in Bloomington and started brewing with them. August 2003, he came to Oaken Barrel.

Price claims pairing beer with food is much easier than is pairing wine with food. Oaken Barrel’s Indiana Amber is “a good transition beer” into handcrafted brews. Its mellow malt cleanses the palate. Generally, American ambers are versions of Britain’s bitter ale that arouse the appetite. Then it’s an easy move along the styles to Gnaw Bone Pale Ale with spicy foods, Snake Pit Porter with steaks and Razz-Wheat with salads and desserts. “It’s a long process of educating. Indiana is behind the national average in draft beer sales. There’s a lot of room for growth.” Like Ted Miller, Price is partial to Belgian brews and serving beer in the appropriate glassware.

Lang’s Belgian wheat (alabaster Belgian White) delivers a delicate coriander, orange peel mid-palate that lingers. This is in deference toward the trend for more hops flavor. Snake Pit Porter tingles with a chocolate malt roasty robustness that approaches a stout. It surprised with its dry tartness that refreshed the reviewer for the 20-mile ride back home.

639 Conner St.
[S.R. 32, directly east of the White River bridge]
Noblesville
770-5280; www.barleyisland.com

“Home of the Fifth Basic Food Group,” decor is distinctly Irish, fare eclectic including “brewed fresh on-premise orange and cream soda root beer” that also doubles as a float. Live music Wednesday- Saturday, open stage on Sunday and pool tables make it a community gathering place for all ages.
Hours
Monday-Friday, 5 p.m. “Until people get bored”
Saturday, 11 a.m.- ditto
Sunday, 3 p.m.- ditto

Jon Lang, a certified hydraulic mechanic who has home brewed since 1990, in 2000 turned an aggressive hobby into a vocation when he and his family moved to Noblesville from Minnesota. After a stint as an assistant, now as head brewer with Mike Hess as assistant, Lang also oversees a brewing system that bottles for shipment throughout Indiana. Into a waste-not philosophy, Barley Island’s spent grain goes to an angus farmer in Noblesville.

“A lot of trial and error are done as a home brewer,” he comments. “I do a lot of reading about brewing, but I learned to drink good beer when I went to Germany as a student. ‘Be as natural as you can’ became my philosophy.”
Lang’s preference is a smoother palate with not much carbon dioxide (“less bloating” he stresses) and unfiltered brews.

“For the first year and half I kept the recipes consistent for the consumers. After that I started developing my own recipes. I’m a beer drinker who likes variety.”

Lang’s American Wheat is what he recommends as a “crossover from bottle to tap to get customers into the brewpub.” Blind Tiger Pale Ale is Barley Island’s No. 1 seller on tap and in bottles. An easy drink with the Liberty and Cascade hops upfront, center and back, it’s named for the now-historic hidden speakeasy code of the Prohibition era. Lang points out that Barley Island’s beers all have historic connotations based on research by a Noblesville resident. The bottle labels are equally fetching.

The color of 60 Shilling Scotch Ale is alluring, as is its nice nose of malt. With absolutely no feeling of bloating, the butterscotch, caramel flavor lingers playfully. Lang’s dark red Rust Belt Porter is a lingering beer with a nippy citrusy effect. Lang’s newest is a java oatmeal with beans from a local coffeehouse. “The keg was gone in five days by word of mouth.” His Bourbon barrel-aged brew is equally lauded. “The taste is huge,” he qualifies with deference to the draw of this specialty “lingering bed-time beer.”

“People love to come in and drink something new,” he concludes.

1795 E. 10th St.
Bloomington
812-323-2112, 812-339-2256; www.bloomington.com
lennies.bloomington.com
Highlighting its made-from-scratch bill-of-fare and no TV, you’ll find instead rotating exhibits of visual art “and good music at the right amp for conversation at the gleaming wood tables or local-quarried limestone bar.” Founders Jeff Mease and Lennie Dare-Busch also supply other Bloomington independent restaurants with beers on tap with the Bloomington Brewing Co. Fine Ales label.
Hours
Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

Head brewer Floyd Rosenbaum, “sometime after 1973, after leaving service in Alaska,” met Alaskans who were brewing beer with ingredients other than hops and developed a taste for diverse ingredients. “When I got back to the lower 48 I went to work as a pipefitter and got into home brewing, paying special attention to all the details.”

On days off, Rosenbaum would come to Lennie’s, the first Southern Indiana microbrewery. “When other brewers left, I stepped in.” Having walked away from a 17-year career in industry, he’s now secure as an eight-year veteran brewer, partial to full-bodied ales. He doesn’t use fining agents, likes the traditional cask and wooden barrel to ripen, and isn’t into pairing foods with beers. “I think it can become contrived.”

Nevertheless, his Belgian-style ale was nicely complemented by a cucumber salad that brought back memories of Brussels, Vienna and of Bavaria.

The Ruby Bloom Amber features a slow and steady caramel journey to all reaches of the palate. Natural aging for about six months in a cask gives the Java Porter a full body with a dry finish. Described as a perfect cold-weather beer, its comfort and balance feels welcome at the cusp of spring.

Like Ted Miller, owner Jeff Mease emphasizes responsible drinking and eating, equating the two with a social setting that honors enjoyment over the business of selling as much beer as you can.

A patron who came in to re-fill a growler commented, “They put good will in their brews.”

350 W. 11th St.
Bloomington
812-336-2337; www.uplandbeer.com

Conversations buzz around students savoring a beer and a book at the bar in an Irish pub atmosphere with darts, TV and kegs as decor. An extensive menu is paired with beer, including daily specials for both. The buffalo burger and fries were great with the entire sampler tray. Upland’s distribution reaches throughout Indiana.
Hours
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Sunday, noon-midnight

Bartender Nick Kapke filled in for head brewer Ben Pierson as the guide along the sampler tray. Kapke is an IU graduate in photojournalism. His photographs, though unobtrusively exhibited, compel closer inspection.

The Belgian-style Wit is light, easy with an orange peel-coriander that comes slowly. The German style wheat, on the other hand, is a tad more aggressive with layers of tart to sweet through an ABC of apple, banana and clove palate and nose. The amber starts out nutty, finishes malty chocolate. The full-bodied Porter’s extreme smoothness is a lingering brew with traces of bitter chocolate that invites a well-made cup of coffee before heading off to a performance on campus, or lingering to chat with friends of Kapke who stop by nightly.