Fizz Philanthropy

Good people drink good beer,” pontificated the late Hunter S. Thompson, renowned co-creator of gonzo journalism.

Hyperbole rewired according to Bob Mack: Craft beers responsibly imbibed in the name of worthy causes makes us feel good.

What: Brew-Ha-Ha — 10th annual microbrew festival open to anyone age 21 or over. A benefit for the Phoenix Theatre featuring local and regional brews.

When: June 11, 3:00-7:00 p.m.

Where: 700 block of North Park Avenue, between Massassachutts Avenue & St. Clair Street, in the historic Chatham Arch residential neighborhood of downtown Indianapolis.

Tickets: $20 per person in advance at Phoenix Theatre box office, 749 N. Park Ave., or call 635-PLAY. $25 day of event.
More information: www.phoenixtheatre.org

What: “Ales for Adoptable Tails” — a sampling of 36 craft beers paired with 12 selected hors d’oeuvres. A benefit for Humane Society of Indianapolis.

When: June 16, 5-8 p.m.

Where: Agio, 635 Massachusetts Ave.

Tickets: $40 per individual, $75 per couple if purchased by June 10. Call 872-5650 ext. 117. Entry at the door costs $50 and $85.
More information: www.indyhumane.org

What: Indiana Microbrewers Festival — a sampling of over 100 craft beers representing Indiana’s 18 microbrewers and over a dozen regional microbrewers. A benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society/Indiana Chapter and Indianapolis Northside Optimist.

When: July 30, 2-6 p.m.

Where: Optimist Park, 67th and Carrollton in Broad Ripple
Tickets: $25 per individual, sold at brewpubs, selected Marsh stores, or call 842-5403; $30 at the door

More information: www.brewersofindianaguild.com www.worldclassbeverages.com
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: 726-2270, 1-800-846-7764, www.LLS.org/IN
Optimist: 253-8957, www.NorthsideOptimists.com

Handcrafted beers by local, statewide and regional microbrewers are featured at three different fund-raising events — the Humane Society’s Ales for Adoptable Tails, the Phoenix Theatre’s Brew Ha-Ha and the Indiana Microbrewer’s Festival — with World Class Beverages as the linking partner with each, to help us discover and uncover taste treats. Providing opportunities for responsible participation in civic and social engagements, and learning about “real beer” are equal objectives.

Ales for Adoptable Tails, an indoor dining experience, is probably the most defined in terms of pairing food with beer.

“Ales for Adoptable Tails is a smaller event where we can show what our mission really is,” states Martha Boden, executive director of the Humane Society of Indianapolis. “Helping people get a pet for the right reasons, and giving them skills to build a good relationship with the pet are important ways for us to break the cycle of owners bringing unwanted pets to the Humane Society. More pets than strays are brought to the Humane Society daily because the animal has a behavior issue and the owner can’t deal with it. It’s not only obedience training. It’s understanding an animal’s true nature.”

While certainly not limited to pet owners, or potential owners, Ales for Adoptable Tails can be an enjoyable social event to swap “pet peeves,” garner accolades for “pet positives,” or simply scope out the scene before a four-legged takes up residence in your abode. Yet, an over-riding reason to show up at Agio is the opportunity to learn about pairing beer with food. Bob Mack of World Class Beverages admits to choosing his favorite beers as partners for Agio’s selected appetizers. “But you’ll also recognize some tongue-in-cheek connections to the Humane Society,” adds Mack, waiting to see if this reporter noticed inclusion of brewers such as Dark Horse (Michigan), Dogfish Head (Delaware) and Flying Dog (Colorado) along with Indiana’s (unanimal) Upland and Oaken Barrel and England’s St. Peter’s, Young’s and Samuel Smith. Also represented are specialties from California, Maine, Ohio and Oregon; Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy and Scotland.

As a general practice, no matter which events you attend, Mack says to maximize your experience by choosing from the lightest to the heaviest taste profile and opting for a quality, rather than a quantity experience. Drinking better means drinking less. Mack’s tip is to follow the example of a typical brewpub five-sampler tray, which might start with a light and refreshing wheat and end with a bold chocolate flavor porter or dark ale. Between, you’ll experience a hoppier pale ale, a brown ale with vibrant acidity, and a Scotch ale alive with butterscotch and caramel flavors.

“If you start with porter, you pretty much lose the subtleties of the dancingly-light-on-the palate wheat. That’s a sensation not to be missed.”

Mack demonstrates the best way to maximize a craft beer opportunity. “Delicately swirl the glass and sniff as the beverage aerates. Put the glass to your nose to catch the aroma. That’s letting the beer come to you.”

Next, look at the beverage. Enjoy its color, the head’s lacy effect as its bubbles cling to and move around the glass. Smell and sight are why craft beer should always be drunk from a glass appropriate to show off its best qualities.

Finally, sip. That’s SIP, not gulp, advises Mack. Invite the beverage to touch the tip of the tongue, spread to the center, roll to the back, slip down the throat. “All the while it’s releasing waves of tastes and sensations. Don’t rush. Take your time; think about it. A second sip will reveal even more. Craft beer is multidimensional, complex,” asserts Mack, adding that what you decide you like is what you’ll note to ask for next time you’re at a brewpub or what you’ll pick up in the craft beer section of a retail store.

When matching beer and food, Mack speaks of balance. Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster and author Garrett Oliver puts it this way: “We want the beer and food to engage in a lively dance, not a football tackle.”

Sensory impact is a personal thing within a class of food. Pale ale will be run over by a barbecue dish, while porter will offend shrimp’s delicacy like a personal foul. Switch the pairing and it’s trophy time.

Mack intends to issue a game plan for most appropriate table-hopping at Agio’s. Follow it for best results when you attend Ales for Adoptable Tails.

Phoenix Theatre’s Brew-Ha-Ha and Indiana Microbrewers Festival are large-crowd outdoor events where you’re pretty much on your own to sample or slug. Brew-Ha-Ha is a great-big unstructured gathering to taste and wander historic Chatham Arch.

At the Microbrewers Festival, also expect a roster of participatory beer-related activities. Julie Grelle, secretary-treasurer of the Brewers of Indiana Guild and co-owner of the former Circle V Brewing Company, promises a return of the “highly popular Empty Keg Toss Competition. Both the female and male divisions generated a lot of benefit income last year.”

Indianapolis-based World Class Beverages, a regional supplier of craft beers for restaurants, bars and stores, is again sponsoring “Beer Geek Challenge” for home brewers. “The 2005 juried competition style is red ale, a logical follow-up to last year’s brown ale.” The special characteristic of Brown and red ales is a vibrant acidity, with red ale’s specially light touch making it a perfect companion for shellfish and omelettes.

Mack and Grelle point out there’s so much more to beer than what’s mass-marketed through advertising.

“These three events can provide lots of opportunities to get involved with civic causes and be pleasantly surprised by the tastes of individually crafted beers paired with food. Next year you might be sharing your personal recipes and combinations,” concludes Mack.

Want more?

The Brews Paper is available free at www.worldclassbeverages.com, stores selling craft beers and brewpubs. Recipes with beer are easy and delicious.
The Brewmaster’s Table by Garrett Oliver is a delightful discovery of the pleasures of real beer with real food.

The World Encyclopedia of Beer by Brian Glover helps a novice “explore the mysteries behind a glass of beer.”

The Encyclopedia of World Beers by Benjamin Myers and Graham Lees is a reference guide for connoisseurs. You’ll find Indy’s-own Ted Miller lauded on page 173.