Sunday, April 19, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Why I again have confidence in MacNiven's after a conversation with the owner.
Earlier this week I submitted an article, which I have now pulled, about an experience I had at MacNiven's over Christmas break. I am not going back into the details of that night but I am going to discuss the conversation I had with the owner earlier this weekend.
Upon submitting the article a dialogue started with the owner of MacNiven's and he was very interested in hearing about the experience that night. After a few messages back and forth I pulled the article as a sign of good faith that I was not desiring to complain just to complain. I wanted to have a quality discussion about the experience and at that point had yet to have happen. We set a time for later that day for me to come down to MacNiven's. We spoke for between 30 and 45 minutes.
During the discussion I was told the emails that were sent never came through or he would have addressed them immediately. Being very apologetic about the situation he went on to discuss that when he started the restaurant many years ago very few people drank beers outside of the big three. So he dedicated MacNiven's to educating the staff about beers so they could teach the clientele. The conversation developed and another point was hit that people know significantly more about craft beer then ever before. Going on to say that it is possible that some of the patrons at this point could know more than the staff does about craft beer.
After that was covered we spoke about what care craft beer needs. I could tell he had tremendous passion and knowledge in this area. Making several comments on how he goes about making sure the beer is cared for at MacNiven's. Showing me pictures and going into detail how they take responsibility for the rotation of the beer I was very impressed. Having worked in a bar I knew the measures he was discussing were both practical and effective.
I hated writing my original post but after having this discussion with the owner I now once again have complete confidence in recommending MacNiven's. There are very few places that are so dedicated to helping grow the craft beer community. With an owner that obviously cares about the experiences of his customers I have the very strong opinion that people who love craft beer should help support him and his business.
Upon submitting the article a dialogue started with the owner of MacNiven's and he was very interested in hearing about the experience that night. After a few messages back and forth I pulled the article as a sign of good faith that I was not desiring to complain just to complain. I wanted to have a quality discussion about the experience and at that point had yet to have happen. We set a time for later that day for me to come down to MacNiven's. We spoke for between 30 and 45 minutes.
During the discussion I was told the emails that were sent never came through or he would have addressed them immediately. Being very apologetic about the situation he went on to discuss that when he started the restaurant many years ago very few people drank beers outside of the big three. So he dedicated MacNiven's to educating the staff about beers so they could teach the clientele. The conversation developed and another point was hit that people know significantly more about craft beer then ever before. Going on to say that it is possible that some of the patrons at this point could know more than the staff does about craft beer.
After that was covered we spoke about what care craft beer needs. I could tell he had tremendous passion and knowledge in this area. Making several comments on how he goes about making sure the beer is cared for at MacNiven's. Showing me pictures and going into detail how they take responsibility for the rotation of the beer I was very impressed. Having worked in a bar I knew the measures he was discussing were both practical and effective.
I hated writing my original post but after having this discussion with the owner I now once again have complete confidence in recommending MacNiven's. There are very few places that are so dedicated to helping grow the craft beer community. With an owner that obviously cares about the experiences of his customers I have the very strong opinion that people who love craft beer should help support him and his business.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Midwest Breweries - Bitter Life Review - Black Acre Brewery
One of the great things about Black Acre Brewery is they constantly have new beers to drink and try. One of these beers is Bitter Life, a great alternative to their Saucy Intruder IPA. When going to their brewery you need to try their sweet potato fries with the garlic aioli. Giving it a rating 4/5 I would purchase this beer again in a heart beat. On a side note a friend told me there was for a short time a coffee infused Bitter Life. Unfortunately I was unable to try it but he said it was very good.
Don't forget to find me on Twitter @mwbreweries and Facebook at Midwest Breweries.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Midwest Breweries - Why Sun King pulling back distribution can be a good thing.
This week it was reported, by may different blog sites and news outlets, that Sun King was pulling distribution from many areas throughout the state. I propose this can be great news for the whole Indiana craft beer scene.
Outside of being extremely disappointed by those of you that live outside of either Bloomington or Indianapolis areas; we can infer that Sun King can really only meet the demand for their product within these locations. Taking that piece of information we can make two assumptions. People who drink Sun King are drinking a shit ton of their beer or Sun King is a great way to introduce people to craft beer thus more people are drinking their beer than ever before.
Personally I like the idea of the second option. With breweries popping up all the time throughout Indiana we can only assume that there is a growing number of craft beer drinkers willing to take chances on discovering new, inventive, and great beers.
Why I say that Sun King pulling back distribution is a good thing for the craft beer scene can be summed up in three points.
1. There is only so many taps. Dominated by the major brands, due to a lack of faith and/or knowledge of the craft beer scene, leaves many breweries scrambling to jockey for these coveted positions. With Sun King leaving some of these taps open allows for other breweries to sneak their way into your local taverns, bars, and restaurants.
2. For those who become accustom to Sun King, but now cannot find it in their area will be looking for new beer. If other breweries realize this they will be sending sales reps to every corner of the state with similar beers to the Sun King's "Big Three". Using this opportunity to expand their brands awareness.
3. There are so many wonderful beers in the state of Indiana. Many breweries doing special releases, seasonal, and small batches that are fantastic. As people are introduced to these new breweries it offers a great way to highlight these special beers. When a person tries a beer they like from a particular brewery they will be more incline to try their other products.
Although Indiana laws have not kept up on the growing craft beer community and Sun King is one of the breweries most effective by these laws I think that it has the opportunity to help grow our community.
Outside of being extremely disappointed by those of you that live outside of either Bloomington or Indianapolis areas; we can infer that Sun King can really only meet the demand for their product within these locations. Taking that piece of information we can make two assumptions. People who drink Sun King are drinking a shit ton of their beer or Sun King is a great way to introduce people to craft beer thus more people are drinking their beer than ever before.
Personally I like the idea of the second option. With breweries popping up all the time throughout Indiana we can only assume that there is a growing number of craft beer drinkers willing to take chances on discovering new, inventive, and great beers.
Why I say that Sun King pulling back distribution is a good thing for the craft beer scene can be summed up in three points.
1. There is only so many taps. Dominated by the major brands, due to a lack of faith and/or knowledge of the craft beer scene, leaves many breweries scrambling to jockey for these coveted positions. With Sun King leaving some of these taps open allows for other breweries to sneak their way into your local taverns, bars, and restaurants.
2. For those who become accustom to Sun King, but now cannot find it in their area will be looking for new beer. If other breweries realize this they will be sending sales reps to every corner of the state with similar beers to the Sun King's "Big Three". Using this opportunity to expand their brands awareness.
3. There are so many wonderful beers in the state of Indiana. Many breweries doing special releases, seasonal, and small batches that are fantastic. As people are introduced to these new breweries it offers a great way to highlight these special beers. When a person tries a beer they like from a particular brewery they will be more incline to try their other products.
Although Indiana laws have not kept up on the growing craft beer community and Sun King is one of the breweries most effective by these laws I think that it has the opportunity to help grow our community.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Beer, a Colts Alumni, and Prizes for Neuroblastoma Foundation at TwoDEEP Brewing Co. 12/18/14
TwoDEEP Brewing Co. has easily made its way into my regular rotation of breweries. With a engaging staff, a unique selection of beers, and a wide open floor plan, it allows for a great experience anytime you join them for a pint.
Next Thursday at 7 pm TwoDEEP and the NFL Alumni Association Indy Chapter are doing something very special by hosting a fundraising event for the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation (CNCF), a 21 and over event. According to Mayo Clinic, neuroblastoma is a potentially deadly form of cancer whose majority of victims are children under the age of five.
Next Thursday at 7 pm TwoDEEP and the NFL Alumni Association Indy Chapter are doing something very special by hosting a fundraising event for the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation (CNCF), a 21 and over event. According to Mayo Clinic, neuroblastoma is a potentially deadly form of cancer whose majority of victims are children under the age of five.
Ryan Diem, a former Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman and your celebrity bartender for the night, is a family friend to the Founder and President of TwoDEEP Brewing. Ryan has been involved with CNCF for over 10 years. Hosting an annual golf outing that has raised more than one million dollars to help battle this horrible form of cancer. It was from his creative mind to partner the NFL Alumni Association Indy Chapter and TwoDEEP Brewing for this fundraiser.
Besides having a Ryan Diem as your celebrity bartender, this event will host a number of NFL alumni, a silent auction, door prizes, pizzas from Pi Indy Food Truck, and for every pint purchased during the event one dollar will be donated to the CNCF! Three items to look forward to at the silent auction include an autographed basketball by Bobby Knight, an autographed football from Reggie Wayne, and a T.Y. Hilton autographed jersey, just to name a few.
One of the bigger events of the night will be a live raffle for two tickets to the 2015 Big Game in Arizona. The winner will receive airfare for two, two tickets to the NFL championship game and four nights hotel accommodations. All of these tickets must be purchased prior to the event. Tickets are available in the TwoDEEP TapRoom or you may contact NFL Alumni Association Indy Chapter Marketing and Event Coordinator Krissy Garrett at nflalumni.indychapter@gmail.com. All proceeds from the raffle will stay in the Indianapolis area to benefit the NFL Alumni Indy Chapter Children’s Charities.
I am very excited about this event. A lot of time and energy went into making sure everyone who attends will have wonderful time and more importantly a successful night for CNCF and NFL Alumni Charities.
One last note, last time I went to a large event at TwoDEEP it was their grand opening. It was incredibly packed but extremely well-run. I never had to wait long to find another pint. It was this event that gives me confidence that next Thursday will be a blast!
Please share and RT to help raise awareness for this event!
Friday, December 12, 2014
Midwest Breweries - Books & Brews Brewery Review
Watching any of my youtube videos you can tell I love books. I collect first editions, read a lot of non-fiction and love Ayn Rand. So if there was a place that my family or friends to get anything on my Christmas list they would go to Books and Brews.
The brewery is tucked away in a strip mall type shopping center. Walking into the front door you find a very nice laid out book store. Using donations from their customers they are able to keep their prices extremely low! They have a very impressive adult reading program with rewards too. Click the link above to find out more about that program. Mondays they host a book club that seems very exciting.
As for their beers I was pretty impressed. Their menu is mostly made with small batches that they are continually rotating. Keeping that in mind every time you go there you can have a completely different experience with their beers. This will keep me from postulating what your experience will be, but I really enjoyed the beers I drank. With this wide variety and constant rotation makes for a compelling reason to visit this brewery often (especially if you like to increase your unique check-ins on Untapped).
One of the great programs they offer is called "Mug Club". $65 dollars gets you a lifetime membership, locally made mug, $3 dollar mug fills on Thursday and $2 off growler fills of the Books and Brew beers just to name a few. For more information click the menu link above.
While sitting at the bar I noticed the owner walking around to introduce himself and welcome those who came into the brewery. Knowing the regulars by name is a added bonus when running a small business and attracting repeat business.
Books and Brews does a great job creating a unique environment that caters to a wide variety of interests. Their weekly list of events are:
- Monday they have the book club mentioned above and retro video game night.
- Tuesday play games and earn rewards
- Wednesday trivia
- Thursday open mic
- Friday new beer and live local music
- Saturday live local music
- Sunday board games
With a friendly staff and friendly open environment it is a great place to stop by or if you live in the area your regular bar.
I recommend at least making the drive to try this brewery out. Especially if you live in the area. I am giving it a rating of 4/5 being in the category of a very good brewery.
The brewery is tucked away in a strip mall type shopping center. Walking into the front door you find a very nice laid out book store. Using donations from their customers they are able to keep their prices extremely low! They have a very impressive adult reading program with rewards too. Click the link above to find out more about that program. Mondays they host a book club that seems very exciting.
As for their beers I was pretty impressed. Their menu is mostly made with small batches that they are continually rotating. Keeping that in mind every time you go there you can have a completely different experience with their beers. This will keep me from postulating what your experience will be, but I really enjoyed the beers I drank. With this wide variety and constant rotation makes for a compelling reason to visit this brewery often (especially if you like to increase your unique check-ins on Untapped).
One of the great programs they offer is called "Mug Club". $65 dollars gets you a lifetime membership, locally made mug, $3 dollar mug fills on Thursday and $2 off growler fills of the Books and Brew beers just to name a few. For more information click the menu link above.
While sitting at the bar I noticed the owner walking around to introduce himself and welcome those who came into the brewery. Knowing the regulars by name is a added bonus when running a small business and attracting repeat business.
Books and Brews does a great job creating a unique environment that caters to a wide variety of interests. Their weekly list of events are:
- Monday they have the book club mentioned above and retro video game night.
- Tuesday play games and earn rewards
- Wednesday trivia
- Thursday open mic
- Friday new beer and live local music
- Saturday live local music
- Sunday board games
With a friendly staff and friendly open environment it is a great place to stop by or if you live in the area your regular bar.
I recommend at least making the drive to try this brewery out. Especially if you live in the area. I am giving it a rating of 4/5 being in the category of a very good brewery.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
How I introduced my mom to craft beer.
In a new series I am going to give suggestions on how I am introducing craft beer to people who either just drink the main three or just do not drink beer at all. With hopes that you will follow my lead and increase the love for these microbreweries that are popping up everywhere.
A couple of weeks ago I had a family party for my birthday. I brought some growlers of Sun King's Sunlight Cream Ale to help liven up the event. Now my mother and aunts do not really drink beer but they all have their own particular loves (scotch and margaritas). Now if you have ever tried to talk someone who does not drink beer to even take a sip you know it is rather difficult task. Usually their go to response is "I don't like beer!" Instead of trying to explain to them that, just like wine, there are many different types. I go straight to bargaining.
After a few minutes attempting to talk my mom into trying Sunlight she caved by promising I would help her around the house if she did not enjoy the beer. Knowing I was backed into the corner I had to offer her something grand for the taste. With only giving her two fingers worth in a glass she curled her nose when lifting up the glass to take the sip. Setting the glass back down she says "wow that is good, really good. Top that glass off."
Seeing how much my mom enjoyed the beer my other aunts grabbed a glass and to their surprise they also enjoyed the taste. After that I had a very enjoyable conversation with them all about the different varieties of beer out there and I am now in charge of bringing beer to all family events in the future. Which I am glad to take over since I am pretty sure the cans of Miller Light in the fridge were from my graduation from college. I am 30 to give you some perspective.
I hope this experience will encourage you to help build the craft beer movement in the Midwest by giving your mothers and aunts who do not like beer, a tasty cream ale at your next family event.
Don't forget to find me on twitter @mwbreweries, Facebook at Midwest Breweries, like, comment and share.
A couple of weeks ago I had a family party for my birthday. I brought some growlers of Sun King's Sunlight Cream Ale to help liven up the event. Now my mother and aunts do not really drink beer but they all have their own particular loves (scotch and margaritas). Now if you have ever tried to talk someone who does not drink beer to even take a sip you know it is rather difficult task. Usually their go to response is "I don't like beer!" Instead of trying to explain to them that, just like wine, there are many different types. I go straight to bargaining.
After a few minutes attempting to talk my mom into trying Sunlight she caved by promising I would help her around the house if she did not enjoy the beer. Knowing I was backed into the corner I had to offer her something grand for the taste. With only giving her two fingers worth in a glass she curled her nose when lifting up the glass to take the sip. Setting the glass back down she says "wow that is good, really good. Top that glass off."
Seeing how much my mom enjoyed the beer my other aunts grabbed a glass and to their surprise they also enjoyed the taste. After that I had a very enjoyable conversation with them all about the different varieties of beer out there and I am now in charge of bringing beer to all family events in the future. Which I am glad to take over since I am pretty sure the cans of Miller Light in the fridge were from my graduation from college. I am 30 to give you some perspective.
I hope this experience will encourage you to help build the craft beer movement in the Midwest by giving your mothers and aunts who do not like beer, a tasty cream ale at your next family event.
Don't forget to find me on twitter @mwbreweries, Facebook at Midwest Breweries, like, comment and share.
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