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.

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.

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. 

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!

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.

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 night with Scarlet Lane Brewery, Indy Girls Pint Out, and Punch Burger.

I have been a Twitter hater for a long time, that is until I started this blog.  Right from the start of my Twitter handle I realized Twitter was created to connect people with common interest and keep you updated on news, contests, and special events.  In the past couple of months I have made connections with some fantastic people over twitter, many of these people are from Scarlet Lane Brewery.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Christmas Vacation.  I remember when I was 5 years old sitting around the tv on Christmas Eve at my Grandmother's house watching it on VHS (to those of you who know what that is).   So when I saw the tweet from @Scarletlanebrew about an event where they were going to show Christmas Vacation working in coordination with Punch Burger and Girls Pint Out.  I knew I just had to go.

On a quick side note I have been following Girls Pint Out for the past couple of months and I am extremely impressed by what they are trying to create.  I highly recommend you check them out at their website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Now onto the event!  For 25 dollars I was able to receive, a koozie, pint glass, 3 pints, a burger, and a place to watch the movie.  It was incredibly well run from the moment you arrived on at the brewery you were greeted in the parking lot by members of Scarlet Lane team to help you find a parking spot. When you walked into the brewery you quickly directed to where you needed to check in.

From there we had plenty of time to grab a pint, find a place to sit, and grab some complimentary tasty popcorn.  When pulling out my lawn chair I noticed that one of the plastic legs were broken.  Not wanting to sit down and fall hard on my ass, I asked one of the Scarlet Lane crew if I could just sit in one of their wooden chairs that were scattered around the brewery.  Simon, who was very helpful, went and grabbed a more comfortable chair for me in the back.

From there the night only got better.  After the movie started I noticed that many of the the Scarlet Lane team and Girls Pint Out team were standing in the back.  Since this brewery is about a hour away from my place I wanted to just quickly introduce myself and thank them for not only hosting the event but for creating such wonderful craft beers.

Now it was during this introduction to them I found that they were incredibly engaging.  Not only did they take the time to talk to me but they were very encouraging and willing to express some very exciting things to come.  Simon, who I had mentioned earlier, is actually a brewer from Oregon who has relocated to Indy and Scarlet Lane.  He has some high hopes for new creations for Scarlet Lane and I have no reason to doubt his aspirations or skill!

Overall I had a fantastic time.  I am looking forward to visiting and seeing what Scarlet Lane does next.  I am also excited to see the growth of Girls Pint Out.  If Saturday was any indication to how well either of these two groups host events you need to take up the chance to check them out.

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They even put a squirrel in the Christmas tree!

"Did you hear that?"

"You could not hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant"

Midwest Breweries - Java Mac - Sun King Brewery

Like coffee and beer?  If the answer is yes then Java Mac is for you.  Might be one of the best choices for early morning tailgating.  With a limited release and now being available at Sun King's tap room.  This must be an urgent purchase for a craft beer enthusiast.  Don't forget to like share and comment!

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Midwest Breweries - Review of Red Collar - Indiana City Brewing

What a fantastic brewery and beer!  This Imperial Amber ale hits the spot.  Having a high ABV you do not realize how potent this beer is till you are working on the second glass.  I give this beer a 4.5/5 must have.  Look for a review of this brewery in the coming weeks.  Don't forget to like, comment, share and subscribe.

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25 Days of Beermas!

With the Christmas season upon us I wanted to help you deal with crowds, shopping and family by giving you 25 recommendations to help you with some stress relief beverages that can brighten up any holiday experience.  This annual post will be used as an extended version of my December must drink list.  Editors note: I have personally tried every one of these beers and have enjoyed them all.

If you tag me on twitter (@mwbreweries) or instagram (@midwestbreweries) adding #beermas I will retweet the best pictures of the day!  Also like, comment and share it really helps me out.

December 1 Bourbon County Stout - Goose Island 

Being released on Black Friday this year you might have to beat, steal, or bribe your friends who were able to pick up a four pack of this beer.  One of those beers you want to savor don't let them go bad in your fridge before you drink them all.

December 2 Chai Guy - Black Acre Brewery

A wonderful combination of chai tea spices and a hearty stout will find the most novice beer drinkers clambering for more.

December 3 Rail Splitter - Triton Brewery

Rail Splitter is a great introduction into the world of hop brewed beer.  Rail Splitter comes in as my go to IPA.

December 4 Easy Street Shuffle - Mashcraft Brewery

With a strong banana flavor and nice soft aftertaste, this crisp hefeweizen is a great way to escape the impending cold that will come with winter.

December 5 Katrina - Scarlett Lane Brewery

I found it particularly difficult to choose just one beer from Scarlett lane but Katrina nudged out their competition.  With a strong cinnamon flavor this brown ale is a must have during this Christmas season.

December 6 Dead Guy Ale - Rogue Brewery

Rogue is overall a great brewery.  They constantly create wonderful craft beers and Dead Guy Ale is one of them.  This was my introduction to this brewery and I have never looked back.

December 7 Tribute - Indiana City Brewing

After just three visits this brewery has eased its way into my regular rotations.  Offering half price growlers both Wednesday and Sunday how could you go wrong picking up any of their wonderful beers!

December 8 19 Days Maibock - Two Deep Brewery

With how great this beer is I pray this speciality beer is on tap every time I venture to this brewery.  With a low IBU, high ABV and rich caramel flavor this beer will have you hear angles singing.

December 9 Zombie Dust - 3 Floyds Brewery

With being such a difficult beer to find either on tap or in bottles if you are able to find it this holiday season I would consider yourself "Wining"

December 10 Superfly - Oaken Barrel

Another great job by an Indiana brewery Superbly is a fantastic IPA for the Hophead to seek out.

December 11 Double Bastard - Stone Brewery

Being adopted by wonderful parents when I was just 14 days old; I always used to tell my friends, jokingly, I was the only one that could uses the word bastard.  Taking ownership of the word I also take pride when others use "bastard" to highlight great products.  You will be over joyed when you drink this beer.

December 12 Pirate's Pils - Figure 8 Brewery

It is hard to beat a great pilsner.  After a hard week of work this pilsner will get you ready for a great weekend.

December 13 Lost River - Cutters Brewery

Every once in a while you need to drink a winter beer in the summer and a summer beer during the winter.  Lost River is a great decision to go with this rule.  It's refreshing flavor will send your mind to warmer days.

December 14 Secret Stache - Finche's Beer

A more recent find I found this stout was hard to keep around for very long.  I am very, very excited to try more beers form this brewery.

December 15 Java Mac - Sun King Brewery

Although coming later on in my list you must go out and purchase this beer as quickly as possible, SUPPLIES are limited!  Need a beer to help you wake up for a day full of football this beer will help jump start any Sunday.

December 16 Dirt Wolf - Victory Beer

Need a high ABV to get you through your end of the year slump?  This 8.7% Double IPA is a great way to work your way through the Monday blues.

December 17 Anti-Hero - Revolution Brewery

Loki, Hulk, and the Punisher are great characters that often work for good under their own set of standards.  Revolution Brewery has its own set of standards for creating high quality beer for us to enjoy, so I find this beer's name very fitting.

December 18 Busted Knuckle - Quaff On Brewery

This week when I saw this beer in cans at my local liquor store I about jumped out of my skin in excitement.  Quaff On is one of my favorite destination breweries in the state of Indiana.

December 19 Buffaloe Black IPA - 3 Pints Brewery

This is a spectacular creation.  It was so fantastic now every time I see a black IPA on tap I have to purchase a pint.  Buffaloe Black was my introduction to this type of beer and I regret nothing.

December 20 Qualified - Taxman Brewery

A strong hefty beer, it's high ABU will warm you up on any cold December day.

December 21 90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Brewery

I might be a little heavy on IPAs and Double IPAs this month but where credit is due I'll send props.  I cannot express how happy I am that Dog Fish is back in Indiana!

December 22 Who's That? - Tow Yard Brewery

Do I plan this?  With 5 dollar growler sales on Monday you can easily run to Tow Yard after work to pick up your Christmas Beer.  Why not purchase their brown ale?

December 23 Preacher's Daughter - Fountain Square Brewery

Outside of being a great beer, how fitting is this name?  I mean come on you have to purchase one of these before Christmas!

December 24 Pouge's Run - Flat 12 Bierwerks

Although a friend once called porters "a lazy man's stout" I find myself really enjoying this porter.  It will be a great way to help you sleep through the night before you open all of your presents on Christmas.

December 25 Teddy Bear Kisses - Upland Brewery

With it's Chocolate flavor inside of a thick stout, even if you do not get what you want for Christmas you will enjoy watching your friends and family open your thought filled gifts when drinking this beer.

Merry Christmas (not gonna say happy holidays!) to everyone.  Remember what this holiday is all about!

Midwest Breweries - Chai Guy milk stout - Black Acre Brewery

Holy shit this is mind blowingly fantastic. Coming from Black Acre Brewery another extremely innovated craft beer. As a surprise to some of you I do drink (on occasion) something other than beer and chai tea is one of those drinks. So combining two of my favorite drinks is a home run in my book. Giving you both a sweet taste with the thickness of a stout Chai Guy is one of my top 5 favorite beers in Indiana 5/5 a must have!  Don't forget to like and share. Find me on Twitter @mwbreweries and facebook midwest breweries. 

Midwest Breweries - Thanksgiving Day Pairings

The best part of Thanksgiving is by far the food.  To help you enjoy this part (and the unavoidable food coma that comes later) I have created a list of beers that should go along nicely with your turkey day meal.  Cheers!  Don't forget to add me on Facebook at Midwest Breweries and Twitter @mwbreweries to stay up to date.  Don't forget to like and share!

Turkey - Pale

Walkabout - Flat 12 - My choice
Osiris - Sun King Brewery - Pale Ale - Second Option
Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada - Wide Release Choice

Stuffing - Pilsner

Working Man's Pilsner - Fountain Square Brewery - My Choice
People's Pilsner - People's Brewing - Second Option
Pilsner Urquell - Czech Beer - Wide Release Choice

Cranberry Sause - Sour

General Brown - Cutters Brewery - My Choice
Permission Slip - Upland Brewery - Second Option
La Folie - New Belgium Brewery - Wide Release Choice

Green Bean Casserole - Blonde

The Standard - Taxman Brewery - My Choice
Belgium Blonde - Bier Brewery - Second Option
Duvel - Duvel - Wide Release Choice

Mash Patatos - IPA

Snake Pro - Figure 8 Brewery - My Choice
Dreadnaught IPA - 3 Floyds Brewery - Second Option
Stone IPA - Stone Brewery - Wide Release Choice

Breads - Brown

Katrina  - Scarlet Lane Brewery - My Choice
Gingerbread Brown - Triton Brewery - Second Option
Indiana Brown Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery - Wide Release Choice

After Dinner Pre-nap Milk Stouts

Jolly Old - Two Deep Brewing - My Choice
Dragon's Milk - New Holland Brewery - Second Option
Milk Stout - Left Hand Brewing - Wide Release Choice

Dessert

Chia Guy - Black Acre Brewery - My Choice
Peter Peter Pumpkin Pleaser - Tow Yard Brewery - Second Option
Framboise - Lindermans Brewery - Wide Release Choice

Midwest Breweries - Review of Spaten Optimator

What a great full flavored beer.  Every couple weeks I will be bringing you a review of a beer that is more widely available to those across the country.  This week Spaten Optimator, one of my favorite beers it comes in at a 5/5.  If you prefer blonde or wheat beers this one will not be for you.

For more suggestions find me on Facebook at Midwest Breweries or twitter @mwbreweries.

Midwest Breweries - Jolly Old Milk Stout - Two Deep Brewing -Indianapolis, IN

What a fantastic milk stout. Being released today Nov 12 I was able to be one of the first people to try Jolly Old. Being on a Nitros tap helps make this beer all the more enjoyable. As for being a milk stout Jolly Old does not sit heavy on the stomach and I find myself craving another after only taking a couple sips out of my first pint. Coming in at a 4.5/5 this is a must try for everyone. 

Don't forget to find me on Twitter @mwbreweries and facebook at Midwest Breweries.  Until next time cheers. 

Midwest Breweries - Monon Wheat - Cutters Brewery - Avon Indiana

An incredibly good wheat beer, Monon is worth trying out.  Although my reviews of wheat beers will be declining over the next few weeks my reviews of stouts and porters will be going up.  If you have suggestions send me a tweet or a message on Facebook.  Have a great night.  Tomorrow I will be doing a special review for my friends and followers who are unable to purchase most of these beers in their current location.  Stay tuned it's one of my favorite beers!  Rating for Monon 4/5.

Find their beer in indiana here http://cuttersbrewing.com/locations/indiana/ and in Illinois here http://cuttersbrewing.com/locations/illinois/  

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Quick review of beers I had this week and what to look for later this week.

Giving a description of the beers I drank this week that I was unable to do a video review of and a sneak peak at what reviews are coming to you this week.

Lift Off IPA - Daredevil Brewing Company 3.5/5
Diesel Oil Stout Powerhouse Brewing Company 3.5/5
House IPA Black Swan Brewing Company 3.5/5
Peat Smoked Export Stout Black Swan Brewing 4/5

Whats to come this week.
Black Swan Brewery Review
Sundog Amber, Full Circle, and The Poet all from New Holland Brewery
Wit or Wit-out You and Gingerbread Brown from Triton Brewery.

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Midwest Breweries - Paleooza Pale Ale - New Holland Brewery

Another great pale ale to try is Paleooza.  With a very soft and clean flavor and finish it can be enjoyed by both the new to the pale ale family or the most seasoned.  Coming in at a 4/5 I will defiantly purchase this beer again.

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Midwest Breweries - Vivian Red IPA - Scarlet Lane Brewery

Vivian is a fantastic beer.  It has a great overall taste and finish.  Several of my friends responses after just a sip were "That is good, really good!".  Coming in at a 4.5/5 I actually find myself actively seeking this beer.  If you like IPAs I think you will enjoy this refreshing creation from Scarlet Lane Brewery.

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November's Ten Recommendations - Midwest Breweries

Every month I am going to be giving my recommendations of beers you should drink.  I am going to be breaking it up into two different categories easy and hard to find.  Tag me on instagram @midwestbreweries or Facebook at Midwest Breweries when your drinking this great beers.

EASY TO FIND

Stone Brewery's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale  Can this brewery create a bad beer?  Hell no!  Fairly easy to find this beer.  It's unique combination can create a bad day into a good night.  Click here to find Stone Brewery Beers.

Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale Can you handle a pumpkin ale not only aged in bourbon barrels but also has above a 10% ABV?  Defiantly a Pumpkin beer for that is not for the faint of heart or low tolerance.  Click here to find Kentucky Ales.

New Belgium Brewing's Accumulation  A great IPA that I have picked up the last three years.  Be careful drinking this beer, Indiana does not need snow accumulation like last year. Click here to find.

Leinenkugel's Red Lager Having a little bit of Irish in you never hurts.  Drinking a lager can warm you up as the temperature continues to drop.  Click here to find.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery's 90 Minute IPA How could I not add a Dogfish Head beer when they just came back to Indiana?  At 9.0% ABV drinking two of these in 90 minutes will wash away any day's worries.

HARDER TO FIND 

(picture from Alton Brown's Twitter account @altonbrown)

Black Acre's Saucy Intruder Rye IPA If Alton Brown bought a growler of this beer do I even need to say anything?  Available at their brewery 5632 E Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46219.

Quaff On's Busted Nuckle A night full of these you might end up with a busted knuckle, but I have not had this experience.  Find Quaff On Beer here.

Sun King Brewing's Fistful of Hops Red Don't let the Christmas colors on the can deter you from picking up this beer in November.  Find Sun King Beers here.

Three Pints Brewing's Buffaloe Black IPA - An exotic beer that is worth trying.  One of favorite beers, even going as far as going to Three Pints Brew Pub on my birthday just to have this beer.  Find Three Pint's beers here.

Mashcraft Brewing's Easy Street Shuffle - I might be beating you over the head with this beer but it deserves the praise!  It can make you feel like your in a more tropical environment as winter weather begins to arrive.  To find Mashcraft beers click here.

That is my list for November.  Don't for get to tag me in your pictures.

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Updated Tow Yard Brewery Review - Midwest Breweries

Part of my commitment to bring you the best reviews possible is updating past reviews when they become out of date.  My last review talked about the lack of knives available and how that adversely affected how easy it was to eat some of the food.  Offering knives makes for a more enjoyable dinning experience.

I was first recommended to Tow Yard Brewery after, a friend, Justin went to their launch.  Knowing that I love Pale Ales and IPAs, he said that this brewery would be right up my alley.  Well, he knows me all too well!

Tow Yard has since become one of my most regular stops during the week.  I have to go Indianapolis twice a week for a soccer league and it has become my pre game ritual to grab two Horse Power Ales.  Horse Power is a double Pale Ale.  I personally had never seen or heard of a double pale ale.  If you enjoy hoppy beers Tow Yard is a must stop just for this beer.

The set up of Tow Yard is very conducive for larger groups and yet have the ability to handle many smaller groups at once too.  They are a perfect spot for lunch, those getting off work, (since their brewery is right by I-70's onramp) and pre gaming before any event at Lucas Oil Stadium (it is about a 5 minute walk away).

What food they have is fantastic especially their Pretzels and Chicken Wings.  (They even have a sandwich called Tonya Harding which makes me laugh every time I see it on the menu.)  On Thursday's they have a special where the wings are a $1.50 each and you get the whole wing not just a portion you get with other restaurants.  I also really enjoyed their wedge salad and is made with romaine lettuce and roasted pecans.  You can see their full menu here.

Offering 5 dollar growler fills Mondays and 4 dollar pints Thursdays this brewery comes highly recommended.

Service: 4.5/5

Food: 5/5

Choices: 5/5 They have plenty of beers to choose from and all great.

Atmosphere: 5/5

Overall: 5/5 

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Sunlight Cream Ale - Sun King Brewing - Indianapolis Indiana

Great crisp and clean tasting beer, would be wonderful on a hot summer day.  It is well worth a try.

Repeatability 5/5
Taste 4/5
Appearance 4/5
Aroma 3.5/5
Overall 4/5

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Easy Street Shuffle - Hefeweizen - Mashcraft Brewing Company Greenwood, IN

Easy Street Shuffle is a fantastic beer.  If you enjoy bananas at all you are going to find this beer mind blowing.  Highly recommended Mashcraft knew what they were doing when crafting this beer.

Repeatability 5/5
Taste 5/5
Appearance 4.5/5
Aroma 4.5/5
Overall 4.5/5

Buffaloe Black IPA - 3 Pints Brewery

The clouds part, beam of light shines down, and a harp is playing in the background is exactly what I experienced the first time I tried a black IPA.  At 3 Pints Brewery in Plainfield, IN my friend Nate and I about lost our shit with this beer.  Because, of such a great experience with this beer I now with out question will order a black IPA almost every time I see it on a menu.

This beer has a great mix between malts and hops.  With a heavy taste and not over powering bitterness this is a great beer to try regardless if you like IPAs, porters or even reds.  Coming highly recommended a trip to either Plainfield or Martinsville to try this beer will be well worth the drive.

Repeatability 4/5
Taste 5/5
Appearance 5/5
Aroma 5/5
Overall 4.5/5

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Pumpkin Ale - Bier Brewery

I have worked at a bakery since I was in middle school.  Keeping that in mind I will now start my review of my second favorite pumpkin beer so far.

Opening the growler at home it felt like a pumpkin pie was baking in the oven.  The smell was overwhelming pleasant.  In the past I have worked with Pumpkin Spices and there is a general rule most bakers know; a tea spoon and table spoon will give you the same affect.

The bartender. at Bier Brewery,  had great advice "if you want to try our pumpkin beer try it last or every beer will taste like pumpkin pie."  I love when bartenders at breweries give you advice, they should be the most knowledgeable of their crafts.  Out of all the pumpkin beers I have tried so far this beer ranks among the highest.  The only issue I have is the strong after taste that comes for what I can only expect is an over use of the spices.

Don't get me wrong this is a fantastic beer but this has to be the last beer you drink or the after taste will over power every thing you eat or drink the rest of the night.  Even a slight decease in the amount of spices used could counter that affect without affecting the delicious taste and helping the bottom dollar.

Repeatability 4.5/5
Taste 3/5 The aftertaste stays just a little too long.
Appearance 5/5
Aroma 5/5
Overall 4/5

PDG Pale Ale - Bier Brewery

PDG was the name chosen for this beer and what an accurate name.  PDG is an acronym for Pretty Damn Good.  I have been to this brewery twice so far and have purchased a pint both times.  The last time I willingly split a pint with a friend just so he could experience more than just a sample they offer patrons.  With over 80 different beers they craft throughout the year this is my favorite so far but have yet to find one I have not liked.

Repeatability 5/5
Taste 4/5
Appearance 4/5
Aroma 4/5
Overall 4/5

Pumpkin Ale - Big Woods Brewery

Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg combined with pumpkin creates a wonderful fall tradition of pumpkin pies.  The warm, soft, firm filling with a great crunchy crumbly gram cracker crust and just a small whip cream topping will take the hardest person back to warm childhood memories.

I do not like most pumpkin beers.  So when I tried this Pumpkin Ale from Big Woods in Nashville, Indiana I was left breathless with nostalgia from family get togethers at my grandmother's house.  This is by far the best pumpkin ale I have ever tried because it tastes just like a pumpkin pie.  

The last time I went to Big Woods I met a few friends for dinner.  After 15 minutes of trying to talk Brian into trying a sip of the beer he gave in.  Taking the glass up to his face was filled with dismay because he kept saying "pumpkin beer is not for me!"  I will always remember the look of shock as he set the beer back down, leaned back in the chair saying holy shit that was incredible.  Three days later in a text he asked if I knew where he might be able to buy some.  Needless to say I was surprised by the text because of how fervent a fight Brian gave to even taking a sip.  

Once again Big Woods does it again with creating a wonderfully crafted beer!  Bravo!

Repeatability 3.5/5 Not a beer I will drink all night but one I would gladly have anytime.

Taste 5/5

Appearance 5/5

Aroma 5/5

Overall 5/5

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Bier Brewery Review

Casual Fun Simple are some words that I would use to describe this brewery.  Like several breweries Bier only has a taproom but this will not diminish your experience.  Like a local coffee shop it is a very warm, inviting, and comfortable place to spend quality time with your friends.

Quoted from bierbrewery.com "We brew over 80 different delicious varieties of BIER and they switch every week, so come back often."   With 9 different taps available you can easily put this brewery on your regular rotation.  The last time I went in I realized that most of their beers have a relatively low IBU which is quite refreshing.  

With a friendly staff and cozy environment I cannot speak highly enough of this wonderful Brewery.  Here is a list of places you can find their beer.  My favorites are their pumpkin Ale and PDG reviews to come.

Service: 4/5
Food: NA
Choices: 4/5 
Atmosphere: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

The pricing is on par with most other breweries in Indiana.

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