Take your dad out, buy him a beer.
Seven Saints
Rotating taps:
Bells Two Hearted
Southern Tier Heavy Weizen
Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday: Half off Irish Whisky
Thursday: Beer Class, 9:30 pm, $10
Radio Maria
1. Anchor Liberty $4
2. Southern Tier Heavy Weizen $6
3. Goose Island Pere Jacques $6
4. Bells HopSlam IPA $5
5. Avery Dugana IIPA $5
6. Arcadia Scotch Ale $4
7. Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout $5
8. Flying Dog In Heat Wheat $4
9. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout $8
10.Port Midnight Sessions $5
11.Two Brothers Cane & Ebel $4.5
12.Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA $4.5
13.Delirium Dark Brown $6
14.Two Brothers Resistence IPA $4.5
15.Port Old Viscosity $7
16.Guinness $4
17.Left Hand Milk Stout $4
18.Petrus Blonde $6
19.Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout $5
20.Lost Abbey Angel's Share $7
21.Celis White $4
22.He'brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A $6
23.Victory Prima Pils $4.5
24.Schneider Aventinus $5
25.Port Older Viscosity $7
26.Ayinger Brau Weisse $5.5
27.PBR $2.25
Friday: Happy Hour with free appetizers 4:30 - 5:30; beer special Port Old Viscosity, $6 a snifter; DJ at 10pm
Saturday: $4 Jeremiah Weed drinks and $6 Jeremiah Weed John Daly's, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: Austrian Wine Dinner, 6pm, $75, 5 courses with 8 wines; $2 wells, $1.25 PBR
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine; Board Game Monday; Softball Beer Specials
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft; Trivia Night 11pm with MC Juice
Thursday:$5 Mojitos & $6 Brazilian Cosmos
Blind Pig
Mikkeller Single Hop Cascade IPA; Denmark, India Pale Ale, 6.9% abv
Mikkeller Single Hop Chinook IPA; Denmark, India Pale Ale, 6.9% abv
Mikkeller Single Hop Centennial IPA; Denmark, India Pale Ale, 6.9% abv
Mikkeller Single Hop Amarillo IPA; Denmark, India Pale Ale, 6.9% abv
Mikkeller Single Hop Warrior IPA; Denmark, India Pale Ale, 6.9% abv
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast; Denmark, Stout, 7.5% abv
Flying Dog Snake Dog; Frederick, Maryland, India Pale Ale, 7.1% abv
Fort Collins Pomegranate Wheat; Fort Collins, Colorado, Fruit Beer, 4.8% abv
Fuller’s London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Tremens; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 8.5% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Krusovice Imperial 12°; Czech Republic, Bohemian Pilsener, 5% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Rogue John John Juniper; Newport, Oregon, American Pale Ale, 5.2%
Bells Oberon; Kalamazoo, Michigan, Wheat Ale, 6% abv
Bear Republic Grizz; Healdsburg, California, Belgian Strong Ale, 9.5%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
FAvery Karma Ale; Boulder, Colorado, Belgian Ale, 5.2%
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Great Divide Colette; Denver, Colorado, Saison, 7.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
Moylan’s Nitro ESB; Novato, California, English Pale Ale, 5.2%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
Blind Pig Brewery (the Piglet)
Blind Pig American Pale Ale
Blind Pig Hard Cider
Blind Pig Stout
Schlafly Pilsner; Maplewood, Missouri, Pilsener, 4.9% abv
Lagunitas WTF; Petaluma, CA, American Strong Ale, 7.83% abv
Rogue Dead Guy; Newport, Oregon, Heller Bock, 6.6% abv
Fuller’s London Porter; England, Porter, 5.4% abv
Two Brothers Dog Days Lager; Warrenville, Illinois, Dortmunder, 4.9% abv
Bell’s Oberon; Kalamazoo, Michigan, Wheat Ale, 6% abv
Heilemans Old Styl;e Woodridge, Illinois, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Two Brother’s The Bitter End; Warrenville, Illinois, APA, 5.2% abv
Witkap Pater Dubbel; Belgium, Abbey Dubbel, 7% abv
Guinness; Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv
Sunday: Trivia Night; 7-9pm, win gift cards
Crane Alley
PBR 4.7%
Guinness 4.2%
Avery White Rascal 5.5%
Dogfish Head 90 Min IPA 9.0%
Lost Abbey Serpent Stout 10.7%
North Coast PranQster 7.6%
Mikkeller Single Hop Chinook IPA 6.9%
Victory Prima Pils 5.3%
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence 7.0%
Smithwicks Irish Ale 5.0%
Geants Goliath Tripel 9.0%
Bear Republic The Grizz 9.5%
Southern Tier Hop Sun 4.6%
Victory Hop Devil IPA 6.7%
Ballast Point Yellow Tail Pale Ale 4.6%
Moylans Pomegranate Wheat 5.0%
Sunday: 2nd Annual Crawfish Boil, 1pm, $15 in advance, $20 day of
July 5: Founders Beer Dinner, 7:30 pm, price and menu tbd
This Week's Specials:
ASIAN STEAK TACOS - Marinated flank steak with sweet and sour shiitake mushrooms and cherries, and sriracha glazed shaved carrots and cucumbers. Served with wasabi dusted french fries.
PAN FRIED CHICKEN- Panko crusted chicken breast with portobello mushrooms, red wine-poulet glace, and sauteed vegetables over polenta.
Mike n' Molly's
Guinness
Harp
High Life
Mikkeller Single Hop IPA Amarillo
Lefthand Chainsaw
Rogue Johns Locker Stock Imperial Porter
Two Brother Resistance
Avery New World Porter
Schlenkerla Helles
Weston Stafford Cider
Friday: the Saps
Saturday: Bible Belt Sinners
Monday: Abe Froman Project, 9-10pm, free/ Rockstar Karaoke, 10-2, free; $1 PBR
Tuesday: $1.25 High Life; $.50 off all taps
Wednesday: Bingo, 9:30-midnight, free; $2 Mickey's Big Mouth; $2.50 rails
Thursday: Withershins; $2.50 Stella Artois bottle
Black Dog Smoke and Ale House
Cask: Summit Extra Pale Ale
Two Brothers Oak Aged Domaine Dupage
Darkhorse Crooked Tree
Great Divide Titan IPA
Point Pale Ale
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Wexford Irish Style Cream Ale
Cowboy Monkey
Friday: DJ Mingram, 10pm, free
Saturday: We Landed on the Moon!, 9:30pm, $5
Sunday: Big Dave's Trivia, 7pm
Tuesday: Open Mic Night, 10pm, free
Wednesday: Salsa & Tango, 10pm, free
Thursday: WEFT Benefit, 9pm, $10
Highdive
*if you know about the recent violence in the parking lot, call the cops*
Friday: Summer Rock Camp, 7pm; DJ Delayney, 10pm, $5
Saturday: In Living Pink, 7pm, $25 in advance; DJ & Dancing, 11pm, $5
Monday: 80's Night, 10pm, free
Canopy Club
Friday: Flightrisk, $6
Saturday: Champaign-Urbana Comedy Spectacular, $7; Jace Everett, $8 in advance
Tuesday: Piano Man
Wednesday: Discotech: Dance Night
Thursday: Tree Thump, $5
Friday, June 18, 2010
Alcohol in the news; Where and how to go wine tasting
From the Buzz.
Where and hot to go wine tasting
I think the author, and editor, may have spent to much time tasting wines. I don't mean to nit pick, but seriously, this article is flawed. Instead of going to learn about wines, they should have learned about writing.
...
But the biggest error (the one that would have cost me 25 points each time I did it (on a 100 point scale) was...
If you look at the article, the image that shows up is a picture of the place. Underneath the picture of Wines at the Pines, is the caption, Wine at the Pines.
There is some good information about how to sample wines; and some nice do's and don'ts. Also, the article lets you know where you can go to taste the wine.
So, the article has good information, it's just somewhat poorly written and edited.
(If you are going to complain about my blog; remember, this is a blog, not an article that was actually printed)
Places mentioned in the article are:
Corkscrew
Wines at the Pines
Krannert Center
Alto Vineyards
Where and hot to go wine tasting
I think the author, and editor, may have spent to much time tasting wines. I don't mean to nit pick, but seriously, this article is flawed. Instead of going to learn about wines, they should have learned about writing.
By the time I cross the stage at Foellinger, I will gladly be graduating with a B.A. in English and a minor in Coors Light. A self-proclaimed Burnett’s Vodka connoisseur, I have experimented with several you-call-it style concoctions. When away from my home bar top, my choice usually falls between beer or liquor.
...
However, Champaign-Urbana is a wine-rich community. With various wine tastings in the area, many of them for free, one can easily supplement their collegiate education with one in the ways of wine....
While the is vineyard located in Southern Illinois, the family runs satellite locations and provides a daily wine tasting for CU."While the is vineyard located", shouldn't that be "While the vineyard is located"?
Manager Nick Bland said that their Saturday tasting (2-6 p.m.; small fee, never more than $5) usually have some sort of theme loosely based around the wine’s country of origin, varietals, or style, creating a more global knowledge of wine rather than just which ones taste good.Take away the parenthesis and the sentence reads "their Saturday tasting usually have".
But the biggest error (the one that would have cost me 25 points each time I did it (on a 100 point scale) was...
A more recent addition to the area is Wine at the Pines in Urbana, which opened in October of 2009. In addition to wine, Wine at the Pines also serves baked goods from Milos, teas, and Metropolis coffees, filling the void that Bar Giuliani left.A misspelled name, Wine at the Pines.
If you look at the article, the image that shows up is a picture of the place. Underneath the picture of Wines at the Pines, is the caption, Wine at the Pines.
There is some good information about how to sample wines; and some nice do's and don'ts. Also, the article lets you know where you can go to taste the wine.
So, the article has good information, it's just somewhat poorly written and edited.
(If you are going to complain about my blog; remember, this is a blog, not an article that was actually printed)
Places mentioned in the article are:
Corkscrew
Wines at the Pines
Krannert Center
Alto Vineyards
Alcohol in the news; Bartender training
Last night, several news stations ran spots about getting bartenders trained on how to spot fake ID's and serving to minors.
Alcohol Training
State Agents Meet Bar Owners
Oddly, both NBC and ABC interviewed the same person, Elizabeth Murphy, from Turtle Run or Snappers.
It sure would be nice if either of the stations talked about HOW to get the training, like providing a link to a website, instead of just saying that training was available.
In the promo for the news on WICD, they showed some stock footage from Radio Maria. Not sure who was serving, but I think Jacob was in the background.
Alcohol Training
State Agents Meet Bar Owners
Oddly, both NBC and ABC interviewed the same person, Elizabeth Murphy, from Turtle Run or Snappers.
It sure would be nice if either of the stations talked about HOW to get the training, like providing a link to a website, instead of just saying that training was available.
In the promo for the news on WICD, they showed some stock footage from Radio Maria. Not sure who was serving, but I think Jacob was in the background.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Big Ten Road Trips, part 4, THE Ohio State University
O-H
eh fuck 'em.
So, you are heading to the horseshoe. From Champaign, it's about 300 miles and 5 hours. On the way, you go through Indianapolis. You'll probably want to take the beltway around Indy, and the south part is the quickest option. Remember, on the south of 465, there's plenty of breweries (we talked about them for the University of Indiana). On the north side, there's also breweries (we talked about them for Purdue). So, there's plenty of places to stop on the way.
I didn't talk about beer stores, but on 31 south (exit 2b) from 465, there's two good beer stores that I like to hit, the first is Crown Liquors. The other is further down the road at East Stop 11 road, and that's Party Pak Liquors. Both have really good beer selections. At Party Pak, you can buy any individual bottle there, or buy the six pack. If you are traveling and not from Indiana, there's lots of beers that you can't get here.
As you are heading east on 70, you'll go past Dayton. In Dayton, there's another good beer store, Belmont Party Supply. Belmont also has a great selection.
But, we're going to try to hit breweries, not liquor stores.
In Columbus there are several breweries.
One of my favorites is Elevator. I've been to Elevator a couple of times, and have never been disappointed. In the picture, my buddy Jim is eating their famous Rock Filet. The steak comes out rare, and you cook it in front of you on a really hot (450 degrees) rock. Cut it up, and cook it to however you like it done. It comes with some dipping sauces, but you don't really need them on a good piece of meat. Elevator currently has 11 beers on tap, and the full sampler looks really cool. The beer is good, and it's a nice place. Elevator is about 3 miles away from the stadium.
Another good place is Barley's Alehouse. There are 2 Barley's locations in Columbus. Ale House No. 1 and Ale House No. 2. Ale House #1 is down the street from Elevator, #2 is a bit further away from the stadium. Kridz and I stopped at Ale House #1 on our east coast trip. Previously, I had been to Ale House #2 a couple of times on trips to Columbus with Jim. They have a good variety of house beers, mostly with a Scottish theme.
There's apparently a Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Columbus as well.
Also in Columbus, is the Columbus Brewing Company. Why haven't I been here? It's about 10 minutes from the stadium.
There's another brewery, L. Hoster Brewing Co. Their website is under construction, and I haven't had any of their beers. Hoster is about 6 miles from the Stadium.
That's about it for breweries on the trip. As long as you are in Ohio, you should stop at From the Vine. It's a nice 20 minute drive from the stadium, but it's worth the trip. Jaimie has a really good beer selection along the side wall. Look for some stuff that you can't find elsewhere. You may pay a premium for it, but it might be the best beer in the world, ask nicely.
So, enjoy your trip to the whore's shoe. I hope you don't get too sick of hearing "Hang on Sloopy".
eh fuck 'em.
So, you are heading to the horseshoe. From Champaign, it's about 300 miles and 5 hours. On the way, you go through Indianapolis. You'll probably want to take the beltway around Indy, and the south part is the quickest option. Remember, on the south of 465, there's plenty of breweries (we talked about them for the University of Indiana). On the north side, there's also breweries (we talked about them for Purdue). So, there's plenty of places to stop on the way.
I didn't talk about beer stores, but on 31 south (exit 2b) from 465, there's two good beer stores that I like to hit, the first is Crown Liquors. The other is further down the road at East Stop 11 road, and that's Party Pak Liquors. Both have really good beer selections. At Party Pak, you can buy any individual bottle there, or buy the six pack. If you are traveling and not from Indiana, there's lots of beers that you can't get here.
As you are heading east on 70, you'll go past Dayton. In Dayton, there's another good beer store, Belmont Party Supply. Belmont also has a great selection.
But, we're going to try to hit breweries, not liquor stores.
In Columbus there are several breweries.
One of my favorites is Elevator. I've been to Elevator a couple of times, and have never been disappointed. In the picture, my buddy Jim is eating their famous Rock Filet. The steak comes out rare, and you cook it in front of you on a really hot (450 degrees) rock. Cut it up, and cook it to however you like it done. It comes with some dipping sauces, but you don't really need them on a good piece of meat. Elevator currently has 11 beers on tap, and the full sampler looks really cool. The beer is good, and it's a nice place. Elevator is about 3 miles away from the stadium.
Another good place is Barley's Alehouse. There are 2 Barley's locations in Columbus. Ale House No. 1 and Ale House No. 2. Ale House #1 is down the street from Elevator, #2 is a bit further away from the stadium. Kridz and I stopped at Ale House #1 on our east coast trip. Previously, I had been to Ale House #2 a couple of times on trips to Columbus with Jim. They have a good variety of house beers, mostly with a Scottish theme.
There's apparently a Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Columbus as well.
Also in Columbus, is the Columbus Brewing Company. Why haven't I been here? It's about 10 minutes from the stadium.
There's another brewery, L. Hoster Brewing Co. Their website is under construction, and I haven't had any of their beers. Hoster is about 6 miles from the Stadium.
That's about it for breweries on the trip. As long as you are in Ohio, you should stop at From the Vine. It's a nice 20 minute drive from the stadium, but it's worth the trip. Jaimie has a really good beer selection along the side wall. Look for some stuff that you can't find elsewhere. You may pay a premium for it, but it might be the best beer in the world, ask nicely.
So, enjoy your trip to the whore's shoe. I hope you don't get too sick of hearing "Hang on Sloopy".
Alcohol in the news; World Cup Wines
From WCIA 3, Illinoishomepage.net morning show
World Cup Wines (web page has some formatting issues)
Brian Bowman from Sunsinger Wine and Spirits stops by to talk about South African wine.
First wine is Neil Ellis 'Sincerely' Sauvignon Blanc.
The second wine is Boekenhoutskloof 'the Wolf Trap'.
They also talk about the new menu at Sunsinger.
World Cup Wines (web page has some formatting issues)
Brian Bowman from Sunsinger Wine and Spirits stops by to talk about South African wine.
First wine is Neil Ellis 'Sincerely' Sauvignon Blanc.
The second wine is Boekenhoutskloof 'the Wolf Trap'.
They also talk about the new menu at Sunsinger.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Big Ten Road Trips, part 3, Purdue
Time to head to West Lafayette, Indiana for Purdue. For football season, you are heading to Ross-Ade Stadium. It takes less than 2 hours to get from Champaign to the stadium, and there's really not much on the way. Google maps says there are 3 ways to get there, some are more country than others.
In Lafayette, there's the Lafayette Brewing Company. I've had a couple beers from here, and they were pretty good. Lafayette Brewing Company is about 7 minutes from the stadium.
There's a Scotty's Brew House in West Lafayette too. It's about 2 miles from the stadium. (You can follow them on twitter).
People's Brewing Company doesn't seem to have a restaurant, but has a tasting room open from noon to 7 except for Sunday, and 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday, and brewery tours (weekends, check for times). If you are planning on visiting People's get there early.
Also in Lafayette is Black Sparrow. Black Sparrow is about 2 miles from the stadium.
When you leave Purdue and start to head back to Champaign (or wherever), this would be a good time to hit breweries on the north side of Indianapolis. Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery is located almost directly east of Lafayette. It's about 45 miles east of the stadium, in Kokomo.
Once you get to 31, head south, for the town of Noblesville. There you will find Barley Island Brewing Co. I've been to Barley Island, and enjoyed the beers I had there. Their barrel aged stout is pretty good. When I was there they had some stuff that isn't their normal beers, and they were pretty good.
In Fishers, just south of Noblesville is another Ram. There's another Rock Bottom on the north side of Indianapolis. There's a Granite City on the north side too.
One of the highlights of Indianapolis beers is Brugge Brasserie, which is in the Broad Ripple Village area. My friend Scott seems to love Brugge. Also in the Broad Ripple area is Broad Ripple Brewpub. And the Barley Island Restaurant & Brewhouse.
So, that's Lafayette and the north side of Indianapolis. Tomorrow, we'll continue heading east and visit THE Ohio State University.
In Lafayette, there's the Lafayette Brewing Company. I've had a couple beers from here, and they were pretty good. Lafayette Brewing Company is about 7 minutes from the stadium.
There's a Scotty's Brew House in West Lafayette too. It's about 2 miles from the stadium. (You can follow them on twitter).
People's Brewing Company doesn't seem to have a restaurant, but has a tasting room open from noon to 7 except for Sunday, and 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday, and brewery tours (weekends, check for times). If you are planning on visiting People's get there early.
Also in Lafayette is Black Sparrow. Black Sparrow is about 2 miles from the stadium.
When you leave Purdue and start to head back to Champaign (or wherever), this would be a good time to hit breweries on the north side of Indianapolis. Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery is located almost directly east of Lafayette. It's about 45 miles east of the stadium, in Kokomo.
Once you get to 31, head south, for the town of Noblesville. There you will find Barley Island Brewing Co. I've been to Barley Island, and enjoyed the beers I had there. Their barrel aged stout is pretty good. When I was there they had some stuff that isn't their normal beers, and they were pretty good.
In Fishers, just south of Noblesville is another Ram. There's another Rock Bottom on the north side of Indianapolis. There's a Granite City on the north side too.
One of the highlights of Indianapolis beers is Brugge Brasserie, which is in the Broad Ripple Village area. My friend Scott seems to love Brugge. Also in the Broad Ripple area is Broad Ripple Brewpub. And the Barley Island Restaurant & Brewhouse.
So, that's Lafayette and the north side of Indianapolis. Tomorrow, we'll continue heading east and visit THE Ohio State University.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Big Ten Road Trips, part 2, Indiana University
So, for some inexplicable reason, you decide you want to go to a football game at Indiana. You just can't get enough Hoosier; or you figure it might be the only win on Illinois' schedule that year. And you want to stop and have a freshly brewed beverage on the way (or in the area), where are you gonna go?
In part 1, I listed some of the breweries that you'll find on the way up to Northwestern. Now, we'll see what's around Memorial Stadium (Indiana). From Champaign to Memorial Stadium, it's about a 3 hour drive. There's not a whole lot on the way. It's nice in Indiana with the 70 MPH speed limit, but that's on the interstate; the shortest trip takes you on some backwoods looking roads.
The main brewery in Bloomington is Upland Brewing Company. Once you find Memorial Stadium, Upland is about a 3 minute drive away. When I think of Upland, I think of their Lambics. Their sour beers don't seem as sweet as Lindeman's flavored lambics, but they have a really good taste. I've had some of their other beers, like the Wheat Ale and Bad Elmer's Porter. I don't remember them significantly, but don't remember them being horrible either. The B'ton Tap Room is open daily for lunch and dinner. Even though it's in Indiana, it's smoke-free; so you'll be able to fully enjoy your beer.
There's really nothing else on the direct route to Indiana. There's some wineries, but that's not my focus.
Now, if you take an alternate route to get to Bloomington, like say... Go around 465 on your way back, you've got some more options.
Your Saturday might start off with a trip to Bloomington from Champaign, and you go straight there. The game ends, and you head to Upland. But, it's still only about 4 pm and you want some more beer. You don't really have anything else to do, so you head straight east out of Bloomington, to I 65. Now, you've got choices.
The first choice is Oaken Barrel Brewing Company. From the Stadium to Oaken Barrel, it's about 45 miles (you don't have to go to I 65). Oaken Barrel puts out some good beers. Snake Pit is a pretty good porter. Gnaw Bone is a good APA. Indiana Amber is a good gateway beer. They are open from 11 am until midnight (m-th) 1 am (f,s) and until 10pm on Sunday. They have a full restaurant. I've heard good things about the place.
If you head into downtown Indianapolis, there are 3 brewery/brewpubs within a couple of blocks of each other.
The first one I go to is Ram Restaurant & Brewery. It's on South Illinois Street, in the same building as a large parking garage. If you are driving down Illinois Street, it's the building on the left that has a grain bin on the side. Ram Brewery is kind of like a slightly fancier TGIFridays. It's not Olive Garden-esque to me (not that I think Olive Garden is fancy); it might be like Cheddars (is that still open in Champaign?). Their beer is good, and their appetizers are good. They are a chain, like Rock Bottom, but aren't as well known, or available as Rock Bottom. Their beers are good, and the food is good.
Directly across the street is Alcatraz Brewing Company. Alcatraz is kind of a chain, except there are only two of them. One in Orange California, the other in Indianapolis. The food at Alcatraz is good. The beer is good. If you are wanting to try a lot of different beer in a day, and not have to travel very far, go to downtown Indy.
About two blocks away from Alcatraz is another of the Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery chains. Again, it's a big chain. They do make some awesome specialty brews, but their regular daily brews (the ones that pay the bills) aren't the greatest. They are good/serviceable beers, but the usual suspects aren't the best. Look for a seasonal or brewers special if you go.
Since there's doesn't seem to be too much around the Lafayette area, we'll leave northern Indianapolis for the Purdue trip.
*When you want to know about Indiana beer, go to the experts. HoosierBeerGeek, they were the people at Three Floyds Dark Lord day at the Dork Lord tent. They sent me some info about some other places to go to.
Big Woods Brewing Company is located in Nasheville, Indiana. Nashville Indiana is about 20 miles away from the stadium on Indiana-46 E. HBG hasn't had their beer yet, so can't say how it is.
Further down 46E is Columbus, Indiana. Home of Power House Brewing Co. Columbus is 36 miles east of the stadium. HBG says they are a tiny brewery. Their website doesn't even mention their beer.
Another downtown Indy Brewery is Sun King Brewing Co. HBG says Sun King isn't open on Saturday nights; so you should get there early.
There's also a Scotty's Brew House in downtown Indy. Although HBG says they don't brew their own.
So, there's some more if you are coming up from Bloomington over to Indianapolis and back to Champaign Urbana.
In part 1, I listed some of the breweries that you'll find on the way up to Northwestern. Now, we'll see what's around Memorial Stadium (Indiana). From Champaign to Memorial Stadium, it's about a 3 hour drive. There's not a whole lot on the way. It's nice in Indiana with the 70 MPH speed limit, but that's on the interstate; the shortest trip takes you on some backwoods looking roads.
The main brewery in Bloomington is Upland Brewing Company. Once you find Memorial Stadium, Upland is about a 3 minute drive away. When I think of Upland, I think of their Lambics. Their sour beers don't seem as sweet as Lindeman's flavored lambics, but they have a really good taste. I've had some of their other beers, like the Wheat Ale and Bad Elmer's Porter. I don't remember them significantly, but don't remember them being horrible either. The B'ton Tap Room is open daily for lunch and dinner. Even though it's in Indiana, it's smoke-free; so you'll be able to fully enjoy your beer.
There's really nothing else on the direct route to Indiana. There's some wineries, but that's not my focus.
Now, if you take an alternate route to get to Bloomington, like say... Go around 465 on your way back, you've got some more options.
Your Saturday might start off with a trip to Bloomington from Champaign, and you go straight there. The game ends, and you head to Upland. But, it's still only about 4 pm and you want some more beer. You don't really have anything else to do, so you head straight east out of Bloomington, to I 65. Now, you've got choices.
The first choice is Oaken Barrel Brewing Company. From the Stadium to Oaken Barrel, it's about 45 miles (you don't have to go to I 65). Oaken Barrel puts out some good beers. Snake Pit is a pretty good porter. Gnaw Bone is a good APA. Indiana Amber is a good gateway beer. They are open from 11 am until midnight (m-th) 1 am (f,s) and until 10pm on Sunday. They have a full restaurant. I've heard good things about the place.
If you head into downtown Indianapolis, there are 3 brewery/brewpubs within a couple of blocks of each other.
The first one I go to is Ram Restaurant & Brewery. It's on South Illinois Street, in the same building as a large parking garage. If you are driving down Illinois Street, it's the building on the left that has a grain bin on the side. Ram Brewery is kind of like a slightly fancier TGIFridays. It's not Olive Garden-esque to me (not that I think Olive Garden is fancy); it might be like Cheddars (is that still open in Champaign?). Their beer is good, and their appetizers are good. They are a chain, like Rock Bottom, but aren't as well known, or available as Rock Bottom. Their beers are good, and the food is good.
Directly across the street is Alcatraz Brewing Company. Alcatraz is kind of a chain, except there are only two of them. One in Orange California, the other in Indianapolis. The food at Alcatraz is good. The beer is good. If you are wanting to try a lot of different beer in a day, and not have to travel very far, go to downtown Indy.
About two blocks away from Alcatraz is another of the Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery chains. Again, it's a big chain. They do make some awesome specialty brews, but their regular daily brews (the ones that pay the bills) aren't the greatest. They are good/serviceable beers, but the usual suspects aren't the best. Look for a seasonal or brewers special if you go.
Since there's doesn't seem to be too much around the Lafayette area, we'll leave northern Indianapolis for the Purdue trip.
*When you want to know about Indiana beer, go to the experts. HoosierBeerGeek, they were the people at Three Floyds Dark Lord day at the Dork Lord tent. They sent me some info about some other places to go to.
Big Woods Brewing Company is located in Nasheville, Indiana. Nashville Indiana is about 20 miles away from the stadium on Indiana-46 E. HBG hasn't had their beer yet, so can't say how it is.
Further down 46E is Columbus, Indiana. Home of Power House Brewing Co. Columbus is 36 miles east of the stadium. HBG says they are a tiny brewery. Their website doesn't even mention their beer.
Another downtown Indy Brewery is Sun King Brewing Co. HBG says Sun King isn't open on Saturday nights; so you should get there early.
There's also a Scotty's Brew House in downtown Indy. Although HBG says they don't brew their own.
So, there's some more if you are coming up from Bloomington over to Indianapolis and back to Champaign Urbana.
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