Celebrate Craft Beer and History at Conner Prairie; Early Bird Tickets Now Available!

May 30 will mark the third annual installment of Conner Prairie’s popular History on Tap craft beer event.

The event is the brainchild of the Conner Prairie Horizon Council — the museum’s young professionals council, which I’m proud to say I’m involved with.

Last year’s event drew 700 people, and we expect even more this year. Furthermore, the 2014 edition will feature craft brewing demonstrations, historical beer tastings, food, music from the Bleeding Keys and Reid and Tim. Guests can also venture out and mingle with the citizens of Prairietown after hours (and those should be lively conversations considering the enjoyable cast of characters that roam Conner Prairie’s grounds each week).

One-fourth (that’s 20 out of 80) of Indiana’s brewing companies will be represented at the event. (Yes, you read that right.) Returning brewery partners include Upland, Flat12, Sun King, Thr3e Wise Men, Barley Island, Union Brewing, Bier Brewery, Triton, Three Pints, New Day and Fountain Square. And a host of new partners will be represented as well: Cartel Brewing, Scarlet Lane, Indiana City Brewing, Bloomington Brewing Co., Brugge, Outliers, Daredevil, Books & Brew, and Broad Ripple Brewpub — and others!

I’ll go ahead and make a personal promise as well: If you come, you’re going to have a good time. Feedback from 2012-13 was overwhelmingly positive — and we’ve incorporated constructive suggestions into making this year’s event even better.

Also, be sure to get your tickets now to take advantage of early bird pricing. History on Tap is for adults 21 years old and up — and tickets for designated drivers are heavily discounted. See you there!

Beer Market: Hoosier Beer Climate Continues Upswing

Business Insider recently posted a list of what’s been designated as the 20 best beers in the world. Check it out and see which one’s you’ve had — and need to try.

We’re also happy to say that Munster-based Three Floyds Brewing has two on the list. In fact, the top two beers in the world are mentioned in an anecdote from Indiana: One Pint at a Time author Douglas Wissing in an article I wrote for BizVoice last year about Indiana brewing, “Taste of Success: Local Craft Brewers Building an Industry.”

For more on the state of the industry in Indiana, see this Inside INdiana Business interview and accompanying article with Sun King Brewing founder Clay Robinson and Barnaby Struve of Three Floyds Brewing.

Beer Lovers: Conner Prairie’s History on Tap Back for Another Year

Conner Prairie’s Horizon Council (the interactive history park's young professionals group, of which I am a proud member) will host its second annual History on Tap craft beer event on Friday, May 31. Comments from attendees last year were extremely positive, and we're able to grow the event this year, as well. However, tickets will be capped at 500, so you'll want to buy early — and take advantage of the early bird pricing.

History on Tap 2013 will include:

  • Beer samples from 11 Hoosier breweries
  • A panel discussion: "Brewer Innovation: A Taste of the Past, Present & Future"
  • Craft brewing demonstration by Tuxedo Park Brewers, featuring a "Replicale"
  • An evening adventure through 1836 Prairietown
  • Food available at an additional cost for general admission tickets, included for VIP tickets
  • Discounted rate for the 1859 Balloon Voyage (weather permitting)

“We are proud to partner with Conner Prairie and award-winning, local breweries to present this signature event,” explains Robby Slaughter, Horizon Council president. “History on Tap is designed to provide an interactive experience that celebrates the rich heritage of craft beer making in Indiana and to engage a new demographic of visitors by giving them a taste of what Conner Prairie has to offer.”

Order your tickets now!

INDYCOG, Sun King Partner Up for Safety

Who here likes cycling? Great. Now, who likes local beer? Neat! I’m seeing a lot of the same hands. Then you should be enthused about this partnership between INDYCOG (Indianapolis’ bicycle advocacy group) and Sun King Brewing:

INDYCOG is partnering with Sun King Brewing Company to deliver a message of mutual respect on our roadways. The Coaster Safety messaging, which is part of an overall campaign known as Riders in the Know, consists of six messages: three focused on motorists and three on cyclists. These messages are designed to educate and mitigate conflict on our roadways. Sun King will be printing these messages on 20,000 drink coasters that they will distribute to bars and restaurants in the Indianapolis area who carry their product. The first two messages began circulating in early September, while the other four messages will be released with other local breweries over the fall and winter months.

“Sun King is focused on making our community a better place to live and work. We love working with INDYCOG to spread the word about bicycle advocacy and this coaster project is a great way to get the word about bicycle safety out all over Indy,’ said Clay Robinson, brewer/co-owner of Sun King Brewing Company.

“While crashes between bicycles and automobiles are not common (17% of all bicycle crashes), we would like to reduce that number to zero. We feel by concentrating our messaging on 6 of the most common causes for collisions between these two groups, we can contribute to working towards that goal,” said Kevin Whited, executive director, INDYCOG.

For more information on the Riders in the Know project or other information on bicycle safety, please visit INDYCOG online at www.theindycog.com.

Good News Continues for Indiana Brewers

Earlier this year, I was fortunate to get to work on a BizVoice story about brewing in Indiana. As Indiana’s breweries continue to battle the "big guys" for market share, it appears the "drink local" movement has the momentum. Inside INdiana Business’ Gerry Dick spoke with Brewers of Indiana Guild President Ted Miller about the state of the industry, pointing about that the breweries are growing all over the state now. Watch the interview:

Indiana’s emerging craft beer industry is showing no signs of slowing down. The Brewers of Indiana Guild says there are 49 breweries in the state with another 12 on tap, boosted by an increasing trend among consumers to buy local. The state has been behind other areas of the country in jumping into the craft beer craze, but the guild says it now ranks 25th in breweries per capita. Guild President Ted Miller discusses the state of the industry during an appearance on Inside INdiana Business Television.

Brewers Guild President Pushes for Lower Taxes for Small Breweries

If you’re like me, you love beer. And you love beer made in Indiana the most. When I spoke with folks like Sun King founder Clay Robinson for this BizVoice article earlier this year, it became clear that local breweries were challenged with meeting the skyrocketing local demand for their product. Great news for the brewing industry, but it means obstacles must be removed. Brewers of Indiana Guild President Ted Miller is now in Washington, D.C., working to remove one of those barriers:

The president of the Brewers of Indiana Guild is in Washington, D.C. lobbying for a bill that would reduce excise taxes for Indiana’s growing small brewing industry. Ted Miller says the proposal, which would cut per-barrel taxes in half up to 60,000 barrels, would give beer makers more capital to upgrade facilities and create jobs. The bill is currently in committee, but Miller says he’s hopeful it will pass after the November election.

The proposal would also cut excise taxes from $18 to $16 per barrel between 60,000 and 2 million barrels.

Miller says larger breweries are fighting the bill, saying it would create an uneven playing field.

He says many small brewers in Indiana "can’t make enough beer," and the tax cuts would allow them to install new equipment and hire new employees. In addition, Miller says there would be indirect job creation as breweries hire electricians and plumbers to install the equipment.

Conner Prairie History on Tap: Think While You Drink

The craft beer explosion in Indiana over the last few years has been downright euphoric for those of us who enjoy beer brewed with care. Conner Prairie’s Horizon Council (a group for young professionals — to which I belong, actually) will be putting a new spin on the movement on June 15 when it hosts "History on Tap" at Conner Prairie. 

The event will feature beers from Sun King Brewing, Bier Brewery, Upland Brewing Co. and Fountain Square Brew, among others. Additionally, Douglas Wissing, author of Indiana: One Pint at a Time, will be on hand to speak about the history of brewing in Indiana. Wissing was featured in the 2011 article in BizVoice about Indiana’s microbrew industry, "Taste of Success: Local Craft Brewers Building an Industry."

You can register for the event here.

Local Brews Pouring Over Minds of Hoosier Drinkers

Tom Schuman of the Indiana Chamber and BizVoice magazine interviews Ted Miller of Brugge Brasserie and the Brewers of Indiana Guild about the state of craft brewing in Indiana. Furthermore, see my story in BizVoice, based on conversations with Miller, folks from Sun King Brewing and the Lafayette Brewing Co., and others.

‘Stay Classy, Terre Haute’: Will Ferrell Brings Beer Ads to Indiana

Back in September, there were reports of Will Ferrell running around Terre Haute.

The actor, famous for his starring roles in “Elf,” “Talladega Nights” and “Anchorman” (his signoff phrase as a news anchor: “You stay classy, San Diego”), was seen by residents and local media wearing a cheesy polo shirt, khaki shorts, tube socks and sandals (yikes) and standing in the middle of a busy city intersection with a small camera crew.

It was rumored at the time that he seemed to be carrying around a can and was potentially shooting a commercial of some kind – though details were vague at best.

Finally, if you live in the Terre Haute viewing area, you’re likely to see the result of Ferrell’s antics at the intersection of Wabash and Seventh streets and along the railroad tracks near 10th and Ohio streets (there are two commercials).

In one commercial posted here on YouTube, Ferrell waxes philosophical for a few seconds on being in the Crossroads of America and then proceeds to crack open a frosty cold Old Milwaukee brew. In the other,  you can see him walking along a railroad track going on about rusty trampolines before popping open the beverage.

The Terre Haute Tribune-Star reported that the ads were Ferrell’s idea and were produced by his web site, FunnyorDie.com (beware: probably salty language), Ferrell reportedly shot three commercials in Davenport, Iowa and at least two in Terre Haute. For now, the newspaper reports, the commercials will only be aired in the markets where they were shot – but you can watch them online no matter where you live.

It’s Good to be (Sun) King

Chamber member Sun King Brewery (Indianapolis) recently returned from the 30th annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver with some serious hardware. (Check out the Huffington Post article.)The brewery reports:

Sun King Brewing Co. is proud to announce that it was the recipient of eight medals at the 30th annual Great American Beer Festival. Not only did Sun King lead the field in total medal count, its four Gold Medals were the most won by any single brewery.

The winning entries were:

  • Gold Medal, Coffee Beer, JAVA MAC
  • Gold Medal, Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale, BUFFALO SLUMBER
  • Gold Medal, Classic Irish-Dry Stout, RING OF DINGLE
  • Gold Medal, Scotch Ale, WEE MUCKLE
  • Silver Medal, Wood and Barrel Aged Beer, WEE POGUE
  • Silver Medal, Wood and Barrel Aged Strong Beer, BOURBON BARREL JOHAN
  • Silver Medal, American-Style or International Pilsner, POPCORN PILSNER
  • Bronze Medal, Barley Wine-Style Ale, JOHAN THE BARLEYWINE

Hosted by the Brewer’s Association, the GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world, with 3,930 beers vying for Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals. Those beers are rated in 83 categories and Indiana breweries had the highest winning rate by state at 19.2% (10 medals out of 52 total entries).

Three other Indiana brewers took home hardware at the GABF.

  • Silver Medal, German-Style Marzen, MUNSTER FEST (Three Floyds, Munster, Ind.)
  • Silver Medal, Scottish-Style Ale, NAUGHTY SCOT (Rock Bottom – College Park, Indianapolis)*
  • Bronze Medal, American-Style Brett Ale, GRIMALKIN – SUPER KITTY FANTASTICO (Brugge Brasserie, Indianapolis)