130 Indiana Beers! HopCat's grand opening

HopCat Broad Ripple has come a long way since we checked out the building progress in June. This Saturday marked their grand opening, and what better way to join Indy's craft beer scene than by putting 130 different Indiana beers on tap?

 For anyone who may have missed the announcement, HopCat is the newest beer bar in Broad Ripple. Indy is the first location outside of their home state of Michigan and we couldn't be prouder to have them.

HopCat also had a deal where the first 200 people who showed up got free "crack fries" for a year. That's 52 orders of their delicious seasoned french fries over the next year. As a big fan of french fries, and an even bigger fan of Indiana beer, I dragged Brie to get in line at nine in the morning. I've waited in line for beer releases and I've waited in line for events. I have never waited in line for a bar opening.

We arrived two hours early and we were more than one hundred people back in line. When we got there we found out two guys go to the entrance at 3:30 in the morning and literally rolled out sleeping bags and slept in line. The two hours we sat in the rain sharing beers with line goers was nothing. In the end it was all worth while when I got my card for free crack fries for a year! It says a lot about a bar that people get so excited to form a line as long as HopCat had.

 

When we got through the door, it was like when Charlie first got into the chocolate factory. HopCat was bigger than I expected, with two bars, tons of seating and an awesome patio. Sadly, it was raining, so no one was using the patio. Even with the rain they opened the doors and we got a table with a view. The rock star decor and the insane beer geek atmosphere made it kind of like sitting in on a Rolling Stones party. There is custom artwork on the walls and the bar has a great mash up of modern and traditional decor, while still being warm and inviting.

 

Four of us made it through about sixteen beers, passing them around and trying a little bit of everything. Sun King and Upland brought the mother load with thirty beers each. Sun King dominated with its Kings Reserve and barrel aged brews. My favorite from them was the Cuvee de Sun King, a lightly sour dark cuvee and the Isle Barrel Aged Wee Muckle, their Wee Muckle aged in scotch whiskey barrels. Other awesome brews, were Triton's French Toast Saison, and Three Floyd's Big Tiddy Assassin and the Upland Pineapple IPA.

There were so many beers that I feel like I barely scratched the surface. I would have loved to drink the entire list. I'm excited to see how long some of these great Indiana beers last on draft, and I know I will be stopping in this week to get whatever left overs they have. If you weren't able to go to the release, go soon! This is probably more Indiana beer options than we have at most festivals and I would be sad if anyone missed it.

Now, all these great Indiana beers won't be there all the time, but the food will and the food was outstanding. I got a pretzel breaded pork tenderloin. That's not a tenderloin on a pretzel bun, that's a tenderloin breaded with pretzel crumbs. The pretel crumbs gave it a really dark color, that almost looked burnt, but it was not even close. The pork was juicy inside and the pretzel really gave it a unique flavor and a crispy outside. The beer cheese soup was insanely good. It was so rich, that it was probably more like a cheese dip then a soup.

On top of all that, the crack fries were pretty outstanding. Their crack fries are a lightly spicy seasoned french fry. They are awesome standard but can be loaded and topped with some great options. Brie got her go to, mac and cheese, and was happy about the gooey cheese and noodles. Everyone at our table really liked the food and for as busy as they were the service wasn't bad. You'd think with a horde of beer geeks banging down your doors nothing would get done, but we were seated, fed and on our way home in less than three hours.

This is quickly going to be one of my favorite spots to do some drinking and some eating.

Thunder, Thunder, Thunderbird HO!!!

Thunderbird is a trendy place in the Fountain Square neighborhood with upscale modern cuisine and an impressive array of custom prohibition style cocktails. In a classy bar like this, it shouldn't surprise anyone that they have a pretty solid  number of craft beer taps. Brie and I have been in a few times with friends and I thought it was about time I put up a review.

The atmosphere at Thunderbird is awesome. It has cozy booths along the walls with large communal tables in the center of the bar. There is a great horseshoe shaped bar in the center. There are even small bar areas in the windows that let you check out the people walking around Fountain Square. The decor is like a rustic ski chalet in the middle of Indiana. There is tons of dark reclaimed wood and bright hanging pendent lights. The ceilings are tall which opens the whole place up, and having the two windows up front allows a ton of natural light in.

The menu changes regularly, but what we've had has been outstanding. The croquette's are amazing. For all of you who are not used to yupy food, croquette is just a fried dough ball of stuff. The ones at Thunderbird have ham hock inside. Hush puppies were also excellent. They took a nice home-style dish and really did a good job elevating it. There service has been good whether we've ordered from a table or the bar. The servers are just as knowledgeable about the drinks as they are the food.

Now since this is a beer blog... It looks like they have about eight rotating taps, and so far they've done an impressive job of keeping some unique things on.
There are always a few local Indy beers and normally a bunch of interesting regional options. They are starting to get more active with things like tap takeovers and other beer related events. We were able to go out for an Urban Chestnut takeover and tried a bunch of exciting one offs. Although this is not necessarily a beer bar, they do a good job keeping fun options on the menu, and for those of us with significant others, sometimes its good to go somewhere that doesn't just have beer.

I give the food an outstanding 4.5/5
I give the beer menu a solid 4/5

Check them out on socail media:

Facebook: tbirdindy
Instagram: Thunderbirdindy
Twitter: Thunderbirdindy

Lets Give a Warm Welcome to HopCat!

Where can you find unique beers on tap in Indy? Right now you can count the great spots we have on two hands. With the huge boom in craft breweries here in central Indiana, it only makes sense that we're going to need a lot more places to drink that beer.

Our growing craft community has caught the eye of the big guy up north. HopCat, a titan in Michigan's craft beer scene, is opening their third location right here in Broad Ripple. HopCat, Grand Rapids, was rated as the number 3 Beer Bar on Planet earth by Beer Advocate and number 1 Brewpub in the US by Ratebeer.com. They have one hell of a reputation. Here they will have 130 taps available which will be the largest draft system in the state.

There are a lot of bars here in Indy that do a good job with craft beer, but not many that specialize in it. We have such great breweries that have been around for a while and that are brand new, it's awesome to see more bars that specialize in craft beer popping up. This will mean more unique beers on tap on a regular basis and more servers trained to talk about beer. It will help the overall education of the community. If we are going to keep the revolution moving we need more places pouring our beer all the time, where geeks like us can go in and try new things and talk to someone who really knows what's going on.

To bring a little more Indianapolis excitement HopCat had a hops planting instead of a formal ground breaking ceremony last week. Local news outlets came out to see the skeleton of the space that will hold the bar and restaurant. Clay from Sun King, and President of the Brewers of Indiana Guild came to talk about the new bar and what it would really mean for Indiana beer.

The official launch is August 16th and they are hosting a huge tap takeover with all 130 taps pouring delicious Indiana beer. That's more local beer than you see at some Indiana festivals! With HopCat already being engaged with the guild, I'm sure there will be some rare treats and crazy brews tapped at the take over.

"HopCat Founder Mark Sellers said the Hoosier tap takeover event will provide patrons with a chance to experience the incredible variety, artistry and creativity within Indiana's craft brewing community."

The first 200 customers in line before 11am will all get a magic card that gives them an order of deliciously addictive Crack Fries every week for the next year. For those of you who hate lines, everyone will get a free order of Crack Fries on opening day.

I'm really exited for another great craft beer bar. Hell, I'd be excited if we got ten more true craft beer bars. I'm excited for more great beers on tap regularly. I'm excited for a better platform to show off the great beer made here in Indiana. I'm excited for a menu that's all made to pair with beer. I'm excited to wait in line at HopCat Indy's grand opening!

Right now HopCat is hiring to fill more than 100 jobs at the Indy location. If you want to be part of the beer community here in Indy email them at indy.jobs@hopcat.com

Check out HopCat on Social Media.

Facebook: HopCat - Broad Ripple
Twitter: hopcatbr
Instagram: hopcatbr

Binkleys Kitchen and Bar

"From 1928 until the early 70s, the corner of Kessler and College was home to Binkley's Drug Store, which served the booming Broad Ripple, Forest Hills and Meridian Kessler neighborhoods. Scores of youngsters got their first fountain drink, milkshake, banana split and, yes, cough medicine at Binkley's. Years later, many of those same youngsters stopped in to buy their first baby formula, fifth anniversary card and seventh pair of Foster Grants"

I used to live just outside Broadripple, and Binkley's Kitchen and Bar was my favorite date night spot. It has a strong blend of family friendly local eatery and high end bar. They have brought some good local brews and an occasional hard to find beer here and there. Recently, they've started bringing in a few big beers like their KBS tapping last month, and that's why I decided to check them out again.

They had run out of the KBS but I was able to get DFG by Bier, so it wasn't much of a loss. Beer was served in the correct glassware and everything. Russ would be so proud.

We were in a hurry so we got soup and entrees and skipped the appetizers even though there were some really tasty looking options. The soup was a lemon chicken soup that was perfect for spring. I got the slider entree, and they were perfectly done mini burgers. So often when you order a slider they show up overdone because its hard to get the temperature right on such a small patty, so it was great to see them come to me perfectly cooked. The cheese could have been left on a little bit longer so it would have melted. My meal was good but my wife's meal was excellent. Brie got a pesto gnocchi and it was incredible. The gnocchi was tender without being too gluey. The sauce was delicious. The pesto was nice and sweet with really big flavors. It was an outstanding dish.

This is a great place for a date if you're a beer geek because your significant other doesn't have to be. They have a huge cocktail list and tons of great wines. It can be a best of both worlds situation where you can get your beer and they can get whatever they want and it will be well prepared.

Fat Dan's Deli: Bringing a Little Bit of Chicago to Indy.

Nestled in the heart of South Broadripple, or "SoBro" as some might call it, you will find a variety of bars and restaurants.  There is Yats, the Cajun style eatery with sloppily delicious grub that is budget friendly.  There is also Taste Cafe for those who want a little more sophistication in their dining experience.  Friendly bars like Moe and Johnny's, where you can get endless bowls of free peanuts and the Aristocrat which features 60 taps mainly pouring craft beers.  You want upscale dining?  SoBro has it with spots like Mama Carolla's and Recess.  From Sam's Gyro's, to the Upland tasting room, the Sinking Ship, and the craft beer bar giant in this city, Twenty Tap, SoBro is one of the most established little pockets of diversity in food and beer that I love in the area.

The spot that stands out for me in SoBro is Fat Dan's Deli. Dan describes the whole thing as "Comfort Chicago street food...think ballpark and street festival-good times- cold beers, music, food."

I'll admit that growing up in Northern Indiana and being raised on Chicago sports and Chicago food has me a little biased towards this local Indy joint that focuses on a plethora of Windy City eats and craft beers.  The first time I walked into this restaurant on the northwest side of 54th and College I felt like I was at home.  

 

 

The bar/dining area is quaint, cozy, and decked out with Chicago sports memorabilia and a couple large TV's.  Dan told me its like "my basement that I've invited you to come to and hang out in. I take what I do personally, and take great pride in my food, the atmosphere we've created and our friends that enjoy our spot." During football season, this is one of the few spots in the city that exclusively shows Chicago Bears games with audio throughout the room.  Not shockingly, I can be found there most NFL Sundays.  The staff is friendly, fun, and incredibly engaging.  Dan, himself, is one of the most genuinely nice guys that I've met in the restaurant business.

 

Since this is a beer blog, let's talk about the beer at Fat Dan's.  They sport 10 draft lines and generally 2 of those are dedicated to nitro pouring.  The nitro selections for my visit were Founders Dry Hopped American Pale Ale and Lefthand Milk Stout Nitro.  There are 7 lines dedicated to a variety of local/regional/and national craft beers.  Selecting brews for a place like this can be difficult but Dan has a philosophy, "We all like beer-we feel like we know what's good and if we like it, then a lot of other people will too. We like to rotate some of the local breweries and add regional crafts that other places around town don't know about or have on tap themselves..." I've visited this place multiple times and can tell you that the variety here is good enough to usually satisfy anyone.  Featuring beers from Stone, DESTIHL, Fat Heads, Founders, Bells, Goose Island, Bier Brewery, Quaff On, and many, many more, you  are sure to find something that will be more than satisfying.  The last line, and the only constant beer always on tap, is that good old Chicago classic....Old Style. Growing up in Northern Indiana, I attended many Chicago Cubs games.  As I attended those games as an adult, one of the best experiences is drinking that Old Style in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.  There aren't many places in Indy where I can sit and watch a Cubs game and drink an Old Style.  Being as big of a beer geek as I am, I can still tell you that I am not above an occasional Old Style for nostalgia purposes...and Fat Dan's gives me just what I need.  

My most recent visit to Fat Dan's was fueled by my craving for an Italian Beef Sandwich, and to me Dan's beef is the best in the city.  This succulent monstrosity of a sandwich is loaded with perfectly seasoned shredded beef, and topped with crisp, fresh, and spicy giardiniera.  The meat is piled into the hearty Italian roll and the whole sandwich gets briefly submerged into a vat of au jus, which I fondly call "liquid glory".  It's then wrapped in foil and presented to you on hefty parchment paper.  No plates here folks.  Simple, delicious, and satisfying.  I generally order extra peppers on mine...as should you.  Make sure you have a roll of paper towels next to you because this one can get messy.

  

The menu doesn't stop there.  The Chicago Dog, Maxwell St. Polish, the Chicago Combo are all fantastic standards.  You want burgers?  Fat Dan's has some of the best in the city.  From the mouth scorching Ghost Burger, to the NY Fatty topped with pastrami and corned beef, these burgers will satisfy the heftiest appetites.  Dan's personal favorite is the straight up Fat Burger. Get yourself a side of the best fries in the universe and this place will have you planning your next visit as you exit the building.

But that's not all.  Dan also has a variety of smoked food that is prepared in-house.  Smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and my favorite...the chicken wings are just some of the things he cooks using all hickory wood for that authentic smoked flavor.  I've added pictures of their menu...you are sure to find something you will enjoy. Dan has big plans for the future, " Any future plans related to food, beer, locations...etc. I want to expand this concept to different cities around the USA and in the Caribbean. I hope to have about 7-10 shops in cities like Denver, Austin, Charlotte, Seattle & NY. I'd like a location or two in maybe The Keys and/or Mexico/Bahamas...some place like that. I didn't set out to make a million bucks with this--I set out to make people happy...I believe if you make people happy and do what you do right each and every time, the money will follow."

Most craft beer geeks in the city visit Twenty Tap with regularity.  If you have been in that area and haven't walked just a few paces north to Fat Dan's, you owe it to yourself to stroll in, belly up to the bar, and get yourself immersed in hearty cuisine and solid beer.  They are celebrating their one year anniversary on 2/18 and if I know this place, they are sure to throw one heck of a party.  And as always at Fat Dan's....hugs are free!

Thanks for reading!

The Scene: Ale Emporium

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Oh Ale Emporium, how I love thee!  Not only do they have the BEST deep dish pizza in town, they have chicken wings that are a solid "I don't feel like pizza" side bar.

They have a beer list a mile long with local and not-so-local stand outs in constant rotation.  I would like to interject that  they have had Dreadnought IPA on tap every single time I have been there. What they don't have on draft is in bottles, what they don't have in bottles is on draft.  If this were a weapons emporium, Crazy Achmed would always find something he wanted.

The Bar is modular (I $hit you not...)  The old Ale Emporium started as a nice all wood bar, Cheers based in Castleton to paint you a picture.  Then the younger crowd was all like "WTF MATE!  I CAN HAZ BANDZ WID MAY KRAFT BEERZ?!"  So the owner ate... err bought out the space next to the bar and made another bar... this time with fully equipped stage for live music on Fridays!

If you are not into the whole "Raise you lighter while Free Bird plays live" thing, they have wall to wall HD flat-screen TVs! Hockey, Football, American Football, ESPN, Local Teams, etc.  If you are way too overly stimulated... Front, if you are young and fun and need distraction... Back!

In recap:

1. Cheers/Traditional Bar up front, Newer Bar/Live music in the back
2. Best pizza and wings combination in town
3. A TON of Craft Beers on draft and bottles

Food: 4

Beer List: 4.5

**Would you still drink your beer if your friend licked it?**

<3**Love you too Honey!**

The Scene: Savage's Ale House

Muncie is an anomaly. 

It has become a beer drinker's paradise, yet does not have a brewery of it's own.  In addition to that, downtown Muncie is away from Ball State's campus and smack in the middle of a manufacturing city recovering from the hard economic downturns of recent years, but it can some how support three quality beer bars.

Savage's Ale House is the newest of the bunch and in three short years, has become a staple of the Muncie community and sports many a beer-loving regular who can easily throw down his $1 PBR while he tells you why you paid too much for that bomber of barley wine.  Savage's has such a good regular crew because of the bar itself.  It feels like you're hanging out in someone's living room.  It's comfortable, inviting and without pretension.

Unlike some bars that bill themselves as "the punk rock bar," Savage's IS a punk rock bar.  One of my favorite things about this place is that the bartenders choose the music, so there's no drunk asshole harshing the mellow by bloating the jukebox with the same song five times in a row.  Also the bartenders operate on the golden rule: "You're an adult, and this is a bar."  If you act like an adult should at a bar, the service is warm and with a smile, but act like an asshole and don't be surprised if your extra wait comes with some snark. 

The owner, Joel Savage, emphasizes a local pub feel.  "Business as usual.  Everyday."  As a native, he understands the community and applies the everyman philosophy to the bar.  Pabst is always $1, except on Mondays, then it's a $3 pitcher.  3 Floyds Alpha King is $3.  In fact, most pints will only set you back $3 to $4, and these aren't shitty domestics.  It is 20 taps of quality.  There's always going to be three 3 Floyds taps and three Bells, but they are constantly rotating and because of Muncie's reputation, they sometimes get treats from breweries, like a keg of Rye'da Tyger.  On top of that, they have a deli case full of bottles and bombers and are always getting new beers.
 
The food follows the same premise.  Well done pub grub.  A DELCO worker could feel just as home here slamming a $1 PBR and noshing $2.50 biscuits and gravy after a long shift as a hipster quaffing his Bells Two Hearted and inhaling a  tenderloin after a game of bike polo in the parking lot behind the bar.  It's also very satisfying to watch drunk girls tackle the Irish Nachos at 2am, dulling their sparkly blouses with equal parts bacon grease and ranch.

As awesome as all these things are, Savage's success has led to some awkward growing pains.  The cheap, but quality beer attracts a bar crowd.  The cheap, but quality food attracts grey hairs and iced tea drinking penny pinchers.  Both crowds have different expectations from the bar tender, who has to do table service as well as tend the bar.  Most of the time, it's not a problem, but whey they get slammed, which happens more often these days, expect for service to be slowed down by their hybrid restaurant/beer bar system.  The bartenders do their best, but it can be...clunky.

Savage's is one of my favorite bars in Indiana.  Their beer list is amazing and I can have dinner and leave with a $20 tab.  Mind blowing.

I give the Beer List a 5.  Every time I go, they either have my rare favorites, or awesome one-offs from breweries and I have no idea how they got them.

I would give the food a 3.5, but their tenderloin is just that good, so my final verdict is a 4

The Scene: The Brockway Public House

The Brockway Public House is right down the street from where I live, and has become one of my favorite places to grab a pint. It has a nice quiet dark atmosphere with plenty of booths and tables tucked away in the nooks and crannies.  In the summer they have a great patio and can open garage doors to let fresh air in. They have a great schedule of live bands, featuring a lot of Kilt Rock, or Irish Rock. When the bands are on stage the atmosphere is anything but quiet.

They've done a great job in bringing local beers and great pub food to Carmel. They mix traditional bar food with Irish Pub food to create something unique and delicious  I had the KP Burger, which is one of my favorites there, and O-Dawg had the bangers and mashed. The KP Burger is infused with cheddar cheese and cooked on a grill with a cover to hold in moisture. Then it's topped with the Brockway's special onion rings. The burger was done to perfection and is always fantastic. My favorite appetizer is the Dublin Pub Crisps. These are thick cut potato chips with their beer cheese covering them and topped with bacon and green onions.

Their beer list is pretty extensive. They have a handful of local beers from Indy and around the Mid West, as well has plenty of imports, specifically from Ireland and the rest of the UK.

We were in for Firkin Friday. This is something new they have worked out. Every Friday they are getting cask conditioned beer from somewhere local around Indy. My impressions were good. We had the Firkin Wee Mac which, I obviously liked. The firkin added a nice okay flavor to the beer that I enjoy so much. On a side note, I give the Firkin Wee Mac a 4 head rating.


I give the food a 3.5

I give the drink menu a 3.5. They do a good mix of local and international.

Sun King Tap Takeover

Sun King came up from downtown and took over the taps at Chatham Tap in Fishers. They brought eight beers with them and dominated the bar. 

I am not sure what I was expecting, but it was mostly the normal bar at Chatham with some taps changed out (when I went to a Bells take over they had stickers, raffles etc.). The cool thing was, Sun King brought some of their rare and hard to find beers. If you like something different this was a great event.

I had three of their beers, the Bourbon Barrel Aged Maibock, Stupid Sexy Flanders (sour), and Timmie Imperial Stout.

These are all beers that I was excited to try. I missed the Sourfest, but I heard good things about Stupid Sexy Flanders.

The Bourbon Barrel Aged Maibock was my favorite. It was 8.4% abv and 24 IBU Bavarian Spring Lager that was nine months barrel aged. It reminded me of an Oktoberfest, but lighter. The nose was basically honey and bourbon. The beer showed up with a great looking light brown or dark yellow color and a light white head. It tasted like caramel, toffee and natural honey. The bourbon mingled well with all the different sweet flavors without the usual vanilla flavor that you get from a bourbon barrel aged beer. It helped balance the whole thing out. It had a heavy alcohol finish.

I give it a 4.5

I had the Stupid Sexy Flanders next. This sour or wild ale had 5.4% abv and 23 IBUs. I have not done a lot of sours, so the review is going to be brief. I liked it a lot. The beer was a dark red to mahogany in color with no head.  It had a nice sweet and sour flavor to it that took some getting used to. It reminded me of bitter berries and red wine vinegar, but it was not very fruity. The flavor was complex and very very unique. I recommend you get your hands on it when you can.

I give it a 3.5

Lastly I tried Timmie Imperial Stout. Timmie has 10% abv and 70 IBUs. It came out in a tulip glass. It was a dark brown to black oil colored beer. It smells like heavily roasted malts and boozy alcohol. The beer started off with a very nice dark roasted flavor, not super smokey but it was nicely balanced. The malts tasted like baking chocolate and coffee. There was a nice sharp bitterness with the sweetness. I am not sure that the hops came out heavily but the beer's flavors were so well balanced it was not needed.

I give it a 4

The Scene: Twenty Tap

It took way to long for me to get my suburban derier down to Twenty Tap in the Broadripple area. I should be flogged in the streets because I did not know what I was missing.

When I walked in at 6 pm on a Friday, the place was packed. I put my name in for a table for two and then went into the bar. I never made it out of the bar area...

It took almost an hour before they called my name, but by that time a table had opened up in the bar and I had already finished my first two beers and an appetizer with the Professor. The atmosphere of the bar is fun and modern with enough traditional elements to make it very appealing in Indy. The menu is full of fun fusion foods. We started off with the fried cheese curds. They came with house infused aole. The curds were great, but I don't think anyone can mess up frying cheese. The aole was good, but could have had more flavor.The Professor had the mushroom Ruben. It was mushrooms with sauerkraut Swiss and thousand island. I had the Cuban sandwich and it was excellent. It was probably one of the best Cuban sandwiches I have had this far North.

  

They had a ton of local and craft beers. This is by far the best local beer menu that I have seen around town. The brews were from small town local breweries to large craft breweries. Everything was fresh and on tap. Beers were very well priced, more reasonable than I am used to for craft beer. I had 35k from Against the Grain Brewery, Diesel Oil Stout from Power House and the Preservation from Upland. It was fun having so many different options.

I give the food a 4 but the Professor may disagree

I give the beer line up a 5