Dig-IN 2013

The Big Guy and I had the chance to attend Dig-IN and test out their VIP experience. I was excited to try the event as I'd never been. I love the idea of bringing together so many different groups from the food industry around the state.

That's one of the things I liked during the event itself as well- bringing together the farmers, the chefs, the brewers and the vintners. It was a perfect day to spend the afternoon in the sun at White River Park. Tents were set up towards the middle of the space and each one held at least four local food vendors. There was a space for beer and wine on each side of the main area. From my perspective the set up really helped keep things moving smoothly, and gave you a chance to try a little bit more of everything.

We were given a "passport" that allowed us to go to every restuarant's booth and get a taste of the food. We could also go to every brewery and winery and get a pour. Food portions ranged in size, but if you really liked it there were five "second helpings" boxes you could get. Beer pours were great, and you could always go up and pay to get a full glass.

We had friends who had been before and recommended we all get VIP tickets, so the Big Guy and I gave it a try. The VIP tent was off to the side in a roped off area that felt quite swanky. The tent itself had an air-conditioning / fan system going that made it the perfect getaway on a hot day. Two restaurants set up in the main tent and two set up off to the side. Along with all of the great food Flat 12 and Sun King brought us some really yummy seasonal beers.

All in it was great. My favorite food was the pork belly by Eat Valley. Perfectly seasoned, absolutely delicious and paired with the best polenta I've ever had. My favorite beer was the Harvey by Brugge, the flavor was great, sweet, sour, refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day.

The Big Guy: You may think it's weird to see the beer barons at a food festival and not a beer festival or without changing our name to the food barons. Before you judge, keep in mind, this food festival had more than a dozen breweries in attendance with some standards and some excellent seasonals. The VIP experience was outstanding. The tent was an amazing place to go chill and get out of the afternoon heat. The bathrooms were tucked away and guarded by event staff so it was only VIPs using it. The food felt very VIP and Rob from Flat 12 was even there pouring my favorite beer of the event (Saison du Flat). We also got all we could drink while we were in the tent, because passports were for suckers.

I loved just about everything. It was cool to see how diverse the food for this could really be. Indiana restuarants and farmers really put it together in a big way.

My favorite food vendors were:

1. Pork Belly and Polenta by Eat Valley
2. Pork pate sandwich by Blue Beard in the VIP lounge
3. Pork Torine by the Local
4. Lamb Ruben by the Chefs Academy
5. Spicy Pork (really freaking spicy!!!) by Chef JJ

My favorite brews were

1. Saison du Flat by Flat 12 (I have really been into Saisons this summer, and this one was outstanding I'd give it an easy 4.5)
2. Cream Dream VI by Sun King
3. Black IPA by Tin Man

I was really impressed with all of the awesome food. Since we aren't a food blog go check out the Indy Restaurant Scene for a little better detail on everything we ate. 

#Volunteering #DigIN

This past Sunday was the Annual Dig-IN: A Taste of Indiana Indiana's Farm to Fork Celebration at White River State Park.  Continuing my #volunteer streak I hooked up with the Hoosier Beer Geek (HBG) #volunteer group and helped out at the main gate.  It was a little bit of a cluster at first, but everyone pulled through.  So many volunteers were needed to keep this event running. The HBG crew was one of many groups helping out.  Great job everyone!

For those that don't know about #DigIN, it is a celebration of all that Indiana has to offer.  Everything from farmers, chefs, breweries and wineries from around the state all coming together for a great eating/drinking festival!  Oh wait!  Did I mention music to?!

I want to say that I was only there for the beer, but some chefs/restaurants of note were:

-Tent 4: Anthony Handslits with The Chefs Academy, Indianapolis
Dish: Lamb Ruben, Napa cabbage slaw & Minted Mustard
Just blew me away, great paired with the Tin Man: BIPA I was drinking at the time!

-Tent 1: Chef BJ Davis with Bee Coffee Roasters, Indianapolis
Drink: Plum Buzz Iced Coffee Soda


Not only was this little concoction made with coffee and plum juice, but it was also made with a special vinegar.  What was so special about it?  It was made from a few barrels of Upland Sours that had started to turn to vinegar.  ZOINKS!  It has a great sweet vinegar and coffee nose, light body, that cascades into a pleasant tart sour mellow coffee dry finish that was wonderful on a hot festival day!  I spent more than one of my bonuses on second/thirds of this fantastic brew!  Chef BJ Davis and crew ran out towards the end of the festival.  I hope they make this a staple in their coffee shop!  I wonder if they will make a cherry version in the future...  really accentuate the sour/wild character!

On to the Brews!

Most of what was being served off the Sun King Draft Vans were a lot of the usuals that are currently on draft or bottled around town:
Brugge - Harvey
3Floyds - Pride and Joy, Gumball Head
Daredevil - Lift Off
Triton - Railsplitter
to name a few...

Of Note:
Sun King - Cream Dream VI: Hops Live (VIP)
Flat 12 - Saison du Flat (VIP)
Tin Man - Black IPA
Three Pints - Black IPA
3Floyds - Moloko Milk Stout
Black Swan - Cherrywood Smoked Porter
New Day - South Cider

I know you are asking yourself "Why in all creation was he drinking porters/stouts on a 93 degree day?!"  Honestly, it was a much more pleasant experience then you think!  Everyone had IPAs and Saisons, only two had porters/stouts.  It really broke up the tastings for me!  Also a great nod to Brugge bringing their sour Harvey.  It was the only sour at the festival.  Many a heart was broken when that tap went dry!

A great perk for #Volunteering this time around was the amount of time volunteers had to enjoy the festival.  Also being able to go straight to the taps and get a fresh pint without waiting in the lines didn't hurt!  There were three beverage stations that were made apparent by Sun King's Draft Vans.  Most breweries brought kegs of one kind of brew, while others like 3Floyds brought several different kegs.  If their keg went dry, they tapped something new!  It was fun playing "who has something new on tap now" as a side game while Joe and I walked the food tents.  Speaking of Joe...

A big thanks to Joe Walsh with Flat 12 for taking me around and introducing me to several head brewers and higher ups in the brewing arena!  I finally got to meet Clay Robinson with Sun King, Barnaby Struv with 3Floyds, Brett Canaday with New Day, Fred Hillenbrand with Tin Man & Michael Pearson with Daredevil.  I also had a great conversation with Master BJCP Beer Judge Sandy Cockerham on Berliner Weisse style beers.  I was pleasantly surprised that she enjoyed the Berliner Weisse style as much as The Barons and I did.  I hope I hear from her soon so I know where to send that Deesko! I offered her.

All in all a great laid back festival atmosphere. Even with the slight dehydration and sun burn, Great times!  If you couldn't join us this year, we hope to see you next year!

Get Ready to Dig IN

If you haven't heard of Dig IN, it might be because it isn't a brew festival, its a food festival. There are tons of chefs from great restaurants out in force, bringing some of their best bites to us. The festivities take place Sunday, August 25th from noon-five. Tickets are still on sale at the above link.

On top of everything else there are sixteen breweries from around the Indianapolis area. Expect to see Barley Island, Bier, Black Swan, Bloomington Brewing Co, Broadripple Brewpub, Brugge, Cutters, Daredevil, Flat 12, Fountain Square, Sun King, Three Pints, Three Wisemen, Tin Man, Triton and Upland.

For those of you who are foodies, expect to see Chef JJ, who I just visited earlier this summer. We have also checked out the Local Eatery and Pub.

O-Dawg is volenteering and the Little Lady and I will be checking out their VIP experience. Look for write ups next week, or better yet, just plan on coming out to check out the fun with us on Sunday.

The Scene: Black Swan

I spend a ton of time in Plainfield for my job. I started off just eating at this place and the food is great. It took me an embarrassingly long time to get them on my monthly tasting rounds.

They have a great location just off of I-70. The atmosphere is a nice combination of rustic style and modern clean lines. The whole thing is well put together and reminds me more of a restaurant than a pub or tavern. Their bar is warm and inviting with half a dozen seats and a handful of small tables near by. It is made out of beautiful dark woods with all the taps lining the back wall along with the classic brewery chalk board. I am pretty sure that without the chalk board no brewery could function. The beer is obviously their passion but the food seems to be what brings in the patrons. The restaurant is by far the larger part of the building.

Black Swan serves up some great food. I've been having lunch there for a while and I have not had anything that disappointed me. Their food is high end rustic Midwest cuisine. There are a lot of Indiana classics that are done with bit of flare.  One of the dishes that they are best known for is their Signature Reuben sandwich and it is outstanding. The corned beef is nice and tender. It is hunks like you get from a pot roast instead of your normal sandwich slices. The kraut is great and they use just enough bread to keep it all in place without ruining the flavor. 

Another one of my favorite things is their french fries. When you order, you have to choose a seasoning for them to be tossed in and a sauce to dip in. The flavor combinations are great. I love the salt and vinegar toss.

This place is an excellent place for lunch, but that is just half of it. They also do some pretty good brews. I have had a few of their standard beers and a few of their sours. This brewery does a good job of taking some risks and playing it safe. Their anniversary beers were some of the best local brews I have found. 

Check them out for lunch or dinner.

I give their food a 4

Black Swan 2 Year Anniversary

Congratulations to Black Swan Brewpub, who just celebrated their two year anniversary. Way to help make Central Indiana a great place for beer!

They made three beers to celebrate their anniversary, and they were great.

They had the 2011 Roggenwein, the BackBone Barrel Imperial Brown Rye, and the BackBone Barrel Oatmeal Stout.

They were all outstanding beers, but sadly I couldn't take them home because they had too high an abv.

The Oatmeal Stout had a great barrel aged flavor with a nice oakiness and whiskey flavor. The Imperial Brown Rye was malty and sweet. It had a hyped up flavor that I could not put down. The 2011 Roggenwein was also a malty and delicious barleywine. All three had great flavor. I recomend you go get a sample and try them all. (A sample of each is just $4; while available.)

I give the 2011 Roggenwein a 3.5

I give the Imperial Brown Rye a 4.5

I give the Oatmeal Stout a 4

Way to go Black Swan, and congratulations on two good years.

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