Brew Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year again. To make promises to yourself that you'll stick to for a few days or maybe a month if you're really good, and then discard them like a full light beer at your friend's holiday party and forget it ever happened. It's New Year's Resolutions time!!!!

Here at IBB we thought it would make more sense to discuss our NYRs in the context of beer, because they say that you're more likely to be successful if you do something with friends... and besides we already like beer!

The Brewnibomber
1. Getting to Know You- I have a general goal to get more involved in the local craft beer scene and get to know the people who make it happen; the brewers, the bartenders, the drinkers, and on and on. The main way I hope to accomplish this is by attending and volunteering at events. Last year I volunteered at DigIN and enjoyed pouring beer for people and working along side some of the area's best brewers. Winterfest is the first major event coming up and I've already put my name in to volunteer for that. Also, I might be giving a talk at a Girls Pint Out event early 2014 (about glassware of course).
Attend/Volunteer at 5 events.

2. Dark Lord Day- I've never been. That's all I need to say. Go to DLD 2014. 

3. Branch Out- I tend to not get outside of Indy much to visit other breweries, but there are some good things going on in neighboring cities: Against the Grain in Louisville, Rhinegeist and Rivertown in Cincinnati, and all the things popping up in the Chicagoland area. Rhinegeist is first on the list this year with a planned visit when they tap Sabertooth Tiger again... should be early February. Visit 5 Breweries in Neighboring states, and 5 new ones in state.

The Big Guy
1. Brew like a big boy - I've been brewing for a few years now and I want to see what the next level is. I want to take time to help out at a full scale brewery and do a little brewing. It would be even better if I could do one of my own recipes, but I don't think that's happening yet.

2. Dark Lord Day - ditto

3. Give Back - We are so blessed craft beer lovers, bloggers and people in general. This year I want to do more with the blog and our readers to help give back to our community. We aren't just drunks, we can be philanthropic drunks. There are so many great events going on around town and so many great causes, it would be silly for us not to do what we can to give back.

The Little Lady
1. Developing Appreciation - I have a tendency to write off certain styles because they aren't my favorites or aren't my go-to styles. One of the things that I've discovered over the past year through trying more unique beers and studying is that there are plenty of beers in every style that I like. I just need to push myself a little bit more to break out of my happy little porter/stout/sour box and find the things that make me say "I like this, but it's an IPA- how did that happen?" Find at least 5 beers in styles that I would normally avoid that I give a 4 or higher via Untappd.

2. Dark Lord Day n' Stuff - Not only Dark Lord Day, but other events and festivals. There are so many things happening in Indy that it's hard to get to all of them. Next year I want to go to at least two new events, while continuing to go the ones that we really enjoyed this year.

3. Indiana Beer - There's a lot of new breweries coming up in Indiana  that are outside of Indy. I'd like to get to more of them in person. Some of those, both new and established, are between our house and my parents' house outside of Chicago. Convenient excuse to make a weekend visit with them. I'm seeing some road trips in our future next year! Maybe this will finally help me learn some Indiana geography. I plan to visit two new breweries in Indiana and at least five in neighboring states.

O-Dawg
1.  Attend two (out of state) festivals - This next year will be a whirlwind of change for me and my wife.  I hope to attend two or more beer festivals out of state to see how Indiana's Craft Beer Scene measures up to others.  Should be interesting and informative.

2. Stay in touch - Keep reporting from my new home away from home about the craft beer scene and beers to keep on your radar when trading, vacationing, or out of Indiana.

3. Understand The Brewnibomber's obsession with "Proper Glassware" - I am not talking IPA's in a proper IPA glass, I am talking drinking a Flat 12 stout out of a Flat 12 branded snifter.  What's so wrong with drinking it out of a different branded snifter as long as it is out of a snifter?!  I just don't get it... but I will try and at least understand it!

El Duque
1. Beer Adderall- My focus this year was to try and broaden my palate.  There are very few beers I have come to not like, but I need to focus.  I need to give out less 4-5 ratings and really buckle down and learn more about styles and what the peaks and valleys are for taste and quality.  I think it's something serious drinkers try to attain, but I really want to dedicate more time to that, then wandering the isles of liquor stores for weird shit.

2. All of the Festivals- I just want to go to as many events as possible, BUT I would also like to try and hit up at least two out of state ones.  I want to really try and get a draw from the entire Midwest.  Also at the micro brew fest this summer, lets see if I can take down 60 beers like a "professional."

3. Indiana Beer- Like The Little Lady, I would like some more brewery road trips besides the usual Michigan run.  It's one thing to meet these brewers and breweries at festivals or tap takeovers, but another to meet them on their own turf.

Professor Beer
1. Home Brewing - I've helped The Big Guy brew a few batches, and I have a group from work that has done a couple beers, but through most of last year I kept meaning to do some home brewing on my own (and on a regular basis).  I received some home brewing equipment for Christmas this year, so I am running out of excuses.  This year, I resolve to start brewing, and make at least 12 beers (including 2 sours).

2. Boardgaming - As an avid boardgamer (and if "Monopoly" was the first thing that popped into your head, you might want to check out BoardGameGeek to see how the hobby has evolved), I would like to make an attempt to bring these two interests together.  This year, I resolve to involve craft beer in at least three boardgaming events (or boardgaming into beer events).

3. Dark Lord Day -  I hate to sound like an echo here, but I keep missing Dark Lord Day and it has to stop!  No excuses, I want to be at Dark Lord Day this year.  There are also many non-Indianapolis breweries that I need to make time to visit as well.  This year, I resolve to go to Dark Lord Day, and at least three new (to me) Indiana breweries outside of Indianapolis.

The Best posts of 2013 you probably never read

No matter how dedicated you are to our awesomeness, you may have missed some really great content. We're each putting together some of our favorite posts that didn't make our top ten posts this year. With a few hundred written there was a big list to choose from. These are all totally posts that you should check out if you missed them the first go around. Cheers!

The Big Guy: 

1. Although there is nothing better than a wax topped bomber, we have to keep up with technology. Cans are in fact the way of the future. Sun King, Flat 12, Daredevil, Great Crescent and many many more are leading the way in IN.
2. Grapefruit Jungle is one of my all time favorite IPAs. O-Dawg did a great job with the write-up, if you missed GFJ this year, make sure you DO NOT miss it next year. I'd put this against Pliny and Heady Topper any day.
3. The trading community isn't huge but its important that we keep Indiana looking good. Here are some guidelines for trading beers so you don't look like an asshole your first time around.

The BrewniBomber:

I'm newer to the blog, so I won't be nominating any of my own posts, but you can see them here. Events are one my favorite parts of the beer community:

1. I volunteered at DigIN this year, which is a newer event and I highly recommend you go next year. While I didn't write about my volunteer experience O-Dawg did. Plus, if you look closely you'll see yours truly in one of the DigIN photos!
2. I did attend the Indiana Summer Microbrewers festival and personally had a great experience, but you can see what others had to say here, here, and here
3. I was bummed I missed the inaugural CANvitational and would've liked to volunteer like O-dawg (someone should tell him that he needs to actually work when volunteering), but alas I was drinking lots and lots of beer in San Diego at the time. It got some attention, but the Little Lady's interview with Sun King's Clay Robinson is worth another read.

El Duque:

Going through the Beer Barons posts for the year was pretty epic.  Unbelievably amazing year in Indiana.

1. For my self nomination, I choose my posts on European beers that are either breaking rules like American craft, or help us gain perspective on pillars of traditional style to help get a better grounding.  Although debatable, I think having posts about breweries that are not common, but have been around for HUNDREDS of years are important to the American drinker.  I also have a school girl crush on Freigeist Bierkultur, so there's that.  You can read them here, here, here, here, here, and of course, more to come!
2. I geeked out for this beer and I think it showed in this post that was probably the best one I've written so far.  A lot of beers are getting Bretts added to them, but Anchorage are slaying it.
3. The Stone Vertical Epic tasting party was definitely a highlight of the year.  With all the bloggers there indulging in beer pairings and an amazing series of beers it was just... it was a coalescence of everything everyone in this blog has been trying to do.  Since then, things have only gotten better with laser focus.  Here are the different posts from the bloggers presented in chronological order: El Duque The Big Guy, Professor Beer

Professor Beer:

I am partial our The Scene posts, they are about more than the beer -- places you might go to enjoy that beer.  They also seem to often fly under the radar (with Savage's Ale House being the obvious exception).

1. Three Floyds - Our road trip up to Three Floyds was a lot of fun (despite the sunburn on my freshly shaved dome), and the brewpub was spectacular.  I highly recommend the pilgrimage for any Indiana beer aficionado.
2. Union Brewing Company - I always appreciate new local beer (and, for me, you can't get much more local than the UBC; since they're within walking distance of my place), and they definitely have an interesting niche producing (almost) exclusively cask ales.
3. Tin Man Brewing Company - I've always enjoyed Tin Man's theme, and their tasting room looks like a cool place to grab a brew.  I have not been there yet, but I have been meaning to make the trip down for a while.
4. Brew Dog - While Brew Dog may be less applicable to our average reader (not being in the country, let alone Indiana), it is certainly an interesting place, and seems to be worth visiting if you ever happen to be in the area.

O-Dawg:

We'll see where this takes us...

1. Guess what?  Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout is still awesome... Even though they got eaten by the big Bad AB InBev.  Check out The Big Guys Evolution of a Stout!
2. Speaking of awesome stouts...  I can't pontificate more about 1221 from Fountain Square Brewing.  Judging from the hits you guys must have missed the review.  Here it is again!
3. Canned beer makes it to more parties than bottled.  A little blast from the past in the Month of May, Beers to drink at the speedway!

Top 10 Posts of 2013

We had a fantastic time this year checking out new beer, new places to drink beer, new beer-related events, and new things to make the beer-drinking experience better. We do these things for you, and it seems like you're having at least a little bit of fun with us.

These were the most visited posts of 2013.

1. The Big Guy's Beer Gear introducing the new IPA glass created by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada.

2. The Big Guy's Beer Gear about the Teku glass, the universal beer tasting glass

3. El Duque's Scene where we visited Savages Ale House in Muncie Indiana

4. O-Dawg's POURsuasion talking about craft beer vs crafty beer in our market

5. O-Dawg's POURsuasion where he enlightens us about the difference between beer and a shandy.

6. El Duque's tried to help us all use beer to shed a few extra ponds with Gator-Ale.

7. Professor Beer's review on the glory that is Union Brewing Company's Cannonball Doyle.

8. The Big Guy talks about the importance of drinking your IPA's right now while it's fresh

9. O-Dawg brings you in to a new and totally under loved festival with Oktobeerfest by Mad Anthony.

10. The Big Guy gives us the run down on all of the pumpkin beers with a Barron's blind taste test.

As our first full year as a blog comes to a close we wanted to make sure to thank you all for reading. Without you and the craft beer community there really is no reason for us to be writing. Through your love and attention we've grown pretty quickly this year and hope to bring you even more awesome content next year.

Cheers!