Craft and Specialty Beer Update: June 16, 2010

Each week we try to give you the low down on what’s happening with our craft and specialty brands in the state of Indiana. We highlight new products, expected shipments and arrival dates for each brewery and importer in our portfolio.

US Craft Brands -

Abita (Louisiana): Satsuma Wit is in stock now. Also, a special pilsner called S.O.S (Save Our Shoreline) will be bottled and shipped to Indiana in August.  75 cents of each bottle of S.O.S. will benefit recovery efforts of the Louisiana coastline. From Abita: “This unfiltered Weizen Pils is made with Pilsner and Wheat malts.  It is hopped and dry hopped with Sterling and German Perle hops.  It has a brilliant gold color, sweet malts flavor, and a pleasant bitterness and aroma.   It is 7% ABV and has 35 IBU.”

Take Beer out of the Ball Game?

I just spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Victory Field with my lovely wife and daughter enjoying a sunny day of baseball and a few good beers. Sitting on the outfield grass I couldn’t help but feel blessed that the beer gods had smiled enough on me that local brewers like Oaken Barrel, Sun King and Upland would be represented at the ballpark in addition to great brews from Bell’s, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium. Truly, I was blessed to have such choices.

But why can’t every ballpark, stadium or concert venue have such choices? It’s a question I am often asked about and a situation I sometimes despair over.

Why can’t there be great craft beers at venues like Verizon Wireless, Conseco Fieldhouse or Lucas Oil Stadium?

New Beers to Indiana – March 25, 2010

There are a bunch of new beers to Indiana this month and next, with most of them hitting store shelves this week on into April and May. In addition, Bell’s Oberon makes it’s long awaited return to Indiana on March 29th. A complete map to all Indiana bars and restaurants who will be pouring Oberon draft on March 29th is now available at the World Class Beverages website.

It’s March Madness, World Class Beverages style!

Hop Dam! Coming Soon to Indiana

Fred Karm, Owner and Brewer

Hoppin Frog Brewing of Akron, Ohio isn’t the biggest brewery in the northeast part of Ohio, but it’s earned a reputation for being the best. Just this month, they were ranked by RateBeer.com as the 24th best brewery in the world! (See the story at Hopping Frog’s website at:
http://www.hoppinfrog.com/news/hoppin-frog-on-list-of-worlds-top-brewers/
.)

”I’m just blown away,” Hoppin’ Frog owner and brewer Fred Karm said. ”I just think of myself as making beer for my friends and family. It’s unfathomable.”

Hoppin Frog’s reputation and status is built on big beers like BORIS the Crusher, an astounding Russian Imperial Stout that also comes in a very scarce barrel aged version. But Hoppin Frog has also been quite liberal in their use of hops and coming soon to Indiana is their “triple IPA” called Hop Dam. We’re grateful to Fred for getting us 30 cases of this amazing beer!

From the Hoppin Frog website: