Bierkultur: Bloomington Craft Beer Week

Three years ago, the Brewers of Indiana Guild decided to expand its bill of beer festivals.

The standard bearer of Indiana beer festivals was already Winterfest in Indianapolis, which brings thousands of hopheads to the state fairgrounds every January. There’s also Dark Lord Day in Munster, Ind., hosted by Three Floyds, Hoosier Hops & Harvest in Brown County and a gaggle of others.

To hit a new, growing market of southern Indiana brewers and the college community of Bloomington, the Guild brought a beer festival to the historic Woolery Mill on the southwest side of town.

Today, the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival brings in brewers and craft beer drinkers from all across the state to talk about the craft and sample some damn fine brews.
The Guild has extended the events beyond the Saturday festival to a week-long celebration of hops, yeast and grain. The inaugural Bloomington Craft Beer Week offers a variety of events for the casual drinker and the full-out beer nerd.

All week
15 percent off all Bloomington beers at Sahara Mart on East Third Street.
Battle of Bloomington Beers at Kilroy’s on Kirkwood. A friendly competition between Upland, Bloomington Brewing Company and Cutters. The first brewery to blow a keg wins.

Tuesday
Cutters Brewing Co. at Scenic View Restaurant, pint glass giveaways and sample tastings. 6 to 8 p.m.
Brewers Workshop at The Tap, meet brewers from Sun King, Brugge, Black Acre and Flat 12 . 630 p.m.
Yogi’s Beer School with Indiana beers. Free samples and beer talk at 7 p.m..

Wednesday
Girls Pint Out at The Tap, hang out with the women of GPO Indianapolis chapter, hosted by Cutters.
Restaurant Tallent pairing with Bloomington Brewing Company. Call Restaurant Tallent for reservations.
Triton Brewery Tap Takeover at Max’s Place, 6 to 9 p.m.
Cutters Brewing Tap Takeover at Nick’s English Hut with new Sour Brown Ale and Belgian Pale Ale, 7 to 10 p.m.
Cheap Pint Night at The Bishop, all Indiana breweries have $3 pints.

Thursday
Lecture at The Bishop, free lecture from Ed Herrmann of the IU Department of Anthropology on the history and production of beer, 6 p.m.
Upland release party of Champagne Velvet at The Tap, taste the historic “beer with the million dollar taste,” back on the market for the first time in decades.
Tap Takeovers Fountain Square at The Owlery, Flat 12 at Max’s Place, BBC at Nick’s.

Friday
Special tapping of Cutters blend of Empire Stout and Floyd’s Folly Scottish Ale at Yogi’s, 7 p.m.
Bloomington brewers (Upland, BBC, Cutters) will be at The Video Saloon for beer tastings, 11 p.m.
New Albanian and BBC tap takeover at The Tap, 7 p.m.

Saturday
Bloomington Craft Beer Festival at Woolery Mill, tickets available at brewersofindianaguild.com, 4-7 p.m.
After-parties at Historic Fell Building at 415 W. Fourth St., The Tap, Nick’s and the Atlas Ballroom.

Stay connected
Follow my findings
(@cscudder) and Bloomington Craft Beer Week (@BtownBeerWeek) on Twitter and use #BCBW. Keep reading the IDS this week for reviews and columns from the hottest spots for Bloomington hopheads.

­— cscudder@indiana.edu