As I’ve mentioned far too much in the past month or so, I have moved to Lafayette from Monticello. One of the great advantages of this move is access to liquor stores with a better beer selection. In Monticello, it was difficult to get anything much more exotic than Guinness. But, you give me an inch, and I want a foot. So now, rather than an adequate beer selection, I’m looking for the liquor store with the widest beer selection in the Lafayette area. Any suggestions?
This evening I went to the Village Bottle Shoppe on Northwestern & Lindberg Road in West Lafayette. It wasn’t bad, but really what I have in mind is something like the Big Red Liquors on Walnut Avenue in Bloomington. Back when I was in law school at IU, they had several long rows of six-packs stored warm and about half of that in the refrigerators. (According to Indianabeer.com, I should’ve gone to the Village Bottle Shoppe on Sagamore Parkway. Guess I’ll try that next.)
In case anybody was wondering, this evening I picked up a 6-pack of Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale from Three Floyds Brewing out of Munster, Indiana which was very tasty. I also picked up a 6-pack of Belle Gunness Stout from the Backroad Brewery out of LaPorte, Indiana. I haven’t had a chance to taste it yet.
mmmm….Guinness….
Let me know about that Belle, sounds good.
The Cornerstone coffee shop of Moe & Johnny’s in Indianapolis (corner of 54th and College) has Robert the Bruce on tap. I highly recommend it.
If you like stout, you’ll love the Belle. I get it straight from Backroads all the time. The Robert the Bruce is also good stuff, but was a little too hoppy for me. If you can find it, try the Backroads “Aviator”…really good stuff.
It looked like the Village Bottle Shoppe in Lafayette had the whole Backroad family in stock, so I’ll keep an eye out for the Aviator.
Upland wheat from bloomington is perfect for a summer day such as this.
My personal favorites in domestic beer came from the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, particularly their Bock.
For some reason, I’ve never taken a liking for wheat beers. No accounting for taste, I suppose. Bocks on the other hand, mmmm.
An oddish combination that’s pretty tasty on a hot day is some kind of pilsner or other lighter type beer mixed with sprite. A buddy of mine from England tells me it’s called a “shandy.” But, he’s been known to lie to me on occasion.
When I was at IU (gulp) 10 years ago, Kilroy’s had a “shot” that was served in a pint glass called a “Wisconsin lunchbucket.” If memory serves, it was half beer and half Sprite, with a shot of Amaretto literally dropped in it. It was tasty, and surprisingly easy to down with one continuous drink. I have no idea how it got the name, but I can believe that the beer/sprite combo is tasty.
I’m hit or miss on wheat beers. I’m not a huge fan of the Upland wheat or the Barley Island (Noblesville) wheat that is currently in my fridge, but I absolutely love German weiss beers. Also, there’s a good small brewery from Kansas City called Boulevard that makes a good wheat beer, but I don’t think they distribute to Indiana, unfortunately.
For freshness you can’t beat a growler from LBC (Lafayette Brewing Company). I suspect the seasonal is just right for a hot summer day.
Oh, dear, Doug…. posting about beer? Again? ;-)
Ah, well, I guess lawyers need a little liquid refreshment now and again. Personally, I can’t stand the stuff – believe me, I’ve tried several kinds of beer over the years, and I’ve been impressed with none of them I just can’t get over the bitter taste.
Yup, beer again. I just like the taste of a really good beer. It’s been an acquired taste. At first, I didn’t much like the taste of the stuff, but would drink 8 – 14 cheap ones on Fridays and Saturdays during college (and my senior year, more like Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and occasionally Mondays, but that’s a different story.)
With work and then family (not to mention age), obviously there is no time for that sort of debauchery. But, as it turned out, somewhere during all that binge drinking, I developed a taste for good beer. And, if I’m only going to have one or two in an evening, the cost isn’t that significant. Plus, the beers as an after dinner “snack” have sort of pushed aside the ice cream that was becoming a habit.
Oddly, in the small quantities I’m drinking, I think that beer is actually healthier than ice cream. (I’m sure there are killjoys out there that think I should probably confine my snacking to water and celery or something, but that’s just not going to happen.)
Anyway, I had one of the Backroad Brewery Belle Gunness Stouts last night. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t terribly exciting either. Almost bland. But I’ll give it another bottle or two before passing final judgment. Unfortunately, I don’t have the vocabulary with which to articulate the tastes of beer very effectively.
Wait a minute…drinking “Natty Light” helped you aquire a taste for stouts? You ARE wierd… :)
Well, Natty Light mostly but also Old Milwaukee, Busch, Busch Light, Keystone Light, and Milwaukees Best. Actually, I went through a brief period where I drank a fair amount of Jameson Irish Whiskey, and I really noticed my preference for stouts and other dark beers around that time.
I’ll second the Upland Wheat nomination.
I’ve been drinking on Thirty Dog Brewing Co.’s Old Leghumper Porter, which was gifted to me. I highly recommend it if you like thick, malty beverages.
Doug, If you ever get to Louisville, KY, I would highly recommend the Bluegrass Brewing Company. They are a microbrewery here, their Bourbon Barrel Stout is excellent, it has a bit of chocolate in it, I think, and their Frambozen (brewed with raspberries) is really good also. I think the Bluegrass Brewing Company (BBC for short) markets their beers in several liquor stores and grocery stores. One of my cousins who lives in Mishawaka told me it is available there, it may be available in the Lafayette area as well.
Interesting that you should mention the Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Jason. My friend who recommended the Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale I’ve been enjoying this week also recommended Old Leg Humper Porter. In addition, he recommended Siberian Night Imperial Stout. So, with two independent recommendations, I’ll be on the look out for some Thirsty Dog offerings.
Old Leg Humper is some good stuff, as is Robert the Bruce. If you like trying different micros, Avery’s out of Denver has a great and wide selection. Their porters are particularly tasteful (though I’m biased – I’m a porter guy). Also, I’ve enjoyed Rogue’s (out of Portland, OR) Dead Guy Ale for a few years. If you’re on the northside of Indy, the best place in town is The Hop Shop, located behind the Claddaugh on E. 96th St.
Hey Doug– first let me congratulate you on the move to Lafayette — which I did from MONON about 8 years ago.
Second — I would recommend the Copper Top Rauch Beer – seasonal at the Lafayette Brewing Company. And although I do not like chain restaurants, I’d like to mention that Chumley’s downtown has 50 beers from around the world on tap– and I believe about 150 total in the bottle. Certainly enough to wet anyone’s whistle.
Are you active here in any organizations, Doug? I’d think there would be interest in your skills…
Thanks for the welcome. I’m very familiar with Chumley’s since it’s the closest restaurant to where I work downtown. Their beer selection is quite impressive.
As to organizations, not much yet. I’m on the board of the Tippecanoe County Legal Aid Corporation where my primary responsibility is to help organize the Legal Aid Golf Outing Fundraiser. My wife organized the MOMS club in Monticello, and I believe she intends to get involved with the south side Lafayette organization. I’ll stay out of politics locally since that would pose a conflict with some of my firm’s clients. But I’m certainly looking forward to getting involved with the community in a non-political capacity. That’s one of the things I’m looking forward to about living in Lafayette since I’ll finally be living where I work.
Hello 47901 buddy!
You can’t go wrong with the Bottle Shop. There’s one in the Levee if you need to make a quick jaunt across the river, though their selection pales in comparison to the Sagamore Parkway West location.
Until Chumley’s dropped in a few years ago, the Knickerbocker Saloon had the widest selection of beers downtown. It’s still pretty decent, but they don’t have any beers on tap at all. Also, get a growler of the Brewpub’s root beer! It’s excellent.
I made the trip out to the Sagamore Pkwy Bottle Shop last night. That selection will keep me busy for awhile. I picked up a 6-pack of “The Poet Stout” from the New Holland Brewing Company (not bad), and a 6-pack of the porter from the Mad Anthony Wayne Brewing Co. which I haven’t tried yet.
Definitely agree about the Brewpub’s root beer.