641. Bloomington Brewing Co. (Bloomington, IN) - Quarrymen Pale Ale

“A classic, American-style pale ale. Cascade finishing hops contribute to this beer’s well-defined hop flavor and aroma.”

It was so hot and humid in Bloomington this week that I could not be bothered to walk the handful of extra blocks it would have taken to get to Big Woods on Grant Street rather than the big Big Red on College. (To say nothing of the fact that Big Woods would not have had anything for Amy to drink.) So I opted instead for spending too much money on a couple of four-packs of Bloomington/Nashville beers that I don’t come across all that often up here. Is Quarrymen a great pale ale? No. Is it perfectly serviceable? Yes. (It also has really nice “cover art” on the can, which, combined with the “cover art” on Rooftop, should make anyone whose soul is inextricably tied to Bloomington, Indiana, think immediately of Breaking Away.) Does it have any properties I feel compelled to remark upon? Unfortunately, no.

Taproom: Heartwork Brewing (Bloomington, IN)

This was the one thing I really wanted to do while we were in Bloomington for a couple of days to ourselves this week; and oddly enough, it would up probably being the highlight of the trip. (It was, once again, too fucking hot and humid to do much outside—this has been the refrain for far too many of our recent trips to Bloomington, whether just for the day or for a “three-day weekend"—so we went for as much A/C as possible.) Amy got wrapped up in the soccer game on TV, I made notes on the three beers I tried—and we both ogled the pizzas that pretty much everyone else in attendance yesterday partook of but us. They don’t have much to drink for non-beer people, but we both thought the pizzas looked really good, so I’m pretty sure I can squeeze one more trip here out of her.

638. Heartwork Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - ENS Hazy IPA
“Our newest hazy! Featuring Nelson Sauvin and El Dorado hops. Notes of lychee, berry, and pear. Cheers!”
Very bitter up front and all the way through to the back end, for most of the beer. It softens a very small amount as it warms, but I don’t get any berry or pear (and I have no idea what lychee tastes like). I thought of grapefruit pith, but it didn’t have the flavor of grapefruit at all—just the bitterness you’d get from the pith. It’s also very hazy, which I usually associate with East Coast IPAs that tend to be on the sweet side and taste of stone fruit; but other than the haze, it has nothing in common with that style, either. And yet…oddly compelling. Thought about getting this for the crowler I was going to take home, but it wasn’t quite interesting enough (and their crowlers are too expensive). Doesn’t tell you whether I liked it or not, does it? Probably because I’m not sure myself.

639. Heartwork Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - South Hall
“Session IPA, Brewed for the Little 500 Race.”
The menu board above the bar said something about stone fruit, but to whatever degree these cats excel in brewing beer and making pizza, they do not also excel in advertising and using words to make the rest of the world want to try their beers. This one (4.8% ABV) is clearly a session (and not in a good way)—there is almost no body or flavor up front—but there is a hint of a dry (or possibly bitter) finish on the back end. As it warms, though, the stone fruit opens up—more so than whatever the hell is animating the ENS Hazy. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to push this into the ring with the interesting beers. Seems to have been a mistake to cast this one as a session; the flavor profile this one hints at would have worked much better at a higher ABV.

640. Heartwork Brewing (Bloomington, IN) - Czech Pilsner
“This lager is made exclusively with Czech Saaz hops, lending to the distinguishable biscuity malt flavors. These Bohemian styles are higher in gravity and darker in color than their German counterparts. Compared to our own German Pilsner, this Czech is sweeter, maltier, and has a richer, fuller body. Smooth, creamy textures and highly drinkable.”
They tapped this from a LUKR side-pull, which I don’t know…well…anything about. Is it possible that the fancy pour had something to do with why I thought it was the best of the three beers I tried while I was there yesterday? I have no idea. It was sweet up front and dry (but not bitter, like the other two) on the back end. There’s also something floral or herbal (and pleasant) on the nose and up front that I could not quite place; and I thought I got a hint of honey as the beer warmed. This is the one got a crowler of to take home, to I may update this part of the post. Of the three I tried yesterday, this was both the most interesting and the one that I liked the most.

637. Saucy Brew Works (Cleveland, OH) - Juicy ASAP

“Our best-selling IPA boasts a deep gold hue with an opaque sheen. Dripping with ripe mango, vibrant orange peel, and a medley of hops, including Citra, and Sabro, this brew delivers a juicy profile that’s simultaneously crisp and subtly bitter, ensuring a flavorful burst in every sip.”

637 beers into this odyssey, and this is just the second time that the word opaque has appeared—and the first time that that word has appeared in the description offered by the brewery. I picked up a six-pack of these during a refueling stop on the way back from New York on Thursday. The flavor is very light, whatever it is—I get stone fruit, and I guess that could be mango; but I can’t exactly seem to put my finger on it (h/t to “Weird Al” Yankovic). Doesn’t taste remotely like it’s 6.5% ABV, which would be good if the flavor were a little more pronounced—but it isn’t.

630. Kismetic Beer Company (Indianapolis, IN) - My Dog’s From Denver

“Collaboration beer brewed by more than 13 local Indiana breweries. Featuring El Dorado and Chinook hops with a touch of Cascade. 6% of sales are donated to FACE animal clinic.”

UPDATE - 6/14/26
Finally located this beer in cans today, at the new Sahm’s joint called Big Lug Filling Station, which took over the space that used to be Garfield Brewery. The label on the can lists all 13 breweries that were involved in the collaboration, which is a nice touch. Hopefully the verbiage on the label that says, “A Truly Local Collaborative Series” means that these cats will get together again and produce something just as good as this one.

This is a new 7.4% American Pale Ale that they have just tapped, and it’s the first beer I can remember having here that has a name. It’s definitely one of the biggest beers they have ever served. Smooth and caramelly up front, with a slightly bitter finish that holds up through the first several sips. There’s a vaguely fruity flavor that might be cherries or almonds, and the overall flavor might be what is so often bandied about as “dank.” The bitter finish softens a bit as the beer warms, but the fruit stays just out of arm’s length. With 12 other hands in the mix, though, no way to know how much of this is Ryan; but it’s one of the best beers I’ve ever had here, though not my favorite.

Deep Thoughts #354

If you don’t know that Touch ID is better than Face ID then please get Raptured to Trump’s bedroom with Melania gone and Ivanka unavailable.

1. Ash & Elm Cider Co. (Indianapolis, IN) - Marigold Chai

“Cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove, star anise, black pepper, black tea & vanilla.”

Eight things they claim are going on here…plus the apples they used as the base for the thing. Do I taste any of them in particular? (Other than the apples?) No I do not. Is the whole greater than the sum of the parts. Yes it is. I am still pretty new to cider, but I can imagine no better entrée to the style than our very own Ash & Elm Cider Co. This is one of those places where even if I’m not totally on board with what they’re crafting, I can still appreciate that what they are crafting they are crafting well. And from time to time, what they are crafting well steps up and smacks me around a little bit to make sure I’m still paying attention. To wit—the Marigold Chai, which is harder to nail down out of a can than it was on draft in the taproom…but I’ve let this one can sit in my fridge for a bit. (And yes, if you’re scoring at home, that probably qualifies as journalistic ineptitude.) Regardless, it’s absolutely delicious. They’re charging too much—$8 for a 12-ounce pour of their house stuff and north of $8 for 12-ounce pours of seasonal stuff—so this isn’t a place I’m going to frequent the way I frequent Upland or Kismetic; but I’ll keep coming back, in part because my wife loves the place and in part because they have a couple of decent options on the food menu. And I’ll get better at talking about cider, too…eventually.

Until then, here’s a reminder that it’s same as it ever was here at the ol’ Blog-O-Rama…Mitch McConnell should be subjected to the same fate as Aunt Edna’s dog Dinky in the first National Lampoon’s Vacation film. Short of that, Merrick Garland should at least get to kneecap the stupid right-wing Kentucky inbred talking abortion.

And the days go by…

636. Kismetic Beer Company (Indianapolis, IN) - Barrel-Aged Coffee Porter

So they haven’t posted this on their website yet, so I can’t give a description. I tried one tonight at the taproom, and it was very good. It’s dusted with something that smells like nutmeg, and there’s a big bite of alcohol up front on the first sip. Some whisky flavor from the barrel, but it’s not overpowering; and it’s very lightly carbonated. Not much coffee flavor, but there is a dry hint on the back end that could be coffee, or chocolate malt. It’s an excellent beer, and I am looking forward to the next one.

635. Gatlinburg Brewing Company (Gatlinburg, TN) - Don’t Feed the Bears

No description other than “American Brown Ale” on their website, and the version I brought four of back in cans is the plain, non-variant version. The one I tried in the taproom—over a month ago—was a peanut butter and jelly variant that I recall being very fine. (And of course I didn’t write down any notes on it.) There is nothing particular to remark about this beer, though it is a fine example of the style—dark and rich, but also smooth and crisp. The 6.7% ABV gives it a little bit of extra heft, and just thinking about it takes me back to our delightful trip to the Smokies last month—so I would probably love it even if it weren’t very good; but it is.

634. Haymarket Beer Co. (Bridgman, MI) - Relief Peacher

They can’t seem to make up their minds about what this beer is, so I’m going to shoot from the hip here. (The label on the can says “India Pale Ale with peaches,” and the website says “American IPA w/ White Peaches.”) Sweet stone fruit up front, and a nice bitter finish.

633. Moontown Brewing Company (Whitestown, IN) - Chain O’ Lakes

“This is our 17th Pints for Parks beer! Chain O’ Lakes is near the Fort Wayne area and loaded with plenty of trails, history, and of course lake activities. Brewed with Pilsner and white wheat. Simcoe and CGX Comet bring citrus, pine, lemongrass, and serious dankness. Crisp, dry, and boldy bitter.”

Yes, and that pine is very evident up front. I would like to say that I can taste the lemongrass, but alas, I cannot. Gets almost biscuity or malty as it warms.

Deep Thoughts #353

You know how you can tell your local coffee shop is awesome? The song playing on the overhead speakers when you walk in is “Down in a Hole”.