Three Cheers for Three Years: Indiana City Celebrates 3rd ANNIVERSARY

​ By Andrew Dickey

Three years ago, I was living in downtown Indianapolis and rode my bike to the Indiana City Brewery’s grand opening.  I don’t remember what I drank, but I remember a decent crowd being there.  Over that summer, I became a regular at the Thirsty Scholar on 16th Street, and Indiana City was almost always on tap.  I became a big fan of their Shadow Boxer Oatmeal Stout.  I had not been back to the brewery since the opening, so I was excited to cover their 3rd Anniversary Party on Saturday, May 28.

When I arrived, there was already a nice crowd outside.  There were two food trucks, a beer tent, and a stage featuring live music all night.  The tiny tap room was packed, and more food was available at a table inside.  Since the bar was packed, I went outside to the beer tent where Ray Kamstra, Indiana City’s founder, was manning beer sales. I introduced myself, and we spoke a little about my experience with his beer.  It was apparent that he was pleased with the turnout.  He said to go to the bar to try all the beers, and I was helped there by Kevin and Rachel, who is the tap room manager.

​Kevin put a few samples in front of me and explained the beer styles.  Beyond the Pale was a fresh, hoppy IPA that had a nice body.  It finished strong with a crisp and fresh aftertaste.  The 3rd Anniversary Ale was a full-bodied American IPA that drank very smoothly.  It was mildly sweet with a nice finish.

Citizens Rye was a barley wine that tasted every bit like the 11.5 ABV it boasted!  It was very sweet and thick with excellent hoppy notes.  As it warmed up, it tasted slightly boozier.  The Son of War was a Belgian style blonde.  It drank quite hoppy, particularly as it warmed up.  The Belgian yeast was prominent at the end.

Dock Seven was a West Coast IPA that had a bold hop flavor in the front, and a full-bodied feel on the back.  Deeply hoppy all around.  The Double Tribute was a double pale ale that was single hopped providing big flavor with a hint of citrus.  The Yacht Rock was a witbier that had orange on the back and drank very light.

I enjoyed the samples of what was clearly a hop lovers paradise.  They were all good beers, but I wanted to try the Sister City Kolsch and opted for a pint of it.  It’s one my favorite styles of a summer beer, and Indiana City brewed it in honor of Indianapolis’ sister city Cologne, where the style originated.  It was light and crisp with a bitter aftertaste, and I liked it very much.

While I was sitting at the bar, I met Erin, who is Indiana City’s Events and Marketing Coordinator.  She had set up this event and was pleased with the variety of live music she had lined up.  A burlesque show also took place at this time.  It was amusing and made this party that much more lively.  The crowd was getting bigger, and there was a Bohemian feel to the whole event.  It was a holiday crowd, and a firkin tapping was about to take place.

The main event of the night took place after 8 p.m. with the tapping of the Double Uddercut barrel aged double milk stout.  This beast of a beer had been aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels.  There was a line along the rail to the door for the beer, and it made things feel like I was at a beer festival.  The staff prepped glasses as fast as they could, and I was handed one by Rachel.  It was amazingly sweet with the taste of bourbon on the finish.  It went down very easy, almost too easy.  As it warmed up, it became boozier, yet thick and delicious.

I was sitting next to Tasting Society member Tom Atkins, and we compared notes on a lot of beers.  He was impressed with the Double Uddercut, and he immediately posted a rating on Untapped.  He said as milk stouts go, this one was second only to 18th Street’s Hunter series.

It been a great party, and as I talked with Tom, the last band of the night begins playing outside.  Sacred Leather eased into its set with a Styx/Zebra meets Iron Maiden sound, and the singer was hitting high notes.  I was ready to wrap up my night, so I ventured outside and caught a few numbers.  The band was loud and had a great stage presence which was enjoyed by the sizable crowd.  As I listened to more of their set, I would classify them as sleaze metal.  They were very entertaining and after about 30 minutes, I called it a night after what could only be considered a superb evening!

A lot has changed on the Indiana beer scene in three years.  Breweries have come and gone, and three years is a long time in this industry.  It is worth noting that the success of craft beer canning was noticeable tonight.  Indiana City had steady sales of retail beer throughout the evening, much of it was heading to the Indianapolis 500.  They seem to be doing things right, and I wish them continued success.