10 Mar There’s Trouble Brewing at Trubble Brewing’s Latest Release and Brunch
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
If there’s anything you can count on besides death and taxes, it’s innovative events at Trubble Brewing in Fort Wayne. From their eating contests to carnivals, kombucha pairings, Festivus Day, and pet costume contests, there’s always some kind of mischief brewing at Trubble.
For March 14th, the “trubble” is two fold and their calling it Hazed & Confused. Just how confusing is it? Try a New England IPA release paired with a brunch featuring Spam. No, wait – this is a good thing. The cult classic movie Dazed & Confused star Matthew McConaughey (alright, alright, alright) makes an eponymous appearance at Trubble Brewing, in the form of McConaughaze, their new NE IPA starting at 11am. This juicy bit of beer uses Falconer’s Flight, Simcoe, and a ton of Citra in the dry hop to produce a fruity and earthy hazy of 6% ABV and 27 IBUs.
At the same time that McConaughaze is hitting the taps, a truly unique brunch will also begin. Guest chef Phillip Seidel and Trubble Brewing’s Executive Chef Cortney Carpenter have an ethnically rooted menu whose roots stretch back as far as WWII. When the American GIs took up residence in Hawaii and most of the other islands of the Pacific, they brought with them their Army-issued rations. These almost always included Spam (a mash up of spiced ham), a canned meat product from Hormel that was introduced in 1937.
The Trubble Brewing taproom is a place busy with events. image credit: Visit Fort Wayne
When the GIs left, the SPAM (as it appears on the can) stayed. Many of the natives had developed a taste for it and whole industries arose for the importation of Spam from Minnesota, much like how the German people in the 50s craved American peanut butter, a remnant of the post-WWII Marshall Plan days in Germany. I can tell you from personal experience that Spam is a big deal in Hawaii, much bigger than peanut butter is now in Germany (at least everywhere but the US military bases).
Hawaii and the Phillipines were Chef Phil’s stomping grounds early in life, and he picked up the Spam bug just as did almost everyone else out there. He and Cortney have been collaborating on the menu for the brunch, and many of the items will take on a tropical flare while at the same time employing Spam. Innovative menus like this are the rule Trubble but with Phillip back for the day, Cortney and her former sous chef have kicked up the innovation a notch..
There will be Spam-fried rice, Spam breakfast sandwiches, Spam and eggs (the most traditional of spam dishes), Spam fries (made of Spam), and perhaps even some spam sushi, something that is considered a delicacy in Hawaii, although all the dishes are subject to change based on the inspiration felt by the chefs. Phillip says, “These dishes are but a sample of the versatility of SPAM. Being part Filipino there was usually at least one can in our cupboard growing up (along with Liverwurst and Vienna Sausages). I’ve always found SPAM to be best served seared, unlike revenge.”
The brunch and beer release start the day, but the fun continues throughout the afternoon and evening with corn hole boards set up on the patio and Justin Bailey providing music in the evening. He’ll be there with his mellow music and his guitar to entertain and help you digest that Spam. There’s never a dull moment at Trubble Brewing, and this release/Spam brunch is just one example. Take the time to visit them in Fort Wayne, we’ll need to find a little Trubble once in a while. To paraphrase Mike from Dazed & Confused, “Trubble’s is just trying to be honest about being a misanthrope.”
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