Craft Brewers tap thirst for something different

Local craft beer enthusiasts have plenty of options in Fort Wayne, like the above drink at Granite City Food and Brewery. 

These days, more Americans want a grander adventure from the simple act of drinking a beer, and Fort Wayne-area residents are no exception.

While mainstream domestic brands like Miller and Budweiser remain the big movers, many local and regional establishments are tapping the craft cash keg.

Reported statistics show sales of craft beers nationwide jumped more than 9 percent last year, even as total beer sales decreased by about 1.5 percent. Craft beers now account for 7 percent of the country’s beer market, up from more than 6 percent in 2012 and 5.5 percent in 2011.

“What it comes down to, is why wouldn’t I try something that’s local with a lot of flavor that appeals to me?” said Scott Fergusson, founder of Chapman’s Brewing Co. in Angola.

Local beer enthusiasts don’t have to look far to sample craft brews.

Mad Anthony Brewing Co. is the prime success story of craft brewing in northeast Indiana so far. From its original restaurant and brewery in Fort Wayne, the company has produced a variety of beers for about 15 years, creating a dominant brand in the region.

Mad Anthony brews are on tap at its locations at Broadway and Taylor Street, Auburn, Angola and Warsaw, as well as at area bars and pubs. The beers are also sold as carryout packages at several retailers.

At Granite City, the former brewing manager, Jerod Agler, said sales are on pace with previous years. The restaurant on Coldwater Road, which is part of a regional chain, includes an in-house brewery to produce six brands of beer.

“The unique aspect of craft beer brings more to the table than just standard domestic beers,” he said.

Trion Tavern in New Haven is one of the area’s most popular craft beer havens. The pub has an array of 58 taps featuring a broad range of mainstream and craft brands. Beers are rotated in and out frequently in order to provide a more varied selection.

Owner Greg Jacquay said sales are steady, thanks not just to the beer, but to the food menu and old pub atmosphere.

“I always tell people it’s not just about beer, but also the experience,” he said. Despite the volume of taps, he asserted, quality trumps quantity.

“It’s not the amount of taps you have, it’s the selection you pick.”

At least one Fort Wayne coffee shop has branched into craft brew sales. The Friendly Fox opened as a south side neighborhood cafe and deli in 2008, then began offering beer and wine after obtaining a license to do so in 2010. Owner Becky Fox said the establishment offered primarily big-name brews at first, but over the past few years there has been a shift with a greater preference for craft beers, which Fox called “yummier.”

“We’re kinda beer and wine snobs, and we wanted to share that with the neighborhood,” she said.

Entrepreneurs are rising to meet the growing interest in craft beers. According to the national Brewers Association, nearly 2,500 craft breweries operated in the U.S. as of last June, following steady year-after-year increases.

“It’s a real exciting time for craft beer,” said D.J. McCallister, owner of the Black Swan Brewpub in Plainfield. “Our personal sales are up, and I think even in the bigger picture, we expanded the brewing community in the state by 10 or 12 breweries last year.”

The Brewers of Indiana Guild reports about 80 breweries in Indiana to date. Even more owners are in the process of becoming fully licensed breweries. Executive Director Lee Smith believes the number of breweries in the state will break the 100 mark this year.

When he opened his business in 2010, McCallister said there were about 30 breweries in Indiana.

Several new operations, he added, are what’s known as “nanobreweries.” These are smaller than a microbrewery or a brewpub. They only produce only a few kegs of beer, and only sell their beer for carryout through growlers, 64-ounce glass jugs filled from the tap.

New breweries are taking root in northeast Indiana. Beer enthusiasts Will Long and David Tomaszewski plan to open a brewpub called Summit City Brewerks on East Berry Street in late March.

Chapman’s Brewing Co. entered the craft beer market late last year by specializing in apple ale cider. Fergusson saw how hard ciders made a huge comeback in Europe and were gaining traction in the United States. He decided to combine that with craft brewing to form an enterprise that produces a little more than 300 barrels of product a month.

The company began selling its first brand, American Ale Cider, in October. Dan Caruso, vice president of product, described the drink as, “a real high-gravity ale that we then infuse with cider on the finish. It has a real nice ale flavor with a tart, apple after finish.”

Fergusson said the reception from northeast Indiana customers was greater than expected.

Within the last month, he said, deals have been made to expand distribution to all points of Indiana. The company also has unveiled two new brands: Englishman, a dark brown southern English ale; and Pail Ale, which as the Johnny Appleseed pun implies, is an American pale ale.

Father John’s, a new microbrewery in Bryan, Ohio, is also reaping the craft beer benefits. The brewpub opened last June in a restored church, and Ben Lamson, the front house manager, said the business is already looking to expand its brewing system to meet growing demands.

“People have embraced it and love the beer. And the sales show it.”

Co-brewmaster Chuck Martin said the new system would let the pub brew with all grains, instead of the partial mash currently used, and improve the beer’s quality with more control of colors and flavors.

Lamson and Martin agreed their bestseller is the Holy Cow cream ale, a light-colored beer with a smooth malt feel.

“It’s something that’s sort of entry level. It’s not very hoppy or strong-flavored,” Lamson said.

Father John’s offers a unique brewpub twist: brew-it-yourself classes where customers can learn the basics from an expert and brew their own styles of beers. It reflects growth in interest in home brewing.

“A lot of people want to do their own, too,” said Lamson.

Brewers like Martin, McCallister and Agler started as home brewers, and have pursued their passion for fine beers for years.

There has been discussion about the possible effects the rapid expansion could have on craft brewing in Indiana. Jacquay said there is a chance of oversaturation, but also believes there is still room for growth.

Fergusson doesn’t envision saturation becoming an issue as the growing market for small craft brewers is coming from bites taken out of mainstream beer companies.

“It looks like beer drinkers are coming from macro-oriented brands,” he said. “Research indicates craft beer is projected to reach 15 percent of the total beer market by 2020.”

Craft beer drinkers also are coming from a wider demographic. Granite City, Trion, Chapman’s, Black Swan and Father John’s all said they’ve seen a greater diversity of customers: young and old, male and female, experienced and inexperienced and from all walks of life.

“It’s all over the place, across the board. Everyone’s trying new beers,” said McCallister. “It comes in more flavors and colors than fingers and toes and appendages you have.”