Heart of the Brews Brewmaster’s Dinner & Why the Greatest Gift of the Evening was Neither the Dinner nor the Beer

Early in the year, when I wrote my first series of columns about my growing love for craft beer, my primary driving thought focused on the craft brew movement’s ability to create a great social experience.  From the varieties of beer available, to the passion put into each creation, to the atmosphere and character of each brewery, and to a host of other intangible factors, when all four elements converge, those of us sitting in the taproom feel alive.  Even on that beer trip with my son, while I ignored my own physical symptoms which would later make me contemplate my own mortality, I was keenly aware that this experience of cultured beer, mixed with an eclectic variety of both common and refined food choices, served by people who exude an air of near-giddiness when they share it with us triggers an intensely satisfying and emotional dining and drinking experience.  Few can argue that good beer, great food, and wonderful company epitomize some of the best moments life offers us.

Last Friday night, all those sentiments crystalized at Riley Hospital’s Heart of the Brews Brewmaster’s Dinner at the Omni Severin Hotel.  The event, a fund-raiser for Riley’s Heart Research Center, provided an intimate gathering of attendees with a five-course dinner and drink combination which not only served a noble and worthy cause, but also reminded those of us in the room how blessed and fortunate we are.

Chapter One followed, and we dined on a Duck Confit with a Soft Polenta.  Washing it down, we sampled Sun King’s increasingly iconic “Fistful of Hops.”  A “seasonal” beer by technicality (Sun King uses the same malt base all year, but changes the hops quarterly), assistant brewer Jon Clampitt provided us a mixture featuring the distinct aroma of Galaxy hops.  Providing a nice amount of bite, Fistful mingled well with Murphy’s first major course.

Despite the unseasonably cold weather outside, we were still in the midst of autumn, and after enjoying a Curried Crab Pumpkin Bisque, Bier Brewery matched it with a delicious Pumpkin Ale.  Bier, which is becoming more famous for their ingenuity and resistance to traditional “house” beers, presented us with recipe using a “malty Oktoberfest base seasoned with various pumpkin spices.”  While not a big fan of pumpkin beers myself, Beir’s concoction (a 2012 World Beer Cup Silver Medal winner) offered a sharp and distinct flavor which was both immensely satisfying while not overwhelming.  In other words, it was a great pumpkin beer for all beer drinkers.

As fantastic as the opening rounds were, the final two courses provided some of the most memorable offerings, starting with Murphy’s hit of the night, a Cowboy Short Rib.  The tender beef barely clung to the enormous “Flintstone” bones beside them.  Seasoned and juicy, the rib meat was incredible, and everyone at our table seemed even more impressed with the smoked Mac and Cheese served in conjunction.  Partnering with the main course was Flat 12’s Half-Cycle IPA.  Cleverly named after the first half of baseball’s batting cycle, the beer is (as Flat 12’s website describes it) “a single IPA, hopped like a double, with an over-the-top hop character that’s a bit spicy, citrusy, piney…”  Owner and brewer Rob Caputo was modest as he stood before the room introducing his beer to the gathering, but in a craft beer culture which sometimes hypes only one or two IPAs almost as if they were the only ones on the market, Half Cycle is a perfect reminder that Indiana is abundant with fantastic hops-laden brews.

Concluding the evening, we all indulgently savored Murphy’s Ancho Chili Ganache which included a caramel sauce that included the dessert’s accompanying beer: Scarlet Lane’s Dorian Stout.  Offering the base original brew with a delicious oatmeal tinge, the smoothly finishing beer provided the perfect ending for the meal.  More importantly, as I tasted it I remembered why it made several “IOT Top-5” lists this year.

As perfect as the beer and food were, the evening will be one I remember most for the company.  Flat 12’s Rob Caputo joined us at our table and, capitalizing on everyone’s passion for craft beer, entertained us with everything from his personal back story (he hails from Michigan and bought his first home-brew kit years ago at Bells) to the significance of the brewery’s name (which is a shout-out to the Flathead V-12 engine and a further homage to Indiana’s storied history as an automotive manufacturer).  Engaging, conversational, and an equally adept listener, Caputo embodied the hallmark characteristic that event coordinator Beth Firulli sought for the evening.

“At other events,” Firulli said, “brewers would be eating the meal, too, but they’d be ‘off in the kids’ room.’  Then [the event coordinators] would wheel them in, let them talk about their beers, and send them back.”

“People are very intrigued by [the brewing process],” Firulli added, “and having someone like that at the table sparks conversation because it’s one thing they all have in common.”  If the conversations were as captivating at the other tables as ours, then Firulli’s strategy clearly hit paydirt.  Besides his aforementioned back story, Caputo offered a glimpse into the life of a brewery operator, giving us a sense of the work involved in not only the day-to-day operation of a high-end craft brewery but the challenges in expansion as well as the always entertaining closed-door experience of naming new beers.

But at the center of attention that evening, were those who weren’t physically there: the kids whom Riley serves, and the lives the hospital changes.  As we get older we witness life’s fragile nature and eventually learn to appreciate all the small blessings we’re given.  The chance to enjoy a world-class meal in the company of talented brew masters such as the likes of Rob Caputo and company is wonderful gift, but it’s only a small one.  The greatest gift lies instead in the chance to contribute to a benevolent research hospital, one that gives young children a fighting chance to enjoy the rest of their lives.