27 Nov In Praise of the Nano-Brewery: Product + People + Place
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
I saw an opinion article by Katie Mather in The Guardian that had a quote I liked. The focus of the article was de-crying the purchase of craft breweries by mega-beer; not exactly a cutting edge subject in the US, but might be in her country right now, as the craft industry in the US is more mature than in the UK.
The quote as published was, “The point was to have beer that was as individual as its brewery, a complete departure from the homogeneity of Big Beer, where a pint was the same no matter where you drank it, when you drank it and in what year.” Now, I do eat at McDonalds when in a hurry, due to the fact that I can go to any McDonald’s and know what the food will be. However, that’s not how I approach having dinner with Walter when we are on the town, and it’s certainly not what I want in a craft beer.
Toppling Goliath is a great brewery, but really, how much are you going to learn getting a beer here? image credit: Toppling Goliath Brewing
I do drink New Glarus Brewing beer and some Boston Beer Company beer, but these large companies with three shifts and teams of brewers have less appeal for me. Let’s modify the quote from above so it expresses what Walter and I like when out drinking, “The point of craft beer is to have a beer that is as individual as the brewery in which it was made, the people who made it, and the environment in which it is served.”
Walter and I drink beer almost exclusively in breweries. It leads to more money for the breweries (margins are better buying it directly), you’re more likely to find beers that are one off or seasonal, and most important, you get the entire experience (product + people + place). That’s what I’m really talking about – when the beer, the beer, the people working there, the taproom, and even perhaps the food – they all work together to bring you into a brewery, to tell you their story, to show you why they do what they do.
Remember, brewing beer and serving it to people isn’t the easiest way to make a buck. It’s low margin, so they’re likely not going to get rich – they must really want to be making beer. It’s long and odd hours, so it’s not really that convenient. A lot of brewers/owners are at heart introverts, so dealing with the public is a bit against their nature, but they do it. It’s a monstrously expensive enterprise to bring a brewery to fruition, which leads to CONSTANT stress. If a person opens a brewery, it must be because they have a passion to bring their vision to life.
It’s not in Indiana, which is why I’m using it, but after you drink for a while at Shippingport Brewing, you’ll know all about the brewery and its people. image credit: Yelp
When imagining a brewery, an owner/brewer envisions everything – the philosophy of the beer they what to serve, the vibe the taproom will have, how they wish to interact with the public, and even how they will manage outreach to the greater community. For example – a brewer/owner that envisions a beer wall where patrons pour their own beer after reading a short description – not my idea of product +people +place.
What Walter and I look for in a brewery is simple, here’s a POV example. When we walk in, we can see elements that owners hold dear, we are greeted or get to interact with by someone with skin in the game (owner/brewer/GM/well trained and motivated beer slinger). The beer list is curated to provide a view of the brewer’s/owner’s thoughts on beer. For example, I don’t really appreciate a list that consists of one or two base beers that are then modified with extracts to produce six different products. How many different fruit syrups can you add to a cream ale and then serve on the same board?
Likewise, we like have conversations with the people for whom the beer is important – including those that make it, sell it, or love it. You get good stories of the brewery from the brewer or the GM, but you can learn just as much or more from regulars around the bar. Combine the look and the feel of the taproom (and regulars are part of that feel), along with the beer and the workers, and you can really get a feel for where the brewery is coming from and what is important to them.
The taproom at Thieme & Wagner is a museum to the history of the pre-Prohibition brand. image credit: Yelp
So, where are you most likely to have this kind of experience? A large corporate brewery with five locations and 15 brewers? It’s possible, but it’s not likely. Walter and I are of the opinion that we’re going to find what we’re searching for in small, mom and pop breweries, often in small towns, but not always.
This is why we sing the praises of nano/very micro-breweries wherever we go. It’s likely the hours will be shorter than at other breweries because the owners have to sleep/work in back sometimes, so you might have to adjust your drinking habits. But for your trouble, you’ll learn everything about the places you visit, and the people you talk to will be invested in your experience. The chance that the beer is technically sound is just as good as at some larger breweries, and the chance that you’ll find some nice one-offs and seasonals is probably higher.
I could list a number of breweries that meet or exceed our hopes, and let me repeat again – this doesn’t mean we don’t like drinking at larger places too – it’s just that we’re often looking for the entire experience – product + people + place. I’m hesitant to name some breweries that I think manifest this kind of experience because I will undoubtedly leave out many that we also love, but let’s try to pick a few from around the state.
You know football plays a role in the story of Hog Molly Brewing as soon as you walk in – go find out why. image credit: Hog Molly Brewing
In the northeast, we love Harry Stuff Brewing in Wawaka and E Brewing in South Whitley. In the north central part of the state, I’d highly recommend Lakeville Brew Crew in Lakeville and Studebaker Brewing in South Bend, amongst others. In the northwest, places like Ironwood Brewing in Valpo and even though it is bigger, 18th Street Brewery in Hammond. In central Indiana there are many, including Crasian Brewing in Brookville, Thieme & Wagner Brewing in Lafayette, Primeval Brewing in Noblesville, and Northern Tropics Brewing in Muncie.
In Indy, great choices are Kismetic Beer Company south of Washington St. downtown and Herrmann Brewthers Bierwerks on the westside. In the southwest, be sure to check out Myriad Brewing in Evansville and St. Benedict’s Brew Works in Ferdinand, and in the southwest, we often visit Creek Bottom Brewery in Oldenburg and Hog Molly Brewing in Columbus.
The take home message – you decide what you value in a brewery experience and then go find it. These are Walter and my wants in a visit, but that’s just us. Get out there and support local, support craft, and then tell others.
No Comments