Microbrew Tutorial:  25 Northwest Indiana Craft Beers to Taste

Northwest Indiana’s craft brewery industry is exploding and residents don’t have to go far to find a vibrant microbrew scene.

Whether it’s Bulldog Brewing Company in Whiting or Back Road Brewery on the other corner of the region in LaPorte, each company offers its own special flair on lagers, wheat beers and ales.

Not sure where to begin? Take one at a time and enjoy the rich flavors and aromas that flow from our local breweries. Here’s a sampling of 25 to help you get started.

Lagers

Bulldog Brewing Co. 11 Mile Lager: If you’re looking for a classic American Lager that pours a rich amber color, look no further. Bulldog Brewing Co.’s 11 Mile Lager is a medium-bodied starting with six row malt, enhanced by the brewer’s special blend of American hops. It’s named in honor of the 11.69-mile stretch of Cline Avenue designated S.R. 912. ABV 6.0

3 Floyds Brewing Co. Jinx Proof: This continental-style pils has a light body combined with a pronounced noble hop aroma and a crisp dry finish. It also has an edge to it – brewed in collaboration with the brewing company’s friends at Jinx Proof tattoo in Washington, D.C. ABV 5.1

Barley Wine

Shoreline Brewery Discombourbonlation: Shoreline does something special with its Barley Wine, aging it in a 12-year-old bourbon barrel for one year. This produces intense flavors, including hints of vanilla, oak and a slight bourbon sweetness. ABV 13.0

Cream Ale

Crown Brewing Crown Blue: This popular beer among locals is a Cream Ale flavored with natural blueberries – giving a distinctive fruity nose and palate. ABV 3.2

India Pale Ales

Figure Eight Brewing Where Lizards Dare: Pale and Victory malts combine with an abundance of cascade and centennial hops to give this India pale ale an edge. A dry malt backbone with a hint of toast, pine and floral aromatics adds to the attractiveness of this popular selection. ABV 6.0

Shoreline Brewery Queen Mum India Pale Ale: This IPA is true to its heritage, using all English grains, and hops to provide a full bodied beer with a strong hop finish. ABV 5.5

3 Floyds Brewing Co. Arctic Panzer Wolf: 3 Floyds touts that this massive IPA will leave your palate its hapless victim. With an International Bitterness Unit reading of 100, this is not for the faint of heart. ABV 9.0

Twisted K-8 Brewing Hos IPA: Named for a beloved family member, this hopped up pale ale is brewed with barley and hops. Twisted K-8 Brewing founders pride themselves on getting the best ingredients the can get their hands on for their beers.

Tapistry Brewing Enigma: This Double IPA is brewed using five different malts, four hops and brown sugar – making it one of the strongest beers served at the brewery. ABV 9.0

Wheat Ales

Bell’s Brewery Oberon Ale: This wheat ale fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast and mixed with spicy hop character provides a mildly fruity aroma. The addition of wheat malt produces a smooth taste, making it perfect for the summer months. ABV 5.8

Greenbush Brewing Co. Red Bud: This brewing company’s signature copper wheat ale is hopped just enough to make it cross paths with a pale ale. ABV 6.1

Ales, Belgian-style

Back Road Brewery Belgian-Style Whitiber: This Belgian-Style beer is skillfully handcrafted with malts, hops, yeast, water coriander and orange peel – adding a little extra zest and flavor. ABV 5.5

3 Floyds Brewing Co. Tiberian Inquisitor: This Belgian-style ale is aged for one year in French oak barrels and is a beer to be reckoned with. ABV 9.5

Greenbush Brewing Co. Retribution: This Belgian-style ale is brewed with dates, raisins and brown sugar – along with a little honey as a bonus. ABV 8.3

Ales, American-style

Back Road Brewery American Pale Ale: This crisp and refreshing pale ale is craft brewed with malted 2-Row barley, fresh Cascade hops, water and yeast. ABV 5.0

Twisted K-8 Brewing 97 American Pale Ale: This pale ale is brewed with American barley and New Zealand hops, making it a flavorful treat for any occasion.

The Livery Paris-Roubaix: Named after one of France’s bicycle races, the Paris-Roubaix is an American-style pale ale brewed with Belgian and German malt, and hopped with German and Centennial hops that provides a balance between malty and bitter. ABV 6.0

Ales, Scottish-style

Shoreline Brewery Scottish Ale: The 2006 and 2008 World Beer Cup competition awarded Shoreline Brewery’s Scottish Ale a silver medal. This is the No. 1 selling beer at Shoreline, and it is available beginning May 1 each year. It features a rich amber color and hints of caramel. ABV 4.7

Porters and Stouts

Bulldog Brewing Co. 1890 Stout: The year 1890 marks the year that brought oil refineries to Whiting, so as a tribute, this full-bided Imperial Stout pours a dark “crude” color with a creamy rich head. Its taste comes from generous portions of roasted malts, cherries, vanilla beans, raisins and a hop blend. ABV 9.5

Crown Brewing Industrial Porter: This award-winning brown porter has roasted and caramel malt flavors balanced with a hoppy bitterness. It was a Bronze medal winner in the 2010 World Beer Cup. ABV 6.1

Figure Eight Brewing Raven Tor (Nitro) Oatmeal Stout: A blend of six English grains, this oatmeal stout has a hint of chocolate malt and flaked oatmeal that gives it a rich and creamy flavor and full body. ABV 5.5

Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo Stout: This American-style stout is full bodied with complex tastes. It offers a blend of chocolate and coffee flavors with a hint of brewer’s licorice. It’s one of Bell’s Brewery’s oldest recipes, balancing a significant hop presence with the roast malt body. ABV 6.0

Greenbush Brewing Co. Imperial Milk Stout: With its select combination of grains, British chocolate, black malt, roasted barley, Belgian Munich and milk sugar, this milk stout is not one to miss. ABV 11.2

The Livery Dixie O’Flynn: This Irish style dry stout is hopped with Nugget/Fuggle and is brewed using pale, chocolate and roast barley malts. If you love coffee, you’ll love this dry stout because of its roasted coffee like finish. ABV 6.0

Tapistry Brewing Pecks Robust Porter: This robust porter recipe features British malts and hops creating a rich and dark flavorful porter with a hint of sweetness. ABV 6.5