01 Mar My journey through the Tasting Society Marketplace – We’re just getting warmed up
I am Kevin Neal, on the north side of fifty. I enjoy visiting different places and experiencing new adventures. Obviously I enjoy experiencing different craft beer – the “hoppier” the better – fine scotch and bourbon and the occasional cigar. But I digress. I also MUST have my daily intake of strong coffee or things could get ugly quickly. I have also been accused of being a bit of a “social butterfly” and not being afraid to talk to anyone. I prefer to call it a thirst for knowledge and interest in meeting new and interesting people.
I discovered Indiana on Tap by accident more or less. Last June I was searching Eventbrite for something new to do and I noticed the Tasting Society Event. I bought two tickets and just like that date night for me and my wife! I quickly felt at home at the event and it led me down my current path of seeking out and experiencing as many different craft breweries and beers as I can find. I began the quest to 30 Marketplace brewery members in July of 2015 and should complete the quest in the next month or so. I am sure I will keep going. I do need to thank my wonderful wife, Mary Ann or MA, for allowing me to drag her to these different craft breweries, or more accurately her driving me around and being my personal Uber which allowed me to fully taste and enjoy all of the beer varieties each of the Marketplace members had to offer. My daughter, Abby, was a more willing participant in some of this quest; but, that may have something to do with the free beer she enjoyed. Obviously the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Also, please keep in mind, my thoughts on each of the Marketplace members is based upon my own personal preferences. I can honestly say I have not been to a bad Marketplace member yet – each having their own distinct quality.
First stop was Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. in Broad Ripple. This was a great place to begin this journey as it has a more traditional sports bar setting with great beer and food. I can also say the friendliness of everyone there was amazing. I was their first Marketplace customer (yes I was gentle with them) and we learned how the certificates and card worked together. The Manager even came out and we had a great conversation around how great of an idea this concept was. What a great place to get my Marketplace feet wet.
A brew pub and restaurant in Bargersville? Really? Huh! MA and I headed out to Bargersville in search of this brewery. I have to admit, several times on the drive, MA (who has been an Hoosier for only 3 years and is still learning her way around) gave me the “where the heck are you taking me look.” Then there it was: Taxman Brewing Company. WOW! This has been easily the most unique experience on my quest so far. Not only great Belgium style beer, with fun tax based names beer such as Per Diem and Deduction, but great food, especially the frites (MA’s personal favorite)! This is a definite stop on all Marketplace journeys regardless of your tastes. Taxman takes the sting out of that Death & Taxes thing……
Okay. Time to speed up the journey a bit. After an Indians game, MA and I decided to head to Virginia Avenue and hang out with the cool people. First stop was Chilly Water Brewing Company. A quaint modern feel to the taproom with live music in an intimate setting made this a great adventure. I found the beer very refreshing and clean so it is definitely worthy trying it out. Next we walked across the street to try something completely new. Hotel Tango Whiskey is not a craft brew pub but a local distiller who serves unique rum, vodka and gin drinks. Keep in mind, it was getting late for this old man, so in my grumpiness I thought the service was a bit slow. But that probably had something to do with all of the people in their taproom and the care they took with each individually prepared drink with fresh ingredients. Obviously they are doing something right. Sometimes I need to relax more and be less demanding, or that is what some people tell me. Hotel Tango is a great change of pace on your quest to 30.
Being the great dad that I am, MA and I decided we should visit my two daughters who attend Purdue University. BOILER UP!! Since this was going to be a day trip, I suggested, while we are up there we may as well visit the local brewpubs in the area. How is that for an ulterior motive!? First up was a family lunch at the Lafayette Brewing Co. Even though it felt like more of a restaurant than a brewery, they still had a selection of great craft beer. Located in downtown Lafayette, it seemed to be a great place to hang out as it attracted ‘the locals” as well as the college crowd. Next stop was People’s Brewing Co. People’s is located in an industrial setting with an industrial garage type of atmosphere. No frills, just good beer. I greatly enjoyed the setting and the beer, especially their Moundbuilder IPA. I even took some home to enjoy later. People’s is the perfect place to just relax and enjoy a nice cold one and take in the atmosphere.
Okay, only two away from completing the first leg of my quest. I decided to take things into my own hands and took a mental-health day from work which meant I headed to downtown Indy to check out some other breweries. Probably one of the most laid back stops on my Marketplace journey was Flat12 Bierwerks. This was the perfect “stop by and relax” place for my mental-health day. It was close to Halloween so Flat12 was decorated accordingly and they achieved that mix of creepiness and relaxing atmosphere. The patio was also a great place to enjoy their Half-Cycle IPA and their Walkabout Pale Ale which happened to be my favorites.
Next up was TwoDEEP Brewing Co. What a great contrast to Flat12. TwoDEEP has a young professional feel to it. I could easily see myself attending or hosting a business event there, and I am pretty sure there were at least two going on while I was there. As with all of the Marketplace members, the beer was good and they had a nice variety of types to sample and choose from as well. The service and flight presentation was very professionally done and I would recommend this as a change of pace for a more business or professional atmosphere.
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