Quality Over Quantity:  A Look Back at Fishers on Tap Craft Beer Fest and The Choice to be Different

By Donovan Wheeler of Indiana On Tap

When I walked through the gate and gazed upon the open pavilion, the uniform tents, and the space (lots and lots of space), I knew the Fishers on Tap Beer Festival was going to be different than those I had attended before.  But I become fully cognizant that the craft beer world has moved into the mainstream about thirty minutes into the evening, when an average-sized fellow in a nice polo shirt and expensive flip-flops turned to his buddy as they walked away from one of the brewers’ tents:

“This is too warm,” he said. “I prefer my IPA’s to be ice cold.”

Granted, the debate over beer temperature is a “heated” one, worthy of a later discussion.  The larger takeaway from my observation, however, is that this event signaled (for me at least) the transformation of craft beer from that of a pastime belonging to the youthful, hipster culture to a market-savvy collection of product lines worthy of the upper-middle class.  And everywhere I looked I saw the proof in the form of satin golf shirts and patterned summer dresses.

Unlike the other beer festivals (some in large sheds, others under lots of foliage), Fishers on Tap was awash in sunlight, and the small number of brewers’ tents, arranged around the outer edge of Fishers’ elliptical public grounds created a quiet, peaceful atmosphere starkly contrasting the noise and mosh-pit chaos I’d grown used to at the larger venues.  And while the park offered a much larger, rectangular space due north of the ellipse, the event’s organizers (the Fishers Rotary Club) made it clear that the small, intimate feel of Fishers on Tap is very much by design:

“Our intent was always to create a high quality event,” said Rotary member and event coordinator Michele Whelchel, “for the brewers, for the attendees, and for everyone.”

Given that the festival is a Rotary-sponsored event, I was surprised by the group’s willingness to embrace a culture often associated with college kids, idiosyncratic men in their garages home-brewing, and single-guys wearing superhero t-shirts playing Warcraft in their basements.  But the event organizers were actually ahead of their time predicting the mainstream appeal of craft beer.

“We saw [three years ago] a growing interest in craft beer,” said Bill Jerrow, a co-event organizer, “and we saw its popularity grow among our target demographic.”

“Really,” Jerrow continued, “we were one of the first people to do this in this area.”

For those reasons, Jerrow and Whelchel made it clear that, while they may grow the size of the event, they will do so very slowly, in very small increments.

“We really prefer an event that’s quality over quantity,” Whelchel affirmed.  And indeed, from an “enjoyment-meter” point-of-view, the limited number of brewers combined with the open middle area, littered with ample seating room among dozens of sturdy picnic tables, produced an end result that based on the goals of the Fishers Rotary, worked perfectly.  My girlfriend, Wendi, and I were able to meander from one tent to the next, enjoy tall samples, discuss and share our thoughts, and even engage in a little Q-and-A with the hosts and brewers themselves.

“Back in the ‘90’s,” said Broad Ripple Brewery’s John Treeter, “all brew fests were like this.  Bigger events are just drunk fests, but here you can interact with the patrons…and with other brewers.” Treeter’s last comment echoed with a rising inflection, emphasizing the enjoyment brewers feel when they get to talk about their work with their competitors.

And honestly, “competitors” is completely the wrong word, certainly for the craft beer culture, but particularly for this event.  Throughout the evening, Wendi and I observed countless vendors return to their home tents after a recon mission telling their co-workers they should try Scarlet Lane’s stout, or Flat 12’s Corsair Triple-Smoked Whiskey Aged Porter.

And those beers…like any festival, even one as small as Fishers’, tasting and sampling every brew was impossible, but of the ones I did try, standouts abounded.  Fountain Square opened the afternoon with a delicious Barrel Aged Scotch Ale, and then New Albanian (a brewery which specializes in Belgian styles) hit me with their staple beer: Naughty Girl Belgian Blonde, a hoppy but smooth beer, great for a warm day.  From a marketing standpoint alone, New Albanian impressed me not only with their quality brews, but also their vivid product artwork.

As we moved around the oval, I enjoyed Danny Boy’s black IPA; and People’s Brewing Company’s Hop Killa Double IPA, a malt-based beer with a citrusy aftertaste.  At my next stop, Bloomington Brewing Company’s Carson Meskinen treated me to yet another IPA dubbed Back Country.  This was, simply put, a fantastic beer.  In fact, BBC has for years been the little secret in B-Town, cranking out some of the best beer in Southern Indiana.

Besides the pales and IPAs, I also sampled several darker beers with lower IBU’s.  I was impressed with Taxman’s Deduction Belgium Dubbel, and even though it had a bite to it the aforementioned whiskey porter from Flat 12 is a beer all craft lovers should experience at least once.  But, for Wendi and me, the beer we left talking about the most was Scarlet Lane’s Dorian Stout.

“This is what a stout should taste like,” Wendi told me.  “You still taste it minutes later, and it’s still just as good.”  As it would turn out, there was a reason the stout seemed almost “raised” by the brewery that created it: that pure affection brewers feel for their work.

“That beer is my baby,” said Scarlet’s Elise Lane, CEO and brewer.

As the evening wound down, we passed the pavilion stage at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater, enjoying the sounds of a solid live band, physically situated as the centerpiece of the event.  I was aware of the physical and philosophical symmetry of the festival when I first arrived, but observing it then, standing near the exit, I realized that taking the time to design an experience often produces a much greater level of satisfaction than simply hosting an event.  The Fishers Rotary got it right.

Residing in Greencastle, IN, Donovan is an exclusive Content Contributor with Indiana On Tap.  To read all of his original work, click here.  You can contact Donovan via email at donovan@indianaontap.com.