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Raucous evening opens 18th Street’s Hammond facility with a bang

08 Feb Raucous evening opens 18th Street’s Hammond facility with a bang

Posted at 18:50h in 18th Street Brewery, Indiana Beer News, Special Events, Uncategorized by

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By Drew Ogborn for Indiana On Tap

As my Thursday was coming to an end I looked at my calendar and noticed I had nothing really going on for the 6th. I knew that 18thStreet Brewery was going to have a party for the opening of their new Hammond location and, as it turns out, I have a good friend named Sarah that lives right nearby. Since 18th street makes good beer, I figured I might as well head up.

Before heading to Hammond we decided to go by another popular brewery in that area. The wait to sit at the bar was 2 hours; forget that. Let’s head to where we really want to go.

If you’re not familiar with Hammond, IN, the small city has a fascinating history going back hundreds of years. With the decline of the American steel industry the city has lost some of its glamour it once had. But the people who live there are very proud of the place they call home. It’s very much a working class area, and the exterior of the new 18th Street brewpub fits into that mold.

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Once inside things quickly change. The first thing you notice is the impressive mural painted by Joey Potts. It’s so big you have to walk around people just to see it all. Inside the (what appears to be) old warehouse that is now a brewery, you see the bar with a handful of seats. If you’re not feeling like sitting at the bar there are plenty of tables and barrels to sit or stand at. 

My only regret of the day was that I didn’t get there in time to have their Euro Skinny Jeans, though I did take some cans home (delicious). Now my companion, Sarah, isn’t much of a beer drinker, so this was real “trial by fire” for her. I first ordered the Undercrown (a DIPA) and the Hunter (double milk stout with cocoa nibs) and had her try both. I said she could have whichever one she liked more. She liked the Hunter but loved the Undercrown, which surprised me. “Perfect!” I said because I liked the Hunter better.

This was pretty much how the night went; me getting two beers, letting her trying both and giving her the one which she liked better. We met quite a few interesting people ranging from a grill cook who recently came over from Spain, to a professional video game player. There was a band playing and, though they weren’t my style, I can tell when a group is good at what they do; they were. I don’t think everyone there loved their type of music but whatever, I think we all came for the beer. 

To Drew and his crew: keep it up. I tried almost every single beer they had on tap and there wasn’t a bad one among them. I go up to Chicago about 3-4 times a year, and from now on I’ll have to factor going to Hammond into my travel plans. Prost!


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