Spring Is In The Air, And These Are The Beers You Should Be Drinking

Ah, spring in Indiana. One day we’re breaking records at seventy and sunny, the next we’re scraping ice off our cars and cursing the fickle weather gods. Everyone knows that winter is for stouts and porters, fall is for ambers and brown ales, and summer is the season of wheat and hops, but what do we drink in the spring? I’m going to attempt to answer that question, as well as point you in the right direction when it comes to tracking down those elusive springtime brews.

1. Saisons/Farmhouse Ales: Nothing says springtime like the taste of a saison. Traditionally brewed to be enjoyed during the summer, I argue that the fruity, spicy characteristics of your average saison lend themselves well to enjoyment during the spring months. Saisons, like spring weather, come in many varieties, from a touch of sweet to slightly tart and effervescent. For some good Indiana options, check out Rabbid Rabbit from 3 Floyds, Farmgal from Bier, or Saison du Flat from Flat 12, which occasionally comes in specialty varieties with surprising flavor twists like cranberry or tequila barrel aging for Cinco de Mayo.
2. Sours: Although they are notoriously hard to brew, sours are really beginning to enjoy their time in the limelight. The Midwest Sour+Wild+Funk Fest, sponsored by Upland Brewing, takes place in June, and I like to think of it as the capstone of sour season. During the springtime we tend to throw off some of our inhibitions, and sour beers, with their wild flavors and pucker-up attitude, are the beverage equivalent of going streaking on the first warm night of the year. For your sour fix in Indiana, check out Pooka by Brugge Brasserie, Dark Illusions from Scarlett Lane, or Sour Princess from Sun King.
3. Dubbel/Tripel/Quad: Dubbel dubbel, toil and trouble. Throw a quad and a tripel in there and you’re set for spring. If you’re looking for your spring heavyweight brew, you’ve found it here. Ranging in IBV from middle of the road to knock you over with a feather, these sweeter beers come loaded with flavors of raisin, stone fruits, caramel, and often a boozy bite. Taxman is your go-to for these types of beers (order a Deduction, an Exemption, or a Qualified for your fix), but you can also snag an excellent belgian tripel, Trulock’s Revenge, in bombers at Black Acre for a limited time.