Over the last weekend I was able to travel quite a bit and ended up at both ends of the state of Indiana. I visited an amazing taproom at each end, and was blown away by the quality of beer I had access to! It only makes me want to reiterate just how vital tap rooms are to the craft beer industry at large. These places are helping out multiple breweries, and some of them are the top sales people for those respective breweries. All weekend I heard again and again how important it is to help out independent brewers, and this makes me happy. With so many breweries making great beer, it takes a lot of tap rooms and beer bars to help spread the word!
While doing more research, I came across a list of the top craft beer bars in all 50 states on a website called CoolMaterial.Com. It’s a very good list of excellent bars, and three of the craft beer bars I listed in my last article made the list. (A fourth, Monks Cafe in Philadelphia, is another great place I’ve had a chance to visit and forgot to include it in the last article!) I realize I’ve been to craft beer bars and at least 25 states, and I feel a lot of very good bars didn’t make that list. I guess what I’m trying to say is no matter where you live, odds are good there’s an excellent craft beer bar nearby!
Hop Station in Mishawaka is an excellent taproom that was recently voted best beer bar in Indiana on craft beer.com! I have been there twice this year, and I am absolutely impressed with their beer selection. They feature 34 craft beers on tap, and over 125 selections available in cans and bottles. I’m going to focus on the beer, but I want to also mention that they have an excellent food menu that includes breadsticks that feature an out of this world smoked Gouda dipping sauce!
Casey and DJ Stuber own and operate the place, and can be seen tending bar, and taking excellent care of patrons. They do an excellent job of providing great craft beer from Indiana, and beyond. On my last trip, I tried beer from Maplewood and 2nd Shift, from Chicago and St. Louis respectively, two breweries whom I was unfamiliar with, yet impressed! I also got to try beer from Ruhe(Nappenee), Harry Stuff(Wawaka), 2Toms(Fort Wayne), and Studebaker(South Bend), all breweries that I’d heard of but had not yet got to try. There are a lot of good breweries in northern Indiana, including Windmill, and Hop Lore, and Hop Station does a good job of keeping most of them on tap regularly!
Hop Station has an impressive tap list, and they are always trying to get more breweries in. While I was there last Saturday, I saw several kegs blow, and was excited with each new beer that was put on. They do a good job of keeping the tap list diverse, and whether you like sours, IPA’s, dark and/or barrel aged beers, there is something on the list for everyone. They certainly are the place to drink craft beer in Michiana, and I totally see why they were voted best beer bar by craft beer.com I am planning on having a party here next March, and if you’re reading this, you’re invited!
On the complete other end of the state, only blocks north of the Ohio River, is Jeffersonville’s Pearl Street Taphouse. We stumbled upon this place yesterday as we strolled around town looking for a place to find craft beer. What I found inside was 24 taps featuring some of the best craft beer selections around. The first beer I tried was a barrel aged blueberry cheesecake Imperial Stout from Untitled Arts. From the first whiff of blueberry, to the last drop of rich flavor, I was reminded of why I like barrel aged beer. Pearl Street also had a nice selection of Indiana beer, as well as great selections from many other breweries including Toppling Goliath which I’ll get back to in a second. I was also able to have my first pumpkin beer, and I’m happy that fall is truly here!
While was there, I had a chance to speak with Kelly Conn, who owns and runs the place with his wife Teri. He is very proud of what he does for independent craft brewers, and speaks highly of his patrons who drink the craft beer he provides. He’s able to bring in very excellent selections including a rare Toppling Goliath beer. The Mornin’ Delight Imperial Milk Stout is an immense beer which is ordinarily only available through a drawing at their Iowa brewery. Kelly was able to get two kegs when a festival was canceled, and I was able to get a small pour of the last of the first keg. It was amazing and it reminds me exactly why I write about beer!
I’m happy that I got to visit two excellent tap rooms of this caliber within a 24 hour span. One ordinarily wouldn’t be at both ends of the state of Indiana on one weekend, but I love to travel and I love good beer. I find tap rooms wherever I go, and if you like to travel as well, I hope you have a similar experience. Yet as I said at the beginning of the article, you most likely will not have to travel that far to find a good taproom. There is good beer being made everywhere, and no matter where you are, I trust that you can find it!
So Much Beer So Little Time 