I have been to every corner of the state of Indiana visiting breweries, and when people find out I’ve been to all of them, they usually asked me what’s the best brewery or what is my favorite? These questions are subjective, but when someone asks me which brewery is doing the most unique things, or is the most interesting, I usually gravitate to a tiny brewery in the north east quadrant of Indiana. Harry Stuff in Wawaka is brewing some of the most exciting beers being made in Indiana, and this shouldn’t be a secret!
You may never have heard of them, or even of Wawaka which is a tiny town on US 6 between Ligonier and Kendallville. That is not surprising, considering their location, and the fact that they don’t distribute widely. I only became aware of them on a visit years ago to Hop Station in Mishawaka where I first tried the Barichara, a farmhouse ale aged in oak barrels with apricot. The beer exploded with flavor, and I made it my mission to visit this tiny brewery which I found out was on a farm in the middle of nowhere!
It only took me a few months to finally get there, and it was definitely worth the effort. Erhen Stuff greeted me warmly with a tour of the facility which is a very clean and modern looking taproom and brewery inside of a barn at Southfork Farms on the family estate. The brewery is named for Erhen’s great grandfather, who farmed the “real way” during the Great Depression. He was excited about the kitchen area that was being expanded where his wife, Luisa, who is a native of Colombia, was creating some exciting dishes!
While Ehren is making some exciting IPAs and stouts, it was the farmhouse ales that attracted me to his brewery, and when I tried Nighttime in the Woods, I was not disappointed. This farmhouse ale finished like a Flemish sour brown, and had complex characteristics that developed over its three-year aging in oak barrels. This dark elixir was one of the most exciting beers I had ever tried in Indiana, and I took some to share with some of my friends at 5’s in Anderson, which was a Taproom that focused on Indiana beer!
So it has been a long time since I had had their beer when I visited the brewery again last week. It only took one sip for me to remember why I love this brewery so much. There were a lot of exciting beers on the menu, including the ones I have mentioned as well as Explosion Blooming, a barrel aged farmhouse ale with mango, passion, and guava fruit. There was a good Baltic Porter, a Stout with Cocoa Nibs, and even a barrel aged dry-hopped beer called Funk Creature which I found to be fascinating. These beers paired up well with the empanadas which I had been told to try.(My friend Cody Moon, assistant Brewer at 2Toms, goes out of his way frequently to get them because they’re so delicious!) Goulash was the food special, and it was neat to see Luisa and her staff plugging away in the kitchen.
Ehren came out to visit with me again, and of course we got to see the brewery. His canning process was fascinating as well as the space he has to work with. He has exciting plans for his brewing and wants to continue with his IPAs which are difficult for him to keep on tap because of their popularity. The taproom filled up while we were there, and it’s obvious the community has embraced this brewery. I can attest to the quality of the food, and the beer is just, well exciting! Having brewed Belgian style beers myself, I appreciate the work that goes into making them and I can’t think of a better place to make farmhouse ales than on a farm!
So while there are a lot of excellent breweries in Indiana, Harry Stuff is one brewery that I feel needs recognition for making a very interesting beer that is good, and different. If you make it to northern Indiana and don’t get lost, it’s definitely worth the visit. His IPAs are good and even if farmhouse beer isn’t your thing, he excels at a lot of styles of beer. I brought a lot of it home with me, so should we hang out, maybe I’ll share it with you!
So Much Beer So Little Time 