Sunday, December 11, 2016

THE BEER BEAT: Words like "local" and "unique," and beers for cold weather.

Maybe it's just because I'm aging ungracefully ...

While I wouldn't quibble with the author's beer descriptions, I'm a bit confused by his organizing principle.

"Every brewery in town that’s unique to the region."

Flat12 Bierwerks in Jeffersonville is on the LEO list, but it's neither unique to the region (founded in Indianapolis in 2010) nor actually brews beer in Jeffersonville, suggesting that city officials there might wish to take a closer look at the criteria (namely, brewing beer) upon which they awarded Flat12 economic development incentives circa 2013 to open what remains a taproom only three years later.

According to what I'm hearing, Flat12 as currently constituted has no plans to brew in Jeffersonville. Of course, this could change.

Louisville's Gordon Biersch also isn't on the list, and while it is not unique to the region (it's a national chain originating in California), all the house beers sold at Biersch are brewed right here in Louisville.

Meanwhile, Falls City is unique to the region and does brew in Louisville, but didn't make the list.

Disclaimers aside, it looks like a fine selection, and testament to the progress we've made in Metro Louisville. In my previous professional incarnation, I'd have been foraging some of these beers to feature at NABC's Gravity Head in late February.

By the way, is it true that Dark Horse out of Michigan will be the featured Gravity Head brewery in 2017?

Our favorite winter beers from local brewing companies, by Syd Bishop (LEO Weekly)

It’s the twilight of the year and, despite some evidence by way of warm days this late in the season, winter is coming. With the seasonal change, you’d better believe that your favorite beer makers in Louisville and Southern Indiana are brewing up something to keep you company on the cold dark nights to come. We’ve done our due diligence and hit up every brewery in town that’s unique to the region, searching for Louisville’s best winter beers.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I would guess that Falls City didnt make the list due to them not having a seasonal beer? A quick look at their website (which is terribly formatted for mobile devices) shows their four standard selections. Falls City, by the way, was given a pass for YEARS and marketed themselves as a local beer while having all of their product contract brewed in WI.

Crescent Hill Craft House, a firm supporter of local beers, doesnt seem to have a problem tagging Flat 12 or Country Boy of Lexington as local. I cant recall if Rhinegeist out of Cincinatti makes their cut.

Depends on how strictly you care to define "local". Where is your cut off?

The New Albanian said...

First and foremost, my aim is promoting a discussion of cut-offs.

I'm a supporter of Crescent Hill Craft House, and heard recently that it no longer would be pouring Indiana-brewed beers, as the primary aim always was to support Kentucky beers. Under this reasoning, Country Boy fits, Flat12 doesn't (whether it brews in Jeff or not), and NABC also doesn't -- it brews, but is in Indiana.

As for Falls City, I'm under the impression that the core brands as yet are brewed elsewhere under contract, and the goal eventually is to bring all the brewing to Louisville. I'd be surprised if they didn't have a seasonal given that there is brewing on the small system in Louisville; perhaps the writer missed it, or a seasonal wasn't yet ready at the time of writing (since then, my Fb feed has been promoting a Barleywine, presumably brewed here in Louisville).

Does all this muddy things sufficiently?

Unknown said...

Its as clear as a 10% stout.