Beer and wine at the State Fair as Indiana makes another incremental step toward civilization.

Amid prohibitionist fears of an immoral drunkfest, the Indiana State Fair has been planning a presentation pretty much like all the rest.

State Fair Looking For Breweries, Wineries, by Andy Ober (InsideINdianaBusiness.com)

Indianapolis, Ind. - The Indiana State Fair is now accepting applications from Hoosier brewers and wineries to participate in the inaugural Indiana Beer and Wine Exhibition at this year's fair, Aug. 1-17. There is no charge to participate, but space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The exhibition, which will only be open to visitors who are at least 21 years old, will feature "tasting tables" and beer and wine being sold by the glass. Exhibitors will be able to staff these tables to educate patrons on the beer and wine making process, and to discuss their individual products. They will also be able to display, but not sell, their promotional materials and merchandise.

The new exhibition will be located in the Grand Hall on Main Street directly across from the Fairgrounds Coliseum. It will also include educational displays from the Indiana State Museum's American Spirits exhibit.

Package store empire opposes beer and wine at the Indiana State Fair.

"Big Red Liquors spoke in sole opposition to the bill during the hearing, citing concerns that greater access to alcohol would lead to abuse."

Meh. Why not let the reportable facts about state fair prohibition do the talking, and refrain from editorializing?

Meanwhile, the larger issue in this and numerous other legislative matters pertains not to Big Red's bizarre family-oriented fears (it only recently paid to be the guild's title sponsor at our Winterfest) but the irony of multinationals (begin with AB-InBev for the sake of convenience) kicking back at localism's palpable shift with their rheumy-eyed complaints about discrimination against the big guy, mostly prefaced with the latest, greatest bogeyman: "Granholm." 

Of course, they haven't been above rigging the marketplace by whatever means are available over a period of decades. Now they want protection against changing tastes and local shift. Screw the big guys -- but of course, that's just my opinion.

Based on what I heard yesterday, my guess is that the state fair's prohibition will end, and when given the buyer's choice as to what it purchases and from whom, the presence of Indiana beer and wine will be untainted by Stella Artois.

Brewers push for alcohol sales at Ind. State Fair, by Summer Ballentine (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A nearly seven-decade-old ban on alcohol at the Indiana State Fair could come to an end if lawmakers can reconcile desires to promote local brews with concerns about maintaining the fair's "family friendly" atmosphere.

An Indiana House committee heard testimony Wednesday on a proposal to lift a ban on alcohol at the fair. The bill passed the Senate but still needs approval from the House and Gov. Mike Pence before it could take effect. A vote is expected next week.

State fair officials and beer brewers say the time has come to showcase Indiana-made craft beers and wines alongside other agricultural products. Liquor, not just wine and beer, also would be permitted if the bill becomes law.

Brewers of Indiana Guild legislation, today in Indianapolis.

President Clay Robinson of the Brewers of Indiana Guild provides this overview of legislative action this morning. I plan on being there, after which we'll have a regular Guild meeting. At 4:30 p.m., there'll be the Guild's annual legislative reception. Unfortunately, it would appear that the previously golden farmers market provision may be targeted for removal from the bill by lobbyists from a hostile industry, which would be a real shame. Let's hope it doesn't happen. If artisanal wineries can do it ... well, you know.

I'll be back later to report.

Two of our BIG bills are being heard in the House Public Policy Committee. The hearing is at 9:00 a.m., in House Committee Room 156B (in the State House basement). Please join us if you can. These are Senate bills that passed through the Senate and now must pass through the House in order to become law.
 
The committee will hear testimony and consider the bills but will hold the vote until next week. The two bills are SB 16which has several provisions that will be helpful to craft breweries, including the ability to sell carryout (cans, bottles or pre-filled growlers) at farmers markets. 
 
Our second bill being heard in committee tomorrow is “beer at the state fair” SB 339. There is broad support for this bill, most notably by the State Fair Commission.

Community Dark and Bob's Old 15-B take Brewers' Cup medals at the Indiana State Fair.

NABC took home two medals at the 2011 Indiana State Fair Brewers' Cup Competition. The winners were announced in Indianapolis on Saturday, July 9.

NABC Community Dark, our English-style Dark Mild, received a Gold medal for Category 11 (English Brown Ale), while Bob's Old 15-B scored a Bronze in Category 12 (Porter).

Seeing as we entered only four beers, a 50% success rate seems reasonable enough. A complete list of the categories and winners can be found here.

It is instructive to note that in 2010, we entered a completely different lineup into the competition, selecting heavier hitters like Elector, Solidarity and Hoptimus, with barren results. This year, we decided to flip the wisdom, and chose the ones (for us, the few) beers corresponding to style definitions. Arguably, Community Dark and Bob's Old 15-B are the two most center-of-the-target beers we do, which would seem to be certified by the results on Saturday.

To me, this means (a) the judges were spot on, and (b) I still prefer we not brew with an eye toward winning medals, even if both our winning beers are quite good. What good's a rule unless you can break it with impunity?