BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: Josh Hambright steps away from Central State Brewing. A job well done, sir.

Last week Josh Hambright, co-founder of Central State Brewing in Indianapolis, used his personal Facebook portal to announce his forthcoming transition from brewing to civilian life. Brief excerpts are below.

I made Josh's acquaintance at some forgotten juncture during the past decade and have become very fond of him, as well as respectful of Central State's progress. The brewery is innovative and singular, and I'm a fan. I'll continue to be.

Being good at any job is hard work. Combining this learning curve with long hours of indie business ownership and the daily showmanship expected of craft beer purveyors, and it's very possible at some point that you look in the mirror and wonder what it would be like to have your life back.

Eight years ago while sitting on my porch with Jake (Koeneman), we hatched the idea to start a brewery that would produce all the styles of beer we were seeking out from other parts of the planet that we couldn’t get right here in Indianapolis.

Four and a half years ago that dream became a reality as we started selling what would become Table, a simple farmhouse table beer that lead the way for what Central State would become. A bit after that we started playing around with Gose, another favorite style of ours, and eventually launched Garden into the market. Both of these beers are shining examples of simple yet complex beers that are accessible and easy to drink, something we’d always sought to create.

Beyond those two flagships we’ve created over 100 other beers, all of them a labor of love on our part. Along the way we convinced other folks to join our dream. We built a team of like minded lunatics, hell bent on creating the best beers we could, and delivering those to the masses. Always rooted in pushing boundaries and improving on the last batch, we’ve brewed close to eight thousand barrels of beer. Most of those batches were brewed by myself personally.

I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the best breweries in the world, more than I could ever list here, and along with that I’ve made some of my closest and dearest friends because of the opportunities afforded to me because of the brewery. We’ve sent beer to 16 different states and 2 other continents, we’ve poured at some of the most prestigious events in beer, had our beers on taps at some of the best bars in the world, shared pints with countless friends and family members along the way ...

But at some point, we all need to take care of ourselves. I completely understand Josh's decision, perhaps more than many do. I wish him all the best.

... I have decided to step away from Central State Brewing and retire my title of Head Brewer. My last day with the company will be Sept 28th. I will continue to help the crew out a bit behind the scenes and offer them advice and guidance when and where I can but I will be stepping away from all day to day operations of the brewery. Central State will live on without me, which means the world to me. CSB will keep pushing boundaries, keep innovating and keep making some of the best beer in the state of Indiana and I know that it’s in the good hands of folks who care about it just as much as I do.

PINTS & UNION PORTFOLIO: Central State Brewing Night is Thursday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m.

Next week we're shining a spotlight on Central State Brewing out of Indianapolis. There was a lineup packaging change after the graphics were done, so beginning on Wednesday April 3 there'll be cans ...

Garden (Leipziger-Style Gose Beer with Lemon Peel)
Table (Rustic Blonde Ale)
Butterfly Kisses (Farmhouse Ale w/Hibiscus Flower)

 ... and two special draft beers. Garden and Table are everyday ales, and the others will be gone when depleted, at least for 2019.

Stay Out of the Forest (Hazy India Pale Ale w/ Blood Orange & Lactose Sugar)
Barrel Aged Bashi Farmhouse Barleywine (Farmhouse Barleywine Style Ale Aged in Wine and Bourbon Barrels)

On Thursday, April 4 the Central State crew takes over the upstairs room at Pints & Union for a conspiratorial and enlightening evening with a selection of Smoking Goose Meatery meats and local cheese.

Central State: the only brewery in the state of Indiana focused primarily on the wilder and farmhouse sides of fermentation. Specializing in farmhouse beers, sours and eccentrically hopped IPAs.

Here's a good bio of Central State's co-founder and head brewer Josh Hambright.

Starting at the bottom and working one’s way up is Hambright’s recommendation for getting into the brewing business. That way you are exposed to all aspects of the craft. In addition to his experience and reading, he says that collaborations with other brewers have been a valuable source of information. Working for a day in someone else’s space, or having someone work a day in his space affords the opportunity to compare notes and learn different approaches to brewing.

I met Josh six or seven years ago when he was working at Flat12 in Indianapolis, and I know he'll try to make it down next week if at all possible. Count me as a fan, and come down to Pints&union on the evening of the 4th and see why Central State is so highly regarded by beer enthusiasts.