A journey through Bloomington's Beers

Let's face it. This is the only time in our lives when it is going to be acceptable to drink four nights a week. So while we're doing it, let's do it with a little variety. I'm not attempting to drag you from your beloved Kilroy's (which packs in more students on a Saturday night than the stands of a home football game). What I am trying to do is let you know that there are more beers out there than Natty and Bud Light. Packed in this college town are two relatively young and local breweries.\nBloomington Brewing Co., which opened in 1994, is located in the back of Lennie's Restaurant and Pub, 1795 E. 10th St. Lennie's offers all six BBC beers, including three World Beer Championships silver award winners. The most popular, Quarrymen Pale Ale, is comparable to Belgium's Blue Moon.\nFloyd Rosenbaum, head brewer at Bloomington Brewing Co., says BBC beers are quite distinct. \n"We offer nitrogen beers, like Guinness, something that no one else does," he says.\nRosenbaum explains that nitrogen creates a creamier, longer-lasting head. This is apparent in another of their award-winning beers, Big Stone Stout, which tastes a lot like Guinness and has a strong aroma. Award-winning Vision Weiss, a light German ale served with a lemon, is another of BBC's most popular brews. For those who don't like exotic beer, Rosenbaum produces Free Stone Blonde, a light-styled beer that has an excellent after-taste. \nFor those who can't choose just one, BBC offers a sampler tray, with a small glass of each beer, for only $3.94. A draft of any of these selections is $2.75, compared to $4.00 for a Guinness. Pitchers run at $11.50.\nUpland Brewery, 350 W. 11th St., opened in 1997 and also has a variety beers on tap. The biggest seller from its brewery bar is Weizen, a German-style wheat that is 6 percent alcohol, so it does the job quickly. In addition, Upland recently won a gold medal for its Wheat Ale at The Great American Beer Festival on Oct. 5th. \n"This should put Bloomington on the map," says Ed Herman, head brewer at Upland.\nThis award-winning beer, which beat out 40 other styles like it, is at its most popular in liquor stores and other bars and is served with an orange.\n"I sent (Great American Beer Festival) our Wheat Ale for expert comments, and we won a gold medal out of it," Herman says.\nAnother beer worth mentioning is Upland's Pale Ale, which is reasonably similar to the Quarrymen from BBC. Also on tap this time of year is Oktoberfest. Upland beer is available at local liquor and grocery stores. In fact, Upland's packaged sales reach throughout the state; the company's beers are on tap at many bars and restaurants in the area and up through Indianapolis. \nPitcher prices are cheaper at Upland's than other places. Drafts are $3.00 to $3.25, but 64-oz. pitchers are only $8.95. They also have a sampler of all drafts on tap. In addition, Upland pitchers are $5.50 at Scotty's on Wednesdays.\nHerman is a hard-working guy who wears flannel shirts and ball caps to work every day, and he puts in long hours to create what he says is the best beer he can provide. It's apparent when explaining the brewing process, that he thoroughly loves his work.\n"(I enjoy) manipulating beer flavor and creating something for people to enjoy," he says.\nI stress not to visit both breweries in an attempt to sample all of their beers in the same day. I found out the hard way that some of these beers are not intended to get drunk on. If you disregard this advice, you will find yourself chewing six aspirin to get rid of the headache. \nIndianapolis has several breweries and bars with a wide selection of beer, including Rock Bottom, Alcatraz and RAM, to name a few. Prices are slightly higher in the big city, but these bars still have a variety of beers.\nShallos is a bar about 45 minutes north of Bloomington in Greenwood, Ind., with a selection of more than 500 different beers. Located about five miles off State Road 37 on County Line Road, Shallos has the Midwest's largest selection of beer, according to its menu, including domestic beers and 28 international brews ranging from Australia to Vietnam. Shallos gives an engraved plaque to customers who try 12 micro beers and a beer from each country. \nA local brewery in Greenwood, Oaken Barrell, brews a beer just for itself that is unavailable to the rest of the world. The menu is full of creatively named beers, including Skull Splitter, Flying Horse, Golden Pheasant, Goose Nut and Dirty Dicks. \nOaken Barrell is fairly stable in Greenwood but has considered setting up shop in Bloomington.\nSo next time you think about picking up a case of Miller, just remember the variety of brews right here in town and a little beyond.