While Bloomington is known for its standout assets such as a beautiful college campus and age-old traditions, students often overlook two of Bloomington’s bedazzling beverage gems: The Oliver Winery and the Upland Brewery.
Oliver Winery first came about in the 1960s when IU law professor William Oliver used his basement to pursue his hobby of making his own wine. This hobby quickly turned into something bigger, and he opened a vineyard northwest of ?Bloomington.
When the vines began producing excess amounts of grapes, Oliver planned to open a winery off State Road 37 in Bloomington. The winery officially opened to the public in 1972, and sales grew quickly when the ?winery began producing a wine called Camelot Mead, a light wine made from ?honey.
By 1990, the winery sold 25,000 cases of wine. By 2008, the wine was being distributed in 14 states, and more than 270,000 cases had been sold.
My personal favorite is the soft rosé wine. It’s fruity and sweet, yet refreshing, making it the perfect beverage for any season and any meal.
Get your own taste of Oliver Winery this Saturday at its annual Harvest Wine festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event will have wine tastings, live music, food trucks and tours of the winery. You can follow the winery on Twitter and Instagram at @OliverWinery.
Even when the winery does not have a planned event, it is a great place to visit with friends or ?family when they visit you in Bloomington.
Plus, Oliver now has a Downtown Wine Bar on North College Avenue, a perfect venue for a date night or a fun and fancy night out with friends. On Mondays they have a discount with 20 percent off of all bottles for both dine in and carry out, and Wednesday deals include $5 signature cocktails.
Although Oliver is a Bloomington classic, if you’re more of a beer person, be sure to check out Upland Brewery. The Upland Brewery opened in 1998 in Bloomington, and it has brewed its own beers ever since.
The brewery has everyday brews, seasonal brews, specialty brews, sours and other brews that are the product of collaborations. You can also enjoy its Side Trail series that ?includes an array of six homemade brews.
Embrace Upland’s Bloomington roots Wednesday evening at the Tweedy Listening Party. Tweedy’s new album will be featured. The event starts at 7 p.m., and there will be a Tweedy-inspired graffiti drawing contest. Entrants design their own Tweedy Logo on paper and are automatically entered to win prizes.
The brewery also has a casual event planned for Thursday with live patio music beginning at 7 p.m. You can follow the brewery on Twitter and Instagram at ?@uplandbrewco.
