Tips and Observations on Beer Tourism from A Year on the Road in Indiana

By Traci Bray of Thervgoodlife for Indiana On Tap

I am that girl. I love sports and loathe shopping. I laugh loudly at stupid jokes and Benny Hill. And, I drink beer. Of course, I didn’t gain an appreciation for good beer until long after college (which was many, many years ago) when I tasted my first locally crafted brew at a beer dinner in downtown Indianapolis.

After that exposure to Hoosier breweries, my husband Daniel and I began visiting tap rooms on the weekends beginning close to our Carmel Indiana apartment. Our annual visit to the Indiana State Fair introduced us to the Brewers of Indiana Guild. Along with an awesome temporary Drink Indiana tattoo, we walked away with a list of tap and tasting rooms and breweries and brewpubs. Over the next year we drove hundreds of miles across Indiana until we had checked off every one of the brewers on the list. With an explosion of new breweries opening, we visited as many as we could before leaving on a RV journey around the country. In total, we drank at 72 Hoosier craft beer establishments, and we learned a lot:

1. Check brewery websites for hours and up-to-date tap lists. (Editor’s note: You can also get most of this information right here on IndianaOnTap.com!)
2. Know whether food is available. Brewpubs have full menus, but tap rooms may or may not have snacks or dining options (some have food trucks) so plan ahead. (Editor’s note: You can also get most of this information right here on IndianaOnTap.com!)
3. Ask questions about the beer. You do not have to feel intimidated by the staff. They are there to help you learn about their beer.
4. Double-check directions to the brewery. While some are easy to find, others are off the beaten path, but don’t be deterred by location. Some of the best beer we tasted was brewed in a pole barn on a country road. (Editor’s note: Use the Indiana On Tap Map!)
5. Craft brewers rarely start their careers as brewers. We found many teachers, chemists, scientists, marketing specialists, firefighters, etc. who developed a passion for brewing good beer and wanted to share it with their communities.
6. Drinking craft beer is not about getting drunk, but rather fully enjoying the quality of the brew—the aroma as well as the taste. Take your time. Let the beer warm a little and see how the aroma and flavor change.
7. Supporting your local brewer helps pay for children’s dance lessons and football gear, puts food on their table, and rewards these entrepreneurs for risking both time and money to create a superior product.

Craft brewers still amaze me. To be successful, you must be both chemist and artist. Science and creativity come together to produce a concoction that is both traditional and innovative. And though we are traveling the country sampling craft beers as we go, we look forward to our stop in Indiana next May to see what’s new in Hoosier brews!