Craft beer lovers celebrate
Hundreds attend Brewfest at Century Center
http://www.southbendtribune.com/news...,5370622.story
By KEVIN ALLEN - Follow me @KevinAllenSBT
South Bend Tribune
5:38 a.m. EST, January 13, 2013
SOUTH BEND -- The craft beer industry has been flourishing in recent years in the United States, and the Michiana area is no exception.
Local beer lovers can visit no fewer than 10 microbreweries within an hour's drive of South Bend. On Saturday afternoon, many of them were together under one roof at the second South Bend Brewfest.
Hundreds of people streamed into Century Center to celebrate the industry's growth, and show that craft beer isn't a passing fad.
"It's like a renaissance of craft breweries and microbreweries," said Ben Roule. one of the co-owners of Four Horsemen Brewing Co., which opened in June 2011 in South Bend.
"Before Prohibition, there were over 3,200 breweries in the country," he said. "Then, after Prohibition, there were maybe 36 to 40. Now there are over 2,000 breweries in the U.S. You're definitely seeing a resurgence."
More than 30 breweries -- including a half-dozen based in Michiana -- poured samples Saturday at the Brewfest.
But those who make craft beers for a living said they don't necessarily see other local brewers as rivals.
Steven Murray, a brewer at Greenbush Brewing Co. in Sawyer, said there's a "friendly competitiveness" in the industry.
"A lot of people that come through Greenbush are just people that are doing a beer tour," he said of the brewery that opened in early 2011. "When the breweries are closer together, it actually helps a little bit."
Summer Lewis and her husband, Chip, opened Iechyd Da Brewing Co. in June in Elkhart. They said they see room for more growth in the industry, especially as more people in Michiana are exposed to it.
"Now that it's booming here, people are coming out of the woodwork. It's exciting to see the pub packed on a Friday night and a Saturday night -- and a Tuesday night," she said.
"The more awareness we bring (to craft beer) as a group, the better we'll all do," she added. "Once you start loving craft beer, you're not going to stop loving craft beer."
One of the things people love about craft beer is the creativity brewers show when making small batches.
Alec Sanderson, the manager at South Bend Brew Werks, a home-brew supplies store that opened in November in a storefront in the State Theater, said craft brewers generally don't set out to make the light lagers their grandfathers would have drank.
"They're starting to branch out and experiment," said Sanderson, who is also preparing to open a brewery by the end of March in the theater. "That's what craft beer's about -- it's about art, passion, experimentation, just having fun with it."
Chris Gerard, who opened Bare Hands Brewery in December 2011 in Granger, said his goal is to push the limits on flavor. For example, he was serving a chocolate stout next to a couple of hoppy ales Saturday.
"We're doing some things that are a little different," Gerard said, "and part of that is trying things that are unique and taking risks and hoping they'll pay off."
Murray said Greenbush's brewers make 5-gallon "lab batches" once or twice a week to experiment with flavors such as vanilla hazelnut, mocha, pumpkin, chocolate curry and peanut butter. If the small batch sells well on tap, they'll make more of it.
"Anything that comes to our minds, we have the freedom to experiment," he said.
According to the Brewers of Indiana Guild, there are 59 craft breweries in the state. The guild's executive director, Lee Smith, said 15 of those opened in 2012, and he knows of another 15 new breweries with plans to open this year in Indiana.
Roule, of Four Horsemen, echoed other brewers' sentiments when talking about the competition among the new companies.
"I think we're all going after one main goal, and that's going after the large macrobrewers. There's a lot of share we can take from them," he said. "I think craft brewers work as a team to a certain extent to help each other's business and grow each other's beers."
And, he added, "I think you'll see the craft beer segment continue to grow, especially over the next five to 10 years."
Staff writer Kevin Allen:
kallen@sbtinfo.com 574-235-6244
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