The Great American Ale Trail - Christian DeBenedetti [98]
TWO BROTHERS
30W315 Calumet Ave. • Warrenville, IL 60555 • (630) 657-5201 • twobrosbrew.com
Brothers Jim and Jason Ebel were obsessed with craft beer after living in Europe; when they returned home, they opened a home-brew shop, which led to plans to brew commercially. One brother completed a law degree while the other mastered brewing science; using borrowed money, gear, and some dairy tanks their grandfather handed down, Two Brothers was born in 1997 in the Western suburbs of Chicago, and has grown like a beanstalk ever since. Starting in 2009, the siblings acquired a pristine collection of wooden tanks called foudres for making far more complex beers than the hefeweizens (cloudy wheat beers) that put them on the map. Look for their flagship, Cane & Ebel Red Rye Ale, made with a bit of Thai palm sugar, rye malt, and unusually aromatic hops (7% ABV).
WINDY CITY BEER WEEK
The first annual Chicago Craft Beer Week kicked off in May 2010, with organized tastings, talks, and tours at dozens of beer bars, breweries, and beer-friendly restaurants, sponsored by the Illinois Brewers Guild. For more information log onto chibeerweek.com.
Indiana
Indianapolis
THE RATHSKELLER
401 E. Michigan St. • Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 636-0396 • rathskeller.com • Established: 1894
SCENE & STORY
There’s something mightily satisfying about drinking from a thirty-two-ounce German stein while sitting underneath a mounted moose head. Of the many things The Rathskeller is, subtle isn’t one of them. With history as rich as its oversized, dark wood décor, the Rathskeller is a like a true Bavarian castle encased in a massive nineteenth-century brick building (designed by, among others, Kurt Vonnegut’s grandfather) in downtown Indianapolis. Once you head inside and take in the gorgeous interior of polished wood archways and creamy walls, it’s time for a beer. There are twelve rotating imported drafts and fifty-some bottles of German, European, and American craft beer to choose from, along with a celebrated menu of authentic German fare, so the gemütlichkeit (“cheerful belonging”) is not far behind.
In summer, don’t miss the rooftop biergarten, featuring a widescreen view of the city, live music, and plenty of locals raising a stein or three. If you go on a weekend, chances are you’ll get to ride the endorphins of somebody celebrating a wedding or class reunion in one of the banquet rooms. And if you’re hungry, for the love of Klaus, do not leave without trying an oversized, pillowy pretzel coated in salt and served with a side of sinus-clearing hot mustard.
PHILOSOPHY
Auf freundes wohl! To the good health of friends! The Rathskeller is authentically German, with a side of Hoosier pride—check out the bust of the late author Vonnegut.
KEY BEER
Something German in a stein, naturally, like the Mönchshof Kellerbier; its creamy, caramel taste shines through the cloudy texture of this unfiltered, traditionally brewed lager (5.4% ABV).
Muncie
HEOROT
219 S. Walnut • Muncie, IN 47305 (765) 287-0173 • No website • Established: 1994
SCENE & STORY
Named for the mead hall of heroes in the epic poem, Beowulf, this beer bar in the home of David Letterman’s alma mater Ball State U. comes complete with a dragon sculpture curling in and out of the wall, stuffed animal heads, shields, skulls, various faux-medieval brick-a-brac, and Basil Pouledouris’s soundtrack to Conan the Barbarian on the stereo. It’s a bit hokey, sure, but when you have fifty-four-plus incredible taps and over six hundred bottles to choose from, including vintage ales in casks the likes of which are found almost nowhere else in the world—not to mention