Just as a robust porter leaves foamy dregs at the bottom of a pint glass, IndyStar’s Beer Bracket is coming to an end.
After three rounds and nearly 10,000 votes, the tournament is down to two brewers. On one side of the bracket, No. 1 Sun King lived up to its top seeding and advanced past No. 2 Taxman. On the other, No. 5 Guggman Haus edged out No. 2 Bier Brewery to continue its Cinderella run.
Now, we look ahead to the battle for the Copa d’Pour-o. The Champion-sip. The World Beeries, except it isn’t a series and it’s entirely localized to Central Indiana. Whatever clunky nickname you prefer, it’s time to crown a victor.
Of course, as we’ve emphasized in previous bracket updates, this tournament is not meant to be about winners and losers, but rather an exploration of Indy’s craft beer scene. So before we get to the voting, let’s raise a glass to the brewers who fell in the Final Pour, plus one who was snubbed from the field entirely.
A farewell to brewers eliminated in the Final Pour and an honorable mention
Shortly after IndyStar announced the Beer Bracket, I received a string of emails that suggested I was completely unqualified to report on the city’s beverage scene because we failed to include Deviate Brewing on the northwest side. While I would argue there are plenty of other good reasons why I’m not qualified to do much of anything, let’s start with the brewery.
Co-owners Mike Orkey and Greg Ortwein opened Deviate in 2015 after nearly a decade of home-brewing experience. Deviate is a microbrewery in the truest sense, as you can only purchase its eclectic assortment of beers at the 96th Street taproom. That tap list includes staples like the Hop Supremacy New England hazy IPA, a great entry point for people who have been spurned by the heft and battery acid-like quality (I say, lovingly) of some hazy brews.
Deviate is always experimenting; right now at the brewery you can sample the Más Prost, a German wheat ale with the sour burn of the tequila barrel in which it is aged, and the Main Monkey Business, a commendably smooth 10% ABV Scottish ale with notes of banana and coffee that I absolutely would have had more of if I hadn’t had grand ambitions of operating a motor vehicle that night.
As for the brewers who did appear in the bracket, Bier Brewery has made its hay over the years with a strong stable of favorites, many of which lean on Central Europe’s proud brewing tradition. Bier has racked up awards at the annual Indiana Brewers’ Cup on the strength of its German wheat beers, such as the Weizengoot, a crisp brew that’s as pleasant to drink as any craft beer thanks to its featherlight body and gently spiced flavor.
As someone who tutored introductory accounting classes for three years in college, I greatly appreciate Taxman’s lineup of Belgian-style beers. You can’t go wrong with the well-rounded Gold Standard blonde ale, while stronger batches like the warmly spiced, citrusy Exemption tripel (8.5% ABV) encourage more methodical sipping.
Unfortunately, I suspect it’s because of fine institutions like Taxman that during college I often failed to recall the formulas for things like net present value or the capital asset pricing model, but so be it. I spend way more time writing about beer than calculating debt-to-equity ratios these days, anyway.
Vote in the Champion-sip
Below, you’ll find the final matchup between our two remaining Central Indiana brewers. You can vote as many times as you like until noon Oct. 23. Our victor will be announced shortly thereafter.
Remember, if there’s a brewery you wished was included in our initial field of 16, shoot me an email at bhohulin@indystar.com. I can’t get to all of them, but when it comes to beer, I’m always willing to try. In the meantime, get voting.
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyStar’s Beer Bracket is down to two. Vote now in the Champion-sip