Indy Bitez: #2 Points North Edition: Lafayette is for Lovers... of Fine Food and Beer

People's Brewing Company
Viva la Revolution! Of beer that is. Locally made, artisanal, flavorful beer is starting to become imbedded in the culture of central Indiana. One such brewery that is making waves in the foam and suds is People Brewing. Arguably the greatest name for a brewery ever. Simple, sweet, empowering. This beer is of the people, for the people, and by the people, as well as savored by anyone and everyone.

People's Brewing offers a tap room where patrons of the people can come and sample the latest goodies offered by the brewery. Specialties and seasonals so something new is always ready to stare at you with its beautiful blonde, copper, brown, or black eyes. Ahh, love at first sight. During my visit I toured the brewery and then sat down to watch Purdue lose and sample the breweries IPA, People's Pilsner (One of my favorite pilsners), Aberrant Amber, ESB, Porter, and the Maltster. The Maltster smelled of smoked wood and happiness. They use Warminster floor malt that has been malted in an English malt house since 1870. This malt really make the beer wonderful. Plan a visit today, heck plan several visits since they constantly rotate seasonals and specialty beers. Become a People person today!

Tasting Room Hours of Operation:

Wednesday - Friday 12pm - 7pm
Saturday 12pm - 7pm

Sunday - 11am - 3pm

Brewery Tours:

Wednesday - Friday by Appt.
Saturday 12pm to 5pm
Sunday 11pm - 3pm

Every half hour • Free of charge

People's Brewing Company

2006 N. 9th St. Road

Lafayette, IN 47904

(765) 714-2777

Lafayette Brewing Company

People's Brewing isn't the only microbrewery in town. People's is the new kid at the table. The elder statesman is the third oldest active brewery in the state. Lafayette Brewing opened its doors in 1993 marking the return to fresh, locally made beer to the people of the lafayette area. Unlike People's, Lafayette Brewing's focus is still on the beer but they gear heavily towards food. You can't go wrong with either one.

Any visit is not complete to LBC without trying the Tippecanoe Common Ale or Black Angus Oatmeal Stout. The stout won a silver medal at the 1998 World Beer Championships. This is one of the best stouts around, if you don't like dark beer, then the common is the epitome of perfection. Along with these classic beers, make sure to try the Prophet's Rock Pale Ale, Star City Lager, and Pipers Pride Scottish Ale among others. Don't forget to try some of the freshly made Tecumseh Brewhouse root beer. Beer, root beer, food. It doesn't get any better.

Enough of the liquid enjoyment, what is the solid enjoyment like? Is the food as wonderful as the beer? Of course! My wife had the Ale Battered Chicken. It was so moist and so delicious. I have been on a pulled pork kick so I ordered the Pulled Pork Beer-B-Que. This was a hard choice with so many great options. Santa Fe Black Bean Burger for those adverse to eating meat. A Double Bison Deluxe, a meat so nice they added twice. This involves two patties of Indiana organically raised bison patties with two slices of cheddar cheese and two slices of applewood smoked bacon. Also on the menu are LBC Cheese Steak, Spicy Shrimp Tacos, Bavarian Beer Nuggets, and the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. The beer nuggets are balls of spicy sausage, sauerkraut and cream cheese rolled in panko bread and deep friend. Nothing says "MAN" like saurkraut, sausage, and beer. Okay, so it basically says "German", but Germans and men too.

Lafayette has two great breweries that are well worth the trip. Make it a weekend trip. Go to a Purdue game, visit Wolf Park, and drink some fine beer and like a howl at the moon if you feel so inclined to do so.