{"id":18970,"date":"2015-08-24T13:00:04","date_gmt":"2015-08-24T18:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=18970"},"modified":"2021-08-25T20:07:58","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T01:07:58","slug":"griffith-indiana-craft-beer-pokro-wildrose-new-oberpfalz-brewing-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/griffith-indiana-craft-beer-pokro-wildrose-new-oberpfalz-brewing-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Griffith, Indiana: Unknown Craft Beer Gem?"},"content":{"rendered":"
The tiny town of Griffith, Indiana \u2013 just six miles from the state line \u2013 is home to three breweries. That\u2019s one brewery for roughly every 6,000 residents. Or one brewery for every 2.5 square miles the town covers.<\/p>\n
Best of all, the town is reachable by a paved biking path from Illinois.
It\u2019s the kind of place where a complete stranger next to you \u2013 a local, a regular \u2013 buys a round for everyone at the bar, just because.<\/blockquote>\nSo while this regular feature is called \u201cCraft Beer To Cross The Border For,\u201d<\/em> beer geeks are starting to realize that Griffith is a town worth crossing the border for \u2013standing out as something unique even among the booming craft beer scene happening in Northwest Indiana.<\/p>\n
To be clear, there is no storied history of brewing to be found in Griffith, no founding fathers with the last names of Pabst or Stroh. In fact, all three breweries are in their infancy stages.<\/p>\n
The sleepy, blue-collar, bedroom community simply had ideal spaces in the form of vacant storefronts, as well as town leaders willing to open their arms to small business owners and the tax revenues they can deliver. Still, it was certainly nothing planned nor the result of targeted economic development efforts looking to capitalize on the craft beer boom. Instead, it just kinda happened.<\/p>\n
A recent Saturday allowed an opportunity to visit all three, take in a flight and appreciate the differences of each. Each seem to still be finding their place, still going through some growing pains, but with solid offerings up and down the lineup. And worth the drive (or ride) to explore.<\/p>\n
The breweries are a short distance from each other in and near downtown Griffith, just south of Interstate 94\u2019s Cline Avenue exit. It\u2019s also a stop on the Erie Lackawanna Trail<\/a>, a paved bike path stretching from right near the state line in downtown Hammond, south to Crown Point (home of Crown Brewing, if you care to continue the ride.)<\/p>\n
Pokro\u00a0Brewing Company<\/a><\/strong>
\n311 N. Broad St.
\n(W-F 4-11; Sat 12-11; Sun 12-8)<\/em><\/p>\nComing from the north, Pokro would be the first stop. A former martial arts and Zumba studio has been converted into a cozy, friendly brewpub. (Perhaps as a nod to the past, they do offer beer\/yoga classes.)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the kind of place where a complete stranger next to you \u2013 a local, a regular \u2013 buys a round for everyone at the bar, just because. The kind of place where the bartender not only talks about their beer, but gives you good advice on what to order at the other breweries in town. A place to unwind and laugh with new friends. Make your way back to the bathrooms, though, and you\u2019ll find a jukebox, darts, bags, all indoors and making what is likely a lively evening atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Pokro specializes in Belgian and English style beers, but brewmaster Joe Pokropinski hasn\u2019t lost touch with his Polish roots, as they occasionally have a Polish-focused food menu and bands. And did I mention friendly? A little fresh-popped popcorn, some pretzels and even directions to the next brewery on our journey came free of charge.<\/p>\n
The flight was fun \u2013 a real assortment of styles and friendly, informed guidance through the tap list. My favorites were Dwarven Assassin, a solid Belgian IPA that was a bit sweet and a bit spicy, with the Monkey Assassin a close second. That Double IPA popped with mango, papaya and pineapple and really stood out. And while I\u2019m not usually a fan of brown ales, their Caveman, an English Brown, left a lasting impression, as well.<\/p>\n