{"id":29235,"date":"2019-05-15T05:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T10:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=29235"},"modified":"2021-08-31T13:48:41","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T18:48:41","slug":"dark-lord-day-2019-the-full-nwi-event-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/dark-lord-day-2019-the-full-nwi-event-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark Lord Day 2019: The Full NWI Event Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What once was just a one-day thing soon turned into a weekend, then a long weekend and now is nearly an entire week of celebrating beer in Northwest Indiana. Dark Lord Day 2019 from Three Floyds<\/strong> is, of course, the reason for the special tappings and releases to be found \u2013 beginning today – at brewpubs, bars and restaurants across the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while the annual fest is the reason that more than 12,000 people will descend upon Munster, Ind. Saturday \u2013 increasing the town\u2019s population by about 50% \u2013 there are plenty of other reasons for craft beer fans to spend a little extra time taking in the impressive craft beer scene that has built up around a fest that has gained an international following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scroll on, or jump right to Thursday<\/a>, Friday<\/a>, Saturday<\/a> or Sunday<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And if you want to look back at our previous Dark Lord Day coverage throughout the years, <\/em>it’s all right here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wednesday, May 15th: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Things begin at 3pm today at Beer Geeks<\/a><\/strong> (3030 45th St., Highland) with \u201cWest vs. Midwest vs. Wu-Tang\u201d \u2013 featuring five beers from California\u2019s Modern Times <\/strong>and four from Three Floyds<\/strong>, amid the bar\u2019s weekly \u201cWu-Tang Wednesday.\u201d Kung-fu movies, Wu-Tang music, ramen bowls and Bang Bang Shrimp tacos, not to mention classic Nintendo, served up by Cicerone-certified staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while their craft cocktail list is no joke, it\u2019ll be tough to resist Modern Times<\/strong>\u2019 Orderville IPA, Accumulated Knowledge \u2013 a hazy IPA brewed just once a year \u2013 Sympathy Lamp sour, 2018 Monsters\u2019 Park stout and DDH MT5, a double-dry hopped version of their 5th anniversary beer. The Three Floyds offerings are Dreadnaught Double IPA, the Flemish red Canis Invertus, Wigsplitter espresso stout and BattlePuss, a fruity, piney DIPA. (We covered Modern Times’ brief foray into NWI sales <\/em>last year.<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first of a week of special tappings at the Three Floyds Brewpub<\/strong> also begins today, with Barrel-Aged Moloko, their milk stout that spends a year in barrels and delivers a chocolate, bourbon and oak flavor, tapping in the early evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thursday, May 16th: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Not enough Modern Times<\/strong>? Head over to Whole Foods<\/strong> (199 U.S. 41, Schererville) and their Brewhouse 41 for a 5pm takeover of all 12 taps. Barrel-aged Monsters\u2019 Park Mexican Hot Chocolate Edition and a Vanilla version will be on tap, as will Demon Helm, a stout with Cabernet Sauvignon must and cocoa nibs, Pharaoh Ascendant stout with maple syrup, coffee and vanilla, Telesto and Orderville, both New England IPAs, Black House coffee stout on nitro, Blazing World red ale, Booming Rollers IPA, Fortunate Islands pale ale, Fruitlands sour and Ice pilsner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Region Ale<\/a><\/strong> (1080 Indianapolis Boulevard, Schererville) is dedicating about a dozen of their 50 local taps to Three Floyds this week and at 6pm Thursday, they\u2019ll start a \u201cTake The Pint\u201d promotion with them. Roughly 1\/3 of their taps are from Northwest Indiana breweries, so it\u2019s a good place to get a taste of the region in one stop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also this evening, Three Floyds <\/strong>is tapping their very last keg of Crack The Skye, their much-loved barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout blended with Dark Matter Coffee and vanilla. Brewed in collaboration with the band Mastodon, it\u2019s released each year to mark National Suicide Prevention Week and raises funds for Hope for the Day<\/a>, a national organization that helps those struggling with mental health issues. It shares the name of the Mastodon album dedicated to Skye Dailor, sister of Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor, who committed suicide at 14. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manic Meadery<\/a> <\/strong>(1003 E. Summit St., Crown Point) is less than a year old, but already generating plenty of buzz (honey-based product pun intended) in the region and beyond. Today\u2019s releases will likely only increase that. At 4pm, they\u2019re tapping preview kegs of their two upcoming bottle releases: Apple Pyser, a 13% Cyser made with vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as Chernobyl Cordial, a 14% tart cherry mead with cocoa nibs, vanilla and coconut. They\u2019ll also be tapping a \u201cyoung preview\u201d of Collusion, a collaboration with Boneflower Mead, which is a 16% black currant, marionberry and black raspberry mead with Madagascar vanilla and Vermont maple syrup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doc\u2019s Smokehouse & Craft Bar<\/a>, <\/strong>(1420 Calumet Ave., Dyer) is less than 3 miles south of Three Floyds on Calumet Avenue and is as well-known for their impressive 60-tap beer list as they are for their barbecue. Today, they\u2019ll dedicate 12 of those taps to Three Floyds beers, while also tapping a 2018 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout and five taps of Founders, including Kentucky Breakfast Stout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friday, May 17th: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There may not be a busier evening at Three Floyds <\/strong>than tonight, but that won\u2019t stop the masses from waiting for a seat. Pro Tip: Get within 2 miles and use the Yelp app to hold your place in line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last call will be around 9:15, as the brewpub and kiosk close at 10pm. An 11am tapping of Barrel-Aged Blot Out The Sun, their highly-sought imperial stout, is the day\u2019s highlight. And if you\u2019re looking to carry on past 10pm, fret not. The newly opened Three Floyds Distillery <\/strong>will be open until midnight. (More on them in a separate post soon.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flossmoor Station Brewery<\/a><\/strong> <\/a>(1035 Sterling Ave, Flossmoor) hosts its annual Pre-Dark Lord party at their brewery in downtown Flossmoor \u2013 which you can get to by jumping on a train at Michigan and Randolph. For $6.50, the Metra Electric will drop you right at the brewery doorstep. Festivities in their beer garden include beer, food and music beginning at 4pm, as well as the release of their 9.5% barleywine aged for nine months in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels, Wooden Hell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just down the road, Homewood\u2019s Rabid Brewing<\/a> <\/strong>(17759 Bretz Drive, Homewood) is hosting their annual Feast of the Goat Queen, centered on the release of The Horus Revenge, a walloping 15% Imperial IPA. Just 10 miles east of Three Floyds, off I-80 and Halsted, they\u2019ll have food trucks, live bands and, naturally, family entertainment that includes live goats to pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also in the south suburbs, The Open Bottle<\/a><\/strong> (7101 W. 183rd St., Unit 105, Tinley Park) starts its annual weekend revelry with tasting glass give-aways, while also opening a 10-year Dark Lord vertical (2009-18), as well as timed tappings of Horus Fresh Ales, Weldwerks, Corridor and Phase Three beers. It\u2019s a \u201cslashie\u201d that\u2019s 19 miles west of Three Floyds, off I-80 and Harlem in Tinley Park and they\u2019re doing other special tappings throughout the weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wildrose Brewing<\/a> <\/strong>(1104 E. Main St., Griffith) has held back a couple kegs and several bombers of their Barrel Aged Mornin\u2019 James coffee stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. You\u2019ll be able to get both at their brewpub today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Off Square Brewing<\/a><\/strong> (11000 Delaware Parkway, Crown Point) is, for the second straight year, hosting a metal music party. This year, Ditchwater and Tiberius are performing. Their Dark Lord\u2019s Eve party begins at 9pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Trick Pony<\/a><\/strong>, a Lansing brewery that undeservedly flies under the radar, is releasing Kentucky Mountain, their barrel-aged old ale, at 6pm. Vanilla and the original are available at their brewpub, just 5 miles west of Three Floyds at 17845 Chappel Ave.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Windmill Brewing<\/a><\/strong> (2121 Gettler St., Dyer) is the closest brewery to Three Floyds, just four miles south on Calumet Avenue, right where the Illinois state line meets U.S. 30. (And across U.S. 30 from the second-best Harold\u2019s Chicken in the entire Chicagoland area,<\/a> according to Chicago magazine.) And wow <\/em>are they taking advantage of the influx of visitors by dropping a half-dozen beers, including four never released before: <\/p>\n\n\n\n