Indianapolis, IN
Where to find pumpkin, other fall beers around Indianapolis
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It’s the best time of the year — at least for those who really enjoy malty German beer.
While Oktoberfest officially wrapped up last week, breweries around Central Indiana are still celebrating autumn’s arrival with seasonal batches. From classic Bavarian brews to modern flavors riding the seemingly ceaseless pumpkin spice train, there’s plenty of fall beer for Hoosiers to enjoy. Here are 12 spiced autumn beers to try around Indianapolis, plus several places to find traditional Oktoberfest brews throughout the fall.
Bier Brewery
Three Central Indiana locations, bierbrewery.com
The brew: Pumpkin ale, 5.7% ABV, 14 IBU
The 2018 World Beer Cup silver medalist is now available at all three Bier Brewery locations in Allisonville, Carmel and the recently opened Noblesville campus. The acclaimed ale, billed as the liquid equivalent of pumpkin pie, is so beloved by Bier customers that it received its own release party this year.
Field Brewing
303 E. Main St., Westfield, (317) 804-9780
The brew: Basic Witch pumpkin ale, 5.5% ABV, 30 IBU
Field Brewing’s pumpkin red ale combines pumpkins, tamarind, Belgian candi sugar and maple and fig syrups to create an intensely autumnal dessert beer.
Grand Junction Brewing Company
1189 E. 181st St., Westfield, (317) 804-9583, gjbrew.com
The brew: Not Grandma’s Pumpkin Ale, 8% ABV, 10 IBU
At a bristling 8% alcohol by volume, this pumpkin ale is brewed to get you warm and cozy with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla. You can find it at Grand Junction’s Westfield taproom for a limited time.
Guggman Haus Brewing Co.
1701 Gent Ave. and 4601 N. College Ave., (317) 602-6131, guggmanhausbrewing.com
The brews: Spooky Pumpkins pumpkin ale, 6.2% ABV; autumn spiced milk stout, 7.6% ABV
The German tap house welcomes both the spooky and cozy sides of fall with its pumpkin ale and spiced milk stout. The Spooky Pumpkins features real pumpkin and classic fall spices, while the milk stout pairs similar spices with vanilla and cacao in a smooth, dark brew.
Kismetic Beer Company
201 S. Rural St.
The brew: Banana nut hefeweizen, 5% ABV, 20 IBU
Kismetic’s “ode to autumn” is a German-style yeasted wheat beer with caramel malted barley and floral hops steeped in a banana nut tea blend from Nelson’s Tea. You can grab a pint at Kismetic’s Christian Park tap room for a limited time.
Metazoa Brewing Company
140 S. College Ave., (317) 522-0251, metazoabrewing.com
The brews: I Saw the Swine pumpkin pie spiced barleywine, 8.4% ABV, 42 IBU; Jackal Lantern pumpkin ale, 5.3% ABV, 15 IBU
Downtown Indy’s animal-themed brewery is greeting the fall with a potent barleywine (strong malty beer) featuring cinnamon, nutmeg and plenty of fermented grain, plus a more forgivingly drinkable classic pumpkin blonde ale.
Oaken Barrel Brewing Company
50 Airport Pkwy L, Greenwood, (317) 887-2287, oakenbarrel.com
The brew: Apple buzz, 7% ABV
Oaken Barrel’s annually anticipated Apple Buzz, part cider and part beer, drops Oct. 14. Pints, bottles and cans will be available at Oaken Barrel’s Greenwood brewpub.
Quaff ON! Brewing Co.
Various Big Woods locations in Central and Southern Indiana, quaffon.com
The brew: Put A Fork In It pumpkin ale, 6.5% ABV, 20 IBU
Quaff On’s crowd-favorite seasonal beer is back through the end of October at Big Woods restaurant locations. The pumpkin-spiced ale is warm without being abrasive, malty but not overly complex, an extremely drinkable brew to welcome the cooler months.
Sun King Brewing
Multiple Central Indiana locations, sunkingbrewing.com
The brew: Pumpkin spice latte, 5.3%, 23 IBU
A blonde ale brewed with fall spices and coffee, this Sun King brew brings the flavors of a fall latte to happy hour. You can find it at Sun King locations throughout Marion and Hamilton Counties for a limited time.
The Tap
306 N. Delaware St., (317) 820-5580, thetapbeerbar.com
The brew: Tap-O-Lantern, 6.5% ABV, 20 IBU
The Bloomington-based gastropub’s signature pumpkin beer is back for the fall season. One hundred pounds of pumpkin are used in each batch of the amber ale, which also features molasses and fall spices. Rimmed with cinnamon and sugar and available at multiple Indiana Tap locations including downtown, this autumn ale epitomizes the best parts of trying to turn every food and drink into pumpkin pie from September through November.
Urban Vines Winery and Brewery
301 E. 161st St., Westfield, 317 (763) 0678, urban-vines.com
The brew: Hey Gourd-geous pumpkin ale, 4.7% ABV, 28 IBU
This mild amber ale packs a blend of fall squashes with fall spice. You can find it at Urban Vines’ Westfield tasting room for a limited time.
Wooden Bear Brewing Co.
21 W. North St., Greenfield, (317) 318-1803
The brew: Pumpkin ale, 6.2% ABV, 14 IBU
Greenfield’s first brewery brews its pumpkin ale with a single hop variety and traditional fall spices.
Where to find traditional Oktoberfest and other fall beers
Numerous breweries are offering their twist on Oktoberfest beer this fall. Each venue listed has a traditional Märzen, a more modern festbier or a signature Oktoberfest beer for sale. Beer names are listed in parentheses next to each brewery.
- Big Lug Canteen and other Sahm’s Hospitality Group restaurants (Oktoberfest wheat beer)
- Chilly Water Brewing Company, 719 Virginia Ave. (Oktoberfest Märzen)
- Field Brewing (Fest Field Märzen)
- Four Day Ray Brewing, 11671 Lantern Road, Fishers (Adler Oktoberfest)
- Grand Junction Brewing Co. (Oktoberfest Märzen)
- Metazoa (Barktoberfest)
- Saint Joseph Brewery and Public House, 540 N. College Ave. (Saint Joeberfest)
- Sun King (Oktoberfest, Bavarian Breakfast coffee-infused Märzen)
- Urban Vines (Rocktoberfest)
- The Tap (Taptoberfest)
- Twenty Tap, 406-08 N. College Ave (Twenty Below Oktoberfest)
- Upland Brewing Company, multiple Central Indiana locations (Oktoberfest Bavarian-style lager)
- Urban Vines Winery and Brewery (Oktoberfest)
Contact dining and drinks reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin.
Indianapolis, IN
Philip Rivers comes out of retirement for Indianapolis Colts: NFL world reacts
The Indianapolis Colts have cooled considerably as the season has progressed, going from the NFL’s best record to out of the playoff picture entering Week 15 action.
But one of today’s notable storylines is the return of quarterback Philip Rivers after five years away from the NFL. He’s on the Colts’ active roster as they prepare to play the Seattle Seahawks.
The 44-year-old was on Lumen Field hours before kickoff, taking mental reps.
Colts QB Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending injury last week, and backup Riley Leonard suffered a knee injury, though he remains on the active roster. With Brett Rypien the only other QB on their roster and list of available QBs lacking, the Colts called the last signal-caller to lead them in a playoff game (after the 2020 season).
His comeback has piqued the interest of a former Colts coach and players, his former teammates on the Chargers, former NFL quarterbacks and even those from outside football.
Reaction to Philip Rivers being on the Indianapolis Colts today
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
Indianapolis, IN
How much snow did Indiana get? Snow totals for Dec. 13
As snow begins to taper off through Indiana, the National Weather Service has begun receiving reports of snow totals.
Here’s how much snow has been reported so far on Dec. 13, according to the NWS.
Snow totals in the Indianapolis area
Carmel: 5.8 inches at 8:01 p.m.
Cumberland: 5 inches at 7:25 p.m.
Indianapolis International Airport: 5 inches at 7:06 p.m.
Brownsburg: 5.7 inches at 6:37 p.m.
Fishers: 5.5 inches at 6:28 p.m.
Westfield: 5.5 inches at 6:05 p.m.
Franklin: 5.1 inches at 5:26 p.m.
Avon: 4.8 inches at 5:25 p.m.
Downtown Indianapolis: 3.5 inches at 5:10 p.m.
Snow totals around Indiana
Dillsboro: 4.5 inches at 8 p.m.
Nashville: 5.5 inches at 7:40 p.m.
Hope: 5.4 inches at 7:33 p.m.
Greensburg: 5 inches at 7:10 p.m.
Rushville: 5 inches at 6:50 p.m.
Batesville: 4.7 inches at 6:30 p.m.
Selma: 6 inches at 6:20 p.m.
Anderson: 6 inches at 5:56 p.m.
Terre Haute: 5.4 inches at 5:50 p.m.
Thorntown: 6 inches at 5:05 p.m.
(This story will be updated)
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Colts sign Philip Rivers to active roster for Sunday’s game
The Indianapolis Colts signed Philip Rivers from their practice squad to their 53-man active roster on Saturday, clearing the way for the 44-year-old coach of the St. Michael Catholic High School football team to start their NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
Nearly five years after his most recent NFL appearance, the former Athens High School star and eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback answered the Colts’ distress call this week and, after three practices with the team, will be eligible to lead Indianapolis against the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense on Sunday. NFL Network and ESPN reported the Colts would have Rivers in their starting lineup.
Rivers’ comeback began by signing with the Colts’ practice squad on Tuesday. Each NFL team has a 16-player practice squad. Its members do everything that the members of the 53-man active roster do except play in games.
PHILIP RIVERS ON HIS RETURN TO THE NFL: ‘I KIND OF THOUGHT THAT SHIP HAD SAILED’
On Saturday, the Colts announced they had signed Rivers to their active roster. Indianapolis had an open spot for the quarterback after it placed former Auburn All-American Braden Smith on injured reserve. The Colts’ right offensive tackle came out of the previous game with a concussion and a neck injury, and he was not able to practice this week.
At his Friday press conference, Colts coach Shane Steichen declined to name a starting quarterback, saying the coaching staff would work toward that decision now that Rivers had completed his preparation on the practice field for Sunday’s game.
During the week, Rivers took snaps with Indianapolis’ first-team offense, as did former Fairhope High School star Riley Leonard.
“He’s got great command in the huddle,” Steichen said of Rivers’ practices. “He was throwing it well. So, yeah, we’re excited for it. I mean, he’s fired up for the challenge, obviously, getting back into it, getting back into the fold. Feeling the pass rush, got some good work in that, just moving around seeing the defense. It was good. …
“I mean, a guy that hasn’t been out there in five years, to go out and practice the way he did this week was pretty impressive to watch.”
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
The Colts lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles-tendon injury in Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the game with Leonard at quarterback. The sixth-round rookie completed 18-of-29 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and ran two times for 5 yards and one touchdown.
In reaction to Jones’ injury, and with backup quarterback Anthony Richardson on injured reserve with a fractured orbital bone, Indianapolis stunned the football world by signing Rivers, who made the most recent of his 256 NFL appearances at quarterback on Jan. 9, 2021.
CAM NEWTON: PHILIP RIVERS’ COMEBACK ‘A SLAP IN MY FACE’
Rivers is among the five players in NFL history with at least 60,000 passing yards, 400 touchdown passes and a passing-efficiency rating of 95 or higher, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.
Rivers also is among the modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. By joining the Indianapolis active roster, Rivers is no longer eligible for consideration. Because players must be inactive for five complete seasons before enshrinement, Rivers won’t be eligible for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until the Class of 2031, if he doesn’t play beyond this season.
Five players have thrown a pass in an NFL regular-season game after turning 44 years old – Brady, George Blanda, Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon and Vinnie Testaverde.
The Colts and Seahawks square off at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle. The weather forecast calls for a rainy game.
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