Three Floyd's Munster

Hey Gang

I went to the Three Floyd's Brewery, in Munster, Indiana, a couple of weeks ago.

Very impressed with the brewpub, it's connected to a trucking plant in an industrial park. Very cool. The inside is kind of cool, big nods to Belgian Beers, which I love. Not only do they serve their beers, lots of guest Belgian Beers on draft and in the bottle.

Food was very impressive for higher end pub food. I had a rueben, served as two mini sandwiches on rye and a raisin rye bread, very good.

I hope to return next week after hitting Tiebel's and grabbing some Bell's Beer.

I grew up in Highland, blows my mind this place is in the Region

Dave

Three Floyd's Brewpub
9570 Indiana Parkway Munster, IN 46321


Beer menu
http://www.threefloydspub.com/beermenu.html

bluesman wrote:I hope to return next week after hitting Tiebel's and grabbing some Bell's Beer.

Is Tiebel's a liquor store? I usually stop at Delock's for cases of Bell's stuff or the Liquor Stop for a better selection. I am always interested in finding good beer stores in NWI.

Delock's Discount Liquors
822 Ridge Rd
Munster, IN 46321
Phone: (219) 836-2088

Liquor Stop
9218 Indianapolis Blvd
Highland, IN 46322
Phone: (219) 838-6884

No Teibels is a perch and fried chicken restaurant in NWI.
Basically we always went there after funerals, but it rocks.

http://www.teibels.com

Dave

Ok, I get it. "Hitting Tiebel's" and "grabbing some Bell's" are two separate activities.

Tiebel's looks very cool and very old school. I see it has been mentioned a couple of times around here. You know any place that specializes in Fried Chicken "Luncheons", has to be worth checking out.

Something I didn't expect to see on the Three Floyd's beer list - of "invited" beers: Pabst Blue Ribbon. Nice.

Three Floyds has a cult-like reputation outside the Chicago area. It's amazing to me that people as far away as Seattle and San Francisco travel here specifically to visit the brewpub in Munster, yet people in Chicago barely know the brewpub exists (though they ARE aware of the brand). Another example of anti-NWI bias in the Chicago area, I suppose...

Teibel's perch is living on its reputation from the 60s, but the chicken is outstanding. I don't know how many people will understand this, but Teibel's chicken is similar in style to Barberton chicken, only juicier. Great stuff. Tip: dine in the coffee shop.

Oh, if you want good perch, go to the Whiting Elks on a Friday night. It's open to the public. The other items on their menu are edible but forgettable.

Not sure if your statement was intended to be tongue in cheek, but I'm not aware of anti-NWI bias in the Chicago area (at least among my friends and among members of this board), as that suggests to me some sort of animus towards the place. Perhaps "indifference" is a better word choice? I think as we've seen from the NWI posts on this board, being indifferent to, or ignoring, NWI is done to one's own detriment, but I don't think NWI is being singled out in any way. I'd really like to make it to the TF brewpub, but can't during the week and generally can't prioritize the time to do so over the weekend in light of other obligations. It's not a NWI thing, it would be the same for me if it was in the northwest suburbs or SE Wisconsin.

Back (somewhat) on topic, I'd be curious to hear from those who know whether Three Floyds has experienced any quality issues with respect to their beers post-Bells pull out of Illinois. I spoke with the owner of a Chicago drinking establishment fairly recently and he said that Three Floyds had production issues trying to meet increased demand once Bells left Illinois. Just curious as to whether this was reflected in the product itself (as opposed to product supply).

Coffee shop at Teibels, been so long. Is there a price advantage or something better about eating in the coffee shop?

Pabst is on every beer list everywhere now, I heard their sales were up like 20% last couple of years. They are afraid to advertise because the hipsters won't drink it anymore.

Dave

Matt wrote:Back (somewhat) on topic, I'd be curious to hear from those who know whether Three Floyds has experienced any quality issues with respect to their beers post-Bells pull out of Illinois. I spoke with the owner of a Chicago drinking establishment fairly recently and he said that Three Floyds had production issues trying to meet increased demand once Bells left Illinois. Just curious as to whether this was reflected in the product itself (as opposed to product supply).

I think all those problems are far behind them now.

While at the FFF pub, it is worth checking out the Veteran's memorial at the corner where you turn off Calumet to go to the brewery. It is an elaborate but sobering exhibit, so you might want to stop there before you hit the pub.

Matt wrote:Not sure if your statement was intended to be tongue in cheek, but I'm not aware of anti-NWI bias in the Chicago area (at least among my friends and among members of this board), as that suggests to me some sort of animus towards the place. Perhaps "indifference" is a better word choice? I think as we've seen from the NWI posts on this board, being indifferent to, or ignoring, NWI is done to one's own detriment, but I don't think NWI is being singled out in any way. I'd really like to make it to the TF brewpub, but can't during the week and generally can't prioritize the time to do so over the weekend in light of other obligations. It's not a NWI thing, it would be the same for me if it was in the northwest suburbs or SE Wisconsin.

I grew up in NWI, and I agree with about there often being an anti-Region bias in the rest of the Chicago area. The prevalent attitude I've noticed when I tell people where I grew up seems to be that NWI is too dirty, too dangerous or just too far away to be worthwhile.

Anyway, I've been wanting to get to the Three Floyds ever since it opened a while back and still have had the opportunity. Is it the sort of place I can go to with my middle aged parents and kids in tow, or is a visit that should only be done when I leave them at home? I've heard the burgers are really good, but are there any other must haves on the menu (besides the Reuben)?

SMT wrote:Anyway, I've been wanting to get to the Three Floyds ever since it opened a while back and still have had the opportunity. Is it the sort of place I can go to with my middle aged parents and kids in tow, or is a visit that should only be done when I leave them at home? I've heard the burgers are really good, but are there any other must haves on the menu (besides the Reuben)?

Sure, bring the whole family, but if you have kids with, you will have to stay in the dining area only.

I have had quite a few meals there & think they do an excellent job, especially for a brewpub. The Scoth egg is good & as are all of the sandwiches I've tried there. It's also the only place where I think I prefer the turkey burger over a hamurger & their hamburgers are very good. Wood fired pizzas are worth a try (go for the Dean Martin) & be sure to check out the specials, they often have some nice seafood dishes lurking there.

Made another trip south. I have to say the food at Teibel's was terrific. We walked in and were seated in the non smoking room. There were 4 tables and it made me wonder. There were a hundred cars outside, i guess the smoking room was pretty darn full , loud too.

My buddy and I each had the fried chicken and perch combo. Totally to die for just how I remember it, good split pea soup, relish tray, ice cream etc. The perch was fantastic, I may have to go soon again.

3 Floyds- Stopped in for a Gumballhead. I really like the pub, same bartender as last time. It also took 20 min to get a beer. I guess hammering something on the wall was more important. The waitstaff seems to be real good here, bartenders seem indifferent. They are fine
once they decide to wait on you.

Bell's- Stopped at Delock's Liquors on Calumet and Ridge (Liquor stop is a short drive from Floyd's but blew it off)

They had Oberon, Porter, Stoudt, Bell's Batch 8,000, Pale, Amber etc.
The also Had Omnegang 750 bottles, not bad.

Delock's was good for the bell's grab, but keep in mind they don't specialize in craft beer by any means

All Good in the Region

Dave

bluesman wrote:Delock's was good for the bell's grab, but keep in mind they don't specialize in craft beer by any means

It is pretty obvious that Delock's carries Bell's simply to service the hop heads making the pilgrimage to 3 Floyds. The rest of their stock is strictly mega-brew party suds, but they are generally well stocked with Bell's by the case.

I agree Delocks has always sold piss for beer. It really blows my mind they carry bells, but hey glad they do

Dave

their beer is terrible......yu must work there....... i know of NO one theat likes it..... for a brew pub or micro brewery...... it is really bad .......if yu live in Da Region...... go to Santoris on ridge.... west wall...... get some Abita Turbo Dog or Golden Amber....... from Abita Springs in south luzinana.....

LSU Girl wrote: their beer is terrible......yu must work there....... i know of NO one theat likes it..... for a brew pub or micro brewery...... it is really bad .......if yu live in Da Region...... go to Santoris on ridge.... west wall...... get some Abita Turbo Dog or Golden Amber....... from Abita Springs in south luzinana.....

But how do you really feel?

LSU Girl wrote: their beer is terrible......yu must work there....... i know of NO one theat likes it..... for a brew pub or micro brewery...... it is really bad .......if yu live in Da Region...... go to Santoris on ridge.... west wall...... get some Abita Turbo Dog or Golden Amber....... from Abita Springs in south luzinana.....

Three Floyds tends to be a bit heavy-handed on the hops but they still brew some very fine beers. I suppose the typical natty light fan wouldn't be able to handle them but people who enjoy good beer tend to be fans. Abita is OK, not a bad intro beer for someone taking their first step out of Budweiser territory, but it's not terrific. Additionally, I'm surprised that someone called "LSU Girl" can't spell Louisiana. Ah well.

jimthebeerguy,

are you really surprised someone from LSU cant spell Louisiana? LSU isnt really known for producing Rhodes Scholars..

Three Floyds is on my list of places to try. I really enjoy Flossmoor Station Brewery, and have high hopes for a future visit to Three Floyds.

The beautiful and erudite crrush is going to come in here and kick all y'all's asses.

LSU Girl wrote:their beer is terrible......yu must work there....... i know of NO one theat likes it..... for a brew pub or micro brewery...... it is really bad .......if yu live in Da Region...... go to Santoris on ridge.... west wall...... get some Abita Turbo Dog or Golden Amber....... from Abita Springs in south luzinana.....

must resist commenting on several things...but it should be noted that Santori's is in Lansing IL...and Bell's will not be available there...carry on.....

yah its in Lansing, on Ridge rd.....1/4 mile front the state line

Matt wrote:Back (somewhat) on topic, I'd be curious to hear from those who know whether Three Floyds has experienced any quality issues with respect to their beers post-Bells pull out of Illinois. I spoke with the owner of a Chicago drinking establishment fairly recently and he said that Three Floyds had production issues trying to meet increased demand once Bells left Illinois. Just curious as to whether this was reflected in the product itself (as opposed to product supply).

First a note--my favorite two beers are FFF Dreadnaught and FFF Alpha King. I love hoppy, and I especially love citrus hoppy. I actually served Alpha King at my wedding (illegally--I carried a keg across state lines).

I live in Wrigleyville and frequent Guthrie's @ Addison and Lakewood. Guthrie's served FFF Alpha King for a few years and decided to switch from Alpha King to Arcadia HopMouth (a relatively similar, citrusy, hoppy beer brewed in Battle Creek, MI). I asked the manager why they switched, and he said that Alpha King was too popular for the supply they were receiving, and they were pretty consistently running out of it. He never mentioned anything quality-related, and I haven't noticed anything in my travels.


Also on topic, I've eaten and embibed twice at the brewpub...both were very good experiences. I've never been to Louisiana, but the Muffuletta was great. No idea on authenticity, but I liked it as a sandwich.

A friend of mine and I recently took a trip to the brewpub and it was an all-around excellent time. The tour is a great deal -- it costs $1, but you get a free beer. Nice! The food was excellent -- I had the reuben, featuring pastrami and corned beef on raisin pumpernickel while my friend had the fish and chips. We also started with some excellent scotch eggs (not too much breading, a slightly spicy sausage, good egg taste -- free-range maybe? -- with a chipotle aoili that was very tasty). There were a number of families there, and the younger peopel didn't seem out of place at all (though you do have to be 12+ to go on the tour, I think).

And of course the beer is very good. Not only is there a wide selection of FFF beers, but there's a good selection of guest drafts, as well. I did feel that the FFF beers were a little pricey, though, considering they were brewed on-sight. I think most beers ran $5/pint. Still a good value, don't get me wrong, and I gladly drank my way through half their offerings, but I was surprised that the beers weren't just a wee bit cheaper.

You can also purchase 6-packs and bomber bottles of most of their beers at the bar. They're not much cheaper than what you'd find in a store here, but there's no sales tax in Indiana (and if Cook County's sales tax jumps to 11%, that can make a real difference).

I was also shocked at just how small this brewery is compared to some of the other regional brewers. I learned that while Goose Island and Bell's can produce 70,000 barrels of beer a year, Three Floyd's produces only 5,000. Crikey!

Hi,

I really enjoy Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana. I don't go for the beer, though a friend is there keenly for the beer. I do go for the food offerings, which are always better than they have to be.

My last visit was just after Christmas. While others enjoyed their beers, I had a piece of chocolate cake imported from Mindy Segal's Hot Chocolate in Chicago. They also had bread pudding from Mindy Segal. Both dessert offerings were a delightful surprise to me.

Just as we were planning to leave, someone at the bar was served their dinner: steak with Belgium frites. I got the menu to find it was a 14 Oz Ribeye Covered With Garlic And Pearl Onion Herb Butter Served Over A Bed Of Finely Cut Fries (think Belgium frites) offered at $18. It was so lovely, I had to shield my eyes to keep from ordering it right then and there. We almost broke our plans for tacos. Instead, we treated our tacos as an appetizer, then returned to Three Floyds for that steak and frites dinner.

While I am not all that keen for beer, I am very keen on the food at Three Floyds. It is no sacrifice, if anything it is a treat, to enjoy a meal there. From the reaction people have to Three Floyd's beers, they could have had mediocre food and still do bustling business. As I remark every time I am there, "The food is better than it has to be." Lucky me!

FYI - They do a brew tours on Saturday at 3 PM for a very modest fee.

Regards,

By the way guys, Jerry's in Wicker Park carries the most Three Floyds beers in Chicago that I have found. They just about carries everything with the exception to Dark Lord, which only come out once a year. Unfortunately, most are not on draft.

They also carries a bell's beer that has been renamed to kalamazoo. I hope I dont get them in trouble for posting it online. This is the only place that serves it in Chicago so far.

manifesto wrote:They also carries a bell's beer that has been renamed to kalamazoo. I hope I dont get them in trouble for posting it online. This is the only place that serves it in Chicago so far.

Unless the Empty Bottle is not in Chicago, I believe your statement is incorrect.
Jamie

A visit to Three Floyd's has been near the top of my to do list for a while now, even more now that I actually tried some of their beer. I was able to treat myself to a 6 pack of Three Floyd's Gumballhead from the liquor store across the street from Honey 1, before my first visit to Honey 1 a couple of months ago. Good beer and great bbq, I dont think there is anything better

I am now just waiting for the weather to break to take the trek to Three Floyd's.

Not to get horribly off-topic, but:

Jamieson22 wrote:

manifesto wrote:They also carries a bell's beer that has been renamed to kalamazoo. I hope I dont get them in trouble for posting it online. This is the only place that serves it in Chicago so far.

Unless the Empty Bottle is not in Chicago, I believe your statement is incorrect.
Jamie

According to a Chicagoist article from a while back, these are the bars serving Kalamazoo:
Want to get your hands on the new Kalamazoo? The taps that’ll have the brew in Chicago are: Clark Street Ale House, Lemmings, Silver Cloud, Northside Bar & Grill, The Handlebar and Twisted Spoke.

Outside the city, Kalamazoo will be at Brixie's, Kendall Pub, Chef Paul's Bavarian Lodge, Jimmy's Grill, Old Town Pub - Geneva and Wasco, and will also be available at Durty Nellies next week. Larry Bell image via Southwest Michigan First.

Also, the Two Brothers brewpub should be opening soon. I hope they follow FFF's lead and serve really good food. A problem I still have with Goose Island is that their food is a little lacking, I think. I understand that they recently over-hauled their menu -- I haven't been back since to try it.

danimalarkey wrote:Not to get horribly off-topic, but:

Jamieson22 wrote:

manifesto wrote:They also carries a bell's beer that has been renamed to kalamazoo. I hope I dont get them in trouble for posting it online. This is the only place that serves it in Chicago so far.

Unless the Empty Bottle is not in Chicago, I believe your statement is incorrect.
Jamie

According to a Chicagoist article from a while back, these are the bars serving Kalamazoo:
Want to get your hands on the new Kalamazoo? The taps that’ll have the brew in Chicago are: Clark Street Ale House, Lemmings, Silver Cloud, Northside Bar & Grill, The Handlebar and Twisted Spoke.

Outside the city, Kalamazoo will be at Brixie's, Kendall Pub, Chef Paul's Bavarian Lodge, Jimmy's Grill, Old Town Pub - Geneva and Wasco, and will also be available at Durty Nellies next week. Larry Bell image via Southwest Michigan First.

I am going to guess it has expanded since as I was drinking it at the Empty Bottle a few Fridays ago. Never was a fan of Bell's Amber anyways so wasn't too excited about seeing it. Though I am more excited about drinking my Two Hearted mini keg on Sunday than watching the Super Bowl

Jamie

Of all of the beers Three Floyds produces, the most anticipated is their Dark Lord Stout (a Russian Imperial Stout). In recent years, the day that this beer is released for sale has become a day-long event, with bbq, bands and beer. Curious about the beer, and a huge fan of FFF, in general, I attended Dark Lord Day 2008. Some pointers for anyone considering attending next year:

1. Show up earlier than you think you need to -- I showed up at 10am, and didn't leave until 2:30pm. And I was lucky; anyone showing up past 11am was not able to get the Dark Lord Stout. There must have been 1000+ people there (yes, that's more than one thousand, all converging just to buy a specific beer). The earliest I heard about were people who showed up at 7:30am, though they had made their purchases by 11:30am. That being said, though, I didn't see any terribly obnoxious drunks, and everyone was pretty friendly and positive (at the beginning, anyway, but as the day wore on...). And while the morning started chilly, it turned out to be a gorgeous day, perfect for lounging around and drinking beer.

2. Bring lots of beer/food/water -- Beer sales don't start until 11am in Indiana, and the food didn't get served until past 12:30pm. If there's an open container law in Munster, the cops present at DLD didn't seem to care. Lots of people were sharing/trading, and it was a great chance to try beers from across the country. Keep in mind, too, that while the pub is selling beer (highlights included a Vanilla Bean Dark Lord Stout, barrel-aged Black Sun Stout and a barrel-aged Dark Lord Stout from the 2007 batch), there's a line, and it moves slowly. There were a couple of other beer stations -- one had drafts from Flossmoor Station, Piece, Two Bros, and Surly -- but there were lines there, too.

3. Bring plenty of cash -- everything at DLD was cash-only. A guy in front of me didn't realize this until we were roughly 20 minutes from actually being able to buy the Dark Lord Stout and promptly found himself SOL. If he had known beforehand, there would have been *plenty* of time to find an ATM. In addition to the Dark Lord Stout, all of FFF products were on sale, too, including a non-advertised special collaboration wheat wine with Mikkeller (haven't tried it yet, but I'm looking forward to it).

4. Get ready for lines -- like I said, there was a line for everything. For example, if you think you're going to need to use the restroom, plan for a 20 min. wait at the porta-johns (and bring sanitzier -- they were looking foul by mid-afternoon).

All of this being said, I was glad I went (despite an awful sunburn -- I had forgotten, considering this past winter, what sunlight feels like, and how it can burn your skin). I'm already inclined to go next year, too, even if the crowd increases exponentially from year to year, and I'm not sure what, if anything, FFF can do to improve the overall experience. Really, the best way to enjoy DLD, I think, is to go and give up any hope of actually buying the Dark Lord Stout. Instead, go for the music, food, beer, etc.