Three Floyds, a local brewer of note

Hi,

I drink so little, I am statistically off the charts. Consequently, my nomination of Three Floyds will be out of character.

Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana is a temple of beer with a cult status. This is a family run operation with Dr. Mike Floyd, retired urologist and avid gardner, and his sons Nick, brewmaster, and Simon, a chef (who works at a restaurant not associated with Three Floyds). Dr. Mike can be found occasionally overseeing their vegetable and herb garden used by the kitchen. Their goal has been, "Intense balanced beers that were and still remain “not normal” by conventional standards."

A few years ago, I won a bottle of Three Floyds's Dark Lord at a LTHforum holiday party. I received a number of offers to trade it away. I declined, because I already knew who it should get it. That didn't stop people from pouting, asking for sips (as if I would open the bottle) or declaring they would be a better recipient. I almost had to hide it under my shirt and run out the door as if I were Charlie Bucket in possession of the Golden Ticket.

Three Floyds annual Dark Lord Day is so enthusiastically anticipated, they sell golden tickets (funds going to charity) to guarantee the opportunity to buy a bottle(s). Last year, "Tickets sold out in 55 minutes." This event attracts homebrewers who bring their brew to share with others while waiting.

At Three Floyds, their beer is what puts them on the map and attracts people to them. In my experience the food has always been better than it needs to be, because people are really there for the beer. However, while their beer has been consistent, their kitchen has not. LTH friends Llama and Mincybits are still grieving the loss of the four-cheese dipping sauce and other favorites. The Scotch Egg has been reworked a few times, currently they use chicken sausage to envelope the egg.

Presently Chef Mike Sheerin, formerly of Blackbird, is overseeing the kitchen. A recent meal of house-made charcuterie, Scotch egg, cassoulet and Montreal-style pastrami was overall very good. (I still have some reservations about the pastrami, I need to understand what is intended by Montreal-style better). It would be unfair to Three Floyds (who really are brewmasters) to loose support over their kitchen, when it is not really why people go there. However for people like me who don't drink beer, eating dinner there is not sacrifice and more often a pleasure.



There has been lots of chatter over many threads as well as two dedicated threads:

Three Floyds, Dark Lord Day - dedicated thread on the Something to Drink board is about the logistics of Dark Lord Day

Three Floyds, Munster - dedicated thread on Eating out in Chicagoland

A sample of comments related to Three Floyds:

Mark H: "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)."

jjwall: "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."

Rene G: "Even if you like Gumballhead and Pride & Joy (as I do), I'd steer away from those in the taproom. They will be serving brews you'll rarely see elsewhere so take advantage while you have a chance. Sitting at the bar is a good option because you can easily get a taste of any you're unsure about.
... "The beer has never let me down though. Overall, I'm a big fan of the whole operation."

JimInLoganSquare: "I had a very good, but not destination-worthy, Reuben at Three Floyds. Of course, the outstanding beer menu at an ultra-cool, beneath-the-radar pub in the middle of an industrial park could push this over the line for you."

Llama: "... for now the only reason I'll go is for the beer, which is still as fantastic as ever."

danimalarkey: "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."

Eric: ".. if you like this place, it sounds like you'd love Three Floyds in Munster. A little hard to find, but a definite hidden gem. The food and beer are awesome."

danimalarkey: "I appreciate the heads up on Three Floyds -- rest assured, I've already been, and have found it worth the time to find it. I was nearly tempted to try and get on Check, Please! with it, but thought better of the idea (let's keep FFF for those of us in the know)."

I nominate Three Floyds Brewery and their Brewpub (the bar, not the food - even though I really like the food), because the magic there derives from their ""not normal" beer by conventional standards."

Brewery
219.922.3565
9750 Indiana Pkwy
Munster, In 46321

Brewpub
219.922.4425
9750 Indiana Pkwy

http://www.3floyds.com/
Munster, In 46321

Respectfully submitted,