Great beer in Broad Ripple

There’s not better beer destination in Indiana that Broad Ripple Village, where one hundred yards of Monon Trail pedway separates Broad Ripple Brewpub and Brugge Brasserie -- Indiana’s first and most recently established breweries, respectively.

We visited both yesterday while in Indianapolis for the Oasis concert downtown at the Murat.

There was a quick half-pint at Broad Ripple Brewpub, then a stroll around the neighborhood. Brugge Brasserie offered a pleasant interlude as the afternoon crowd shuffled in: Herring snacks and Belgian fries accompanied by house-brewed Pale Ale and The Black – the latter a quasi-Porter or Stout grist brewed with Belgian ale yeast, and something that needs to be attempted far more often than it is.

Back at BRB, the focus was on Scotch Eggs and D’s Salad with Grilled Portobello … with a hand-pulled Bitter first, capped off by the pub’s enduring ESB, which I’ve named the all-time Indiana signature microbrew (Alpha King being a very close second).

Elsewhere in the village, there are numerous imports and microbrews on tap to complement the English and Belgian brewing heritages celebrated at BRB and Brugge Brasserie.

From New Albany, take I-65 north into downtown Indianapolis and exit at Meridian. Follow Meridian north to Westfield Blvd. (the next cross street after 58th, I believe), and follow it straight into the heart of Broad Ripple. Both the pubs are to the north as you enter the built-up area. Park somewhere, get out – and walk!