Burn 'Em Brewing Company, a craft brewery that opened its new location in Michigan City in February, kicked off its first-ever Collab Event for local and visiting craft beer connoisseurs on June 1. The event, held in their new spacious event center called “The Back Room,” brought together four local breweries for a night of beer, music, and community.
“A couple of months ago our breweries came together and talked about a way to get people to cross between all of us,” said Shanyn Day, general manager for Transient Artisan Ales. “Watermark Brewing came up with the logo of the Red Arrow Outlaws and all of us came up with a shared base recipe for our beer and put a unique spin on each one. I am excited for all of the people who went to each brewery and tried all of our lagers.”
The local lager collaboration featured the shared creative efforts of four local breweries: Burn 'Em Brewing, Transient Artisan Ales, Seed Brewery, and Watermark Brewing. United under the name the Red Arrow Outlaws, the breweries showcased their collaborative brewing prowess with four light beer variations. Attendees received their $5 punch card at any of the allied brewhouses and enjoyed a lively night of light-hearted beer sampling.
“The beer is a light lager that we all made in each of our breweries,” said Steve Murray, owner of Burn 'Em Brewing Company. “It’s got the same percentage of grain bill we all brew on different size systems. Everything is slightly different, but it showcases how everybody brews and how each system works once there is that tasting at the end. For us, we use our same grain bill and preferred malt suppliers, and then we end up using whatever hops we choose in-house and whatever our house lager uses. All the beers taste similar but all have notable differences.”
As the primary host, Burn 'Em Brewing happily presented their new event space. Back in February, Burn 'Em Brewing moved to its new address at 1215 E. 2nd Street with a designated space attached outside its main taproom. For this event, beer enthusiasts could enjoy over 20 beers on tap and a delicious scratch kitchen at their disposal, or waltz in to taste the collaborative magic. Midwest Hype, a modern rock and roll group, energized the audience from a stage within “The Back Room” with popular hits.
“Our band has been together for almost 20 years,” said Nate Miller, bass guitarist for Midwest Hype. “For me, I was most excited about playing music in front of these people and I loved getting them to dance.”
The Collab Event serves as more than just a sampling of craft beers. It is a celebration of the vibrant craft beer community in Northwest Indiana and a shared testament to the four’s desire for their customers to try more than just the beers on tap at each respective brewery.
“All four of us have been friends for a while and we wanted to collaborate to give our regulars a reason to try something different,” said Chris Betts, the owner of Transient Artisan Ales. “I have had all of our beers and they have been really good.”
With its successful first Collab Event under its belt, Burn 'Em Brewing Company is planning more exciting events for the future, especially within “The Back Room.” Whether you are a seasoned craft beer enthusiast or just starting to explore the world of local brews, Burn 'Em Brewing and the other Red Arrow Outlaws are committed to creating warm and memorable experiences.
“I heard about this event and it sounded really fun,” said fellow beer enthusiast Tom Burnham. “I also came to claim the glasses for some of my friends that are coming. For me, I wanted to see what Burn ’Em Brewery is like.”
To learn more about Burn 'Em Brewing, future events or to sign-up for their newsletter, visit burnembrewing.com.
