We started visiting the Three Floyds brewery in Munster, Indiana, not too long after they first set up there after relocating from nearby Hammond. A Saturday morning trip the brewery was always fun, especially in the beginning, when $5 got you access to the brewery and generous samples. The brewery has grown in popularity since those days and with more and more people hanging out in the brewery, I suppose it made perfect sense to open a brewpub.

It's still not normal: the brewpub is in the front of the brewery, which may seem a bit odd, since the brewery is located in an industrial park. Once you're inside the friendly confines of the pub, however, you feel like you could be in a cozy spot somewhere in Chicago. Plenty of interesting artwork covers the walls, along with giant reproductions of Three Floyds beer labels. As you gaze around the room you may notice cool stuff like a model of a Star Wars Tie-Fighter hanging from the ceiling above the bar. Around the corner of the bar you'll see all the taps -- not just the Three Floyds ones -- but guest taps of West Coast microbrews such as Stone Arrogant Bastard, as well as Belgian imports such as Gulden Draak and Liefmans Frambozenbier. The taps are a beautiful sight for the Three Floyds devotee to behold, as is the chalkboard beer menu scribbled with such delights as the Moloko Plus Milk Stout and Bob Da Broot Scotch Ale along with the usual suspects of Alpha King, Robert the Bruce and Pride and Joy. The list of beers, apart from the aforementioned mainstays, rotates rather frequently. We got excited when we spotted something called Broo Doo, a 100 IBU, fresh-hopped pale ale -- but alas it was already sucked up by other Floydites. We were nearly disappointed when it seemed the brewpub was out of Bob da Broot, a Scotch Ale, but another keg was found (always a good thing) and we were able to sample this peaty, roasty and extremely thick-bodied, heavenly aromatic ale. We also sampled Deesko, a Berliner-style weiss and Dolomite, an interpretation of American malt liquor brewed with Indiana corn. The Deesko was tasty and refreshing and a good choice for the designated driver, at 3 percent alcohol, while the Dolomite was rather strong and malty with a corn accent at 7.5 percent alcohol, but the best darn malt liquor I've ever had.

Now the best darn thing about Three Floyds brewpub is that you can order little bites food with your beer, stretching out your tasting session. I always wanted to stay longer when visiting the brewery, but with nothing else to do but drink beer and chat it up with Nick (or whoever was pouring) I'd just get too darn intoxicated to make it back to Illinois. Of course, there is a full blown menu, with hearty meals such as half a chicken and a Royale with Cheese. Yes, the Pulp Fiction inspired hamburger comes with your choice of cheese (Stilton anyone?) and can be cooked pretty bloody rare if that's how you like it. I kept my dinner simple, choosing a smoked Turkey sandwich, while Carol had the Royale and Ryan had the Good Doctor's Gumbo -- that Southern boy couldn't pass up a roux made from duck fat! Other interesting stuff on the menu includes a Scotch Egg (hard boiled, packed in Scottish Ale sausage, battered and deep fried) and a fry cone (a cone-shaped stand lined with parchment packed full of fries) with a choice of dipping sauces including curry ketchup, jerk alioli, lemon and dill alioli, giardinera mayo, wasabi alioli, four cheese and horseradish garlic alioli. We didn't have the fry cone, but we saw one in action at a nearby table, and it looked pretty darn good.

So, you're at the Three Floyds brewpub and you're enjoying your beer and food -- but wait -- there's more! There's a neat little projection TV beaming sports or Robotech or whatever else the staff feels like showing and there's music -- good music -- everything from Goat's Head Soup from the Stones to Funeral by Arcade Fire. All in all, a pretty cool place to hangout, but beware: the secret's out and the place gets pretty packed. It seemed especially busy around 8 to 9 on Saturday night. We showed up early for dinner around 4:30 and we were eventually able to get a table after about a half hour lounging on two way too comfortable couches. Comfy couches and hoppy beer equals nap time, so that seating arrangement wasn't going to work for too long. Oh, and one more thing, leave your cigarettes and cigars at home or you'll have to smoke outside in the parking lot.

What:
The new Three Floyds Brewpub
Where:
9570 Indiana Parkway Munster, IN 46321 ph. (219) 922-4425
When:
11:30am to Midnight, Tuesday through Friday and 12pm to Midnight, Saturday and Sunday.

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