Those favorite pints patrons down at Crown Brewing will soon be on tap at select establishments in the region.
Opened in 2008, Crown Point's first brewery and brew pub since 1914 has partnered with Calumet Breweries Inc., which will be the company's Indiana wholesale distributor.
"We think it's a good fit," said Crown Brewing co-owner Dave Bryan. "The partnership with Calumet has opened us up to some pretty good markets and they've done a lot of good work with other small breweries."
Seasonal beers and Crown Brewing signatures like Special Force Ale will now be available on draught at restaurants and bars such as The Lighthouse in Cedar Lake, White Rhino Bar & Grill in Dyer and Gino's East Pizza in Highland.
Calumet Breweries President John Kiernan said the company is excited about Crown's future and proud to represent and include them in a portfolio already comprising of brews from Anheuser-BuschInBev, Heineken, Pabst and Munster's own Three Floyds Brewing.
"Crown is local, and we support the growth of local brewers," he said.
Crown Brewing also is about to begin selling is Special Force Ale in 22-ounce bottles in select liquor stores such as Pete's Liquor Bucket in Merrillville, Holiday Liquors in Cedar Lake and Ribordy Liquors in Valparaiso.
"It's nice to see the business growing the way it is," Bryan said.
Crown Brewing Brewmaster Steve Mazylewski said the company been taking small steps and doesn't want to "go overboard" and accept everybody who wants the beer.
"We want to maintain our quality control and freshness, and make sure we're not too big before we know it," he said. "We want to concentrate local and slowly add more accounts."
Mazylewski said he enjoys the pub environment and the creative freedom it brings.
"I really like the hands-on creation," he said.
Assistant Brewmaster Sean Kasparian said distributing Crown brews will help the business grow substantially.
"The more we send out there, the more me and Steve can make," he said.
CROWN BREWING
Opened: 2008
Location: 211 S. East St., Crown Point
Phone: (219) 663-2545
Web site: http://www.crownbrewing.com
The Christmas Beer
Crown describes its Winter Warlock as a slightly spiced English Strong Brown Ale, brewed with 100 percent imported English malted barley and hops. Exotic ingredients including pure maple syrup, locally produced Dancing Queen Indiana honey and a blend of spices were used in the brewing process.
The description lists a warning: too much of this special brew (7.1 percent alcohol) will impair your ability to drive your snowmobile or guide your sleigh.
The Growler
Patrons can purchase the half-gallon "Growler" jar at Crown Brewing and have it filled and bottled with their favorite Crown brew. Not only does it make a good gift but it's eco-friendly – it can be brought back for refills.
"It goes back to the old breweries," Bryan said. "In the old days if you wanted to get beer from a brewery you had to take a bucket. It kind of evolved into a half-gallon."
The Brewmaster
Steve Mazylewski discovered his calling at the age of 7.
"My father was a beer can collector and we toured breweries in the Great Lakes region," Mazylewski said. "It was one of those things that left a big impression on me as a little boy."
