Writer and Photographer / Jim Eichelman

Recently, a number of craft beer fans, including myself, boarded buses for the “Loco for JoCo” brewery tour. The group spent a delightful Sunday afternoon seeing what the Johnson County (JoCo) craft beer scene had to offer.

Recently, a number of craft beer fans, including myself, boarded buses for the “Loco for JoCo” brewery tour. The group spent a delightful Sunday afternoon seeing what the Johnson County (JoCo) craft beer scene had to offer.

The First
An initial short ride landed us at Oaken Barrel Brewing Company. This is Johnson County’s oldest brewery and one of the state’s first, opening July 1994. “We were creating craft beer before craft beer was cool,” said owner Kwang Casey.

Oaken Barrel is not just a brewery, however. Casey believes that food service is important and strives for a 50-50 mix of focus between food and beer. Casey believes this differentiates them from many craft beer businesses. You can also enjoy Oaken Barrel products at other local restaurants as well, and it can be found in a variety of retail outlets.

Oaken Barrel |Planetary Brewing | Greenwood IndianaCasey, a southsider at heart, is a socially minded, closing his restaurant every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve to feed approximately 200 families. Purchasing from local vendors wherever possible is also a priority.

From oldest to smallest
The next stop on our tour was Old Town Greenwood. Here, we found Planetary Brewing Company. Planetary is the smallest on the tour – so small, in fact that owner Andrew Groves describes it as a “nanobrewery.” His company just celebrated two years in existence, having “blasted off” in March 2013.

The small batch size — a two barrel system with approximately 60 gallon capacity — and high turnover through the taproom allows a lot of variety in what they produce. During their first 10 months in business, they produced over 20 different styles of beer. Groves feels this flexibility makes his brewery distinctive from others in the county. Besides their own taproom, Planetary provides brew for restaurants such as Shallo’s Antique Restaurant & Brewhaus, Hal’s Fabulous Vegas Bar & Grille, McGilvery’s Taphouse and most recently, Revery, in Old Town Greenwood.

It’s All About the Beer
Next, we traveled to Mashcraft Brewing. Contrary to some other craft brewers in Johnson County, Mashcraft is all about the beer. A midsize brewer, open since June 2014, their focus is strictly on producing a variety of high quality craft beers and they leave the food up to you. While they have partnered with Zoey’s Pizzeria to provide a very limited menu, they allow patrons to bring in their own food to enjoy with their beer. The décor of the taproom is simple, mostly picnic table seating and a few seats rescued from the demolition of Indianapolis Bush Stadium.

Mashcraft believes in making and selling a quality product, and being a responsible member of the community. Therefore, you will see an emphasis on responsible consumption when you visit.

Brew By-U |MashCraft Brewing | Greenwood IndianaDIY Craft Beer
Want to try making it “your way” but don’t have the equipment, don’t want the mess or don’t have the knowledge? The next stop may be for you. Brew-By-U provides all you need to make your own craft beer masterpiece. Owner Jeremy Hough got the idea after attending a Wine & Canvas party and wondered how he could do something entertaining around beer.

The process typically requires two visits, during which you select your recipe, purchase and assemble your ingredients, “cook” your brew, and bottling your creation. During both visits, Brew-By-U experts are on hand to oversee your effort and make sure you are delighted with your result.

Now you can have all the fun and none of the mess!

The Taxman Cometh
The final stop for the afternoon took us to Bargersville, to visit Taxman Brewing Company. Nestled in small town Bargersville, this gastropub brings a taste of Europe to JoCo. After living in Belgium for several years, owners Nathan and Leah Huelsebusch returned to settle in the Center Grove area. They wanted to bring a bit of Belgium back with them where, Leah said, every village had a brewery. To them, Bargersville was a small town in need of its own brewpub. Voila! Taxman.

One of the larger brewers in JoCo, Taxman typically focuses on Belgian-style ales. Nevertheless, the large line of taps usually includes a number of guest beers so you will likely find something to your taste. Food service is also important to the Huelsebusch’s, where Leah aims for an even balance between focus on food and beer. A large dining room and bar downstairs can accommodate many diners, and on busy weekend evenings the crowd spills over into a large upstairs room. Taxman goes out of its way to source its food offerings locally, utilizing items from many local farms.

Home again
The enjoyable afternoon ended with a mellow group of beer fans returning home, courtesy of Indy Brew Bus, which has recently expanded its brewery tour business to include the Johnson County breweries.


Oaken Barrel Brewing Company
50 Airport Parkway, Greenwood
OakenBarrel.com

Planetary Brewing Company
500 Polk St., Suite 22, Greenwood
PlanetaryBrewing.com

Mashcraft Brewing
1149 N. State Road 135, Greenwood
MashCraftBrews.com

Brew-By-U
3021 Meridian Meadows Road, Greenwood
Brew-By-U.com

Taxman Brewing Company
13 South Baldwin St., Bargersville
TaxmanBrewing.com

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