Valparaiso's own Figure 8 Brewing Company introducing "Crusader Ale"

FWalum · September 24, 2013, 11:25:09 AM

Figure Eight Brewing LLC is introducing Crusader Ale this Friday. From what they have said on their Facebook page it is currently only available on tap, but if the demand is great enough they will bottle in the future. Figure Eight Facebook page

QuoteFigure Eight Brewing
We love Valpo! We love the people that live here and make it a great place to live! This week we are introducing our new beer called Crusader Ale. Served for this week only in our brewpub and at these great Valparaiso institutions starting Friday!

Also at the Valpo Brewfest which we will be rocking on Saturday! Its going to be a great week folks!

vu72 · September 24, 2013, 11:41:08 AM

Someone should be bright enough to get this served at Homecoming in the beer tent.

Kyle321n · September 24, 2013, 11:49:10 AM

I'll be at beer fest and this will be one of the first beers I'm going to get.

FWalum · September 24, 2013, 01:02:33 PM

According to Figure Eight...

QuoteStrongbow will be bringing it to the homecoming events they are catering.

VULB#62 · September 24, 2013, 03:45:16 PM

Crusader Ale that isn't supposed to be imbibed on the Crusader campus -- even by law-abiding septuagenarians. How ironic.

LaPorteAveApostle · September 24, 2013, 08:02:20 PM

It'd be good for what ales them, too.

setshot · September 24, 2013, 08:06:31 PM

Like the football team: FLAT!

LaPorteAveApostle · September 25, 2013, 06:25:34 AM

like the basketball team: too much hops

covufan · September 25, 2013, 10:33:25 AM

Quote from: VULB#62 on September 24, 2013, 03:45:16 PM
Crusader Ale that isn't supposed to be imbibed on the Crusader campus -- even by law-abiding septuagenarians. How ironic.

Like Bigfoot : non-existent on campus.

historyman · September 25, 2013, 12:46:06 PM

A priest, a Lutheran pastor and a rabbi walk into a bar. The priest says "I'll have an Irish Coffee." The LCMS pastor says "I'll have a Leinenkugel Bock." The rabbi says "I'll have a 'sader Ale."

agibson · September 25, 2013, 05:08:22 PM

Quote from: vu72 on September 24, 2013, 11:41:08 AM
Someone should be bright enough to get this served at Homecoming in the beer tent.

At VU events I've attended with alcohol, the beer selection's been pretty lousy. Even when it's a cash bar. Somehow whoever handles stocking their bar has some default list of what a "top shelf" bar has - and their selection of liquor is OK, nothing exciting, but normal brands. But, their beer is along the lines of "Heineken or MGD". *sigh*

I'd be happy to pay $5 for a pour from a growler of Figure 8, even if they don't want to bother with kegs.

But, why not do kegs from Figure 8 or Ironwood?

I've so far missed out on the beer tent at homecoming. Maybe this is my year. I will have to try to figure out (get it?) how to get over to Figure 8 this weekend - I wonder why they say this week only?

agibson · September 25, 2013, 05:10:53 PM

Is Brewfest normally the same weekend as homecoming?

I've not yet made it to Brewfest, but it would seem a somewhat odd scheduling move.

agibson · September 26, 2013, 02:47:31 PM

I was pleased to see that they had the Crusader ale in growlers - I wasn't going to have time to sit down there for a beer, but did manage to stop by and take some home.

It's not my favorite of their offerings, but hopefully might be a good seller for them, perhaps appealing to a different kind of customer. My thought it's somehow the "beeriest" of their beers in some kind of a sense of "positive qualities you might expect from a mega-brew American pilsner". Lightly hopped. Pleasing yellow color (OK - not clear like a pilsner). Yeasty malty noise. Fairly light flavor.

I drink rather little of the mega-brew stuff, so it's probably not fair of me to compare it like this. It wasn't unpleasant at all, I didn't mind drinking it. Maybe being fresh, local, etc. helped (at least psychologically!). I don't know if I'll buy it again (maybe in bottles for the label, or for company with different tastes than mine), simply because I like other of their beers better. But, it was not at all unpleasant. I think it might appeal to a lot of (possibly casual? not micro-brew snob types) beer drinkers.

And, a brilliant marketing campaign!

LaPorteAveApostle · September 26, 2013, 03:01:56 PM

Quote from: covufan on September 25, 2013, 10:33:25 AMLike Bigfoot : non-existent on campus.

reminds me of The Three Miracles Of Baylor...

first being that the Board of Trustees voted to allow drinking on campus!

Then, the BoT followed that up by allowing DANCING on campus!!

The third miracle, of course, is how instantaneously proficient at both the students showed themselves to be...

covufan · September 26, 2013, 03:18:05 PM

Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on September 26, 2013, 03:01:56 PM
Quote from: covufan on September 25, 2013, 10:33:25 AMLike Bigfoot : non-existent on campus.
reminds me of The Three Miracles Of Baylor...

first being that the Board of Trustees voted to allow drinking on campus!

Then, the BoT followed that up by allowing DANCING on campus!!

The third miracle, of course, is how instantaneously proficient at both the students showed themselves to be...

Most of the Baptist weddings I've been to had a 'non-traditional' receiption after the cake and punch receiption. No drinking or dancing was ever done at the 'non-traditional' receiption!

a3uge · September 30, 2013, 06:05:58 PM

We went to Figure 8 over the weekend and we each had the Crusader Ale. Overall, none of us were very impressed. The beer was a bit too bitter for a Cream Ale... although I guess every time I have a cream ale, they end up being drasitically different than other cream ales. Spotted Cow, Genesee Cream Ale, and this beer are all the same style, yet have remarkably different interpretations.

We heard complaints about the food before, so we just got some cheesy garlic bread because we didn't think they could really screw up cheesy garlic bread. It was pretty bad.

I wish I would've had a chance to try another beer, but the place was too packed to order something quick (understandably so from Homecomming).

LaPorteAveApostle · September 30, 2013, 07:18:01 PM

Quote from: a3uge on September 30, 2013, 06:05:58 PMGenesee Cream Ale

If you enjoy Genny Cream, then you really need to stop being me, man

agibson · October 03, 2013, 02:34:11 PM

Quote from: a3uge on September 30, 2013, 06:05:58 PM
Spotted Cow

Spotted Cow's a cream ale? The label talks about farmhouse... I do see a certain resemblance between the Spotted Cow and the Crusader Ale, I suppose. With the Crusader Ale giving me a bit more of the cream soda flavor that maybe I'm inventing solely based on the name of the style. Neither was to my taste. I was more disappointed in the Spotted Cow because I'd heard good (if maybe a little vague) things about New Glarus and was looking forward to trying it.

Quote
We heard complaints about the food before, so we just got some cheesy garlic bread because we didn't think they could really screw up cheesy garlic bread. It was pretty bad.

Interesting! What complaints have you heard about the food? I've not tried their garlic bread...

Generally I've found the food not exceptionable, but decent and interesting enough. Maybe a little small portion size for the price, but generally sort of interesting interpretations of traditional american type dishes. I guess I've only had their new "now with things more like dinner, and not just lunch" menu once or twice . I thought their mac and cheese was actually quite good, some of the best I've had. The italian beef and brats are fine. I've found their bread to be excellent, and wished I could just have some on the side (never asked). The mustard served with the brat was very good.

Quote
I wish I would've had a chance to try another beer, but the place was too packed to order something quick (understandably so from Homecomming).

I have sometimes had bad service experiences. Especially outside.

But, generally, I like their beer selection well (some of it quite well). I'm definitely giving them some bonus points for being local. But, I'm very happy to have them around.

Kyle321n · October 03, 2013, 04:44:02 PM

Figure 8 is good, but I'm quite discerning when it comes to beer. I can see why other rave about it, but nothing about it separates itself from the usual microbrew. 3 Floyds, Crown Brewery, Backroads Brewery (in LaPorte) and Hunter's Brewing (in Chesterton) all do something that's special.

I prefer to go to Hunter's or Ironwood over Figure 8. But keep going to Figure 8 so my microbrews aren't super crowded.

agibson · October 04, 2013, 01:36:27 PM

I've not had anything to drink at Hunter's yet - they chased me and my kids out (>21 only).

I've liked Ironwood's darker stuff (a red and... a porter?) better than their lighter. Nothing I preferred to e.g. Figure 8's Date Night or Ro Shampo - both of which I think are reasonably impressive.

One of these days I'll make out to 3 Floyds, and will probably bump into Crown sooner or later.

Kyle321n · October 04, 2013, 02:28:08 PM

I had Crusader last night at Pikk's during Eat up, Wine down (which if you haven't done is the best deal ever) and it was a decent beer, but nothingly over impressive.

Quote from: agibson on October 04, 2013, 01:36:27 PM
I've not had anything to drink at Hunter's yet - they chased me and my kids out (>21 only).

I've liked Ironwood's darker stuff (a red and... a porter?) better than their lighter. Nothing I preferred to e.g. Figure 8's Date Night or Ro Shampo - both of which I think are reasonably impressive.

One of these days I'll make out to 3 Floyds, and will probably bump into Crown sooner or later.

Hunter's is very protective of their liquor license (for good reason). My dad (57 years old) gets ID'd everytime he goes in there. Since they don't serve food they can't have anyone under 21 there.

Ironwood is decent, I like their wheat because of the ginger flavor. I prefer going there just because they are less crowded than F8 and even with only 1 "bartender" the service is hands down 100 times better.