A Day of Logistics, an Evening of Science and Beer

March 2, 2024

Big day today – and our plans bespeak our ambitions, I guess. Because we had a lot to do, and a tight timeline.

We started off with a truck rental, and a drive over to Valpo to pick up an assortment of things (lumber, several windows, lamps, some old doors – and a few odds/end).

It was enough stuff to warrant a truck, but not enough to fully fill the truck. I spent a long while trying to tie things down, and was mildly successful (the windows came unstrapped en route, but I think they were mostly undamaged).

To be honest, it’s a small miracle these things made the trip. I thought I had them secured, but they ended up flat on the bed of the truck.

Lots of lumber, for the first floor window sills.

The truck rental, loading, unloading, and truck return took most of our day. And we had just enough time to rush home, hop in the shower, and trek over to the Musuem of Science and Industry for the Brewsology Beer festival.

Liz had seen this ad appear in her Instagram feed, and this time… the algorithm won. Despite the full day of errands for us, we thought the opportunity of mixing science and beer was too good to pass up.

On arriving, we saw a lot of people. A lot of people. We both had a sense it would be popular/crowded, but were not prepared for the mass of bodies we saw.

A few of the first beers we tried, from Three Floyds. Our entry tickets each got us a small glass – which allowed us to get samples from each vendor.

A big challenge: trying out numerous beers, without getting completely wasted in the process. Vendors were generous with pours, but I kept asking for smaller portions – as some of the beers were pretty potent.

A view of the crowd.

Can’t visit MSI without going to check out the tornado

And the Avalanche disk!

Funny/Sad story: there was a guard posted outside the entrance to the Science Storms area, letting folks know they couldn’t enter with their beer. And people had to finish their glasses before venturing inside.

On my way out, I talked to him – and said I felt bad for how often he had to be repeating the same thing, over and over tonight. He laughed, but there was definite pain behind that laugh. And even as we were chatting, he and to stop two different sets of groups, telling them the same thing – no alcohol, finish your drinks, etc etc.

If there’s ever a guy who deserved a beer after work, it was that guy.

A few beers from Old Irving Brewing Company.

A few beers from Obscurity Brewing. The Orange Pop Cultured beer was really quite good.

Wandering around, we came across an exhibit dedicated to the Mold-A-Rama injection machines. Something that I didn’t catch until after I got home: all the people who were so delighted by the display, and were pointing at the same time.

Liz, pointing out her favorites (the chickens). Because of course they’re her favorites.

So many molds. Interestingly, these machines are inextricably tied to MSI in my mind. I remember them from my visits as a child, and the sights and sounds (and especially the smell) elicit a very strong wave of nostalgia.

Cross-Faded Chicks.

Went down to visit the U-505 submarine.

By the time we got down here, the tours were already sold out. Keep in mind: the tours were all free, as part of the admission. But nearly everything got booked up fast, it seems.

Had we our wits about us, we should have shot straight to the exhibits we wanted to get in to… and then went around for our beers. But, priorities.

There’s an early bird ticket that lets you in before everyone else. I wonder if those tickets are the only way to ensure you get spots on the various tours.

A few beers from Liquid Love Brewing. Patio Napper was one of our favorites.

A brief spell in a museum elevator. Made me sad for that time I almost got to stay here for 30 days. Hard to believe that was over ten years ago.

Best apartment I never had.

A few beers fro Crust Brewing.

Inspired by the beer perhaps, we decided to stop off at the cafeteria for some light snacks.

During the event, we saw severl people weraing these large necklaces/garlands. Most seemed to be made out of a string of pretzels, but several folks had some pretty fancy snacks attached.

When we asked about it, we learned this was something seasoned beer tasters do at these sorts of festivals – partly a palate cleanser, partly an ever-available snack.

Several beers from Untitled Art. The Barrel-Aged Red Velvet Cake Pastry Stout had caught my eye earlier in the evening, but the ABV scared me away. Well, delayed me away, as I planned for it to be the very last thing I tried for the evening.

Dragon’s Milk is a beer that really sneaks up on you. And with an ABV at 11%, I thought that that beer was particularly strong. This guy though? Clocking in at an intimidating 17.2%? Incredibly drinkable, and incredibly dangerous.

I’d say drink this thing with a pillow under your arm. Because the nap is most definitely coming, you just might not know when it’s coming.

Sadly, the chicks were all away in the evening.

So we had to comfort ourselves by making our own chicks, through the Mold-A-Rama machine nearby.

Of all the attendees, I think this guy won by showing up in his bathrobe. This is my first official beer festival, so this could be the king of all the beer drinkers. I’m not really sure.

A view of the booths and crowd.

Definitely more people than I was anticipating, but still fun to be out and about. The crowd got rowdier as the evening progressed, but nothing too bad. A few annoyingly loud people on the Coal Mine ride, but others were equally respectful.

I like my tastings a bit smaller, a bit calmer. But this was a fun change of pace – much more social, much more boisterous. I like how our whisky tastings involve folks sitting at tables trying to guess cask types and age statements. And here, folks are walking around with beers yelling and pointing at things they love/remember.