Thousands will converge on 3 Floyds Brewing Co. in Munster, Ind., on Saturday for Dark Lord Day, the once-a-year ticketed opportunity to buy Dark Lord Russian imperial stout, one of the top-ranked beers in the world, and its barrel-aged variant.
But on any other given day, you can sample the many other brews and the unique edible goodness made with them.
Just as drinking Zombie Dust, Yum Yum or Alpha King may change your life, reading about the brewpub menu might change your idea of a brewpub menu or any local menu for that matter. And tasting it could simply blow your mind.
Mussels with Gumballhead wheat beer, smoked butter and tomato broth and garlic and fennel sausage are among the six small plates ($8 to $12) served at 3 Floyds, which was recently voted one of the top 10 best brewpubs nationwide in the USA Today Readers’ Choice poll.
IPA-poached Brussel leaves with cauliflower parmesan cream, apples, roasted peppers and pickled corn comprise the “Market Vegetable Pizza” ($16).
Desserts include beignets sprinkled with caramelized white chocolate powder with a cup of chocolate sauce made with Blot Out the Sun, an imperial stout aged in cognac barrels ($8).
If you like a kick to your taste buds, the ramen — yes, ramen … at a brewpub … in Munster — is a spicy concoction of roasted pork broth, pork belly, vanilla pickled ginger, pok pok broccolini, house chili paste and soy egg ($15). The lime-cured snapper features black bean puree, chorizo croquette, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, queso fresco and chili oil ($21). The lamb and currant meatballs with charred grapefruit and beet chip also have a bit of spice ($10).
And a new hot sauce will again be released for Dark Lord Day. Titled “Bjorn Swole” (perhaps loosely translated to “Buff Bear”) by Nick Floyd, founder of 3 Floyds with brother Simon and father Mike, it is hotter than last year’s Dark Lord Head Hunter Hot Sauce and only available on Dark Lord Day (for which tickets, priced at $200, are sold out).
“But we will soon start to produce multiple hot sauces available at our kiosk (inside the brewpub),” executive chef Pat Niebling said. “We’ve never really produced something to sell to go, but we have been test-batching dozens and dozens of recipes.”
The menu changes about as frequently as the beers available to go, with online updates always current and printed out for menus clipped to boards.
“This restaurant is very unique when it comes to other restaurants in the area. We’re doing things here that are not normal, just as our tagline is ‘not normal craft beers,’ and we really try to speak with that,” said Niebling, who crafts such ingredients as parsley tahini, togarashi tempura, pimento goat cheese fondue, gremolata and popped sorghum. “We don’t want to do average brewpub food. We try to do something to keep you coming back. That’s why we keep it fresh and interesting and new.”
Niebling and sous chef Scout Hughes source from Green City Market in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Nichols Farm & Orchard in McHenry County and Mick Klug and Swan Creek farms in Michigan.
“We don’t want to just change the menu by season. For example, ramps (wild spring onions) will be available soon, but not available all spring,” Niebling said. “So we change the menu to what we are into at the moment or what’s new. And the menu is ever-changing because our beers are ever-changing.”
While the burger is the top seller and always on the menu, its condiments often change, with the house-ground double patty on a potato bun currently topped with tomato jam, maple bacon, cheddar and arugula ($10).
The menu also offers wings brined and smoked with a dry coffee rub and served with pickled watermelon ($6), smoked brisket tacos ($8), poutine with braised short ribs and smoked gouda cream ($8) and mac and cheese with pulled pork, béchamel and cheddar ($6).
“Working at this kind of place is different than other places where you’d cook with wine,” he said. “Anything we’d ever use wine for we use beer, like in sauces and brines. But we’re not just making our own jerky or barbecue rubs or sauces. We try to go a step further. We learned how to make our own yogurt to serve with our sweetbreads. We make everything in house. That’s the beauty of it.”
A coffee stout made into an ice cream might be found on the limited late-night menu along with an open-face brisket sandwich and salad.
3 Floyds has 11 of its beers on tap, with four offered as a flight ($6), plus nine guest drafts ($5 or $6). Beers available to go vary and are priced at $10 for a six-pack or $40 a case.
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The smaller dining area at the back of the brewpub offers a window seat to brewing operations and is slightly less loud than the front room where the bartender spins his choice of heavy metal and hard rock. Reservations are not accepted and lines typically form before doors open on weekends. The least-busy days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Located at 9750 Indiana Pkwy., 3 Floyds Brewpub is open from 11 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 1:15 a.m. Friday and Saturday (except April 30). Brewery tours are every Saturday (except April 30). Call 219-922-4425 or 219-922-3565 or go to www.3floyds.com.
Vickie Jurkowski is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.