By Michelle Railey
1.) Hopheads rejoice. Angry Cricket IPA is nice and bitter-hoppy: a lot like Bell’s Two Hearted but, and this will make no sense to many of you, crunchier. Lots of body. Lots of hops. Less citrus than Oaken Barrel’s Gnawbone; definitely sturdier than, say, Sierra Nevada or Goose Island. This is a healthy drink. I advise ordering several. IBU 51. But don’t be deterred: it’s plenty bitter and exactly in the most salubrious way.
2.) Hopheads, you might make the same mistake I did and first order the SawDust IPA because of its hefty IBU of 99 and description as “Bitter Citrus lovers ipa” (sic). Don’t do that, fellow hop lovers. It’s drinkable, sure. But it’s so flat and thin. More citrus than hops; more annoyance than ale. (If you want a Blue Moon-ish brew, this might be it. More bitter. Same wimpiness. But, you know, to each his own. )
3.) Gambling. They have pull tabs. So there’s that.
4.) Two unisex restrooms (thank god). Both quite clean. What more do you want?
5.) The tables are close together but, like the restrooms, quite clean. Each table has a little menu on it and a pack of cards, which is both inviting and a welcome relief from the festival of condiments and flyers and postcards and the usual explosion of crap that too many places set on their tables, making it impossible to see your table mates and/or have a drink or plate of food.
6.) I know a lot of people who are madly in love with Zombie Dust. They have it here. Six dollars per bottle.
7.) The menus have no prices for drinks and quite reasonable prices for their limited (but quite nice) food selection. Worth noting? They have dollar tacos on Tuesdays. On Fridays they have prime rib. On Sundays they have five-dollar Bloody Marys and Mimosas (both orange and raspberry). Cool.
8.) Large selection of branded shirts so if that’s your thing, lots to choose from.
9.) Music: 70s and 80s white male rock. (Lots of Kansas, Hall and Oates, Eagles, Bon Jovi, and Journey. Thankfully no Warrant or Rush- so far. ) Not played too loudly.
10.) Lighting: dim but not too. If you know what I mean.
11.) Smoking. Outdoors only.
12.) Outdoor seating when weather permits.
13.) Surfaces are all gray and corrugated aluminum, barring the tables. Large plate windows and the overall effect is clean but chilly. They could use some upholstered banquettes or booths to warm the space but that could just be me. High ceilings prevent the space from feeling cramped. The vibe is pretty close to just right but if it were crowded, it would be easy to feel claustrophobic.
14.) The consensus at the bar is that the daily special of French Dip sandwich for $7.95 is quite tasty.
15.) Wine on Wednesdays is $3.00. They offer Moscato, White Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, and Champagne. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that vintage is not a thing at Nailers. Neither is brand. Order by type. Preferably on Wednesday for three American dollars.
16.) Outlets. Need to work? Don’t sit at the bar or at the window bar. Grab a table. Most tables are within reach of an outlet. (Need wifi? Ask the server for the guest password.)
17.) Nice touch: serve yourself water. Because drinking beer can be thirsty work.
Help yourself.
18.) Night owls, take note, this may not be your place. They close at 8 on Sundays, 12 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and ten the rest of the week. For a place that offers mixed drinks, these hours are surprisingly short. One supposes this is what makes it a brewery and not a, you know, dive bar.
19.) Although this is a brewery, they do not offer growler refills. They do have cans available.
The takeaway: tidy spot, helpful but not obsequious service. Excellent IPA. Large selection otherwise. Charming if cold atmosphere. No view. Pleasant. They have pull tabs and so many tee shirts. And Angry Cricket, a thoroughly enjoyable, plenty-hoppy IPA. (Don’t like hops? Plenty of gourmet-ish options: blueberry Pilsner, coffee-infused red ale, peanut butter stout, jalapeño infused wheats. And more! A merry plethora of small-batch craft beer.)
Website: here.
Where: 6001 N. U.S. 31 Suite 14; Whiteland, IN 46184
Hours:
Hours:
| Mon: | 4:00 – 10:00 PM |
| Tue: | 4:00 – 10:00 PM |
| Wed: | 4:00 – 10:00 PM |
| Thu: | 4:00 – 10:00 PM |
| Fri: | 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
| Sat: | 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM |
| Sun: | 12:00 – 8:00 PM |
That is a terrible review of nailers , not like that at all