Bloomington, IN: Switchyard Brewing Company

There's a new brewery in town! We have been waiting 4 years for Switchyard Brewing Company to open, and it hasn't disappointed.

Open from 8am-11pm, Switchyard is part workspace, part hangout. It serves up Hopscotch Coffee and Cup & Kettle teas, as well as pastries and other breakfast-type foods in the morning for those who want to use it as an office (there's even a meeting room you can use), has a dedicated food truck parked out front 11am-11pm (usually Big Cheezin, but sometimes others are there), and offers several styles of house-brewed beer. It's also completely all ages (bring your kids!) as well as dog friendly. There are also TVs conveniently placed (right now, you can watch the World Cup games that start at 8am), free fast wifi, and lots of seating. Not pictured, but their patio just got approved yesterday, too, so there's another outdoor space in north downtown Bloomington.

It is hard to pick just one beer to try here. There are currently 7 on tap (my friend Luke, above, got a flight of all 7 -- each 5oz pour is just $1.75). My personal favorite is the Lavender Blonde - you can smell the lavender as soon as it gets delivered to the table, and it is perfect for summer. The Oatmeal IPA is really smooth. The Hopscotch Coffee Stout was also great and I don't even like coffee. The Session Red was unexpectedly interesting (usually reds are just reds). We have tried all 7 and those are our favorites so far (for context, I mostly like fruity beers, stouts/porters in the winter, and browns/reds; I don't typically like IPAs or pale ales or anything too bitter).

They also serve ciders and a couple of gluten-free beers from other vendors, along with tea and coffee and craft sodas.

Switchyard is all-in on supporting the community in various ways. The most obvious one is their wooden nickel non-profit donation - with each flight, you get a wooden nickel worth $1 to either donate to that month's beneficiary (in June it's the Monroe County Humane Society) or worth $1 off something in their shop. They also host musicians and events in the taproom. They support various causes (like Give A Pint/Get A Pint). And probably the most unique thing is that they have a sustainability intern!

Hopefully we'll get to enjoy it again this summer. It is a great addition to the craft beer scene in Bloomington and well worth checking out. Follow them on Instagram for all the latest events and to see new beer releases. Enjoy!