Reporter working on "Indiana Breweries"

My friend John Holl, late of The Star-Ledger and The New York Times Co., is working on a book about Indiana beers and is looking for some tips. Contact him at johnholl@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/john.holl if you want to help.

Here's John:


"Indiana Breweries" will join the Stackpole series pioneered by Lew Bryson.

I'm working on it with Nate Schweber of the New York Times (he's also the frontman of a band called the NewHeathens - www.newheathens.com).

It's scheduled to be published in June 2011. We'll spend the next few months reporting and writing from the Hoosier state. Indiana boasts more than 30 brewpubs and breweries and I'm really looking forward to revisiting many of them. This book is a bit of a homecoming for me. As you know I was a staff writer for the Indianapolis Star in 2003-2004 and spent a lot of time driving the state and visiting a lot of fine breweries. It will be also nice to reconnect with some friends and family who live in Indiana.

Indiana beer is often overlooked by people, who focus on beers from Missouri to the West and Michigan to the northeast, but the Hoosier state has some really great places. We're hopeful that this book will encourage people to hit the road and visit not only the breweries but the towns and attractions in the area.

I think there is such a diversity among the Indiana Brewers that even people with very particular tastes will be able to find what they want.

We already have the list of breweries and brewpubs in the state and are ready to hit the ground running. What we're looking for is suggestions for other great bars in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, Bloomington, Kokomo, Evansville, etc. That way, we can flesh out the guide a bit and give people some variety.

And, since books don't pay a lot we're looking to get Nate Schweber into some live music bars to he can play for a new audience. He's the frontman for a Roots Rock band called the New Heathens. Their second album will be released in the spring.

Here's what the village voice has to say about the band:

"Local root rockers the New Heathens make the best with keeping their music focused, but simple. They sound familiar at first listen, some Bruce, then a bit of Graham Parker and the Rumour creep in. You're getting jangle in your guitar and smarts in your lyrics, but that's why you love bands like this in the first place, right?"

Anyone with suggestions is welcome to contact me at johnholl@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/john.holl

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