Winter Woodlands
February 7, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm UTC+0
#IndyWinterWoodlands | Drink Creatively
Join the nonprofit Indiana Brewers Guild for the 2nd year of Winter Woodlands, on Friday, Feb 9th, 2024 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. at the Indiana State Fairgrounds West Pavilion in downtown Indianapolis.
Love and Libations are in the air at our pre-Winterfest VIP experience inspired by nature.
Indy jazz fusion band Premium Blend will seduce your soul while you soak in the ambience of our enchanted winter forest. Indiana poet Scott Sprunger‘s will type all the feels while you enjoy samples of barrel-aged beers, cider, wine, craft cocktails & spirits with limited edition bottle sales.
915-10pm (Carryout Sales time window) We are so excited to offer carry out sales for this event! The carryout window is for the last 45 min of the event and carryout beverages may not be consumed at Winter Woodlands.
This event is limited to 500 attendees. Cocktail attire is highly recommended for this event. Please note that some selections will limited in quantity.
This event is a new fundraiser that directly supports your favorite local brewery and the Guild’s mission to represent Indiana breweries in legislative, promotional, and educational initiatives including the Brewery Education Fund
Organized in 2000, the Indiana Brewers Guild is the 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that provides a unifying voice for the 200+ craft breweries and brewpubs of Indiana.
Objectives:
- promote the highest standards of professional brewing in Indiana
- increase public awareness and appreciation for the variety and quality of Indiana craft beer
- advocate for laws that promote Guild Members’ ideals and that foster brewery profitability
- provide a forum for discussion, support, and initiatives for the common good of Indiana’s breweries and associated businesses
The Indiana Brewers Guild is the driving force behind the Drink Indiana Beer public awareness campaign which strives to support Indiana’s craft breweries.
Winter Woodlands Vendors
We love building our Indiana craft community. We’ve hand selected regional artisans, businesses, and nonprofits to match the theme of our VIP Experience. We’re featuring
Please help us support DRINK IN LOCAL by purchasing goods and giving these talented folks a like, follow, or share:
If you would like more information on how to become a vendor, please reach out to shanna@drinkin.beer.
2024 Craft Beverage Vendors at Winter Woodlands
Tokyo Morning (ABV 14%)
Blockhead Stillworks Jasmine and Lemongrass Gin, Lavender and Ube Yam, Earl Grey Tea, Lemon
Limited Canned Cocktails For Sale
Apricot Night Cap (ABV 14%)
Blockhead Stillworks Apricot Vodka, Maple, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Vanilla Rooibos Tea, Orange Bitters, Apple Cider
Limited Canned Cocktails For Sale
BBA Duality (10%) – Award Winning Imperial Stout Barrel Aged for 6 months in French Lick 4 grain barrels
BBA Duality is the contrast between two concepts, a common theme these days. Bitter & sweet, not many flavor combos go so well together and represent dualism. Rich, toasty, bready, coffee-like flavors meld to form perfect duality. Maybe we can all find places where dualism makes the sum better than the individual parts.
Limited Cans for Sale
Coffee Syrah (ABV: 12.3%)
Dry red wine. Chilean syrah with cold brew coffee, aged in a whiskey barrel for 2 months.
Fireside Peach (ABV: 11.5%)
Semi-Sweet, white wine. 50% Sauvignon Blanc/50% peach wine, aged with smokey, chipotle peppers.
Hibiscus Rose (ABV 12.3%)
Dry, rose wine. Riesling with hibiscus flowers steeped for 1 week
Bottles for Sale
TBA
LIMITED SAMPLES
Cats-Hendricks: Mustache (ABV 17% & off-dry)
Local Wildflower Traditional Mead that was aged in a single malt whiskey barrel from Maplewood Distillery for 6 months.
Gezellig (14% abv & sweet)
Bochet made with caramelized Raspberry Blossom, Blackberry Blossom, and Meadowfoam honey. It was then aged in a 10 gallon Distillery 291 Rye Barrel for 6 months.
Magnolia (13.5% abv & sweet)
Marionberries & Cab Sauv Grapes were fermented with Indiana Goldenrod Honey and aged on French Oak and Vanilla.
Maple Bourbon Smash (ABV 8.4%)
Our semi-sweet strong wintery version of the classic Old Fashioned uses bourbon barrel-aged imperial cider, pure maple syrup from Maplewood Farms in Brownsville, and fresh orange zest. The bourbon barrels from @westforkwhiskey lend oak, vanilla, and a hint of toasted marshmallow to the robust maple flavor.
Marigold Chai (ABV 6.5%)
Steeped with the freshest available whole spices and black tea, Marigold is a sweet and warming cider that evokes traditional Masala Chai.
Two different variants of
Illuminate (ABV 9.5% & 10.5%)
Imperial BA stout, aged 8 months in an Angels Envy barrel
Winter Themed Fruited Sour
More details TBA
TBA
TBA
Field Daze (ABV 5.4% )
Hefeweizen with Spelt and Oat Malt
Limited Cans for Sale
Orange (ABV 10.4%)
6 Month Aged Stout in Starlight Distilling Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Barrel, Finished on Orange zest and Tahitian Vanilla
Limited Bottles for Sale
Expand Your View (ABV 6.8% )
Robust Porter made with Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate Malt
Limited Cans for Sale
Winter Woodlands Tickets
Enter at Indiana State Fairgrounds West Pavilion North Entrance
VIP Admission – Enter at 6:45 p.m., drinks will start flowing at 7 p.m. and last call will be at 9:45 p.m. Receive a taster glass good for pours of all participating Hoosier breweries and guests. Enjoy nature inspired barrel-aged beers, cider, and craft cocktails. Mead, Wine & Spirit samples will also be available in smaller quantities.
Please note that some of these selections will be small batch, and limited in quantity so be sure to arrive early!
Designated Drivers – Enter anytime & enjoy unlimited soda & water and NA beverage samples from DD vendors. Designated Driver: $15 in advance online, $20 day of at the gate if available.
No refunds or exchanges. This is an all-weather (rain, snow, sleet, or shine) event.
PRICING
11/24/23 – 11/27/23 BLACK FRIDAY SALE – UNAVAILABLE
$50 VIP Admission | $90 Couples
11/28/22-12/31/23
$55 VIP Admission | $100 Couples
2/9/24 – DAY OF EVENT
$60 VIP Admission | $110 Couples if available
Hotel Partners
We’re excited to partner with two nearby hotels in 2023 to offer you an opportunity to make a weekend out of your experience at the 15th annual Winterfest!! We’ve secured special rates at the Bottleworks Hotel (20% off best available rate) and more to come, just a few miles away from the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Rooms are limited and are available on a first-come first-served basis.
Bottlworks Hotel: 850 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Reserve online or call (317) 708-0173 and mention you’re with Winterfest
More discounts TBA, but in the meantime please us the Visit Indy link to search hotels nearest to the state fairgrounds!
Winter Woodlands Music
Local Indy jazz fusion quartet Premium Blend will join us at this year’s Winter Woodlands event!
Please support local by going to their website, following socials, and buying plenty of goods while you enjoy this year’s event.
If you’re a musician looking to book with us, please reach out to shanna@drinkin.beer.
Led by saxophonist Jared Thompson, Premium Blend is a modern jazz quartet that combines traditional elements of bebop, hard bop, r&b and groove in their original compositions. Backed by guitarist/song writer/producer Ryan Taylor, keyboardist/songwriter Steven Jones, bassist Brandon Meeks, and drummer/producer Richard “Sleepy” Floyd, Premium Blend’s spin on jazz resonates with die-hard jazz fans and novices alike.
The band has released four studio albums “S.O.A.P”-Sum Of All Parts (2015), “The Road” (2017) “Vices”(2019), and “38th & Postmodernism”- a documentary made possible by a commission from the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation which has been accepted by multiple film festivals including Heartland Film Festival. Premium Blend is heavily featured in the winning Heartland Film Festival documentary “Go Get Your Horn” (2017), focused on the continuing mentorship and evolution of modern jazz in Indianapolis. Bandleader Thompson was the only Hoosier to receive the Map Fund grant for the 2022/23 cycle which he used to record, distribute and provide community programming for their latest studio album released in the spring of 2023 titled “Virtue.”
Pre-Banding
Pre-banded lines are the fastest way to enter the fest!
With 1000s of attendees for each festival, we’ve added more options to get you banded and get you into the event as fast as possible! Check out our pre-banding locations and mark yourself attending on the Facebook page so we know what to expect!
FRIDAY
February 9th, 2024 5:30-8pm
Fountain Square Brewing – 1301 Barth Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203
Deviate Brewing – 4004 W. 96th St. Indianapolis, IN 46268
Win Tickets To Our 2024 Events!
Our BEST BREW BUNCH contest is back! Get those creative theme juices flowing, grab your favorite frands, and use tag #indywinterfestgroup24 for a chance to win! Winners will be chosen 2/16 at 5pm and announced on IG & FB. Group limit is 12.
SHOUT OUT to 2023 WINNER – THE WINTERFEST SCOUT TROOP
1ST PRIZE
Each group member will win 1 Early Entry ticket to our 3 remaining fests – Bloomington, Indiana Microbrewers Festival, and Broad Ripple.
2ND PRIZE
Each group member will win 1 Early Entry ticket to 2 fests of the groups choice – Bloomington, Indiana Microbrewers Festival, or Broad Ripple.
3RD PRIZE
Each group member will win 1 Early Entry ticket to 1 fest of the groups choice – Bloomington, Indiana Microbrewers Festival, or Broad Ripple.
