Great Crescent and Hinkle

I recently made another trip down to south east Indiana.  I get to travel around this state on a pretty regular basis and I try to take a look at some of the more unique sites on my travels.  By unique, I mean breweries, restaurants and other such things. 

The Great Crescent Brewery is located in Aurora Indiana.  I had decided to take a quick turn and try the drive along the river as opposed to heading up in to Versailles and down in to Madison.  I thought it might be nice and just happened to see the Great Crescent sign as I drove past.  A friend had mentioned the brewery during lunch just a couple weeks ago.  I stopped in to grab a few beers to take home but they were not open yet.  But as I was walking away the manager popped open the door and let me in. A very kind thing to do as they still had a couple hours before opening.  The interior was very nice, refinished warehouse style.  No food, no kitchen, but plenty of beer and places to sit.  They offered a tour if we give them a heads up next time I am in town.  I had a quick sample of some of their beers.  They are all very tasty I am sure but a few stood out and I had to buy some.  The seasonal Cherry Ale was great, not too sweet and had some tartness to it.  The Brewmaster Release Brown Ale is awesome.  A great finish and smooth taste.  I could drink it all day.  The Coconut Porter was also very good and I had to buy a four pack of these.  You can't really taste the coconut until the end and it doesn't overpower at all.  The final purchase was the Bourbon Barrel Stout.  So good!  They actually brew it in the barrels from Makers Mark.  There is no bourbon added as the beer just absorbs the flavor and aroma from the just recently emptied barrels.  It has a strong bourbon smell and taste but misses the kick that bourbon beers have.  I don't particularly like the bourbon kick, if I wanted it in the beer I would drop a shot in.  I do like the smell and bit of flavor though. 

The next stop was Rising Sun.  Not really a stop, more just a pass by.  I had to get to Madison for another meeting and did not really have time to stop.  I am sure it is a beautiful town in the summer and it looks like they have plenty to do, but in the winter, I just had to drive by.  Though I do think this fountain is pretty cool.

This time of year does not really lend itself to scenic shots but Madison is always a beautiful town and even in this chilly weather with no leaves on a tree, still a nice place to visit.  They have a nice river front and are also home to Hinkle Hamburgers.  Tasty little sliders that are much better than White Castle and you can get them with hash browns, fries or onion rings.  They have a variety of other items but it is hard to say no to the double cheeseburger.  Pickles and onions are a must.

I have not really had the pleasure to stop in here in the summer, I usually hit it in the winter.  I need to make sure I make a visit when the weather is a bit nicer and there is some green on the trees.  Take the wife and kids and stop by the winery they have in town.