Those who frequent brewpubs know that part of the experience of drinking craft beer is the “connection” with the brewer(s) and pub’s staff. The brewer(s) and staff are generally proud of their product and eager to talk about it and the local scene of which they are part. For me, that  brewpub is Blackacre Brewery in Indianapolis, Indiana. Blackacre, which opened in 2011, is located in the city’s east central neighborhood of Irvington. Craft breweries can sometimes be an engine of local economic development. That is true with Blackacre. Irvington is a (former) distinguished neighborhood that fell on hard times and is now “coming back” in large part because of efforts like Blackacre’s. The owners decided to invest there because they saw the potential of its redevelopment and they wanted to make Blackacre the neighborhood’s brewpub instead of locating in places with other brewpubs

I first sat outside at Blackacre in the spring of 2013 after meeting one of the owners. I tried their signature brew, the “Saucy Intruder,” a rye IPA and I’ve not found a beer that I like any better. They have many other brews, from sours to peanut butter porters to Belgian whites to some of the best imperials ever. Nonetheless, as Jordan (one of the owners) teases me, I always seem to fill my growler on Friday with Saucy.

In late 2013 Blackacre announced an expansion. They had simply run out of room at the brewpub to meet demand for the volume and the variety of beers they were brewing so they sought additional brewing space a few blocks away in a closed down factory. To finance that expansion they turned to their devoted patrons. They used a method common in the local food movement – CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The CSA model is simple – a local farmer shares the risk of farming on a small scale with those who eat the food. A farmer will estimate the farm’s yield for the season and then sell shares of that yield, in advance, to the customers (shareholders) This provides the farmer with cash upfront and so he/she does not have to borrow and pay interest on a loan. In return the customer gets fresh vegetables at a good price. The shareholders also get a connection with the farmer and some input into what is grown. The owners of Blackacre created a CSA, only its “Community Supported Ale.” They announced the program in late 2014. It works like this: for $100 a member gets 13 growler fills (one per week) of whatever is on tap (there are some exceptions). Members have the option of purchasing a special growler (I did, its great and I get a lot of questions about it; no doubt that was the plan). Growler fills in the Indianapolis area are typically $12, so with a share price of around $8 that’s a damn good deal. That is enough of a reason to sign up, but it’s also the connection you establish with the place. Because I am a CSA member I have been invited to first time tapping of new brews. The “Noxious Beast,” an imperial version of “Saucy Intruder”is an example. I wish they would sell that one by the growler!

The expansion continues and Blackacre is in its fifth cycle of the CSA. Last Friday, while enjoying a new brew, the “Television Wolf,” an APA session beer, I sat outside with my growler and a guy next to me asked about it. Short version, he lived a couple of blocks away and asked if he could still join the CSA despite it being already in its third week. A little work on the calculator and yes; so Blackacre’s CSA had another member. More local brewpubs could perhaps benefit from the financial advantages of raising capital this way as well as the special bond that the CSA members develop with their pub.

This entry is by guest blogger Tom Steiger. Tom is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Research and Creativity at Indiana State University. His entrée to craft beer was as a member of Beer of the Month club in the early 1990s. When not enjoying a local brew in Indianapolis he writes a general interest column for the Terre Haute Tribune Star and is conducting research on the affect of electronic medical records and the physician-patient relationship. Tom also teaches a course on sustainable development and he notes that brewing can be done sustainably and many local craft brewers employ sustainable practices.