3 Floyds Brewpub in Munster, IN

My brother (middle), who is not one of the eponymous Floyds.

When my craft beer aficionado brother suggests a road trip to a brewery to me, his sober brother, the appeal doesn't always immediately present itself. It helps when these spots also make craft soda (because they damn well should do that, too) or have a menu that shows a little effort (not just lazy, paint-by-number pub fare) or, even better, a dessert menu with a personal touch. When the most recent trek involved crossing a state line, I hoped against hope that the menu would be something special. I never expected the blog-worthy treat we found at 3 Floyds in Munster, IN: beignets with chocolate dipping sauce.

Before I continue, it is worthy of note how rarely beignets are a success. One cannot even hear the word "beignet" in America without thinking of Cafe Du Monde in the New Orleans French Market, a deserving staple for every tourist. Yet, even with this knowledge of the beignet benchmark in everyone's minds, so often menus fall short...by miles and miles. The so-called "beignets" one usually orders are often nothing more than an oily, yet fancily-named grease bomb of a doughnut, or a flat rectangle of fried dough, or something else that's totally disappointing. This is not the case at 3 Floyds Brew Pub.

Moments before the
beignet massacre.

← ← ← I mean, just look at them. Puffy, light, chewy. Everything a beignet ought to be. And 3 Floyds doesn't skimp on the portions; none of this "three per plate" nonsense, a peeve of mine since most tables are parties of two. Much to my surprise, the chocolate sauce was even better than the pastry. I don't know what brand of chocolate they melt down (and neither did our server) but I'd gladly buy a bar of this. It was rich, of course, but also had numerous flavor notes--the beginning, middle and end that signify quality chocolate.

Craft beer enthusiasts, when you make the pilgrimmage to 3 Floyds, make time for the Brew Pub and do yourselves a favor by ordering the beignets. They may even be better than the ones you tried in New Orleans.