VOL. 087
Let's talk shop at CBC
Hi, there.
I know we’re right in the middle of our 2025 Beer Branding Trends rollout right now, but I wanted to drop you a quick note to talk about the Craft Brewers Conference.
If you're not attending, feel free to skip this (and sorry for throwing one more thing in your inbox today).
But if you are attending, we've got a handful of in-person events planned that you might be interested in.
We're also including a guide to the city for all your coffee, beer, food and dive bar needs at the end of this issue.
1.
Cody and I are giving a presentation at CBC on Thursday, May 1 called:
This is a brand new presentation that brings together everything we've learned from rebranding more than 50 breweries to date.
It's been a fun challenge to condense everything we know about this subject into a tight 45 minute talk. But I think we got it to a good place. (We'll see here in a few weeks!)
We’d love to see you there if you’ll be in town.
2.
We’re hosting an event you may be interested in called The Beer Marketers Exchange (BMeX).
This will be an intimate gathering at our new office that aims to bring beer branding and marketing folks — brand directors, in-house designers, founders — together to discuss what is and isn't working with their brewery's marketing and branding.
No sales pitches or presentations, just a chance to exchange tips, tricks and war stories. And/or just talk shop over some great food (BBQ) and beer (lager for days) with folks from across the country.
This is our attempt to recreate what we always end up doing at CBC anyway — gathering a handful of CMOs and friends over beer to talk shop. But on a larger scale.
>> Register for this event here.
3.
Big Lug x CODO
Our friends (and longtime client) Big Lug Brewing are hosting a big blowout on Wednesday, April 30 at Half Liter.
You really don't want to miss this.
Hog roast. Half Liter BBQ, schnitzel, pretzels, all manner of German food and some of the best beer in Indiana (complete with loads of collabs).
Huge patio.
Fires going.
It's going to be lovely and we hope to see you there.
>> Learn more here
Beyond all of this, we'll be all over CBC meeting with clients, discussing lots of new business and drinking 10,000 beers enjoying the conference.
Indy's a great little town with a sleeper beer scene. And late April is a wonderful time of year here. We're excited to show this all off.
Shoot me an email if you'll be in town for the conference and would like to swing by our office and talk shop.
—
Thanks for your time, and for reading BBT. I'm glad you're here.
We’ll be back next week with our third 2025 BBT Exclusive Newsletter.
– Isaac / CODO
Around the Shop
CODO's Official Top Secret Guide to Indy®
Here's a quick and dirty list of all the places our team likes to hang. This list spans breweries, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and a few misc. shops you might dig while you're in town.
Breweries
– Big Lug Canteen (phenomenal food and beer)
– Chilly Water (stellar beer, across the board)
– Broad Ripple Brewpub (Indy's OG brewery)
– Sun King (CODO grew up in here)
– Centerpoint (cool spot)
– Daredevil (one of Indiana's best IPAs)
– Guggman Haus (lovely lagers)
– Metazoa (great patio, view of the city and IPAs)
– Bier (great everything)
– Upland (great sours if that's your jam)
Restaurants
– Working Man's Friend (smash burgers and ice cold chalices of Bud — cash only)
– Milktooth (Some of Indy's best food + cocktails)
– Half Liter (TX BBQ & German food + killer patio)
– Kuma's Corner (burgers + great beer selection)
– Shapiro's Deli (get the rueben and latke)
– Baby's (burgers, broast chicken and shakes)
– Siam Square (Thai)
– Sakura (sushi — way out in BFE, but worth it)
– King Dough (Neapolitan pizza)
– Smoking Goose (killer lunch sandwiches)
– 20 Tap (burgers + great beer list)
– La Margarita (Mexican + great beer list)
– Futuro (insane Detroit-style pizza)
– Tinker Street (great date spot if you're feeling frisky)
– Delicia (could eat here everyday)
Bars
– Ball & Biscuit (lovely vibe)
– The Inferno Room (killer Tiki experience)
– Turner's (generous pours & lovely hospitality)
– Tapper's Arcade (old school CODO client and haunt)
– Duke's (Indy's honky tonk)
– Dorman Street Saloon (generous pours and a great beer list)
– Brass Ring (chill place to go hide)
– Red Key Tavern
– Pawn Shop Pub
– White Rabbit Cabaret (White Rabbit Cabaret used to have a $2 craft beer night. They don't any more. You should've been there. I wrecked my bike coming home from one of these evenings back in the day — right into a fancy bush; not quite a topiary, but not quite a normal bush either — and the officer that found me felt so bad for me that he didn't even ticket / arrest me. He did make me lock my bike up and walk a block home though. So, shout out to that guy.)
Coffee
– Tinker Coffee (clients and friends. as legit as it gets)
– Coat Check (great small shop)
– Calvin Fletchers (our old daily driver when we were based in Fountain Square)
– Provider (nice design)
– Commissary (killer espresso)
Misc.
– Myriad Fitness (if you want to hit a proper gym while in town. drop-ins welcome)
– Luna Records (Indy's premier vinyl shop)
– Indy Reads (great indie book store with a big kid's section)
– Irvington Vinyl & Books
– Northwest Lumber (you probably don't need to buy lumber while in town, but if you're a woodworker back home, this is a fun shop)
Neighborhoods to walk / explore
– Fountain Square
– Mass Ave
– Irvington
– White River State Park
– Indy's Cultural Trail
Ready to learn more?
The Beyond Beer Handbook
Part book, part quiz, and part choose-your-own-adventure-style novel, The Beyond Beer Handbook is a purpose-built tool for helping you expand your brewery’s portfolio and build a more resilient business.
Craft Beer, Rebranded
Craft Beer, Rebranded and its companion Workbook are a step-by-step guide to map out a winning strategy ahead of your rebrand. Building on CODO’s decade of brewery branding experience, this book will help you weigh your brand equity, develop your brand strategy and breathe new life into your brewery’s brand.
Craft Beer Branding Guide
The Craft Beer Branding Guide outlines how to brand, position and launch a new brewery or beverage company. This is a must-read for any brewery in planning.
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