Brewhouse Xtras

Jack McAuliffe, founder of New Albion Brewing, is an icon in the craft beer community and one of the most significant figures in the history of brewing in the United States.

He is also one of the most elusive which is why Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. considers itself extremely lucky to be able to host the Father of Craft Brewing on Friday, January 25, 2013.  This will be McAuliffe’s one and only guest appearance while he is in town, outside of the Brewers of Indiana Guild Winterfest, taking place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Saturday, the 26^th.

“Everyone has their heroes – those who they admire, look up to and aspire to emulate,” remarked Scotty Wise, President & CEO for A Pots & Pans Production, parent company to Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co.  “In the craft brewing community, we look to Jack McAuliffe, often dubbed as the Man Who Started a Revolution,” he (Wise) continued.  “We are truly fortunate that World Class Beer, in collaboration with Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams), has extended to us such an incredible opportunity,” added Ryan Kellerman, Director of Beverage Hospitality for A Pots & Pans Production.

Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co., located in the heart of Broad Ripple, is also the only place in town to have secured 2 sixth barrels of New Albion Ale, brewed for the very first time in 30 years for the Great American Beer Festival in October and not available on the public market until mid-July.  

On Friday at 7pm, Jack, himself, will tap the first keg at Thr3e Wise Men and give Indiana its first taste of New Albion Ale.  Pints of this small-batch special issue beer will be available that evening for $5 each, with $1 from every pint given back to assist with medical expenses that McAuliffe has incurred.

Beer aficionados and historians alike can catch McAuliffe from 7-8pm at the brewery, located at 1021 Broad Ripple Avenue.  Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. is encouraging everyone who wants to attend this once in a lifetime event to arrive early and expects that New Albion Ale will sell out very quickly.

Craft beer enthusiasts can also get a taste of the best craft beer that Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. has to offer at their Brewers of Indiana Guild Winterfest booth on Saturday.

For more information, please visit thr3ewisemen.com

 

With all of the top ten lists that have been coming out over the last weeks, we thought it would be fun to create our own. A lot has happened during the last 12 months. Here is a list of our top ten greatest memories, events and experiences over the last year.

10) Employees Giving Back- The entire year has been filled with our employees giving back in one form or another. From raising money for breast cancer awareness to building a house with Habit for Humanity, we are so proud of the way our team takes the time to make a difference in the community. – Get a recap of our activities here.

9) 3^rd Annual Thanksgiving Event– Every year, this event has expanded and, every year, it touches your heart when you see the joy you can bring individuals even if it is just for a short time by serving them a Thanksgiving meal. This year, we were able to feed over 300 people as well as giving each child 3 gifts. All of this is made possible by our guests, vendors, and employees. – See all the pictures here.

8) The Burger Contest– We were looking to find a few ideas for a new burger. Instead, we had hundreds of entries and over 10,000 votes. We opened our annual contest up to our Facebook Fans and Twitter followers and, after it was all said and done, we revealed our newest burger addition, the Confused Buffalo Burger. – Get the story about the process here.

7) Helped a Soldier Surprise His Family– We are so thankful and appreciative of the men and women who serve in the armed forces to protect our great nation. Every once in a while, you get a chance to give back in a small way to these individuals. This was one of those opportunities. – See how we helped Joshua Myers surprise his family here.

6) Thr3e Wise Men Delivery and BEER too!– After one year of running a brewery and pizza restaurant, it was time to take the next step. Delivery! Thr3e Wise Men can now deliver all our great food right to your door and, as an added bonus, we also deliver beer.  – Get more details and see how to order here.

5) Trip to Chicago and Throwing Out the First Pitch– Not only did we get to travel together as a management team and have fun in the windy city, we got to see our fearless leader, Scotty, throw out the first pitch at the Cubs games. – See our recap and see the video of the pitch right here.

4) Employee Nike+  Fuel Band Challenge– In August, we bought all willing participants Nike+ Fuel bands and created a companywide challenge. Employees were broken up into teams and competed to see who could earn the most Fuel Points. – Read about this unique employee program here.

3) Thr3e Wise Men Beer Available at All Locations– A dream of Scott’s since the day he opened the first Scotty’s in 1996, beer brewed by Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co., is now available at all of our locations. Not only can you get a beer while having dinner, you can take home a growler of your favorite Thr3e Wise Men Brew too. – See story here.

2) Opening Our Southport Location– Opening a new location never gets old and we were so excited this year to open on the Southside of Indianapolis. This was our fastest opening ever and one we will use as a blueprint for future openings. – Read about the opening here.

1) The Super Bowl– This has to be at the top. A once in a lifetime experience (although we are hoping Indy can do it again) – from the big game, to delivering catering to Jimmy Fallon and being featured on The Today Show, it was an unforgettable time. Team members were lucky enough to interact with: Jenna Wolfe, Al Roker, Ann Curry, Adam Levine, Garth Brooks, Dallas Clark, Dan Patrick, Peter King and so many more. We were also honored to be part of The Social 46, a group of the 46 biggest influencers in social media in Indiana that helped promote Super Bowl info to social users.– Click here to see our Super Bowl Recap page with all the videos, pics and fun we had.

Of course, Scott had his own version of the #1 event in 2012, the birth of Amy and his fourth child, Ivy LaRose Wise. The Super Bowl was an incredible experience; but, even Eli beating Brady couldn’t top this beautiful angel and gift from God.  Scott also mentions that his baptism at Northview Church fell in his top 2012 memories and life milestones.

Thank you all for your support and patronage over the last year. We couldn’t do it without you. What will 2013 bring? Stay tuned to find out. Follow us on our Facebook page or Twitter to get the latest news, contests and information.

It started with a Breast Cancer Awareness initiative, then a Thanksgiving dinner for the less fortunate, and will culminate with a Christmastime trip to Riley Hospital for Children to deliver donated toys. It truly has been the season of giving at Scotty’s.

“I am so proud of my employees, our community, our purveyors and vendors who have all helped contribute to all these efforts,” said Scott Wise, President and CEO of a Pots and Pans Production. “I am very blessed to be in the position I am in and believe it is my responsibility to motivate others to do good in our society and give back to all our communities that so proudly support us.  I believe it is a social responsibility of success that you share this by reaching back and grabbing the hands of those that are less fortunate, clasp hands tightly and give someone a lift up."

Community philanthropy has been a core focal point of Scotty's company vision, mission and company culture.  The company asks management, staff and even guests to volunteer time every 2 months to "doing good" in their respective communities.  And, Wise is always leading the charge.  This past summer, the Pots & Pans team helped pack meals for Kids Against Hunger with Northview Church, helped Habitat for Humanity build a house in Indianapolis and donated money from their opening night at their newest restaurant in Southport, on the south side of Indianapolis, to Back on My Feet, an advocacy group for the homeless, and the Wheeler Mission.

October kicked off with an initiative to raise money for breast cancer awareness. For the last two years, Scotty’s has partnered with the Pink Ribbon Connection in this effort. During the month of October, Scotty’s sells special pint glasses for $3 that display the Pink Ribbon, donating all proceeds to the Pink Ribbon Connection. This year alone, Scotty’s restaurants raised and donated more than $1,500.

“I think everyone has had someone in their life that has been affected by Breast Cancer,” said Wendy Hantelman, CFO of a Pots and Pans Production. “This is a great way to help raise awareness and extend the opportunity to get involved and make a difference to our guests.”

Next on the schedule was the third annual Thanksgiving dinner at Scotty’s Brewhouse Indianapolis downtown location. This event has evolved over the last few years to not only include dinner for the less fortunate but toys for the kids as well as gift cards for the adults. All of these items are donated by guests, local businesses and employees.  The attendance for this event has doubled every year, with this past year hosting approximately 200 adults and children.

“We wouldn’t be able to pull this off without the support from our guests and local businesses,” commented Brandi Large, Director of Guest and Staff Relations, who coordinated this event. “This year, we had $2,500 donated in cash at all our restaurants from guests, as well as $450 from Target, $100 from Toys 'R Us and discounted gift cards from Marsh Supermarkets.”

The turkey initiative was new this year and proved to be a huge success. Guests could choose to purchase a $1 or $5 paper turkey, place their name on it and then it would be hung on the walls of the restaurants. The money from these sales was then used to buy toys for the children attending the event as well as gift cards to Marsh for the adults.

“I always try to make it more than just serving dinner to the people that come in to dine with us,” continued Wise. “I want them to feel like they are taking a break from the situations that they are dealing with, if only for a few hours.  I want them to smile, laugh, enjoy great food and be served and remember that they are important in this world and that there are lots of people that are out there that care about them.  And, for the children, this may be the only gift they receive during the holidays, so I always make sure we give 2 or 3.  We also provide the adults with a $20 gift card to Marsh Supermarkets.”

Over 200 people were bussed in from Stop Over, Salvation Army, Catholic Charity Refugee Program and Brookside Church. They were treated to a buffet of Thanksgiving turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, rolls and more donated by Sysco Foodservice.  Pepsi donated soft drinks. To top it all off, desserts were donated by Taylor’s Bakery, a local bakery with two locations in Indianapolis. 

Click here to see more pictures from the Thanksgiving Event

All the food preparation, set up and service are provided by employees and guests who give the gift of their time to help make a difference. From wrapping gifts, to preparing the turkey and boxing up leftovers, it all happens from people who chose to donate their time. This year, over 100 people gave some of their time to help with the event. One person, Rebecca Kormos, donated 125 sets of hats, gloves, and scarves that she hand-knitted for each child, while another, Linda Hantelman, made and donated 35 baby blankets.

“I had an employee tell me one year, ‘If everyone would just donate a few hours of their time, it would be amazing what we could accomplish,’’’ Wise remembered. “I think the effect this has on the volunteers can be just as great or even greater in the impact upon their lives.  Some of our employees bring their children to even teach them some lessons in the true spirit of giving, humility and thanks.  I love this.  And, I really hope that it has a snowball effect in their community involvement all year long.”

Once the event wrapped up, there was still food left so members of the Scotty’s team, who donated their time to help with the event, delivered the extras to local organizations. The Ronald McDonald House, IU Medical Krannert Department (hospital downtown, floor 7) and Riley Hospital for Children were a few of the places who received the food. Area pastors also took food out to deliver to homeless people living under bridges and underpasses.

Katie Landes, a nursing intern at in the Krannert department tweeted, “Thanks Scotty's brewhouse for bringing a complete thanksgiving dinner to our unit as a random act of kindness. Krannert ❤s you!”

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Scotty’s is preparing to deliver toys to the children at Riley Hospital for Children in December. Over the last month, guests could come into any Scotty’s location, donate a toy and receive a free order of Dill Chips.  On December 10th, all toys will be transported to the Scotty’s corporate office to be delivered to Riley by members of the Scotty’s team, led again by Scott in his charge to make people smile, even while in a little pain.

If you would like to make a donation, some of the favorite toys for children are Legos, craft kits and anything Fisher Price. You can also visit Riley's website for information as to other ways to give back financially, donate items to the hospital, and volunteer your time.

"Some children are here for 23 hours, some are here for a few days, others can be here a month or longer.  Often, children are here for a few days, but may be readmitted several times throughout their life,” said Melissa Sexton, Child Life Specialist & Special Event Coordinator for Riley Hospital for Children. 

"The patients and their families make my job amazing.  They all have such a resilient spirit and face challenges head on.  I love being able to provide opportunities for them to feel "normal" again.”

If you would like to donate a toy, please visit any Scotty's Brewhouse, Lakehouse, Thr3e Wise Men or Burger Joint location. Just let the host know you have a toy you would like to donate.  But, hurry, we need them by December 7.

(CBS News) “The Indianapolis Colts are hard to ignore right now for their actions on and off the field.

The team, expected to pull up lame this season without veteran quarterback Peyton Manning, is, in a surprise turn, winning with a 5-3 record -- second place in their division and right in the playoff hunt. 

But this week, it's what the team did off the field in support of their coach that's catching people's attention.” 

Chuck Pagano, first-year Indianapolis Colts’ head coach, has been battling leukemia, diagnosed shortly after accepting the position.  The chemotherapy treatments that started as this year’s season kicked off caused Pagano to lose his hair.  So, this week, after an emotional, heartfelt locker room address given by their beloved coach, dozens of his players had their heads shaved to express their support.

And now, Indianapolis area residents and anyone else who wishes to drive a short distance will have their opportunity to support Coach Pagano in the same fashion.

Scotty Wise, local independent restaurateur, known for his character and integrity and infamous for fanatical community involvement, is partnering with a few locally owned or franchised barber shops in order to provide a unique opportunity to restaurant visitors, the ability to outwardly express encouragement for the coach.  Guests can elect to shed their locks tonight, just in time for burgers, wings, beer and Thursday Night Football when the Colts take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at 8:20pm.

“Everyone has been touched or affected by cancer.  It is important to me that my company and I show solidarity for an incredibly strong man, a strong organization and the commitment to conquering this disease through heart, soul, belief, prayer, community strength and action,” said Wise. 

  

Red’s Classic Barber Shop will shave heads at Scotty’s Brewhouse, Indianapolis Downtown; Smart Style Family Salon will make you beautifully bald at Scotty’s Brewhouse, Indianapolis North; and Great Clips will mow your melon at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company in Broad Ripple.  Shaves will be available at no charge on a first come, first served basis beginning at 7pm at all three restaurant locations and lasting until kickoff.  

When you think of freshly brewed beer at home you often don’t want something you can find at a national chain you want something local. Now at all Scotty’s Brewhouse locations you can fill up a growler of Indianapolis based Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co. beer Monday thru Saturday. The best part? On Tuesdays and Fridays you can fill up your growler for only $10 with any Thr3e Wise Men Brew. 

“With the recent expansion of our Thr3e Wise Men location we are able to brew bigger batches and share selected brews with our sister stores including Scotty’s Lakehouse, Scotty’s Burger Joint and Scotty’s Brewhouse locations,” said Ryan Kellerman, Director of Beverage Hospitality at a Pots and Pans Production. Scotty’s Lakehouse in Geist and Scotty’s Burger Joint in Columbus are not able to sell carryout growlers but do offer a cold pint of Thr3e Wise Men brew every day of the week.

Thr3e Wise Men itself now offers a perk to all residents in a 3-mile radius on their location, beer delivery. You hear correctly, your favorite brewery can now deliver fresh beer straight to your home whether bought in a growler or a 1/6-barrel keg. “So next time you and your friends can’t decide whether to go to the store to get beer or grab dinner first, have us do all the work in one and bring it to you,” said Kellerman. For a limited time Thr3e Wise Men will be offering a large pizza and growler fill delivered for only $20. 

Want more information on our new beer offerings? Check out our website at www.thr3ewisemen.com. You can also tweet us @brewhouse and we guarantee we will respond.

Working for Scotty’s Brewhouse provides you with much more than just a job. Continued training , health incentives, incredible opportunities for advancement and the chance to get involved and give back to the community through volunteering and other philanthropic initiatives are all part of the package.

“One of the things I love about working here is the opportunity to give back,” said Lauren Fiedler, Director of Promotions. “Going to visit a place like Riley (Hospital for Children in Indianapolis) and giving toys to the children there is an incredible experience.”

Delivering toys to Riley is just one of the many opportunities the company has offered to their 1200 associates as a way to give back over the past several months. From raising money for different area organizations to building houses with Habit for Humanity, Scotty’s tries to provide associates with various opportunities to give back.

“There is no requirement for team members to participate in these efforts however, at times, we have to limit the amount of sign up slots, because we will have so many volunteer,” commented Wendy Hantleman, Director of Human Resources.

One unique way Scotty’s recently raised money for local organizations was to offer a VIP event when they opened their latest location on the South side of Indianapolis. Guests were treated to an all you can eat dinner before the official opening with a $10 donation per guest.  One hundred percent of the donations were then split among three organizations:  Wheeler Mission (providing meals and shelter for the Indianapolis homeless), Back On My Feet (creating independence and self-sufficiency with the homeless through running to build confidence, strength and self-esteem) and Northview Church in Carmel, IN

“We wanted to try something a little different that worked out to be a win-win,” said Scott Wise, President and CEO for a Pots and Pans Production, parent company to all the Scotty's concepts and Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company. “We were able to get guests in the restaurant in order for staff to practice everything before we officially opened, the guests were able to sample all the food they wanted and we raised over $3,000 for some great organizations.”

Over the past year, Scotty’s has given more than $50,000 in monetary and food donations to different organizations throughout the state. 

Last month, a team of dedicated staff members delivered toys that guests had dropped off at the stores to Riley Hospital for Children. This is one of two trips the company makes annually to deliver toys to the children who are patients there.

“I've helped deliver toys several times now and, to see how much it means to these children, reminds you how great it is to be in a position to help,” said Eric Schamp, Chief Operations Officer.

Two more big efforts just took place that provided new opportunities for associates to get involved. On Saturday, July 29th, a team took part in a Kids Against Hunger food packing event at Northview Church in Carmel. Volunteers at the event packed 90,000 meals to be used to help feed hungry children in the greater Indianapolis area.

Then, on August 3rd and 4th, team members put their handyman skills to the test as Scotty’s joined up with Habitat for Humanity and helped to build a house in Hamilton County.

“I always say our people are our number one asset and that we always try to hire the best,” continued Wise. “The way our associates come together to do these types of things just makes me believe we are, definitely, hiring the right people.”

In addition to helping out the community, Scotty’s growth also means good things for the state of Indiana. Employing over 1,200 people now, Scotty’s generates tax revenue of more than 3 million dollars, annually, that goes into the economy. Scotty’s also serves over 1.2 million customers a year at their 9 locations. “This is why it is so important for people support local businesses,” concluded Wise. “$0.68 of every dollar spent, locally, stays in that area. Not only are we employing 1,200 workers, we are also stimulating growth throughout Indiana with the tax dollars paid. We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without great customers who choose to dine at a locally owned restaurant.” 

The Pots & Pans family of restaurants raises money every year in support of breast cancer awareness, St. Jude's Hospital, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  They gather canned goods at each restaurant for local shelters, school supplies to help those who couldn't afford them otherwise and sponsor hundreds of other causes with in-kind monetary, gift card, apparel and food donations. They also have hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at their downtown location for the homeless each of the last two years.

"I heard someone once say, 'It is your responsibility, when you grow, to reach back and grab the hands of those less fortunate and help lift them up, '" said Wise.  "I believe God wants me to use my abilities and this platform of multiple restaurants across the state of Indiana to do good in our communities.  I believe the local community has supported me and continues to support me and it is my responsibility to give back.  It takes a lot of incredible people in all of our local communities to make many of our fund raising and toy-raising efforts a success and that allows us to do good."

If you would like to be a part of the Scotty’s family and help make a difference in your community, we are always looking for more great people. You can apply online here or, if you are on a mobile device, start with our quick app here.

Marketing has always been a huge focus at Scotty's Brewhouse. From the ads at your tables to the TV's in the bathrooms, there are marketing pieces everywhere within the 4 walls of the restaurant. On the digital front, Scotty’s markets on all sorts of social networks and sends e-blasts, weekly, to their database of over 40,000 members. When it came time to promote and advertise for the 2012 Olympics, however, the marketing department faced a huge obstacle. Unless you had paid large amounts of money to acquire the rights, you couldn't mention the words 2012 Olympic Games.

"Normally, when we create our marketing pieces, we just need to worry about the design and if the ads have all the info our guests need to know," said Rachel Redwine Nelson , Chief Branding Officer. "With the Olympics this year, however, we encountered an unusual obstacle; we weren’t able to use any obvious words that would let our guests know what we were promoting."

With all Scotty's locations having 50 -75 TVs that are constantly tuned to sporting events, the Olympics were something that guests would be sure to want to watch and so some advertising needed to be done to promote the event.

"In a world where we are constantly getting bombarded with marketing messages," said Scott Wise, President and CEO of a Pots & Pans Production, “it was a unique way to break through all the clutter with a fun message.  And, at the end of the day, our entire goal was to stay 'top of mind' when our guest was considering a location to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies."

Marketing has taken on a new life of its own in the new social world we live in.  This can be seen in Super Bowl ads that ask viewers to Tweet to be a part of the ad or scan QR codes to pick an ending to a storied ad or even crowdsourcing to generate ideas like the Old Spice commercial that started as a viral, online sensation only.

Our world may collectively have Attention Deficit Disorder.  Fast food is no longer fast enough.  And, how long do you stand in front of your microwave at home, aggravated that it is going to take another full 30 seconds to finish heating that piece of pizza?  Well, that same theory applies to marketing and the name of advertising game is, "what can I do in the few short seconds that I have your attention, to keep your attention and market our idea, promotion or event to you and not lose you in less than 140 twitterless seconds?"

Matt Gutierrez, Scotty's in-house graphic designer, came up with an idea after surfing the web the night before and seeing someone misspell one of the words in an Olympic ad. 

"I thought, what if we just misspelled everything, but did it in an strategic fashion?," said Gutierrez, describing the ad. "The mind is conditioned to see words a certain way and, even if they are slightly misspelled, they are still very simple to read."

With this idea in place, Gutierrez was able to create an ad without using any of the trademarked words, but still get the advertising message across.  Here is a copy of the ad that was used.

 

 

"He showed it to me and I loved it!," continued Wise. "It was one of the most creative ads we have done and I knew it would catch people's attention. However, I never anticipated the response we received."

Wise is referring to the flood of emails and tweets that came in after the ad was posted. Some of the comments were complementing the idea of the ad, but a large number of them were people pointing out that there were spelling errors.

"It was pretty funny," laughed Redwine Nelson. "We continued to receive email after email, with comments such as 'You should have run spell check' or 'Better hire a proofreader.’  We went back and responded, individually, to each comment and, politely, asked those who commented to read the entire ad and all the proverbial fine print.”

More comments came in the following day, when the marketing team emailed the ad out to their 40,000 plus e-club members.

"This really goes to show you how important the subject line of an email is," said Wise. "We purposely misspelled it in the subject line as well and so many people sent a first message saying we had goofed, but then followed it up with one a little later saying they were embarrassed because now they had read the entire ad. The whole thing was a lot of fun and I think help draw attention to our coverage of the Olympics."

The ad also got some national attention when the sports website, uni-watch.com, mentioned and displayed the ad.

“Penultimately, a bit of good ol’ American humor: Seems like Scotty’s Brewhouse in Indianapolis didn’t win their bidding war to secure advertiser rights at the Games. So, and to avoid any potential legal troubles, they have come up with a logo that is sure to evade the Olympic Branding Police. Awesome!”– uni-watch.com – 7/26/12

Scotty's will continue to show all the events throughout the Olympics on the restaurant TVs and hope many fans will come out and cheer the USA on to more medals. Closing ceromonies wil air Sunday at 4pm. 

Below is a sampling of some of the messages that were received after the ad was posted.  We’ve left off the names to protect the innocent. We would also love to hear from you. What’s your favorite ad that is out right now or your favorite Super Bowl ad of all time. Leave a comment below and we will be 3 random people to win a $10 gift card.

 

Comments from Tweets and Emails:

• Wow...how ridiculous you can't spell LONDON.
• Check your spelling!  London Olympics Good grief!
• London is spelled wrong! not LODNON
• Typo in the subject line!! (London is misspelled)
• You have NOTHING spelled correctly in this subject line!
• It's London, and not Lodnon. 
• Wow who typed the subject???
• Ya misspelled London!
• Is this a joke?
• Unbelievable:  “Spell Check”
• Is London meant to be spelled wrong?  
• Never mind.  I just now saw the other typos too.  I'm guessing you must have meant to make that many mistakes
• London........
• I am sure I am not the first correct you, but let me be one of many......
• You did mean London, right?!
• Nice spelling job on that subject line.
• What the heck is an "Oimplycs"?
• oh an intentiola tpyo!
• Love your Olympics marketing workaround in your latest email! Genius!
• Lodnon' is brilliant by the way.

What started as just one item on the menu for a limited run in 1998, has progressed over the last 14 years to a two week special event with it’s own food and drink menus at Scotty’s Brewhouse locations across the state.  It takes the Directors of Menu Development and Beverage Hospitality months to come up with recipes, ideas, costing, testing and tasting until the perfect seafood and drink collaboration comes together.  Then, the Director of Training and Operations Officers must train all staff and guide the restaurants through implementation.  All for 10 days of seafood enjoyment for you!

It’s Scotty’s Clam Bake 2012 and it is going on until July 29^th.

“It all started with a cook by the name of Rob Frye,” said Eric Schamp, COO of a Pots and Pans Production. “He created a seafood gumbo-stew and Scott loved it.  He gave Rob the ability to come up with his own menu and create something different and fun for our guests during the Summer months.”

"I remember telling Rob to just make sure whatever he did was fun, executable and the key word, 'fresh," said Scott Wise, President and CEO of a Pots & Pans Production.  "Indiana isn't really known for our beaches, oceans and fresh seafood.  So, I told Rob to make sure that our purveyors would get us product that was fresh and in small quantities, so we would sell out fast and create demand."

On previous Clam Bake menus, Scotty’s has featured peel & eat shrimp, fresh shucked oysters, shrimp boils, pasta & clams, "get baked" and "get lei'ed" tee shirts and more.

 

Today’s version of Clam Bake is a two week long seafood celebration. Staff members are encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts and shorts and are often sporting leis around their necks. The restaurants are decorated with beach balls, seashells, tiki torches and other beachfront items.

“We want the staff to have fun during this event,” said Wise.  “We put a lot of effort into planning an event that is only 10 days long.  We are trying to add excitement by doing something different during a time of year when Summer days are hot, sports aren't as abundant on the TV's and can add a 'vacation Carribean-feel' for guests and staff alike.”

This year’s menu features past favorites Bangin’ Shrimp, New England Lobster Rolls, and Lucy’s Lobster Bisque as well as new items like the Bangin’ Shrimp Tacos, and Mussel and Clam Sauté.

"Lucy's Lobster Bisque was about the only successful thing I did at my restaurant that I closed in 2000," said Wise.  "It is funny that many of our guests are always looking forward to having this one item, this one time a year."  (Lucy's Lobster Bisque was named after his restaurant Lucy!Lucy which is his wife's middle name.)

“Clam Bake allows us to have some fun and be creative with our menu,” said Angie Vosmeier, Director of Menu Development. “We try to create items that taste great and compliment each other; not just throw a bunch of seafood items together.”

The Bangin’ Shrimp Tacos are a good example of one of the more creative items. Vosmeier knew she wanted to offer a fish taco type entrée but wanted to put a different spin on it. The Bangin’ Shrimp has always been a guest favorite, so she combined that with bleu cheese coleslaw and red onions to create a unique creative option.

 

“The bleu cheese coleslaw works so well with the spicy shrimp,” continued Vosmeier. “These small details really help make something taste fantastic.”

All of these recipes don’t just happen overnight. In addition to old guest favorites, Vosmeier begins working on new menu items for Clam Bake each year, in January. She starts by coming up with some ideas, then testing them out, personally, before submitting to Wise for final approval.

“There is a lot of work that goes into a special event menu like this that people don’t realize,” said Vosmeier. “It, oftentimes, will take several variations of a recipe to get something to taste exactly how we want it. Although we want Clam Bake to be different, remaining true to Scotty’s brand and vision are of utmost importance.”

As with all specialty menus, Clam Bake is for a limited time only with the menu ending July 29^th.

Click here to view the 2012 Clam Bake Menu.

Click here to view our 2012 Clam Bake Photo Album.

We would like to hear your thoughts. What do you like or want to see improved about Clam Bake? What would you like to see on the menu next year? Comment below.

This was the challenge issued Saturday Night: 

Contest time: best "it is so hot outside..." or "your momma is so fat" joke that makes me laugh wins gift card.

We had so many responses on twitter and Facebook that I wanted to give each of you the opportunity to vote. Simply comment below your favorite number. On Monday morning we will add them all up and give away some gift cards.

Prizes:

First Place:  $100

Second Place:  $50

Third Pace:  $25

Get voting now. Tell your friends, your buddies, your coworkers whoever you want. Get them voting and win! Good Luck.

Entries: 

1) Victoria Brewer - It's hotter than 2 fat girls looking for a skittle in a Volkswagen .

2) Kimberly Anne Rabe - Your momma is so fat she needs a parade permit to walk down the street!!

3) Marsha Kitchen - Its hotter than a two peckered goat!

4) Michael Markey - It's so hot outside, you could boil an egg still in the chicken.

5 ) Jeff Vest - Yo mama' so fat she's got her own zipcode

6) Michael White - Your momma is so fat that the shadow she casts lowers the temperature by 20 degree's.

7) Matt Leachman - It's so hot outside I saw a squirrel cooling his nuts in a freezer

8) Jeff Duncan - Your momma is so fat she sat on a quarter and a booger shot out of George Washington's nose.

9) Erik Pitner - Your momma is so fat...she has to turn around twice in the shower to wet her back.

10) Erik Pitner -  Momma so fat...she thinks gravy is a beverage.

11) Cathy Sharpe - It is so hot outside...I feel like a whore in church.

12) Scott Ellis - It's soooo hot outside even Mitt Romney seems cool!

13) Janice Gray - Its so hot outside, Scotty's mofo sauce would cool me off!

14) Matt Leachman - Your momma is so fat she broke her leg and gravy poured out

15) Kyle Sanders - It's so hot outsidie that your mama is sweating MoFo sauce, and she is dipping wings in it.

16) Maryka Hodson Napier -  A woman walks into a bar, and she has a duck under her arm. The bartender asks , whats the pigs name? Woman says this is a duck! Bartender says, no, I was asking the duck!!

17) Scott Ellis - It's sooo hot outside Optimus Prime turned into an air conditioner!

18) Steven Amos - It is so hot outside that Chuck Norris started to sweat and...........Wait a second, Chuck Norris has never sweated a day in his life. He is as cold as ice dipped in liquid nitrogen.

19) Jenni Butler - Your momma is so fat she had to be baptized at sea world!

20) Don Arney - Yo momma's so fat, she stepped on the dog's tail and it died.

21) Maryka Hodson Napier - Your mama is so fat, she has more Chins than a Chinese phone book!

22) Chris Raflik -  It is so hot outside my ball sack is sticking to my feet!

23) Scott Ellis - It's so hot Siri asked to stay inside!

24) Sarah Ann Fleenor - It is so hot outside the ice cream truck just melted.

25) Quinn Gilbert -  its so hot out...i saw a fire hydrant ask a dog to pee on it...

26) Matt Wallpe - It's so hot... hot air balloons can't rise.

27) Kat Hesselgrave - Your momma is so fat she wears neck deoderant

28) Robin Roller - It's so hot outside that yo momma used to be fat....

29) Matt Wallpe - It's so hot... I saw a funeral procession in a Dairy Queen drive through.

30) Shawn Quick Raflik - Your Momma is so fat, when she goes outside on a hot day the sweat starts flying & the neighborhood kids run around her like a sprinkler.

31) Dwight Snethen - It's so hot, I'm sweating like Snooki in church.

32) Bradley G Hood -  It's so hot Satan thinks he finally got all mankind in his court....he's in for big surprise...!

33) Kristi Johnson Hamblin - Your momma so fat, she bungee jumped and went straight to HELL !

34) Andrew Personett - It's so hot because your fat momma's gravity pulled the sun too close

35) Jason Preston - Your momma's so fat, she's earnin' dill chips money by providing shade to kids at the neighborhood pool!

36) Kurt Brehm -  Yo momma so fat, when she goes to the zoo, the elephants throw peanuts at her!

37) Keyla D. Lane - It's so hot outside, the ducks at the park come in two varieties: "original recipe" and "extra crispy"!

38) Sally Bannister - it is so hot outside farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs

39) Adam Garrett - Your mother's so fat, when she goes to a restaurant she doesn't get a menu, she gets an estimate.

40) Jennifer Godar - It's hotter than two squirrels screwing in a wool sock (from my husband)!

41) Jeni Billenstein  - It's so hot even Mayor Mike Bloomberg is drinking a Big Gulp!

42) Brady Jackson - It's so hot that Scotty is saving money on electricity by frying dill chips on the sidewalk!

43) Stacey Moran - It's hotter outside than a lonely housewife reading Fifty Shades of Grey at a Magic Mike Screening! ;)

44) Bryan PfishinMagician Hill - It's hotter than the hinges on the gates of Hell....

45) Matt Wallpe - It's so hot... the National Weather Service issued a fat chic in a tank top warning.

46) Sally Bannister - your momma is so fat she left the house in high heels and when she came back she had on flip flops.

47) Tami Boyle Clark - It's so hot, I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking!! :)

48) Franco Dattilo - Its so hot that hell called and asked for its weather back!

49) Phil Wrighthouse - It's so hot, Paris Hilton just shot herself. "My catchphrase is redundant," the suicide note said.

50) Sarah Hill - Your mama so fat, she cut herself and gravy came out.

51) Steven Toberman - Your mommas so fat the oil company bought her some heels to help them strike oil!!

52) Phil Wrighthouse - Dated Joke Alert: Your momma's so fat, she put on a pair of BVDs and, when se was done, they said "Boulevard."

53) Tami Boyle Clark - It's so hot, I saw an Amish guy buying an air conditioner!

54) Roger Jr Fuller - Its hotter than a 1 legged woman in a kick butt contest

55) Craig McCarty - Yo momma's so fat I told her we won the Super Bowl and she walked outside with a spoon!

56) Jessica Lynn Hendricks Phelps It is so hot outside that i feel like i am reading fifty shades of gray at a magic mike screening.

57) Andrew Personett - It's so hot you could fry bacon in your fat moms armpits

58) Jessica Logsdon - Your Mom is so fat, when she went to the top of the St. Louis Arch it turned into a McDonald's sign.

59) Brad Lyle - It's so hot outside that I thought about going somewhere else for a cold beer

60) Tami Boyle Clark - Yo momma's so fat....her cereal bowl comes with a lifeguard~

61) Nathan Trissel - Its so hot outside....I saw a fire hydrant chasing a Dalmatian!

62) Shawn Quick Raflik - It's so hot outside that if a Ginger goes outside they will spontaneously combust!

63) Tami Boyle Clark - yo mommas so fat....she got in a monster truck and turned it into a lowrider....

64) Michael Roque - Yo mommaso fat she fell and broke her leg and mofo sauce poured out

65) Clint McCullough - Yo mama so fat she left the house wearing high heels and came back wearing flip flops

66) Tami Boyle Clark  - Yo momma's so fat...... I took a picture of her last Christmas, and it's still printing.... :)

67) JaymeSteve Herrmann - Your momma so fat she has more rolls than a bakery !

68) Emily Brunette Mitchell -  It is so outside that when I bit into my dill chips, I thought I was eating frozen pickles! :)

69) Steve Strip Strippoli -  It's hotter than a $3 pistol on a Saturday night

70) Brad Shanks - its so hot out i am sweating like obama looking for his birth certificate.

71) Erin Erdmann - Your momma's so fat when she wears yellow she changes the weather

72) Christine Corn Stinson - It's so hot....I got a sunburn just watching the weather report.

73) Angela Hancock Hill - It's so hot outside the squirrels are holding their nuts with oven mitts.

74) Mary Hires - it's so hot outside I saw Optimus Prime transform into an air conditioner

75) Andrew Personett - Your momma's so fat she has to bathe at Sea World and uses Shamoo as a bath toy.

76) Fran Pawlowski - It is so hot outside that the fish are gettin fried right in the water!

77) Becky Kormos - its so hot im sweatin like a whore in chuch.

78) Rusty Gerritson - your mommas sooo fat....when she bends over....we enter daylight savings time

79) Rusty Gerritson - your mommas so fat....when i tell her to haul ass....she has to make 2 trips!

80) Ron Smith - its so hot the workers at the chicken place were jumping in the fry vat just to cool off

81) Andrew Personett - Your momma's so fat she douches with a fire hydrant

82) Rusty Gerritson - your mommas so fat...after sex she smokes a ham!

83) Chris Raflik - Your Momma is so fat the she already busted 7 kiddie pools and has you going to Walmart for another one.

84) Nick Caldwell - Yo momma so fat she makes jabba the hut look anorexic

85) Sarah Parish - Yo momma's so fat she sat on a rainbow and skittles popped out.

86) Katie Hooper - Its hotter than 2 rats screwing in a wool sock on a tin roof in August! (from my cousins in Texas)!

87) Beth Ayen - It's so hot you can wash and dry your clothes at the same time

88) Krista McGuire Deschamp - its so hot out your wife is confused and seeing fireworks for the fourth time in your marriage.

89) JD Sams - Yo momma so ugly she went to the haunted house and they give the bitch an application.

90) Morgan Ellis - Your momma's so fat she saw a school bus & thought it was a Twinkie!

91) Bryce Williams - It's so hot outside, yo momma looks PHAT!

92) Shane Ecker - Yo momma's so fat, when she fell down, she rocked herself to sleep trying to get back up.

93) Jordan Amanda - It's so hot outside, when yo mama stood up, her tramp stamp stayed on her lawn chair.

94) Nicole Didot - Its so hot my sweat has sweat! Just sayn!

95) Nadia Zahedi - It's so hot outside I drank a glass of the MoFo sauce to cool off!

96) Erin Bangel - It's so HOT outside I saw squirrels fanning their nuts!!! HAHHA!

97) Nelly Montoya - It's so HOT outside the COWS are giving EVAPORATED MILK!

98) Nelly Montoya - yo MOMMA So FAT the back of her NECK looks like a pack of HOTDOGS!! 

99) Peggy Newman Herrod - it's so hot that i really prefer menopause.

100) Joshua Williams -  It is so hot the fountains are producing steam instead of water. 

101) Andrew Personett -  It's so hot outside your momma sweats bacon grease

102) Collin Hufhand -  Your mom is so fat that she perspires mayonnaise.

103) Tom Milcarek - it's so hot out I saw an amish woman wearing a pair of Daisy Duke's !

104) Chris Summers - It's so hot outside, I'm sweating like a fat chick writing love letters.

105) Randy Cook - Your momma so fat, when she dances at a concert, the whole band skips...HAHA!

106) Amy Barbaro Coats - It's so hot outside that when I turn the hose on, even the water didn't want to come out.

107) Amy Barbaro Coats - It's so hot outside, Earth & Wind gave in to Fire. 'You win!'

108) Nancy Schmoll Paul - Yo mama's so fat when she died she broke the stairway to heaven

109) Tracy Stokes Concannon - It's so hot out, your mama's sweatin' like the fountain at the Bellagio!

110) Amy Barbaro Coats - It's so hot outside that I heard the ground praying for another great flood.

111) Debbie Rench Dorman - Its hotter than a jalapenos coochie!

112) Chad McCauley - Your momma's so fat, when she bends over it looks like two pigs wrestling over milk duds.

113) Stacy Renee White - It's so hot farmers are feeding ice chips to their chickens so they don't deliver hard boiled eggs.

114) Kelsey Holloway - It's so hot, I'm sweating more than a whore in a church...

115) Emily Smriga Blue - It's so hot outside that Dick Cheney water boarded himself!

116) Emily Smriga Blue - It's so hot I'm sweating like a priest at a little league game! (sorry, not PC) :)

117) Sharon Kay Smith - It is so hot, I hear weeping and knashing of teeth!

118) Vicki Sakha Dickerson - Yo mama so fat she irons her pants on the driveway!

119) Tony A. Patterson - Your mom is so fat the other moms in the neighborhood orbit around her caught by her gravitational pull.

120) Jeremy Ross - Yo momma so fat her blood type is gravy!

121) Vicki Sakha Dickerson - Yo momma so fat she was standing in a corner when a police officer walked by and said "break it up!"

122) Vicki Sakha Dickerson - Yo momma so fat she uses a VCR as a pager!

123) Jeremy Ross - Yo momma so fat, her belt size is equator

124) Chally Sorrell - Abbott Your momma is so fat when she broke her leg gravy poured out !!!!

125) Jeremy Ross  -  Yo momma so fat, that after sex I rolled over twice and i was STILL on top of her!

126) Sunny Currier - It's hotter than mo'fo!

127) Vicki Sakha Dickerson - It's so hot it feels like the devil just farted.

128) Dwight Snethen - It's so hot, even Satan said I'm getting the hell out of here.

129) Sherry Rhorer - Your momma so fat she gets out bed on both sides

130) Tom Jessee - It's so hot, the cows are giving powdered milk!!

131) Tom Jessee - It's so hot, the catfish have ticks on 'em!

132) Leigha Forte - Yo momma so fat she's on both sides of the family!

133) Jeff Lloyd - It's so hot outside I paid yo fat momma to stand in front of my house to block the sun.

134) Shaina Allman - Yo mama so fat she uses diet soap!

135) Jeff Bugher - It's so hot outside, when I lit my grill I felt a blast of cool air.

136) Joshua Young - Yo mommas so fat she uses cheat codes for the wii fit!

137) Jeff Guenther - It's so hot the kids wore out the water in the local pool.

138) Jeni Billenstein - It's so hot the Amish are wearing mini skirts

139) Cheryl Lee Cockrum - You know it's hot when the bees are using the dog's water dish for a hot tub.

140) Michael Charlton - Your mommas so fat she fell in love and broke it

141) Michael Charlton - Your mommas so fat she jumped in the air and got stuck.

142) Kirk K Rich - it is so hot outside we all stood in the shade and thanked you cause your momma is so fat.

143) Rick Whitmore - it so hot outside that your mom slipped in her own sweat and fell on a manhole cover, when she got up there was a circle of fried bacon on her belly...

144) Pam Luke - It's so hot outside Scotty's hot wings are ashamed to call themselves HOT!

145) @Buckeyepharmd -  your momma is so fat she was born April 4th, 5th and 6th.

146) @andrewevans843 -  its so hot outside I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking

147) @cubsfan317 - yo momma so fat Darth Vader modeled the death star after her

148) @Crowd0503 - its so hot I saw two trees fighting over a dog. Also its so hot I say a chicken lay an omelet.

149) @hofmann -  it's so hot, even Mitt Romney is complaining about global warming.

150) @cawilkey1 - it's so hot outside that Jesus has started to turn water into beer and margaritas http://pic.twitter.com/HDZaYhRe

151) @pda1313 - It's so hot outside my balls are sticking to YOUR leg

152) @ToyotaJeff - Yo mama so fat, when she talks to herself it's a long distance call.

153) @pda1313 - Yo mama so fat instead of an STD she gave me cholestorol

154) @taylor1529 - it's so hot Gov. Daniels stepped outside and burned his combover.

155) @pda1313 - Yo mama so fat she has more crack than Whitney and Bobby

156) @ansonpc -  you're mama is so hot even her fat is pretty...see what i did there!

157) @halfpoint22 - It's so hot outside, I just saw a bird using a potholder to pull a worm out of the ground.

158) @Kevin_Swiontek - It's so hot outside your momma isn't fat anymore!

159) @sportnsound - it is so hot outside that even Al Gore cant believe how right he was about Global Warming.

160) @Kgbinder - It is so hot outside even Satan turns on the AC.

161) @ChanningKing - It's so hot Charlie Sheen told his doctor he has an Indy sensation when he pees.

162) @jpschust - Personal favorite: your momma's so fat when she turns around people give her a welcome back party

163) @HenryHoward - It's so hot outside I need some Mo Fo sauce to cool down.

164) @Indyweather24 - It is so hot outside I saw a fire hydrant begging a dog to pee on it

165) @AUBillyGoat32 -  It's so hot today..the National Weather Service has issued a fat guy in tank top warning....

166) @alissabirkel - it's so hot i just saw a chicken lay an omelet.

167) @Cantplaypiano - It's so hot out a cactus offered me a glass of water

The fireworks may be cancelled this year due to dry conditions, but Scotty's Brewhouse is ready to help you celebrate the Fourth of July by dousing the flames with plenty of ice cold beverages and FREE air conditioning.

"As of the time of this blog post, they are still doing a public display of fireworks over the bridge at Geist and in Downtown Indianapolis," said Scott Wise, President and CEO of a Pots and Pans Production. "Our patio downtown is a great place to see the show directly over head and dinner at the Lakehouse is only a 4 blocks away from throwing out a blanket on the bridge to watch the show in Fishers."

Throughout the year Scotty's offers free meals to Veterans and all men and women of the Armed Forces. They also offer a 10% discount daily to these groups as a way honor their bravery and service. 

"We try to do what we can to show our gratitude in a small way," continued Wise. "I think this is such a small gesture to show our respect and gratitude for the brave men and women of this country that put their lives on the line to protect all of the freedoms we take for granted on a daily basis.  If it weren't for these individuals protecting our freedom we would not be able to do what we do."

Currently Scotty's is running a promotion to benefit families of soldiers who have been killed or disabled in the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan--Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.  From now until July 7^th, for anyone who visits any Scotty's location and buys a regularly priced Budweiser Bottle, 25 cents of their purchase will be donated to the Folds of Honor Foundation.

 All Scotty's locations will be open normal business hours on the fourth. The stores will be decorated in red, white and blue and Brewhouse and Thr3e Wise Men locations will be offering specials on carryout growlers.  Remember that you can get Thr3e Wise Men pizza AND beer delivered to you on the Fourth (3 mile radius from restaurant).  Or, pick up carryout growlers of fresh beer from Thr3e Wise Men OR ANY Brewhouse location!  

If you are planning a cookout on the holiday and want to give it that Scotty's flavor Marsh Supermarkets has all of Scotty's signature sauces available in bottles or you can pick one up at your local Scotty's location. Make sure to take pictures of you using the sauce to get a head start in our "Grilling out with Scotty's Sauce" contest. Details coming in 2 days.

"We had so many requests to take our sauces home we created our own line of sauces that you can purchase at Marsh or at any of our locations," said Angie Vosmeier Director of Menu Development. "If you want that Mo'Fo' flavor at your home cookout now you can have it."

 

Many of you will be spending time at the pool over the holiday so don't forget to enter the Best Belly Flop Contest. You have from now through July 5th to enter. Post a video of YOU on our Facebook page doing a belly flop into the pool. You must shout "I love Scotty's Brewhouse" in the air. We will award twenty $25 gift cards for the best videos. You can also post this on twitter, just use the the hashag #sbhbellyflop.

What are you plans for the Fourth? Why are you proud to be an American? We would love to hear your comments below.