On November 1, 2007, the first batch of Brugge Black and Brugge White beers will hit the market. A bit misleading since these beers aren't new. Of course, they have been available at Brugge Brasserie located at 1011 Westfield Boulevard where Winthrop meets Westfield - you know, the place with the huge cones of pomme frites?

But, starting in November, Brugge beers will be available at bars, restaurants and stores throughout Indiana thanks to a new bottling plant located in Terre Haute, about an hour and a half from the Broad Ripple pub.

I was able to tour the new brewing and bottling facility in Terre Haute before production got underway. The satellite brewery, called Vigo Brewing Group, sits quietly inside a quaint old warehouse. A weather-beaten, hand-lettered sign taped to a service entrance is the only indication that tenants are in the building. Inside the door, the history hits you right away with the old paneled walls and architectural details still in place. The building once housed the famous Terre Haute Brewing Company, makers of Champagne Velvet beer: "The beer with the Million Dollar flavor."

The Terre Haute Brewing Company is long gone. The Brugge facility is in the smallest and only remaining building of several mammoth structures that once made up the campus-like locale. Micah Weichert, head of the new plant, led the tour. In the office, he showed me some turn-of-the-century drawings of the original buildings - castle-like structures producing over one million barrels of beer per year.

"They knocked down the old Terre Haute Brewing Company," explained Weichert. "There's an antique mall and a CVS pharmacy there now. [The Brugge facility is now in] the building where they originally, predating 1900, made a lot of the tapping equipment and the big tin signs for the beer brand Champagne Velvet. This is where they made the signs and painted them - the promotional shop for the brewery. There is such a rich history here. It was one of the selling points for me (Weichert moved to Terre Haute from Lawrence, Kansas, to run the plant)."

Weichert explained the complicated (to me, at least) brewing process as he led me through the maze of tall stainless steel tanks of various shapes. "This [tank room] is like Brugge Broad Ripple times 50. Quite a bit larger, but basically the same idea."

A benefit for local Brugge Brasserie drinkers is that beer from the Terre Haute plant can be quickly brought to Broad Ripple to restock. Most regular patrons know how often a favorite ale runs out and how long they have to wait for another batch to complete the brewing cycle.

Initially, two beers will be brewed and kegged for use in bars and restaurants. Later, the small bottling line will package the brews for stores and more beers will be added. Tripel de Ripple, and eventually all five of the Brugge Belgian Ales, including Dubbel and Sacre Fleur Saison, will be produced here. Distribution is handled by World Class Beverage (www.worldclassbeverages.com). As production ramps up, World Class Beverage will add more grocery and liquor stores, bars and restaurants to the list of establishments that carry Brugge Belgian beers.

Brugge Brasserie is planning a bus tour of the bottling plant for November 10 leaving Broad Ripple at 2pm. Tickets are $25 which includes drinks. Contact Brugge via email at charlie@brugge-beer.com to reserve a seat.