The Indiana Craft Beer With A Cult Following

You can find excellent craft beers throughout the United States, and Indiana is no exception. In the Hoosier state, a super-hoppy, American Pale Ale called Zombie Dust has developed a cult following. This bold brew is made by Three Floyds Brewing Co., an independent company based in Munster, Indiana. First released in 2010, the product arrived on the scene during a period when craft beer saw record growth, and more Americans gravitated towards independent brewers. Zombie Dust delivered a bold flavor and can that stood out from the crowd.

Clocking in at 6.2% ABV, Zombie Dust is a moderately strong beer that uses potent imagery in its marketing. According to Three Floyds' website, "This intensely hopped and gushing undead Pale Ale will be one's only respite after the zombie apocalypse." It's brewed with a single hop variety, Citra, which gives the beer its signature aroma and flavor profile. Expect bright notes of pine, fruit, and citrus, and a slight bitter edge, balanced by malt.

Zombie Dust comes packaged in eye-catching, punk-style artwork, which is on brand for the brewery's heavy-metal aesthetic. The label was created by Tim Seeley, a comic book artist and writer who has worked on such properties as DC Comics' "Batman Eternal," Marvel's "Deadpool vs. Thanos," and Skybound's "G.I. Joe." 

How does Zombie Dust live up to the hype? What sets the beer apart is how much flavor it delivers within the pale ale style. While many hop-driven beers push into IPA territory, Zombie Dust is an American Pale Ale that offers intensity and hoppiness without excess bitterness. This craft beer remains accessible to drinkers who might shy away from more aggressive and bitter IPAs. It also skillfully mixes tasting notes, including fruitiness and bitterness, without one overpowering the other.

Zombie Dust's popularity didn't happen overnight, but it grew steadily through word of mouth and its limited availability. For years, Zombie Dust was difficult to find outside Indiana and nearby states. That regional limitation fueled demand; each sighting of the beer in a new city or state was significant. A 2022 Reddit post suggests that Zombie Dust became a beer people actively hunted for, and it would fly off the shelves even when liquor stores set purchase limits. Because it was often difficult to find, homebrewers with FOMO began to recreate the iconic beer themselves, further contributing to the hype.

The reputation of Three Floyds Brewing Co. also amplified the buzz. Its Indiana-born brew could be considered one of the state's signature beers. Over the years, it has been rated as one of the top beers in the nation by the likes of Beer Advocate, Ratebeer, and Zymurgy magazine. It's known for pushing boundaries with both flavor and branding, and the brewery has cultivated a fiercely loyal fan base. The company's motto is "It's not normal," and that perfectly summarizes why Three Floyds Brewing Co. has continued to stand out from a sea of average ales.