Deals in Meridian Kessler

Since making their first batch in 1998, The Upland Brewing Company's crew has gone on to engineer more than 30 craft beers. Besides seasonal beers and fruit-infused sours, such as the Kiwi Lambic, Upland's crew crafts seven year-round varieties, including Preservation Pilsner, brewed in a 19th-century style and aged, like the oldest Lilliputian, one whole month.

Those seven are always on tap at Upland's Bloomington brewpub, where Executive Chef Seth Elgar complements pours with local entrees such as farm-to-table steak. For further forays into the brew-chemists' imaginations, folks can sample more drafts at Upland's Bloomington tasting room, which neighbors its 37,000-square-foot production facility.

Though rooted in Indiana, Upland shares its tasty libations with bars and distributors in Ohio, southern Wisconsin, and Louisville, where people not named Louis just won the right to drink. In turn, the brewery lures outsiders to Indiana with frequent events like the annual Hillbilly Haiku Americana Concert, whose local and national touring musicians help raise money for the Sycamore Land Trust.

Equipment: The patented CRT Method, using our exclusive Cardio Resistance Trainer
Students should bring: Water bottle and positive energy. Water cooler and towels provided.
Average class length: 60 minutes
Number of Staff: 5–10 people
Class location: Indoors only
Established: 2010
Registration required: No
Good for beginners: Yes
Guests allowed: Yes
Parking: Parking lot
Pro Tip: Be ready for a cardio- and strength-training workout like no other in a friendly, beautiful environment.

Professional clicker Eileen Keenan guides pupils through the basics of using their DSLR cameras and bringing their vision for artistic images to life during two-hour introductory workshops. Keenan teaches her students to bend light and photogenic spoons to their will by revealing the secrets of camera's photo-perfecting mechanisms such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. A group of 15 or fewer students bonds with their cameras as they coordinate the three techniques to properly expose images and then manipulate them for desired visual effect. Budding shutterbugs spend the final 30 minutes of class actively practicing what they’ve learned about balance, composition, and capturing fairies on film as they venture forth to work their shutters under the instructor’s watchful eye. Students must provide their own DSLRs.

Inside Lava Lips, a tiki bar stands surrounded by shelves of endless hot sauces, barbecue sauces, dry rubs, and other zesty liquids. In addition to tongue-testing hot sauces, the shop also stocks soup mixes, caramel sauces, and preserves.

Inside the family-friendly Aristocrat Pub, dark mahogany wood, large antique gold-framed paintings and dimly lit tables provide the British eatery with all the style and ambiance of a true Dublin drinking hole. Despite the heavy interior, a newly-renovated dining room offers a much more open layout, with more seats for patrons to relax with their favorite pint. A large covered patio surrounded by greenery remains a focus of the building’s exterior. The pub stocks 60 beers on tap, featuring favorites from local breweries like Flat 12, Sun King, Brasserie and The Bier Brewery. Regulars praise the Icelandic jumbo cod fish and chips, breaded or grilled Hoosier tenderloin, smoked turkey on marble rye, crab cakes and baked brie. The brunch menu includes six varieties of frittatas, a delicate crab cake eggs Benedict, French toast with seared bananas sautéed in brown sugar and chicken and waffles.

Overwhelmed by compliments and convinced by cajoling from friends, Brigid Clarke finally made her hobby a career with Harvest Moon Photography. Now her clients get to see what her friends saw—the ability to capture the ordinary and show that it's extraordinary. She does that by focusing on the smallest details and capturing emotions as they swiftly pass by. That approach can be found during all her sessions, including portraits of families, high-school seniors, newborns, and kids. She also works closely with clients to deliver the best photography experience during large events such as weddings.