Indianapolis brewery tour: A guide to the city's best craft beer
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The Upland Brewing taproom in Fountain Square. Photo: John Frank/Axios
Indianapolis boasts an under-the-radar beer scene that offers a taste of new and old, writes John Frank, Axios' resident beer nerd.
What to know: Led by stalwart Sun King, and accented by the popular Metazoa and Guggman Haus, the city's breweries showcase a range of styles from juicy, fruit-flavored IPAs to the grain-forward darker beers that make winter tolerable.
- Plus: A handful of transplants, including Upland and Taxman, are helping build the city's beer culture.
Where to go: On a recent visit, John canvassed Indianapolis for the best brews.
- Here's what he found.
The must-try breweries
Upland: Start with the Dragonfly IPA, one of the best Midwest versions of the style on the market. But the reason to visit this Bloomington brewery's spacious taproom in Fountain Square is the barrel-aged fruited sour beers that burst with flavor and a not-too-puckering tartness.
- For the fainter palates, the Tart Series tropical gose is a refreshing sip.
Sun King: You can't go wrong at the most awarded brewery in the state.
- The Sunlight Cream Ale is an easy sipper for any occasion, whether an Indy race or lawn mowing day.
- The tap list offers plenty for hop-lovers, and the coveted beers are the barrel-aged dark beers, such as the super-sweet Deep-Fried Sandwich Cookie variants.
Metazoa: The South College Avenue location is possibly the most dog-friendly brewery you'll find with its own dog park and a pledge to donate 5% of its profits to animal and wildlife organizations.
- Beyond the atmosphere, the Hoppopotamus IPA is the ubiquitous pick, available on taps citywide. The best strategy is a flight to try lagers, juicy IPAs like the Wicked Pawesome and an award-winning saison.
Guggman Haus: Part racing museum and part brewery, the location gives Guggman a unique vibe. It's also one of the top-rated breweries and most innovative in the city.
- The best picks to find the trademark bold flavors are the new styles of hazy and milkshake IPA, as well as the fruited and pastry sours.
Other breweries worth a visit
Taxman City Way: If you like old-world Belgian beers, Taxman is your place to go. The Bargersville brewery focuses on the sweeter, maltier styles and mixes in farmhouse beers and saisons.
Chilly Water: A cheese steak, live music and a cold beer are hard to beat. This music-themed brewery makes small batches that can be hit-and-miss but offers a variety of styles to keep the vibe alive.
Fountain Square: Combined with Chilly Water and Upland, add Fountain Square to your list for a great neighborhood beer crawl. Order the traditional beer styles, such as the amber.