You’re headed down 65 and you like craft beer. Where do you go? That’s easy, right? Well…not really. There are so many breweries now, it’s hard to choose!!
My plan last week was to head down to Indy and give a few spots a try. I reached out to Indiana on Tap and within minutes had suggestions for over 40 places! I was overwhelmed. Upon further research, I discovered there are over 100 breweries in the Indianapolis area alone!
Given the recommendations I got, as well as a little extra research, (thank you Indiana on Tap!) I am listing 65 breweries that are close to I-65 (or 465). I’ve added a description to the ones that I’ve checked out. (as you can see, I have many more to go!) The breweries with the ***** were recommended to me on Twitter. Many of them were recommended several times, so I would suggest checking them out!
So…here we go…from North to South.
18th Street’s Deal with the Devil needs to be on every craft beer lover’s list.
1. 18th Street Brewery , Miller Beach – (this was an easy one for me.) Just down the road from where I live, 18th street is a favorite of mine. They are in the process of opening a new taproom in Miller, but in the meantime you can stop in their Hammond location or the old Miller tap room until that closes. Deal with the Devil is a must try. But beware…that beer will kick you in the butt! I swear it’s got magical powers. Be sure to try some of Virgie’s delicious food!
2. Devils Trumpet – located in a small warehouse in Merrillville, Devil’s Trumpet is quaint and has some great beer as well. Make it a Cheeseburger IPA is one of my favorites. Snacks are available.
3. Crown Brewery – located in Crown Point, Indiana. Hopping off 65 and heading to downtown Crown Point is worth the trip. Crown Brewery is right next to Carriage Court Pizza and set just off the downtown square, which has some great shops and restaurants. Crown Brewing has a cute outdoor patio and a full menu of delicious beer choices!
4. Lafayette Brewing Company – right in downtown Lafayette. Several choices of beer and a full menu. The hummus was delicious and the Eighty-Five aggressively hopped IPA was really good. We were there over Christmas break, so there were not a lot of people, but I can tell this place can get packed when school is in session!
5. People’s Brewing Company, Lafayette*****
——- Indy breweries (listed in alphabetical order) ——
6 Barley Island Brewing Co. – Noblesville
7 Bent Rail Brewery – Indianapolis
8 Bier Brewery – Indianapolis*****
9 Big Lug Canteen – Indianapolis
10 *Big Woods Brewing Co. – Speedway
11 Black Acre Brewing Co. – Indianapolis*****
12 Black Swan Brewpub – Plainfield
13 Blind Owl Brewery – Indianapolis
14 Books & Brews – Indianapolis*****
15 Brew Link Brewing – Plainfield
16 Broad Ripple Brewpub – Indianapolis*****
17 Brugge Brasserie – Indianapolis*****
18 *Campbell House Brewery – Richmond
19 Cedar Creek Winery & Brew Co. – Martinsville
20 *Centerpoint Brewing – Indianapolis
21 Central State Brewing Co. – Indianapolis
22 Chilly Water Brewing Co. – Indianapolis*****
23 Danny Boy Beer Works – Carmel*****
24 Daredevil Brewing Co. – Speedway
26 Flat12 Bierwerks – Indianapolis***** I stopped at Flat 12 last summer and really enjoyed it. Familiar with their beer, Walkabout has always been a favorite. We sat outside in the small courtyard and relaxed with an Upside Down Blonde and Half Cycle IPA. There was a food truck outside and a really nice vibe. Check it out!
27 Flix Brewhouse – Carmel
28 Fountain Square Brewing – Indianapolis*****
29*Four Day Ray Brewing – Fishers
30 Grand Junction Brewing – Westfield*****
31 Granite City Brewery – Indianapolis
32 *Happy Brewing Co. – Daleville
33 Heady Hollow Brewing Co. – Fishers
34 Hoosier Brewing Co. – Fairland
35 Indiana City Brewing Co. – Indianapolis*****
36 MashCraft Brewing – Greenwood
37 New Boswell Brewing Co. – Richmond
38 Noble Order Brewing Co. – Richmond
39 Norris English Pub – Liberty
40 Oaken Barrel Brewing – Greenwood*****
41 *Old Post Brewpub – Franklin
42 Outliers Brewing Co. – Indianapolis
43 Planetary Brewing Co. – Greenwood*****
44 Redemption Alewerks – Indianapolis
45 *Round Town Brewing – Indianapolis
46 Scarlet Lane Brewing – McCordsville*****
47 St. Joseph’s Brewery – Indianapolis*****
48 Sun King Brewing Co. – Indianapolis****** I visited Sun King last year and I am not sure if their tap room has changed. When I was there, we received 5 tickets and were able to walk around the tasting room and try the beer. Brewery tours were available and there was some very cool merchandise! Sunlight Cream Ale is a great summer beer and Osiris is also a favorite of mine.
Family dining is available at Taxman!
49 Taxman Brewing Co. – Bargersville***** Taxman was my top beer at the Shelf Ice Brewfest last year and it has been on my list of places to go. It did not disappoint! Although my visit was short, I was able to check out the brewery (very cool inside!) and try a few beers. All were very good, (Hop Collector!) and like many breweries, had their own special style. The menu looked delicious and I wish I could have stayed longer. I will be back!
50 *The Guardian Brewing Co. – Muncie
The Feta appetizer at The Tap is delicious! …and so is their beer.
51 The Tap – Indianapolis, Located in the very trendy “Mass Ave” area of Indy, The Tap was the hot spot to go. The Tap has some very good beer of their own as well as an extensive list of guest breweries. We opted to try some of their beer (Too Easy Session IPA and Bionic Dragon American IPA) and were not disappointed. There is also a large menu with many options, we had a feta dip that was delicious!
52 Thr3e Wise Men Brewing – Indianapolis
53 Three Pints Brewpub – Plainfield
54 Three Pints Brewing – Martinsville
55 Tow Yard Brewing Co. – Indianapolis
56 Triton Brewing Co. – Indianapolis
57Twenty Below Brewing – Indianapolis
58 Two Deep Brewing Co. – Indianapolis***** Located in a Warehouse, Two Deep has about 6 beers to choose from as well as a guest tap. A snack menu was available and they also had a folder of places available for delivery. The atmosphere is very cool and many people were hanging out and enjoying themselves. There is a large TV with some couches and a very relaxed vibe.
59 Union Brewing Co. – Carmel*****
60 Wabash Brewing – Indianapolis
61 Wolves’ Head Brewing Co. – Muncie
62 Wooden Bear Brewing – Greenfield*****
63 450 North, Columbus, (reviewed by Evan Trotta) This joint opened up in 2012 on the eastern side of Bartholomew County out in the cornfields between Columbus and Hope. If you are willing to make the effort in seeking this place out, you won’t regret it. They usually have 8-10 beers on tap, ranging from the Farmer’s Daughter (Pilsner-style) to the Pothole Porter to the Ironman English Ale. All of their brews pack a punch in both flavor and ABV. Staff is super welcoming and friendly. I like to think of myself as a pizza connoisseur, and I truly believe this place has some of the best pizza in the state.
64 Zwanzigs Brewing: (reviewed by Evan Trotta) This place is located just a few blocks away from downtown Columbus, and is more known for their pizza (though fantastic, I am still pro-450N pizza!!). They recently (maybe 2012?) expanded their restaurant to include a really cool micro-brewing operation right there in-house, in addition to a laid back bar (their tap handles are really neat, too!). Their brews are delicious, especially their Nut Brown Ale. If you make it there during the holidays, their Christmas Ale is also amazing. This place is definitely a Columbus favorite for after-work or post-race pitchers and breadsticks (their breadsticks should be illegal and can easily be responsible for 32% of the rising health epidemic in America).
65 Upland Brewing, Bloomington – Upland now has several tap rooms around the Indy area, but the Bloomington location is my favorite. Yes, it is a little off 65, but I had to include it. As a graduate of IU, I love stopping by the Bloomington brewpub on a nice day, sitting on the outdoor patio and having and Upland Wheat (one of my favorites) and a delicious Thai Tofu salad.
So there you have it! 65 breweries right along I-65. (or 465!). I will continue to update this li
*not open at the time this article was written Special thanks to Indiana on Tap for their help with my research and compiling this list! Thank you to Evan Trotta for his reviews of the Columbus area breweries.
BREWERIES! I’m sorry if I left you off the list. Please, if there are any that would like to be added, comment below and tell everyone why they should come and check you out! I will be updated this list as I continue to get to more places to review.
Like Beer? Check out our Beers and Beaches Blog!
PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE! WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING THESE BREWERIES ALONG I-65, BUT REMIND YOU TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY.