Sun King Brewing

WOW, I am shocked I have not yet written a review for Sun King! This is such an Indy staple and a must visit for those from out of town. This location has definitely evolved from what it used to be when we first moved here a few years a go, must it’s still a must.
On Fridays you get tickets and caps to try the beers. All other days you can buys flights and pints of their beers on tap (as well as on Fridays). They always have several rotating taps. There’s something for everyone. You can even sit out on their patio in the front! The only thing missing here is food. They give you menus and locations that will deliver, but it’s not the same.

There’s literally nothing else to say that others haven’t! They have awesome beer and the staff is great.
There’s also a nice little patio to enjoy your brew in the great summer time!
Check them out!

Yeah it was great. Great beer, great tasting room, free samples and a nice gift shop.

Visited the WTTS Studios for the Leon Bridges private concert and sampled Sun King beer. Three of them I already had but I got to try Alrye’d, Alrye’d, Alrye’d, what a great addition to their already great lineup of beers! Great local beer and great music, what more does a girl need???

Was in town for the race, and did a tour of a bunch of breweries and distilleries. This was our first stop.
We got 3 tickets for samples and went in to try them. We each shared our samples, then each bought a beer.
The beer was very good, the inside of the brewery was great too.

Love this place !!! We were here a week ago and took their brewery tour. Seen that they had a porch party for Carb Day so had to try and make it. Glad we did !! Great products that they should be and are very proud of !

We had a great time at this brewery!
A group of 10 of us visited the brewery over the weekend for one of the free tours. They were easily able to accommodate our group plus several others for our tour! There are several beers on tap that include some of the favorites plus new seasonal ones they switch out. The tour was awesome! Great tour guide, Chris, who made it both fun and interesting. Since this was my first ever brewery tour, I’ve been inspired to check out others that were mentioned while we were there!

We tried their beer at a local Oktoberfest in Herron-​Morton and it was delicious. Wish we’d see their beer truck at more events (we just moved here last year so maybe we will!).

Sun King looks small from the outside, but the amount of space inside is huge! I was amazed by how many fermenters they had inside, not to mention the gigantic cooler and canning area.
I took a tour of the place, and the guide was very knowledgeable and helpful with any questions I had. He let us try samples of grain and showed us all around. Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to show us the yeast lab, where they grow and perfect their yeast strains.
The drinking part of the brewery is pretty standard. You can try samples for free or buy a pint of your favorite. You can also try the flight, which is what I did, for a very reasonable price.
I would definitely go back if I were in the area. I really want to try it during the summer so I can sit on the outdoor patio!

If you like beer, you’ll love this place! I try to like beer, and I keep trying different ones, but it’s still not my thing. However, Sun King offers a really informative tour and a great space to socialize. They support all things local and feature funny socks, popcorn, Best Chocolate in Town truffles, etc. Their beer is involved in the food and it in turn supports a local small biz. The patio is great for warmer days and Easley Winery is next door. Plenty of street parking and available food to be delivered from nearby restaurants. Try the flight if you don’t know what to get a pint of.

My husband and I were in town on a whimsical road trip and saw they had free tours! We love trying out local brews when we travel, so we stopped in, grabbed a beer, and went on the tour. Our guide was very knowledgable. She told us a good mix of fun stories and general brewing information. She was also very patient with the older crowd that was on the tour with us that asked about a million unrelated questions. Props for that! We tried most of the beers afterwards and played some board games that they have. I liked the oatmeal stout and the milk porter (I’m a dark beer gal) and my husband enjoyed the cream ale and the pale ale. Great place and atmosphere to come in and grab a drink. The only reason they get 4 stars is because their bartender was a jerk. He acted like us ordering beer was a huge annoyance to him.

I was staying in Greensburg and decided a quick trip to Indy on a Wednesday night to see the lights was in order. When looking for something to do I found that Sun King does free brewery tours on Wednesday nights. I am a fan of beer so why not! Now, I will admit it is a little weird going to a place like this solo but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. It just so happened that a local radio station was there too and they brought free food! The tour itself was ok. I have been on a ton of these so learning how beer is made is nothing new. I am more interested in the history and culture of the brewery which I did get. You are able to bring beer with you but it still a production brewery so you need to respect that.
The ladies and gentlemen working the taps were amazing. They made me feel like I had been going there for years. Beers are very tasty but they didn’t seem to do flights, which for me would have been preferred so I could try all their beers. They have a great gift shop and what looks to be some nice outdoor seating. I would suggest my beer nerd friends to go give this place a try. And since you cannot get their beers outside of Indiana, maybe buy some to take home with you. I didn’t, but I totally should have.

I may be wrong, but I’ll always think of SK as the first of the new wave of beer makers. And I love an original. And I love that they anchor the Cole-​Noble Neighborhood in style. Love the mural outside, the super friendly staff, they hyper local love. Sun King is my local beer King. Long may Osiris reign.

Love, love, love Sun King. Their beer is amazing (especially Weemac) and they have great prices and great pride in Indy. They sponsor soo many great organizations and are the most well recognized brewery in central Indiana. Their branding is amazing and so is their selection of Sun King merchandise. If you go on a Friday it is $ 5 growler fills and free samples. Can’t beat that!

Guys, Sun King is basically the OG of the Indy Beer scene. They’re not the oldest, but they’re the first without a pub attached. This is the place to be on a Friday night. Get some growlers filled at a discount and get some tastes while you’re there. I haven’t stayed for a pint (I’m usually running in for a fill) but the patio looks lovely. I can’t believe how much this place has changed in the 6 short years since it opened. Make a point to find out how to get a tour and do it. You’ll learn a lot about the company and the process of brewing.

What more is there to say about Sun King?
They kicked off a craft brew movement in Indy and we love them for it.
Their brewery is your run of the mill, old ambulance repair shop, so very few bell and whistles, not a lot of food options (though I hear that is changing soon). But there are seats and tables and you can buy pints and growlers. $ 6 growler fills on Fridays, btw. That’s a good deal.
But where they really hit it out of the park is on their ever growing, super rad Bourbon Barrel Aging and Sours Programs. If you can get your hands on any of that brew, you’re in for a treat.

It’s hard to find anything to say against Sun King. Sure, their flagship beers are just fine, and they may be outbrewed by a number of other games in town. But nothing is bad, and when a Sun King beer is at its best, it is outsanding. That said, what makes Sun King so loveable, and what gives it an easy five in my book, is how grounded the company is in Indianapolis and its promotion. Sun King markets itself as a gateway to other local craft beer, welcoming newcomers to the block and heavily promoting local events and programs that are outside the scope of beer. That demeanor makes it a perfect flagship beer for Indianapolis.
Some of the best beer I’ve had by Sun King has been single keg custom beers brewed exclusively for community events. That type of visibility and sponsorship is a boon to many groups in Indianapolis, as the Sun King stamp of approval is more powerful and palatable than just about any large company in town.
The brewery itself is one of my favorite places to be on a Friday afternoon. It feels a bit like a carnival, a picnic, and a patio all wrapped up into one. With free samples, $ 5 growler fills, and a great community of people in and out of the space, it’s definitely one of the first places to visit for anyone in Indianapolis.

Fantastic beer and helpful staff.
We did a corporate event at Sun King and our guests had a blast. Tons of really good beer, an informative tour and a helpful staff that really worked to make sure that everything went smoothly.
My contact was very helpful in setting me up with catering and being flexible on our timing and numbers.
If you’re coming in for a pint, a growler, or hosting a group, you can’t beat this place in Indy.

We love checking out local breweries and stopped in for the first time on a recent Friday afternoon. You receive three free tastings and we met some friendly folks as we were sampling the beers.
The place was packed and there are some pros when it comes to purchasing growlers. We watched cooler after cooler come in the doors — how can you resist when there are $ 6 growler fills for the house beers (thanks to Unilocal for the heads up so we were prepared with growlers of our own).
They have a cool growler cleaning station and the staff is spot on with service. We were surprised with how cheap even the regular growler fills were, but of course, they do a high volume and can price accordingly.
Cool place to check out!

Such a cool spot, and cheap! Grab a flight and go from there. Their staff are all really friendly, and their beers are all great as well. I found myself here often.

Friday is $ 6 growler fill day. The 3 house beers Sunlight Cream Ale, Wee Mac & Osiris are included.
When you walk in you get 3 tokens to use to get free beer samples. There are 2 sample stations. There is one in the front were all the lines are and there is another one with no lines in the back buy the growler cleaning station.
You can also get can beer in 4 packs, pints and kegs. They also have a gift shop that sells a little bit of everything from t shirts to posters.
Sun King is a great place to meet up with some friends and have a beer or 2.

Cool brewery with an offbeat appeal to match its eclectic beer selection.
I got a taster flight. The standard flight includes 6 beers, but they were happy to add the last two beers when I asked, so that we could try everything they have on tap. Their 3 standard beers are the Cream Ale, Wee Mac (Scottish Ale), and Osiris (Pale Ale), as well as 5 seasonal beers. The Wee Mac was by far my favorite!!! I also remember the Osiris gave me a strong fruity-​sweet impression, and that the Cream Ale was very underwhelming. The seasonal beers were… interesting. There was one that tasted strongly of mocha coffee, and another that tasted like popcorn, and another that was grape-​y…
The décor was funky-​industrial, with lots of cool stuff on the walls. Plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. Prepare for a very strong yeasty smell on premise.
Tip: The barrista told me over the phone that they do a last-​call for drinks at 6:30, stop pouring pints at 6:45, and close at 7. But my group hung out at a table drinking until 7:15, and nobody tried to stop us… also, check the website to reserve a brewery tour if you have a group! They hold tours Thursdays and weekends.

Cream Ale, Osiris, and Wee Mac are the standards, and they’re all worthy of praise in their own right, but we true Sun Kingers love the Wee Muckle, Landmark Wit, and Grapefruit Jungle.
It’s hard to pass up that $ 6 growler refill on Fridays, so we come every week! We love checking in with our favorite growler fillers (hollah at you Oz!)
We love running into the crew around town and look for them at all the festivals. Drink local ya’ll!

Sun King is fine for what it is. They were very fortunate to more or less be the first to market on a broader scale in the Indy craft beer scene years ago. Their standard offerings (Osiris, Wee Mac, Sunlight) are mediocre gateway beers for craft noobies. Unless you are getting a growler fill on Friday ($ 6), the prices for these beers are expensive, especially in cans.
Some of Sun King’s better offerings (their IPAs, bourbon barrel aged beers, etc.) are good, but are extremely expensive and rarely available on draft at the taproom. Further, consensus among me and other beer geeks I know is they don’t live up to similar offerings from other big name breweries such as Three Floyds, which is widely available in Indy. This brewery is printing $, and good for them. But if you are already into craft beer and think you have a well developed palate, I’d suggest hitting some of the other places in town that offer much better regular offerings (Bier, Brugge, Black Acre, Taxman, Flat 12, to name a few). If you are new to craft beer, this could be a decent place to get your feet wet and move on from things like Bud Light and Newcastle.
Their patio is nice for warm weather, but weather forbidding, the inside gets noisy, crowded, and unpleasant to spend a decent amount of time in.

This place is awesome! Be sure to pick up a growler!
I was blown away by how cheap the growlers are. I think it was a total of $ 8 to purchase and fill a 32 oz bottle. Even less when they have their growler fill Fridays.
You can get a flight of everything on tap before you make your choice. It led me to the Wee Mac, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I stopped here on my way to Columbus, as it was just off the highway. Looks like a cool place to hang out ALL THE TIME if you are local.

My personal favorite is the Wee-​Mac! I love the new flights and pints in the tasting room. The tour is very informative and what is not to love about the tasting room?!

And this is where it all begin — my long term love affair with Sun King Cream Ale. And to be honest, I’ve yet to try one of their beers that truly turned me off. They all. turned me on? Wait, what? ha Whenever I have a friend visiting from out of town that is also a fellow beer lover, this is a must stop.
Parking? They do have a parking lot, but it gets filled up pretty quickly depending on the time/​day. Their tasting room is of a decent size and perfect for smaller groups. And one of my favorite things about this place? It’s their commitment to all kinds of events around the city. Their calendar is always filled — and that’s impressive.

I love the beer. I love the free samples. And, I love $ 5 growler Friday’s!
Sun King is probably the largest Indiana based brewing company (I don’t know for sure, but it’s up there!) The beer is always good. In addition to the staples, they also mix it up with special or seasonal brews. So, you can keep coming back for a new experience.
You will walk in and need to show an ID (no matter what your age). Once you pass that test, you’ll get you tickets for 6 samples. Walk in, turn left and go to the right side of the bar for your samples.
At the bar you can also purchase growlers, and other sizes — such as 32oz bottles. Bring you own growler or purchase one from them for $ 6. (If you bring your own, they will put a Sun King sticker on it if it is not already a Sun King growler).
There is also a stand where you can buy things like t-​shirts, glasses, stickers, etc.

Who doesn’t love free tastings and samples after a long work week every Friday?!
Love the atmosphere, the types of guests, the merch available, the samples and varieties, and the staff are always so helpful and friendly!

I was honestly very surprised that this popped up on my list of places I need to review, as I was almost certain I would have written one by now. I certainly owe this business some much deserved praise, as it has certainly provided me with plenty of delicious beer and good times.
The current heavyweight champion in the Indianapolis craft beer scene, Sun King beer can be found at just about any bar in the city, and the offerings range from your basic favorites to more bold seasonal offerings. As beer can only best be reviewed by tasting it for yourself, I’m not going to spend any time talking about it and will instead urge you to make it down to their brewery location to check it out for yourself.
While most of the local breweries in town have taprooms where you can see some of the brewery behind glass windows located somewhere in the building, Sun King offers an atmosphere that feels as if you really are standing in their brewery. With no big walls or glass windows separating the large open space from the brewery area, you can observe all of the tanks and equipment that it takes to make their beer while watching their brewers work on crafting the next batch. The space that is designated for people to come visit is just a large open area in their huge facility with some standing tables scattered around and places to get samples on both sides. There aren’t any seats, but that’s because there are just too many people coming in and out and getting samples for that to be feasible. I like the social atmosphere that it creates.
I am usually here on Fridays to take advantage of their $ 5 growler fill special during which they offer the best value for beer in the city. Even if you don’t make it on their special days, their lineup of 3 regular varieties is only $ 6.50 while their specialty offerings vary depending on the type. Furthermore, every person who walks inside (21+ required) gets tickets and tokens to sample each of their 3 regulars and each of the 3 seasonals that they have on tap just for visiting. On top of their fantastic offerings and prices, the staff that they have working is always very helpful and everyone has a very relaxed and happy demeanor, even when they get full and they are working double time to get everyone filled up.
Aside from just good things about their beer and brewery, Sun King is one of the most generous businesses in all of Indy, and they have partnered with just about every charitable organization in the city to help them achieve their goals. It is also not at all uncommon to see their orange and black tap truck serving pints at all of the events taking place around Indianapolis. Additionally, they host a variety of events, so make sure to take a look at their online calendar on a regular basis to keep up with their fun offerings.
Oh, and on top of all of that, starting this month they are now offering pints and flights (except Fridays) at the tasting room, so it is now also a place to go hang out and grab a beer. What more could you want?

Something just seems off about this place.
I recently visited with a bachelor party and, while we had a good time, I wasn’t overly impressed. The highlight of our visit was the tour of the facility. Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the process and what Sun King does. We got a great inside look at the brewing process and an appreciation for what they do and have accomplished. After the tour we indulged in their free samples (because duh, free beer is free beer). There isn’t a huge selection, but they do have some good ones.
But the biggest downside of a visit to this brewery is that they don’t serve beer there. You can drink the free samples, but that’s it. If you’re just looking to get kegs, cans, or growlers to go then I guess that isn’t a big deal, but that means this isn’t exactly somewhere you can just go and hang out. Lucky, I had planned this as the first stop of the bachelor party, so we got a good tour and a few free samples out of it, but then were moving on to other breweries shortly after (places that do serve drinks in store).
I also don’t enjoy most of their beers as much as I do the fine brews of other establishments in the area. Sure, some of their offerings are very good (I’m partial to the Wee Mac, myself), but a lot of them just taste… off, I guess, to me. They don’t seem to have the refined quality that I’d expect from a company this size — it’s almost like I’m just sampling the not-​quite-​there-​yet homebrews my friends sometimes produce. Like I said, I do enjoy some of their beers, just not enough of them for this to be my go-​to craft brewery.
Overall, Sun King is a great place and a great thing for Indy. Their devotion to quality and the community is very apparent just from taking a tour of the facility. They boast some very compelling brews and have ever-​changing seasonal selections as well. This is a good place to get an intro to local brewing and fill growlers, but not a hang out spot. I see it sort of as a one and done type deal — it definitely makes my list of Indy micros to check out, but isn’t somewhere I see myself frequenting.