Normally, I go on and on about insignificant facts and blah, blah, blah discussions, but this time it’s pretty simple. Sun King is a fantastic start-up with very good beer. Period.
The first time I was going to visit I tried to figure out the timezone change, so that I could get there on time (they have limited hours) then realized that there wasn’t a time difference and I left too late. Since when is Indianapolis on Eastern time? (However, I do want to add that the brewer, Clay Robinson, said he would stay an extra hour after the tap room closed so that we could get our growlers.) So, feeling like a dipshit, I turned around and headed back to town. Aggressively, I planned a trip on the upcoming Friday. On Friday’s, they have $5 growler refills. It’s like destiny was calling my name.
It was an easy drive and the brewery is right off of I-70. I mean it! Right off the highway. It can’t get any simpler. It is only a few blocks from downtown which means you can grab a couple of growlers and take them to your hotel, if you are planning a weekend in Indianapolis.
In the parking lot, there were plenty of people carrying in their growlers for refills. It’s a simple setup inside of their warehouse. Now, this is not a tap room but a tapping room. So, they don’t charge you to taste the beers, but they also don’t sell beer for on-premise drinking. Their marketing department (I’m assuming it’s Clay doing the work, but I forgot to ask.) is working hard at the moment, so you can find their beers on tap in many local bars. They also have local dinner events planned, as well as, a twitter account ( @sunkingbrewing ) that can keep you up-to-date with all of their happenings.
From reading their twitter account, I knew that things were growing leaps and bounds for Sun King Brewing. (Twitter is also the place that I found out about Sun King.)
When I walked inside, there was already a line forming for checkout and for the tap line. I waited my turn in line and told the gentleman that this was my first time that I had been to Sun King. He went through the process thoroughly and explained the beers to me. It also turned out that this was Clay’s father, Omar. He and the rest of the workers/volunteers were more than welcoming. They gave me my first two beers to taste and I sat down at one of the many picnic tables they have roped off. I watched as people continued to filter in, fill up their growlers, grab a keg or just mingle amongst the crowd. Their following and word of mouth has gotten huge and rightfully so.
Onto the Beer: It was excellent and my favorite was the El Gallo Negro Black IPA which also went over well with the In-Laws and the other Brews Travelers. (This isn’t one of their regular beers, so I hope they continue to brew it.) I ended up leaving Sun King with 6 growlers and some other swag. It was a pretty good haul and it turned out to be worth the trip. For now, Sun King Brewing is Indiana’s little secret. (But it won’t be for long.)
If you are heading to or through Indy make sure to visit Sun King, but remember to check their hours, check your watch and don’t worry about the timezone. Cheers!