Indianapolis has quietly built one of the country’s most compelling craft beer scenes, with over 40 breweries operating across the metro and a USA Today readers’ poll ranking it the third-best beer city in America. From the state’s largest production facility at Sun King to the racing-themed taproom at Guggman Haus to Metazoa’s enclosed dog park, Indy’s breweries have developed distinct identities that go well beyond the beer itself. Here’s where to drink.
The Anchor Breweries
Sun King Brewery at 135 N College Avenue is the city’s flagship — the largest brewery in Indianapolis and the second-largest in Indiana, occupying three buildings in the downtown campus. Sun King ranks among the world’s top five breweries for combined Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup medals. The flagship Wee Mac Scottish Ale, Osiris Pale Ale, and Sunlight Cream Ale are staples, while Pachanga Mexican-Style Lager has become a warm-weather essential. The all-ages taproom features a food partnership with Nacho by La Margarita, a large dog-friendly patio with shade umbrellas, and the kind of scale that makes it a natural starting point for any Indy beer tour. Additional locations in Carmel and Fishers extend the reach.
Metazoa Brewing Company at 140 S College Avenue has made the dog park an essential part of the brewery experience. An enclosed off-leash dog park sits alongside the taproom, where garage doors open to a patio with picnic tables and downtown skyline views. Metazoa won Brewery Group of the Year honors in 2021 and a GABF bronze medal, and donates 5% of profits to animal and wildlife organizations. It’s the beating heart of the downtown brewery corridor and proof that a clear identity — in this case, dogs — can define a brand.
Upland Brewing Company brings its Bloomington roots to multiple Indianapolis locations, with the Fountain Square taproom at 1201 E Prospect Street offering 22 beers on tap. The Dragonfly IPA is the flagship, but Upland’s barrel-aged fruited sour program is what draws dedicated beer enthusiasts. The Fountain Square location pairs its taps with a locally focused menu of pub classics and vegetarian options in a neighborhood beer bar atmosphere.
The Innovators
Deviate Brewing at 4004 W 96th Street has built its reputation on creative, boundary-pushing beers that treat convention as a suggestion. With over 254 beers brewed and 93,500-plus Untappd ratings, Deviate produces names like Chunkin Heaters, Teachers’ Lounge, and Electric Socks alongside a Peanut Butter IPA, Hawaiian Imperial Stout, and Watermelon Mint Ale. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when brewers refuse to make the same beer twice, Deviate is the answer.
Guggman Haus Brewing Co. at 1701 Gent Avenue, ranked as the fifth highest-rated brewery in Indiana, occupies one of the city’s most distinctive taproom spaces. The family-owned operation — run by twin sisters — doubles as a racing museum with Boyle Racing Team memorabilia, restored race cars, and a Maserati replica. The German-style brews and addictive sours earned a 2025 World Beer Cup bronze for Riverside NEIPA. The on-site Cabin Kitchen serves food, and the beer garden provides outdoor seating.
Kismetic Beer Company at 201 S Rural Street opened in 2022 as a female-owned operation on the Near Eastside and quickly developed a devoted following. Multiple local publications have called it a can’t-miss destination, and its emergence reflects the continued diversification of who’s making beer in Indianapolis.
The Neighborhood Favorites
Bier Brewery & Taproom at 5133 E 65th Street specializes in German-style beers, with the Weizengoot Hefeweizen as its calling card. The numbers speak for themselves: 133 medals in state, national, and international competitions, including 66 Indiana Brewers’ Cup medals — the most of any brewery in the state. Nine beers on tap with three to five rotating seasonally, plus indoor and outdoor dog-friendly seating, make this a reliable destination in the Eastwood corridor.
Fountain Square Brewing Co. at 1301 Barth Avenue has operated since 2011 under its “keeping it weird” mantra, making it one of the city’s oldest microbreweries with over 1,500 batches brewed. The industrial-style taproom in the Fountain Square neighborhood attracts a community of local artists and musicians, with a dog-friendly outdoor patio.
Taxman Brewing Co. at 310 S Delaware Street brings Belgian-style craft beer to a beautifully renovated 1850s livery building in the CityWay district. The gastropub menu — Belgian-style frites, grass-fed burgers, mussels, and liège waffles — elevates the food side well beyond typical brewery fare. Additional locations in Bargersville and Fortville extend the brand.
Chilly Water Brewing Company at 719 Virginia Avenue builds its identity around live music, with music-themed beer names and regular performers in the taproom. Twelve beers on tap rotate seasonally, and the full food menu includes wings, sandwiches, wraps, and notably strong vegetarian and vegan options. Dog-friendly patio seating and a planned expansion to Greenwood signal growing demand.
The Experiences
St. Joseph Brewery & Public House at 540 N College Avenue occupies a converted historic parish church — stained glass, vaulted ceilings, and beer on tap. The full food menu including Smoked Beef Poutine and Yukon Gold Pesto Pizza makes this as much a restaurant as a brewery, and its walkable position near Upland, Taxman, Metazoa, and Sun King allows for easy brewery-hopping.
Daredevil Brewing Co. in Speedway — just four blocks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — runs an extensive German-style lager program in a neighborhood steeped in racing culture. The location makes it a natural pre- or post-race stop and an easy complement to the Speedway district’s broader entertainment options.
MashCraft Brewing operates multiple family-friendly taprooms across Central Indiana, with the Fishers location featuring outdoor pickleball courts alongside its beer. Board games, card games, sidewalk chalk, and a kids’ menu with tater tots, pretzels, and chicken tenders make MashCraft one of the most genuinely family-welcoming brewery options in the metro.
Brewery Districts and How to Navigate Them
The Downtown/Fountain Square corridor offers the densest concentration of walkable breweries. Sun King, Metazoa, St. Joseph, Taxman, Chilly Water, Upland, and Fountain Square Brewing are all within walking distance or a short rideshare of each other — making this corridor the natural route for a brewery crawl.
Mass Avenue, the city’s arts and theater district, adds taprooms and beer-forward bars to its gallery and boutique mix. Broad Ripple provides a walkable village setting with Centerpoint Brewing and Blind Owl Brewery anchoring the neighborhood’s beer scene.
The Indy Craft Pass — a digital passport covering 40-plus beverage producers across the metro — rewards brewery visits with tiered prizes: a Craft Pass t-shirt at 8 locations and a handmade beer stein at 35. Over 2,500 participants have signed up since the program’s launch.
The Scene at a Glance
Indianapolis operates approximately 42 breweries, supported by Indiana’s 221 active brewer permits statewide. The market has matured — 2023 saw 14 openings balanced by 13 closures, including notable losses like Indiana City Brewing and Triton Brewing Company. The closures signal a market that’s consolidating around the strongest operators rather than expanding indefinitely.
What distinguishes Indianapolis from larger beer cities is the consistency of the taproom experience. Nearly every brewery offers outdoor seating, most welcome dogs, and a significant number have invested in food programs that make them dinner destinations rather than just drinking spots. The family-friendly segment — led by MashCraft and Bier Brewery’s Noblesville location with its wooden playground — reflects a city where brewery culture has integrated into daily suburban and urban life rather than occupying a niche.
For more on living in the neighborhoods where these breweries thrive, explore our best neighborhoods in Indianapolis guide and the free things to do in Indianapolis guide.