What Sun King’s Support Indiana Brewers Campaign Means, And Why It Should Matter To You

Much news was made this month in the Indiana craft beer community as Sun King Brewing Co. announced the Support Indiana Brewers campaign. In partnership with Three Floyds Brewing Co., Sun King is challenging Indiana craft beer fans to contact local legislators and push for changes to be made to some of Indiana’s outdated laws and regulations, specifically ones that limit Indiana breweries’ ability to produce enough beer for the whole state. This campaign comes after Sun King recently hit Indiana’s production limit of 30,000 barrels, forcing the brewery to make the decision to end their relationship with their distribution partners, cutting off their distribution outside of central Indiana, so that they could continue to operate the tasting room in their downtown Indianapolis brewery while self-distributing their beers close to home.

I had the chance to talk with Beth Belange, Promotions & Sponsoring Director at Sun King, to help provide more context and perspective on the Support Indiana Brewers campaign and what a successful campaign may mean for craft beer brewers and drinkers in the Hoosier state.

She mentions that the brewery reached year five in its business plan in year 2, and since have witnessed around a 30% growth in business the last three years, so the 30,000 barrel limit had been looming over Sun King for some time.

“[The law] is something that the owners/founders have been aware of since we opened our doors five years ago,” she tells me. “As we continue to grow, the demand for our beer grows at our home base in Indianapolis, as well throughout the state of Indiana,” a growth now hampered by the state’s outdated laws.

In the coming year, Sun King and Three Floyds look to both invest approximately $10 million on expansion efforts or improvements to their current facilities, efforts that would help the breweries up their production (Sun King’s new Fishers location will not count against their barrel limit as it will be a separate facility), but surpassing the 30,000 barrel limit would eliminate the breweries’ options to operate a tasting room while distributing their own beer in Indiana, while shipping any beer made past that limit out of state and away from thirsty Hoosiers.

Sun King and Three Floyds, along with Upland Brewing Co., also employ upwards of 200 full time employees, while the other 95 small breweries in the state employ nearly 2000 citizens. Easing up restrictions on the production of Indiana breweries means making more beer, adding more jobs, and employing more Hoosiers. That’s pretty important if, like I do, you care about and love this great state.

That partnership will take itself to the streets this weekend with two events that will serve as outreach for the Support Indiana Brewers campaign. On Friday, January 30th, the two breweries will be hosting a tap takeover at the HiFi in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis to kick off the person-to-person outreach portion of the campaign. 

The following day, Sun King and Three Floyds will be engaging patrons during the 7th Annual Brewers of Indiana Guild Winterfest  to discuss the campaign, what it will ultimately mean to all Indiana craft breweries, and how else to get involved. Tickets for Winterfest can still be purchased here.

You can get all the facts about the campaign, Indiana’s antiquated laws regarding the subject, and information about contacting your local legislators at the campaign’s website, www.supportindianabrewers.com.