Our own Mike Tanier has been venturing on a noble quest across the U.S. to find a definitive answer to the timeless question:
Why do beer and sports go so well together?
Recently, Tanier met the Sun King Brewing guys in Manhattan to discuss their craft. Since July of 2009 (three years after the Super Bowl came to Lucas Oil Stadium), Sun King has been creating seasonal and unique specialty beers in Indianapolis, and are now one of the largest brewers in Indiana. (If you’re one of those drinkers who pays attention to the stats, know that they got a 92 “outstanding’ rating from Beer Advocate, so they should appeal to the saber crowd.)
Sun King is known for a lot of specialty batches, including an ale with a crisp, grapefruit-flavored profile and a popcorn pilsner. (Yes, you read that right… it’s even better than it sounds. Trust Mike on this one.)
The brewery has gotten involved in almost every sporting event in Indianapolis — if you’re craving a top quality brew at a Colts or Pacers game, Sun King’s Sunlight Cream or Wee Mac Scottish-Style Ales are irresistible options.
They also created a specialty beer for the Cleveland Indians (yes, showing some love for Ohio sports as well).
Sun King also prides itself on serving its beer in cans, which they believe is the best way to keep ales cold and fresh. The enemies of beer — oxygen and light — cannot ruin a quality canned brew.
If you find yourself in Indianapolis, Sun King offers tastings, sampling sessions and brewery tours throughout the week. (Make sure to tell ’em we sent you.)
Tanier hung out with the brewery’s Steve Koers to discuss how Sun King Brewery is such a big part of the Indianapolis sports scene.
