Sun King Brewing – Celebrating 6 Years in Style

It’s hard to believe that 6 short years ago, downtown Indianapolis was virtually without a craft brewery. Now however, the craft beer scene in Indianapolis, and across the state, is stronger than ever. Sun King Brewing’s role in this booming growth cannot be overstated. So, in grand fashion, Sun King Brewing celebrated their 6th Anniversary on Saturday, June 28th with 1400+ of their fans, live music, and lots (& lots) of beer.

After a number of wet days in Indianapolis, the weather turned around just in time for this outside party. With the gates opening at 4pm, Sun King’s parking lot was packed by 5. Upon our arrival, the first order of business was to purchase our drink tickets and then grab a couple of Sun King’s GFJ (Grapefruit Jungle) IPAs – after all, this year’s GFJ was being released at the party & was available in cans and on draft. 

For those attendees looking for some grub along with their brews, numerous food trucks were available – Scratch Street Food, King David Dogs, Der Pretzel Wagen, Frankie’s BBQ, & Spice Box. We elected to grab dinner at Scratch. Courtney got the Scratch burger, a 1/3 pound patty with bacon marmalade, Arugula & Gorgonzola Cheese, served on a toasted bun. Andy opted for the BBQ Chicken Cone, a tortilla filled with BBQ chicken tenders, caramelized red onions, & cheddar cheese. High quality food from the folks at Scratch!

Jamestown Revival, the Austin, TX based band, was the headliner and put on a fantastic performance. If you’re not familiar with their self described “Indie Rock with a Southern slant” music, give them a listen. DJ Helicon, Brandon Whyde & The Devil’s Keep, & Little Hurricane all hit the stage as well – ensuring all of the patrons had some solid tunes to fill their ears.

Osiris Pale Ale, Wee Mac Scottish Ale, & Sunlight Cream Ale were of course available, as well as the current Fistful of Hops release. And while GFJ was the beer headliner, we found ourselves frequenting the draft offerings – to enjoy some of the seasonals & special release beers. (We don’t know if they advertised that some of their limited release beers would be available – but, THAT was an awesome surprise for us.) By night’s end we’d had an opportunity to enjoy some GFJ’s, and many other beers we’d never had previously. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Afternoon Delight – Bourbon barrel aged dopplebock
• Velour Soccer Mom - Sour Ale that is aged in oak barrels with fresh raspberries and hibiscus
• TinyTanic – Barrel aged cream ale
• Six Finger Discount – Session Saison
• Popcorn Pilsner – German-style pilsner with the addition of Indiana-grown Riehle’s Select Popcorn
• Big H – Traditional Bavarian-style wheat beer

We were excited for this event – after all, it’s not often we get an entire night away from the kiddos – and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere, food, music, & beer was all spot on. And for us, it served as a reminder that the craft beer industry in Indiana is striving, & we’re happy to have an opportunity to enjoy it.