19 Oct 5 Reasons to Visit The Tap on Mass Ave.
By Mathew Muncy
There are a plethora of bars, breweries, and restaurants to choose from in Downtown Indianapolis, but over the last two years, one has really set itself apart: The Tap.
The Tap is a “craft beer bar” that serves house beers along with beers from all over the world. They started down in Bloomington, Indiana before expanding into downtown Indianapolis in October of 2014. Since then, it’s become a go-to place anytime I want to grab a beer and maybe even some grub. Their service, beer selection, quality food, and overall ambiance makes it a wonderful place no matter the time of year.
With that said, I still run into people who have never visited The Tap. They don’t know what they are missing, so I’m giving everyone who hasn’t visited The Tap five solid reasons to check them out next time you’re downtown.
House Beers
The Tap brews all of their beer at the Bloomington facility but regularly has 20 house beers on tap at the Mass Ave. location. That is a lot of beers to offer — Sun King usually offers around 10 — but they do an amazing job keeping the quality high. I honestly can’t name a bad house beer from The Tap; sure, there are some I don’t care for but that’s more personal taste than bad beer.
Out of the standard house beers — around 10 of the 20 — Bionic Dragon and Bluebeard are my favorites. Bionic Dragon is their American IPA, and easily in my Top 3 American IPAs brewed in Indiana. It’s that good. Bluebeard is a blueberry Berliner Weisse, which has a great tart flavor and is one of the more drinkable sour beers made in Indiana. The Tap also serves up plenty of seasonal and specialty beers throughout the year, always giving you a reason to come back.
Guest Beers
20 house beers are quite a list to not be able to choose from but if nothing grabs you, then maybe one of The Tap’s guest beers will. They offer a guest beer tap list of nearly 50 beers, while also having tap takeovers occasionally, like the charity tap takeover featuring Bell’s Brewery this Friday.
On top of the 50 draft guest beers, The Tap has a bottle list of 400 beers, or so they tout. They offer plenty local and national beers, but also offer international favorites. Let’s just say The Tap makes it hard to leave because there is always one more beer you want to try.
Food
Being a fat guy, I like to think my taste in food is wonderful; I’m by no means a foodie, but I know a good burger when I taste one. With that said, The Tap makes delicious grub, which they like to call “upscale pub food”.
Their “upscale pub food” includes pretzel sticks, Tap fries, Tap tots, wings, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and classic soups and salads. For the most part, the menu stays the same but they do offer a “Burger of the Month” each month. And just like their beer selection, you’d be hard-pressed not to find something to eat off their exquisite menu.
Location
In my opinion, The Tap has one of the best spots in downtown Indianapolis. They are somewhat central to a lot of the nightlife spots their clientele would frequent, as well as within walking distance of Monument Circle, the War Memorial, and Old National Centre.
The Tap sits on the corner of Delaware and New York streets. If you cross the street, you will find yourself on Mass Ave, with more choices for food or drinks in case you didn’t get enough. Oh, and Crown Liquors is a few blocks south, which gives you a quick chance to pick up more beer before heading home.
If that’s not a great location for a craft beer bar, then I don’t know what is.
Atmosphere
One of the unique parts of The Tap is the different experiences you have depending on which part of the restaurant you are sitting in. The main bar area has plenty of seating, lots of televisions for watching sports, and a full view of the expansive bar. It’s also the best area to sit in when you want to hear the live bands play. It has that restaurant bar vibe, similar to what you would get sitting in the bar area at Buffalo Wild Wings.
If you are looking for a more quiet dining experience, then the middle room is where you want to sit. There is a fireplace, a few televisions but nothing too distracting, and when the live bands play, you can still hear the other people in your group.
The small bar in the back is set up perfectly for after-work drinks. Plenty of high-top tables so you can stand around if you’ve been sitting all day and the doors can be closed if the other areas get too noisy.
And for those who want to enjoy the outside, The Tap has a large patio, similar to Scotty’s Brewhouse; tables, a couch, and a couple of fire pits.
So, the next time you are in downtown Indianapolis make sure you stop by The Tap to try them out. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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