Sun King Brewery, one of the top-selling craft beer makers in Indiana, has announced that a new 15,000 square-foot craft distillery and tap room will open in the Midtown area of Carmel in the fall of 2017.
City leaders held an unveiling announcement party at the Center Green across from The Palladium Sept.7. The Sun King Distillery and Tap Room will be located at the north end of Midtown Plaza adjacent to the Monon Trial. Justin Moffett, partner of Old Town Design Group, is currently working on a $100-million-plus transformation of the area along the Monon between the Carmel Arts & Design District and the Carmel City Center.
“The design of Sun King’s new distillery and tap room will accommodate approximately 300 patrons indoors or on the beautiful outdoor rooftop deck overlooking the Monon Trail and Midtown Plaza,” said Moffett, who is partnering with Sun King to develop the location for the distillery. “The architecture will reflect the industrial history of Midtown as an important stop along the Monon Railway.”
The new location will have beer and spirits brewed and distilled on site, which means customers can enjoy the drinks on site or take them home. Food from local restaurants will also be offered.
The Carmel location represents a few firsts for the Sun King brand. Although their tap rooms in downtown Indianapolis and Fishers offer food, they have smaller menus. The Carmel location will have a larger menu selection.
In addition, this will be Sun King’s initial foray into distilling spirits. Sun King’s co-founder and head brewer, Dave Colt, who completed his distiller’s education working with world-renowned distillers at the Distilled Spirits Epicenter in Kentucky, will oversee distillery operations. The team will create flagship spirits, as well as more traditional products like whiskey, gin and rum, which will be available for tasting and purchase from the distillery. The distillery will also produce seasonal spirits.
“Since our first keg of beer rolled out, we’ve been experimenting with new flavors and ingredients and testing new techniques and technology,” Clay Robinson, co-founder of Sun King Brewery, stated in a press release to Current. “Distilling handcrafted spirits is a natural evolution from the creativity and methods that go into craft brewing, and we are excited to begin producing small-batch, uniquely Indiana spirits with the same attention and quality that we give to our beer.”
Ground has already been broken on a new headquarters in Midtown for Allied Solutions, a Carmel-based provider and distributor of insurance, lending and marketing products to financial institutions across the country. The $32.9 million project will include the construction of a new five-story building and adding more than 600 jobs by 2025. Other companies such as F.C. Tucker and Merchants Bank also have announced plans to relocate headquarters to the Midtown area. A city market, a co-working space, public plazas and parking structures are also in the works.
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard said he is excited by the recent announcement.
“Sun King’s new distillery and tap room will be a wonderful addition to Carmel’s exciting new Midtown district,” he said. “We’re proud of the public-private partnerships that continue to fuel Carmel’s growth and make redevelopment projects like this possible for our residents and visitors to enjoy.”
