Sun King Brewing

Sun King Brewing is a craft brewery based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in July 2009 by brewers Dave Colt and Clay Robinson, it became the first commercial brewery to open in Indianapolis in approximately three decades. The founders had previously worked at Indianapolis-area brewpubs and developed the company around a production-brewery model rather than a traditional brewpub format. The brewery's name refers to the sun's importance to natural cycles and to the brewing process. Sun King produced its first batch on July 1, 2009. It began packaging beer in cans in 2010, an early and distinctive choice for an Indiana craft brewery. Canning allowed the company to distribute beer beyond its taproom while maintaining a format suited to portability and regional retail. Sun King was identified as the first Indiana brewery to can its beer, and its standard package format included four-packs of 16-ounce cans. In 2013, it introduced Ball Corporation's resealable Alumi-Tec can format. The brewery's core range has included Wee Mac Scottish Ale, Osiris Pale Ale, and Sunlight Cream Ale. Alongside those house beers, Sun King has developed a broad portfolio of rotating, seasonal, specialty, barrel-aged, coffee-infused, sour, and collaboration beers. The quarterly Fistful of Hops series uses a common malt base while varying the hop profile. Other notable releases mentioned in reference material include Java Mac, Velvet Fog, Pappy Van Muckle, Popcorn Pilsner, Grapefruit Jungle, Bitch'n Camaro, Johan the Barleywine, and Stupid Sexy Flanders. The brewery has also produced beers connected to local organizations and events, including Naptown Brown for the Naptown Roller Girls. Sun King's growth was marked by rapid increases in production and recognition. It produced approximately 5,000 barrels in 2011 and replaced its original 15-barrel brewing system with a 30-barrel system. Its performance at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival, where it won eight medals including four gold medals, helped establish the brewery's national craft-beer profile. In 2012 it produced approximately 18,000 barrels and began shipping beer outside Indiana for the Great American Beer Festival. Distribution initially expanded within Indiana, reaching Bloomington and communities roughly 50 miles beyond Indianapolis, before extending to Illinois in 2017. The brewery has supplied hundreds of Indiana businesses and has had products available at venues including Victory Field and Lucas Oil Stadium. Sun King has emphasized local sourcing and Indiana identity. Its brewing projects have incorporated ingredients such as Indiana-grown popcorn, crab apples, and masa when appropriate. The brewery also organized and sponsored the CANvitational, described as the first canned-beer festival in the Midwest, reinforcing its association with canned craft beer. Collaborations with Three Floyds Brewing and Oskar Blues Brewery broadened its network within the American craft-brewing community. Its Indianapolis tasting room is an important part of the brand experience. Visitors can sample draft offerings, purchase pints, fill growlers, and take packaged beer home. The venue has attracted substantial visitor traffic and was identified in 2019 as one of Indianapolis's popular attractions. Sun King's positioning combines regional independence, approachable core beers, experimental small-batch brewing, event participation, and a distinctly Indianapolis-centered identity.

Sun King Brewing was established in Indianapolis in July 2009 by Dave Colt and Clay Robinson, who had gained experience at several local brewpubs. Robinson began planning the brewery after leaving his position in 2008, and the founders and their partners later acquired the downtown property that became the brewery's home. The first batch was brewed on July 1, 2009. The company's name was inspired by the sun's role in life cycles and brewing. The brewery adopted cans in 2010 and quickly developed a reputation for combining an approachable core range with unusual specialty beers. Its three principal house beers were Wee Mac Scottish Ale, Osiris Pale Ale, and Sunlight Cream Ale. The business also created seasonal and limited beers, including the Fistful of Hops IPA series, which changes hop character while retaining a shared malt foundation. Experimental releases drew on coffee, fruit, barrel aging, souring, and locally associated ingredients. Popcorn Pilsner, for example, used Indiana-grown popcorn in the mash, while other projects incorporated crab apples or masa. Sun King's first major national recognition came at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival, where it received eight medals, including four gold medals. That year it produced approximately 5,000 barrels, upgraded from a 15-barrel brewing system to a 30-barrel system, and began extending distribution beyond metropolitan Indianapolis. In 2012, beer reached Bloomington and other Indiana communities, and the brewery shipped outside Indiana for the first time in connection with the Great American Beer Festival. It produced approximately 18,000 barrels that year. By 2017, distribution had expanded into Illinois; before that point, the brand's beer had been sold only in Indiana. Expansion planning during the early 2010s included investments in brewing equipment, staffing, and facility capacity. Sun King also broadened its public presence through collaborations, event sponsorships, and venue distribution. It partnered with Three Floyds Brewing on Royal Brat and with Oskar Blues Brewery on Chaka and The Deuce. The company sponsored and planned the CANvitational, a Midwest festival focused on canned beer, reflecting its early commitment to cans as a craft-beer package. Its beer was available at Indianapolis sports venues such as Victory Field and Lucas Oil Stadium, and it served as the official beer of Gen Con in 2013. Awards continued across multiple styles. Java Mac won a gold medal in the coffee-beer category at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival. Velvet Fog received a gold medal at the 2012 World Beer Cup, while Pappy Van Muckle won silver at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. In 2013, Sun King received recognition at the U.S. Open Beer Championship for creative beer names and medals for Johan the Barleywine and Stupid Sexy Flanders. Osiris was also featured in national media as a representative beer of the Indianapolis Colts and as a notable canned craft beer. The Indianapolis tasting room became a central part of the business, offering samples, pints, growler fills, and packaged beer for takeaway. Its visitor volume made it a significant local attraction; in 2019, Sun King was listed among Indianapolis's popular attractions. The available reference material does not establish a later ownership change, public listing, or corporate parent, so those details remain unspecified.

1. 2019Tasting room recognized as a popular Indianapolis attraction

   The brewery was identified as the nineteenth most popular attraction in Indianapolis, with approximately 175,000 visitors cited for the tasting room.

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2. 2017Distribution reaches Illinois

   Sun King extended distribution into Illinois after operating primarily within Indiana.

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3. 2013Alumi-Tec resealable cans introduced

   Sun King introduced a resealable 16-ounce can format made by Ball Corporation and served as the official beer of Gen Con.

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4. 2012Production and distribution expand

   The brewery produced approximately 18,000 barrels, expanded Indiana distribution, and shipped beer outside Indiana for the first time for the Great American Beer Festival.

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5. 2011Eight medals at the Great American Beer Festival

   Sun King won eight medals, including four gold medals, at the Great American Beer Festival and produced approximately 5,000 barrels.

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6. 2010The brewery begins canning beer

   Sun King began packaging its beers in cans, establishing a packaging approach that became central to its regional distribution.

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7. 2009Sun King Brewing is founded

   Dave Colt and Clay Robinson founded Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, and the brewery produced its first batch on July 1.

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An Indianapolis-rooted craft brewery combining accessible core beers with experimental, seasonal, collaborative, and specialty releases, with a strong emphasis on cans, local ingredients, regional distribution, and taproom hospitality.

• Wee Mac Scottish AleScottish ale

  A core house beer in Sun King's portfolio, Wee Mac is described as a Scottish brown ale. It also serves as the base for Java Mac, a coffee-infused variation that won a gold medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival.

• Osiris Pale AlePale ale

  Osiris is one of Sun King's three principal house beers. The pale ale has been used as a prominent representation of the brewery in Indianapolis-focused sports and national craft-beer coverage.

• Sunlight Cream AleCream ale

  Sunlight is the brewery's core cream ale. It forms part of the approachable house range alongside Wee Mac and Osiris and reflects Sun King's effort to offer broadly accessible styles in cans.

• Fistful of HopsSeasonal IPA series

  A recurring series of seasonal IPAs released quarterly. The beers share a malt base while using different hop combinations, allowing Sun King to vary aroma and flavor across successive releases.

• Java MacCoffee beer

  A coffee-flavored interpretation of Wee Mac. Java Mac received a gold medal in the Coffee Beer category at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival.

• Velvet FogBelgian strong dark ale

  A Belgian strong dark ale that won a gold medal at the 2012 World Beer Cup. Barrel-aged and specialty versions were also associated with Sun King's limited-release program.

• Grapefruit JungleAmerican IPA2013

  Also referred to as GFJ, this American IPA was created for Sun King's fourth anniversary and used a distinctive blend of hops.

• Popcorn PilsnerPilsner

  A specialty beer made with Indiana-grown popcorn. The popcorn was air-popped and added to the mash to contribute a light popcorn character.

• 2013Gen Con official beer partnership

  Indianapolis · United States

  Sun King served as the official beer of Gen Con in 2013, linking the brewery with one of Indianapolis's largest convention events.

  Outcome. The partnership increased the brand's visibility among convention visitors and the city's event audience.

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• CANvitational

  Midwest United States

  Sun King sponsored and planned a canned-beer festival described as the first of its kind in the Midwest. The event supported the brewery's identity as an early advocate of canned craft beer.

  Outcome. The festival strengthened Sun King's association with canned craft brewing and regional beer culture.

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• 2017Expansion beyond IndianaStrategy

  Sun King's beer had previously been distributed only within Indiana.

  What changed. The brewery extended distribution into Illinois.

  Aftermath. Illinois became the first documented out-of-state market for regular distribution.

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• 2013Facility and capacity expansion planningStrategy

  Rising production and distribution demand led the brewery to plan additional equipment, staffing, and fermentation capacity.

  What changed. Sun King announced planned investments in upgraded equipment, additional staff, and facility expansion, with the proposed facility designed to accommodate substantially more fermentation tanks.

  Aftermath. The plan represented a shift from a small emerging brewery toward a larger regional production operation.

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• 2011Brewing-system expansionStrategy

  Production growth reached approximately 5,000 barrels, creating a need for additional brewing capacity.

  What changed. Sun King replaced its 15-barrel system with a 30-barrel system.

  Aftermath. The larger system supported continued production growth and broader distribution.

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• 2010Adoption of canned packagingStrategy

  The young brewery needed a practical package format for distributing beer beyond its taproom and local draft accounts.

  What changed. Sun King began packaging beer in cans and later used four-packs of 16-ounce cans as a standard format.

  Aftermath. Cans became a defining part of Sun King's identity and supported expansion across Indiana and eventually into Illinois.

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1. Sun King Brewing
2. Sun King Brewing official website