Recently, Sun King Brewery made the difficult decision to cut ties with distribution partners because at the current, maximum legal rate of production they will be unable to even meet demand for their beer in central Indiana throughout 2015. Producing more than 30,000 barrels – a limit set forth by state law – would have dire consequences to their business. Exceeding the limit would eliminate their ability to operate a tasting room and distribute their own beer close to home, two things that have been major drivers of their success.
Sun King’s goal is to continue to grow as demand dictates, create more Indiana jobs and make the best beer possible, while selling it all in Indiana.
We hope that you will support our efforts by contacting your representatives in the Indiana House and Senate so that we can work together to update Indiana’s brewing laws and get more Indiana Beer into the hands of Hoosiers.
Sun King has gone from 5 full time employees at the end of 2009 to 58 full-time employees at the end of 2014, plus over 60 part-time employees.
Large beer companies like Budweiser or Miller/Coors’ don’t have a brewery in our state, therefore they don’t provide jobs or benefits to our local economy as the small independent Indiana Craft Breweries do.
3 Floyds currently employs 66 full-time employees in Indiana and 17 part time workers. Their brewpub is a draw for beer tourists from all over the world.
Upland Brewery employs 75 full time and 65 part time workers.
The other 95 small breweries in Indiana provide employment to upwards of two thousand Hoosiers across our state.
The craft industry in Indiana had an estimated economic impact of $609 million in 2013.
Indiana has been one of larger growth states in both number of breweries and volume of beer produced over the last 5 years. We have gone from a “fly over state” in craft beer to a “destination state” bringing a large agri-tourism industry to fruition. There are nearly 100 craft breweries in Indiana today versus less than 40 five years ago.
Next year 3 Floyds plans to invest more than $10 million on expansion efforts. Sun King hopes to invest more than $9 million on an additional brewery and improvements to their current facility. Upland Brewery invested over $5 million in their new brewery last year. This only takes into account 3 of Indiana’s largest brewers and with dozens of new breweries in the planning or build out stages, the investment by Indiana’s small brewers is substantial to say the least.
The future is in Craft Beer and Small Independent Brewers! Show your support HERE