Indiana is known for its agriculture and hospitality, but what about our beer? If you dig just a little, it’s amazing how much rich Indiana beer history you can find. Take a walk down memory lane with us as we explore the brewers who made beer an important part of our Hoosier history.

1816

NEW HARMONY

George Bentel, considered the first Indiana brewer, emigrates from Germany to this small Indiana city to make beer. His dark German lager is impressive, and his house still stands in the town today. He operates there until his departure to Pennsylvania in 1825.

1817

RICHMOND

Ezra Boswell opens Indiana's second brewery. He learned how to brew in Great Britain and brought his knowledge to the United States. He brews until his death in 1831.

1834

INDIANAPOLIS

William Wernweg and John L. Young establish the first brewery in this city, which lasts until 1840.

1837

TERRE HAUTE

The Terre Haute Brewing Co. opens. It produces the famous lager Champagne Velvet along with a multitude of other beers. The company closes in 1958, but its taproom will reopen taproom in April 2016.

1850

INDIANAPOLIS

Christian Frederick Schmidt and Charles Jaeger come together to form the C.F. Schmidt Brewing Co. which operates under multiple family members until 1886 with agencies in Brazil, Columbus, Crawfordsville, Shelbyville and Terre Haute.

1863

INDIANAPOLIS

Peter Lieber, Herman Lieber and Charles Mayer bu the Gagg Brewing Co., founded around 1859.

1887

INDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis Brewing Co. is formed as a mashup of three other local breweries: C. Maus Brewery (circa 1868), C.F. Schmidt Brewing Co. P. Lieber Brewing Co. Their most popular brew is named Circle City Beer. Albert Lieber, maternal grandfather of author Kurt Vonnegut Jr., becomes the second company president when his father retires after a year due to poor health. During prohibition they make medicinal tonics and extracts.

1897

INDIANAPOLIS

American Brewing Co. opens. Its initials provide the name for the ABCs baseball team of the Negro League. That team, organized in 1913 and sponsored by the brewery, wins the Colored World Championship in 1916. This brewery closes due to Prohibition.

1900

PARIS, FRANCE

Indianapolis Brewing Co. puts Indiana on the world beer map when it wins a gold medal with its Dusseldorfer beer at the Paris Exposition.

1918

INDIANAPOLIS // APRIL 2

Indiana becomes the 25th state to legislate itself completely dry. At midnight businesses close up shop. Some turn into other businesses, such as coffee shops; others close down for good. Breweries close and jobs are lost.

1920

WASHINGTON, D.C. // JANUARY 17

The 18th Amendment takes effect. Prohibition, sometimes referred to as "the noble experiment", is now part of the U.S. Constitution.

1933

WASHINGTON, D.C. // DECEMBER 5

The experiment ends as the 21st Amendment is passed, ending Prohibition. Cheers!

1935

STATEWIDE

Prohibition is over but restrictions known as "blue laws" are enforced, prohibiting alcohol sales and certain other activities on Sundays for religious reasons. This same year, Indiana issues 11 brewery licenses.

1948

INDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis Brewing Co. resumes brewing after Prohibition, but closes it doors when company president goes to jail for short-filling bottles - bankrupting the company.

1950

STATEWIDE 1950-1990

The beer scene is fairly quiet during this time as large-scale breweries dominate the market. Home brewing is legalized in 1985. There are only 30 new breweries during this time, which pales in comparison to 1887 when there were allegedly 106.

1990

INDIANAPOLIS

The Broad Ripple Brewpub is founded and opens in the Broad Ripple Village. It is Indiana's first brewpub and oldest continually functioning brewery.

1992

MISHAWAKA

Mishawaka Brewing Co. opens (and later closes, in 2008).

1993

LAFAYETTE

Lafayette Brewing Co., a brewery and restaurant, opens. This is currently Indiana's second-oldest brewery.

1994

BLOOMINGTON

Bloomington brewpub and Oaken Barrel (Greenwood) open.

1999

TERRE HAUTE

Champagne Velvet is resurrected by a microbrewery in Terre Haute and is made until 2008.

2000

STATEWIDE

Indiana Breweries are on a steady incline.

2008

AURORA

Great Crescent Brewery resurrects Bentel's dark lager recipe.

2012

BLOOMINGTON

Upland Brewery (opened in 1998) starts manufacturing Champagne Velvet again, offering it in bottles and on tap.

2015

LEBANON

Sugar Creek Malt Co., Indiana's first malt house in decades, begins sharing its 400 acres of locally grown grains with Indiana breweries.

2016

STATEWIDE

According to Brewers Guild of Indiana there are now more than 100 craft breweries in Indiana.