Union Brewing Company

+ Dog-​friendly, outdoor patio
+ Live music in the summer
+ Great location on the Monon Trail
+ Good beer selection
Great local brewery along the Monon Trail with ample outdoor patio seating that is very dog friendly. We went on a Friday evening in early June and the patio was pretty packed full of people and furry friends. There were at least 5 or 6 dogs out there enjoying the lovely summer weather. We brought our dogs and they totally hammed it up getting love and pets from everyone on the patio. There are fire pits outside too. In the summer there is live music and the week that we went, there was a hot dog stand.
UBC allows food to be brought in from outside, and it’s located right next to an awesome Jamaican place (Jamaican Reggae Grill), which is a great option for bringing in dinner.
There is a nice selection of the brewery’s own brews, which range from IPAs to Belgians, milk stouts, lagers, to red ales. They also have a number of beers in bottles and cans.

Located adjacent to School of Rock Carmel, if you don’t know what you’re looking for you’ll miss this place. I was going to see a friend’s band play and had to circle around. The entrance is somewhat confusing. I wasn’t sure how to enter because there were people in the beer garden and brewing equipment as you walk in the door.
The bartender had her hands full with people hanging around distracting from guests wanting to order. They have several of their own drafts on tap as well as many bottled beers to choose from, but they wait can be long. I don’t know if they have a menu, but wasn’t offered one while I was there.
Apparently they allow dogs and very drunk guests, which was somewhat annoying when they’d cause a commotion (the human more so than the four legged friends getting to know each other). Their website has a calendar, but its not current. The restroom situation leaves much to be desired with a single stall for women and the line grew while I was there.
With so many other breweries to choose from in the Indianapolis area, I think they need to step up their game.

Nice place, good beer selection, comfortable seating area. It’s a fun place to get a good quality beer from friendly waitstaff. So why the 3 stars? The noise level. No sound dampening treatments and almost every surface is wood, concrete or glass. It’s physically painful to be here, from an auditory perspective.
This is another in my series of reviews examining the ambient noise level in restaurants and bars (otherwise known as my old fogey, turn it down, and get off my lawn reviews).

Beer was watery and the service was slow. Too many other good places nearby that offer a better experience.

This seems like an ideal venue to drink beer and get drunk.
Remember… Never drink and drive.

I love that Union Brewing is right on the Monon. It’s about a 14.5 mile ride for me, so when I get there, I tell myself I deserve the beer I’m about to drink. Fortunately the selection is plentiful, the staff is friendly and fast, and they have a fantastic outdoor seating area.
This is a great place to hang out, especially when it’s a little cool outside. There’s usually a fire going in the fire pit that people are gathered around. I’ve been here several times when there’s been a live band performing, which puts everyone in a relaxed mood.

Union Brewery is quaintly sandwiched in a strip mall filled with seeming adorable boutiques and cool shops.
We got here shortly after opening at noon on Valentine’s Day and found ourselves to be one of several couples who must have had the same idea.
The brewery’s décor was on point with huge sliding garage style doors (which I’m sure are amazing in the summer), barn wood and more brewery stickers than you could dream of. It’s very clear that the owners are into the great outdoors as there is a kayak on the wall as well as one of those cute REI model tents. There is also a huge display of steins hanging from carabiners.
Boyfriend had the green tea ipa and I went with the Java porter. Both were delicious, however only the green tea was brewed by Union. It was spicy and refreshing and perfect for a crisp summer day.
We are excited to come back and experience Union in the summer when the big doors are open!

Very neat brewery! Nestled a few steps off of the Monon, it has a lot of character and great brews! Very dog friendly and a expansive outdoor seating area with fire pits which will be amazing come autumn!
The Bier Good Pils is what I had when I went and it was a solid, lighter choice for later in the evening. I will definitely be back to try all of the others!

I am lucky enough to live exceptionally close to here and this is one of my favorite local places. Why, you ask?
–spacious outdoor patio area with plenty of seating, corn hole, and fire pits (just an fyi– the patio area is gravel)
–live music is often playing outside
–dog friendly, inside and out
–located right off the Monon, with plenty of bike parking
–they do not serve any food here but there is sometimes a food truck
–however…Jamaican Reggae Grill is next door and you can bring their food over with you (btw, it’s delicious. read their reviews)
–friendly bartenders and a laid back atmosphere
–they have the brewery area right up front and visible
–they also serve cask ales and their own beers are often rotating, with a couple guest taps
They fill up quickly on a weekend evening. Many times, I have noticed patrons bring their own lawn chairs for the patio area.
Oh, Union. Stay awesome.

Was up near Carmel Indiana from Cincinnati on family-​fun business when I decided to pull up local breweries on BeerAdvocates and this place popped up. This surely isn’t you typical micro brewey. So some just won’t get it. And that’s ok– they can go elsewhere. But if you’re the free spirited open minded type, then this place is up your alley.
It’s a ‘small batch’ operation set pretty much on serving on premise their beers. Using the old ‘British style’ cask & hand pump system, you are in for a real unique glass of liquid gold. They seem to focus on ‘mid range’ beer like IPA taking a larger batch and playing with it to concoct variations. Regardless– ITS BEER! And darn good at that.
The interior /​atmosphere is what cracks me up … In a good way! The place is — I don’t know — so grass root, grunge dive spot that it bleeds ‘cool’. The bar tenders will take care of you… Sooner or later. It’s a ‘no hurry /​no worries’ place. So if this ain’t your style then go drink a bud lite elsewhere. Bikers, joggers and walkers stop for a break off a trail that abuts the shack out back. Ample seating inside or go out to the patio where there’s fire pits, tables & chairs made from beer kegs and them big wooden wire spools. The day I went there was a Reggae Fest with live music.
No food served but next door is a Reggae Restaurant you can get and bring food over. Nice place. Nice beers and nice people!

I just love cask beer. Its great to find a place that specializes in this delicious serving style .
And the beers are tasty. The cinnamon roll beer was a surprising hit. How do they get the cinnamon in there without making a mess? Its a mystery!
Fun location in a nice part of town. Relaxed atmosphere.

Every time I come to Indy I make it a point to stop by here at least once.
From their awesome beer to the amazing bar that you sit at everything is awesome. They have new beer on tap often enough that each time I’ve come to Indy I have been able to try something new.
The location is great too… just a short walk from downtown Carmel. Generally I’ll walk to Carmel from the hotel then walk down the trail for a beer here before dinner. It’s right on the bike/​walking path which means I never miss it and walk past. Truly a gem of a place.

This place is the BOMB.
It’s a great hangout for someone who likes a chill and friendly atmosphere (probably everyone am I right??). From the outside, you have no idea about the party going on inside. I went on a Sunday evening and the place was the crowded in a good way. The whole space opens up to an incredible grassy area and overlooks the Monon. You really feel like you are in one of your friend’s backyards and there is even a bonfire pit and a little frisbee golf set. There is a ton of simple wood seating sprawled out on the grass that you can move around and accommodate for your group. There is also great people watching and I could stay here all day if the weather was nice!
Oh yeah… the beer! That’s good too. ;) I’m not even a huge beer drinker normally but loved the Lemonade Summer Shandy and Irish Ale. There are a lot of options and they change out regularly. Definitely recommend as your next friendship meet-​up. Reggae Grill (yummy Jamaican food) also backs up to the same grassy backyard area, so I would definitely recommend grabbing some food there, drinks here, and staking your spot outside for the evening.

Grabbed a bite at Jamaican Reggae next door (AWESOME, by the way) and stopped in to UBC to sit outside for a beer flight as it was an awesome weather day in Naptown. Well, the «patio» did not have any tables available so we sat at a high table in the covered area by the congested bar where it appeared everyone wanted to stand in the area where you could order beers from the bartender. Great.
I liked that you could get 5, 8, some 10, and 16 ounce pours… and that they had more than IPAs on cask as I can’t stand hoppy beers. With that said, I ordered small pours of the Brown, the Porter, the Chocoholics Stout, and the Milk Stout. I noticed all of the pours looked nearly identical and had a creamy, thicker head (almost Guinness like) and so I was PUMPED to try them thinking I was in for a treat. Not so. To be brief, of the 4 beers, I only kind of enjoyed the milk stout and the others just seemed a little off and tasted watered down — which is odd for dark beers. Got the hubs a «visiting» option –Two Brothers Red Eye Java Porter — which actually ended up being my favorite beer of the night… at a brewery that is not Two Brothers. Hmph.
OK… so yes, the location is cool (right off the monon), they have a large gravel outdoor seating area, are dog friendly, appear to have some kind of mug club for those in the know, yada yada yada. However, I personally didn’t find anything about the beers that blew me away. It was difficult to get someone to take your order at the bar (no waitress service offered), tables in the «outdoor area» were sparse, and the loud live music, while good, made it very difficult to hold a conversation without yelling. Maybe we will give them another shot while walking the Monon in the future, but not sure I want the furkids laying in the rough, large, rocky gravel while we enjoy some beverages.
P. S. Why was there a fire burning in the pit when it was 87 degrees out? That seating around the pit was prime seating on this amazing day yet no one could sit there because there was a fire burning… just sayin’.

Great time in a cool spot. You pull in and see a strip mall but when you walk up to UBC you quickly realize it backs up to the monon and has this great outdoor space with live music, a hot dog vendor for snacks and some of the coolest décor around. The entire place looks like it was designed with upcycled wood and other pieces. I’m calling it hipster rustic chic. I absolutely felt like I was in my own back yard chilling out, listening to music and having a beer. I recommend the cream ale for a nice smooth summery beer.

Cask beer is one of those things some people get absolutely stoked about. I’m a bit of a beer snob, but I haven’t had enough side-​by-​side comparisons of cask ales to other beers to know the difference. Even so, what I love most about Union Brewing Company isn’t the beer, but the atmosphere. You wouldn’t know it from the massive parking lot and strip mall it’s situated in, but right off of the Monon Trail, Union is like a large patio by a dog park, tucked away in a manner that feels distinctly pedestrian. Fenced in by trees and with a plethora of indoor and outdoor spaces, it’s designed for the summer and is one of the few establishments that would inspire my to drive up to Carmel.
That said, I haven’t yet had anything there that I’ve absolutely loved. Lots of goods, nothing great. There’s also a lot of guest taps, which I just don’t really dig at breweries. Cooperative brews I get, but hosting other people’s beer feels unnecessary to me. Still, I’ll be coming back as they build capacity and hopefully I’ll find some more to love about Union.

Stopped here while walking down the trail. Good beer, music and crowds. Some folks had their dogs while others were eating food from the Reggie restaurant next door.
I prefer good wine over good beer but I will be back a lot this summer!
The band was great!

Unimpressed. They have 6 beers on tap and a few guest taps. Virtually all of their beers are served on cask. It doesn’t seem like certain people at the bar know which beers are made by Union and which by guest breweries. That’s like going to a restaurant and asking what’s in a dish and not knowing. Big no no. Also, we found their brews to lack a certain depth that you look for in the ever growing craft beer world.
I do like the outdoor seating area and they’ve got fire pits too. They are also dog friendly.

Union Brewing Company has an awesome, albeit sneaky, location at the Monon Square Shopping Center. It’s not much to look at from the front, but inside it is quaintly rustic and the outside seating is worth the price of admission. Adjacent to the Monon Trail, you can roll on in an sit and sip a spell.
As for the beer… most of the Union house-​made was cask condition. I know, I know, if I were a real beer enthusiast/​connoisseur/​snob I would jump for joy about cask. However, to quote a friend, «I know I’m supposed to like cask, but it still tastes like warm, flat beer.» I won’t go that far, but I do enjoy something a little more lively on the palate. Regardless, our group sampled a smattering of house-​made casks, and a couple of the full power guest taps.
UB’s «925 Black IPA» was good. While it packs a whopping 111 IBU, it’s not gimmicky hoppy. The hoppy blends well with the malt for a smooth draw, and not too sweet either.
The grog that produced the biggest oooooh, from our bunch was UB’s «Ayatollah of Cinnamon Roll-​a.» I kid you not, it tasted exactly as advertised… like a cinnamon roll. I mean, freaky like a cinnamon roll. While it was sweet, it wasn’t too sweet. Very drinkable.
The only glitch for the day was they had one poor guy working by himself behind the bar, and apparently they have just enough glasses for ¾ occupancy. He had to stop and wash glasses in order to be able to serve the next in line… which the line got pretty substantial. But hey, we’re talking about waiting for a beer, not waiting for emergency surgery here. Just relax and enjoy.

Stellar Location off of the Monon Trail? Check
Bike Rack? Check
Plenty of Patio Seating? Check
Fire Pit? Check
The Occasional Food Truck Visitor? Check
5, 8, or 16 oz. Pours? Check
A Stout Made From Cinnamon Rolls? Check
What more do you need for an afternoon of day drinking?