The Scene: Upland Brewery Carmel, IN

That's right! I said Upland Brewing Co. in Carmel.

You no longer have to drive to SoBro or all the way to Bloomington to get your fix of one of Indiana's best and largest breweries. As the only IU grad among the Barons, Upland has a special place in my heart. I spent many a weekend grabbing a beer and having some brunch at the brewery in Bloomington.

We showed up to the new tap house in Carmel two Saturdays ago (April 27th) when they first opened their doors. On the outside, this looks like it is going to be a generic strip-mall restaurant, but on the inside the it was beautiful. It had a wonderful rustic vibe, that made me think of their original tap house in Bloomington, but it's been elevated a bit to fit in with the Carmel clientele.

The menu looked outstanding, and I will review the food later on, but if it's anything like what they serve down in Bloomington, it will be excellent and innovative. They had a ton of great beers on tap including my favorite, the Komodo Dragon Black IPA. The hours are great for this place. They will be open for lunch and for dinner and even into the late nights. Carmel really doesn't have a lot of places that you can go to after about 11pm even on the weekends. As a young guy still looking to get out and stay out late, I am often disappointed that I have to go all the way into Broadripple or downtown (not that I don't love those spots but it can be a bit of a haul).

Their hours are:
11 am to 12 midnight Monday through Thursday
11 am to 1 am Friday and Saturday
Noon to Midnight on Sunday

Everything was awesome. The only thing that I wasn't impressed with was the Champagne Velvet. It was not what I was expecting and I was shocked there was so much hype over such a mundane brew. I understand the history but sometimes old is juts old. I am so happy that Upland is doing so well. I wish them nothing but the continued success as they expand, and I am so excited to have them move in close to home.

Cheers!!!