Carmel's $5M Sun King distillery to open spring 2018

Sun King announced today its Carmel distillery will open in spring 2018.

Construction has begun on the $5 million, 15,000-square-foot Sun King Spirits, which will be located along the Monon Greenway in Midtown.

Sun King has made a name for itself as Central Indiana's premier craft brewer. Now co-founder and head brewer Dave Colt is learning a new art. He's been studying artisan distilling at the Distilled Spirits Epicenter in Kentucky, according to a news release.

At Sun King Distillery, Colt will oversee a 250-gallon still that will produce gin, rum and moonshine, plus various seasonal spirits. Sun King will also distill whiskey in barrels, but it will be several years before it will be aged enough to sell. 

The distillery will feature a taproom and a rooftop patio overlooking the Monon, plus space for events and meetings. Four food vendors, operated by local restaurants will be available. Steven Unrue, culinary director at Sun King, and Colt are working on a cocktail menu and food pairings. Spirits will be available by the bottle or glass. 

"Drawing from our knowledge and experience in creating award-winning craft beer, we're having fun experimenting with different quality ingredients and investing in state-of-the art technology and equipment to create our unique handcrafted spirits and cocktails," Colt said in a statement.

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Old Town Development is working with Sun King to build the distillery. Old Town's Justin Moffett said he wants to create a gathering place to complement the apartments and corporate headquarters being build in Midtown. 

"Sun King's new distillery project was beyond our wildest expectations," Moffett said in a statement. "The architecture by Delv Design showcases an industrial warehouse theme for the Midtown neighborhood, which is true to its roots as a railroad stop along the Monon."

Sun King was founded in 2009 in Downtown Indianapolis and also operates a taproom in Fishers in leased space. The brewer owns 13 acre in Fishers that it plans for a future expansion. 

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich and at facebook.com/chris.sikich.

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