Scarlet Lane Brewing to close last remaining location

Scarlet Lane Brewing Co. in McCordsville

Scarlet Lane Brewing Co., which operated five area locations until just over a year ago, plans to shut down its flagship brewpub in McCordsville at the end of the year, marking an end to the 10-year-old business.

In a Facebook post, Scarlet Lane CEO Eilise Lane said the McCordsville would close after the end of business on Dec. 31.

“It is time to share heartbreaking news,” Lane wrote. “After a lot of reflection and discussion as a team, we intend on selling our 4 acres, buildings and equipment here in McCordsville. This is not something we had planned on or hoped we would ever have to do. However, we are exploring current interest in our property and that coupled with sudden health changes, building needs, and the overall market, we decided it was best to move forward in this direction and focus solely on this goal.”

Scarlett Lane got its start with its McCordsville brewpub in 2014. Over the years, it opened tap rooms in the Meridian-Kessler, Kennedy-King, Irvington and Beech Grove neighborhoods.

In early December 2023, Scarlet Lane closed tap rooms in the Meridian-Kessler and Kennedy-King neighborhoods. The Irvington closure followed in late February. In mid-December, the company announced it was selling the Beech Grove location to Greek’s Pizzeria, which would take over Dec. 22.

“Please know we did all that we could to keep SLB going while I searched for health answers and battling through a very soft service industry market,” Lane posted. “It all came to a head when it became clear that getting healthy was going to be a bigger struggle than hoped for. This was coupled with a request for us to update our building with unaffordable changes for what was (apparently) missed during our 2013 build-out approval.”

The company, which bills itself as “the official beer of horror,” showcases a Sammy Terry “dungeon” at its location in McCordsville.

“We want you to know that McCordsville means so much to me and the SLB team that I can’t put it all into words,” Lane said. “Being a part of the town’s explosive growth over the last 10+ years has been extraordinary and makes my heart happy that we contributed to the town’s next chapter. I wish it would have continued, but alas health, unexpected building requirements, and a unfavorable small business market decided differently.”

According to Indiana Beer News, at least 15 Indiana breweries have closed in 2024, including Triton Brewing Co. in Indianapolis, extending a trend from late last year.