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Triton Brewing Co., an early participant in the rise of Indianapolis craft beer makers, plans to close in December.
The brewery known for its Rail Splitter IPA announced on Monday that Dec. 14 as the final day of operations via a social media post.
“While we are sad to go, we want to spend our remaining days celebrating with our friends and family who have made these last 13+ years amazing,” read part of the post.
Triton opened in a former horse barn, 5764 Wheeler Road, on the campus of Fort Benjamin Harrison in 2011.
Company co-founders Jon Lang and David Waldman mentioned supply-chain challenges, a soft labor market, ever-shrinking margins, the downturn of the craft beer market and increased competition as factors in their decision to close Triton.
Triton’s original ownership group included Lang, Waldman and Mike DeWeese. In 2014, DeWeese exited Triton to open Tow Yard Brewing Co., 501 Madison Ave., which closed in 2018.
A Triton tap room operated in Broad Ripple from 2013 to 2019. The company cited escalating rent in that location’s closure.
The modern craft brewery movement in Indianapolis launched in 2009, when Sun King Brewing Co. opened as the city’s first full-scale production brewery in decades.
Other notable newcomers were Bier Brewery, which debuted in 2010, Flat12 Bierworks (2010), Triton (2011) and Daredevil Brewing Co. (2011).
While Sun King, Bier and Daredevil continue to operate, Flat12 became Rad Brewing Co. in 2019 and closed in 2021.
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My wife and I are really sad to read this – Triton was one of our favorite breweries and one of the first I ever went to (when they first opened). I was just there last month and it was doing a pretty brisk business so I was hoping they were doing well.
That sucks. Really liked this place but..
Awkward location— no one is passing by. It’s a destination
Far more importantly— the craft beer/brewery trend hit the ceiling a few years ago and is regressing quickly. Sadly I think we are going to be left with super regionals (Sun King) and restaurants pretending to be breweries (Blind Owl, Oaken Barrel)
Oaken Barrel is an original Indianapolis area Brewery. And idk why you are complaining about breweries offering food. Keeps the customer there longer and they will probably have more drinks than just hanging out at a brewery with no food.
Oaken Barrel opened so long ago I don’t think they could even be classified part of the brewery trend… mid 90’s?
I’m not “complaining” and fully understand family dinning and a full menu appear to be necessary to stay afloat, but it’s a different experience/product. I enjoyed going to an adult only, purely brewery, usually in a cool rehabbed location and looking at the board to see what beers were on tap that day (think Flat 12 and Fountain Square Brewery) Owl and Barrel (does Blind Owl even brew, or is it all white labeled?) have the same 5 beers for years and the atmosphere is like Skyzone. I can go to Bubbaz for the same experience
CHUCK W. you can pretty much take kids to any brewery now. Per a law that was passed recently in Indiana, the choice to let kids into adult drinking spaces is up to management.
Reading is fundamental. That breeze you felt was the point flying above your head
CHUCK W. You must be really fun to hang out with. Hopefully no one bothers you when you are hanging out at the breweries by yourself without any friends.
That’s a real bummer. Agree with the other comments. Oaken Barrel was ahead of the craft brewery scene so I wouldn’t really count it, and the beer is mid anyways.
I was hoping that being right across the street from the end of the Purple Line would help them.
Can’t tell if this is snark or not
Not snark. Had the Purple Line been completed on time (like 1.5-2 years earlier) it might have made some difference in their staffing issues and visibility.
And agree with your comment above. What makes/made cool breweries cool is that they’re in reused old spaces like Flat 12, Triton, Guggman Haus, and even Sun King, and lean towards being adult spaces. At Triton there was often a chance to chat with one of the owners in the taproom. (Tow Yard was a cool space but not good beer so I never went back.) The “corporate” brewpubs have mostly gone by the wayside, and there are a few more restaurant-breweries than you mentioned, like Big Woods/Quaff On, BJ’s, Taxman…mix of local and chain.