Toasting Veterans in Indianapolis: Indy’s Best Breweries

My first impression as I walked into Metazoa Brewing was roaming cats and a killer collection of cone-top beer cans.

Inspired by the creativity of their Fountain Square neighbors, Upland FSQ features a small-batch brewery for tinkering and barrel-aging, 22 beers on tap, a beautiful outdoor patio, and a locally-focused menu of spirited pub classics and vegetarian cuisine. Cliff Ritchey/Visit Indy

I spent the weekend of Veterans Day in Indianapolis. Outside of D.C., it’s actually home to more memorials than any other city in the U.S. That’s 46, including a special World War Memorial, honors to the crew of the USS Indianapolis, and “Shining a Light,” a nightly sound and light show projected on the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in the heart of downtown. As the holiday fell on a Monday, it made a perfect three-day weekend, and in honor of those who served, I found Indianapolis a pretty good place to raise a pint. 

The Soldiers & Sailors Monument in the heart of downtown. Courtesy of Visit Indy