See the Sacred Side of Suds at St. Joseph Brewery & Public House

Hang around craft beer lovers long enough and you’ll get the feeling that beer is sacred. New hop varietals are discussed in hushed tones and rare bottles are handled like relics. In fact, brewing has been closely tied to religion throughout history—ancient Egyptians buried beer with the dead and Trappist monks continue to brew some of the best beer in the world. And as many of us can attest, the perfect beer at the right moment is definitely divine!

These walls have witnessed a lot, including this 1948 wedding.

The holy side of suds is on full display at St. Joseph Brewery & Public House, an Indianapolis brewpub in what was formerly a Catholic church. Built in 1879, the Gothic-style building was home to a large and active congregation for decades until its final mass in 1949. After serving as a community center, it sat unused for years.

Seeing future potential in the framework of the past

Despite this state of disrepair, St. Joseph Brewery’s owners saw the potential in this church site.

“One of the founding owners [David Pentzien] was a resident of this neighborhood and kept walking by this building and noticing it,” explains Nicola Gabriele, a partner and general manager at St. Joseph Brewery. Though most would have admired and kept on walking, Pentzien and his business partners dreamed up the idea of opening a brewery and restaurant in the historic space. And in 2015, that’s exactly what they did.

Step out onto the beer garden and sample several styles of ale with a beer flight.

Though the building was completely renovated from top to bottom, the owners were careful to preserve its past. Guests drink and dine beneath stunning vaulted ceilings and arched windows, seated in front of gleaming brew tanks perched atop the altar. They can also bask in the brick church’s beauty in the dog-friendly beer garden, which first opened in the summer of 2018. The brewery even makes use of the former choir loft, which serves as a space to host private events.

Serving up something for everyone

St. Joseph Brewery sparkles in 2015 after its full, detailed renovations.

As for the beer, St. Joseph Brewery has a variety of ales to please just about all tastes. Under the direction of head brewer Alan Simons, the draft list leans toward classic European styles with righteous names, like the year-round Cornerstone Kölsch (a crisp golden ale) and Benevolent Belgian Blond, which took home a gold medal at the Indiana Brewer’s Cup. Simons also brews a rotating lineup of seasonal selections that range from popular American craft styles, like a double-dry hopped IPA, to obscure European beers such as a Zwickel, an unfiltered German lager. “[Simons] is really methodical and really detailed,” notes Gabriele. “He’s never made a bad batch of beer.”

You can soak up those award-winning pints with a diverse range of beer-friendly food as well. “It’s gastropub fare, but better than your normal bar food,” explains Gabriele. “We offer a lot of selections that aren’t fried.” Helmed by executive chef Scott Reifenberger, the kitchen at St. Joseph Brewery proves that brewpubs can do more than just wings and pretzels. The large menu runs the gamut from burgers to strip steak and scallops, with plenty of creative vegetarian options and kid-friendly fare as well. And people still flock to the building on Sunday mornings, just as they have for years. Only this time, it’s for a brunch featuring hangover cures like chorizo and potato hash or huevos rancheros.

Treat yourself to a diverse menu—whether you’re pairing buffalo chicken pizza with beer on Friday or enjoying huevos rancheros at brunch on Sunday.

Located just off of bustling Massachusetts Avenue, St. Joseph Brewery is part of a wave of craft breweries that have opened in the city in recent years—good news for beer lovers planning a hotel stay in Indianapolis. “It seems like a brewery is popping up every other day here,” says Gabriele. St. Joseph Brewery is in the thick of this Indianapolis breweries boom, just blocks from other popular spots to visit in Indy like Sun King and Flat12 Bierwerks. Though the competition is fierce and the downtown attractions numerous, the experience of St. Joseph Brewery is hard to match. With a breathtaking space and an impressive selection of food and beer, it might just bring you to church a little more often.