Upland Brewing Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1998 in Bloomington, Indiana, United States |
| Founder | Marc Sattinger, Russ Levitt, Dean LaPlante |
| Headquarters | Bloomington , United States |
Area served | Indiana (all 92 counties), nine other U.S. states, over 20 markets nationally |
| Products | Ales, lagers, sour beers |
Upland Brewing Company, established in 1998 in Bloomington, Indiana, ranks as the third-largest brewery within the state. Its primary brewing operation, which includes a recently reopened taproom, functions as the central hub for production. In addition, Upland runs The Wood Shop, a specialized facility dedicated to sour ales and serving as an event venue, where award-winning sour beers are crafted.
In addition to brewing activities, Upland operates two Brewpubs and six Gastropubs that offer locally brewed beers paired with artisanal food in relaxed dining environments. The company also provides catering services featuring a full bar for private and offsite occasions.
Upland’s product lineup encompasses ales, lagers, and sour beers, distributed across all 92 counties in Indiana and extending into nine other states, illustrating its growing footprint in the craft beer industry.
History
The company was founded by Marc Sattinger, Russ Levitt, and Dean LaPlante and takes its name from the Indiana Uplands region surrounding Bloomington. Distribution of their bottled and kegged beers commenced in 1998 alongside the opening of their initial brewpub, which originally offered Wheat Ale, Pale Ale, and Bad Elmer's Porter. By 2004, their distribution network spanned every county in Indiana. In 2006, ownership transitioned to local investors who preserved its status as a family-owned business. By 2010, Upland had expanded distribution into parts of Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin; during this period, small-batch sour ales were exclusively available through their taproom. National distribution began in 2016 following the establishment of a wood-aged sour beer production facility; currently, Upland’s reach extends to over 20 markets across the country.
In 2009, the company launched the Indy Tasting Room located in Indianapolis. A new 37,000-square-foot brewing complex with an adjoining bar opened on Bloomington’s west side in 2012 to serve as the main production site. Concurrently, the original brewery was repurposed for research and development focused on Belgian-style sours and wild ales. That same year marked Upland’s acquisition of Champagne Velvet rights—a historic pre-prohibition pilsener originally brewed by Terre Haute Brewing Co.—which they resumed producing.
Expansion efforts continued with the opening of the Carmel Tap House in 2013 as a second venue offering food service. In 2016, Upland introduced The Pump House restaurant housed within Columbus’s historic Pump House building downtown. Later that year, The Wood Shop opened adjacent to the Bloomington Brewpub to specialize in sour ale production. The Indy Tasting Room underwent renovation in 2018 and was expanded with a full-service restaurant in 2019 under the new name 'Upland College Ave.' A seventh location and fifth dining establishment called 'Upland FSQ' is planned to debut mid-2019 in Indianapolis’s Fountain Square district.
Sours
For more than ten years, Upland Brewing has concentrated on producing sour beers. Their journey into sour brewing began in 2006 when they traded beer for wine barrels from Oliver Winery. In 2016, they inaugurated The Wood Shop—a brewery and taproom entirely devoted to sour ales.
- The annual Sour Wild Funk Fest hosted by Upland each spring in Indianapolis features approximately 50 breweries from around the world. Since 2017, this event has taken place at the Mavris Arts & Event Center.