Basketball is probably one of the first things you think of when you think of Indiana, whether it be the movie Hoosiers or French Lick’s own Larry Bird. A connection you probably don’t make is basketball and craft beer, but that’s exactly what Whitestown, Indiana’s Moontown Brewing Co. did when they refurbished an early 20th Century gymnasium and turned it into the massive centerpiece of a town with a population of just around 10,000.
Their story starts the same as many before them, with Cody Peczkowski and Bobby Mattingly homebrewing for years with their families. Fast forward, and Peczkowski had moved to Arizona to study health and wellness, but eventually landed a job brewing for Gordon Biersch, one of the bigger brewpub chains in the U.S.
Mattingly and Peczkowski entered the Whitestown Homebrewing Contest and won, and eventually they were introduced to the people who would lead them to their eventual home.
The Whitestown High School gym had mostly been vacant since shutting down in the 1960s, but the town wanted a centerpiece to help drive growth and development, and they figured a brewpub would be the perfect spot to attract both locals and travelers from around Indiana and further.
That’s where Peczkowski and Mattingly entered, along with a group of a total of seven owners. They took years to refurbish the building, noting that the solid outer structure was a key to them being able to keep much of the original charm. The only major construction piece that was required was a center wall, separating the main taproom area and the 1915 Room Beer Hall, which serves as an event space for everything from Tuesday trivia to weddings.
Although the industrial taproom was en vogue when they were building out their location, they decided that they would rather build a warm and inviting brewpub, with a focus on being a restaurant, music venue, and overall inviting space as much as possible. They aimed for Moontown Brewing Co. to be a destination with a nod toward iconic places like Sierra Nevada in mind.
It doesn’t hurt that they’re in Whitestown, which is the fastest-growing communities in Indiana. In 2010 there were around 3,000 residents, and in 2020 there were around 10,000.
One of the missions of Moontown Brewing Co. has been to continue to brew beers that are true to style, while still being creative and producing a great product and not cutting corners. In short, they’re authentic and feature local products, including malt and ingredients in their scratch kitchen.
The brewery, which was three years old at the time, turned heads when they picked up three medals at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival. They won a silver medal for Moonlite in the American Cream Ale category and bronze medals for 40th Parallel in the Bohemian-Style Pilsener and School House Bock in the Bock categories.
The three medals were more than any other brewery in the U.S. for the year, and that propelled them to also win the awards for Brewery of the Year (501-1,000 barrels) and Brewer of the Year for Cody Peczkowski.
Moontown has been a catalyst for change and supporting the state as a whole, including their Pints for Parks series where they’ll brew a beer to support each one of the 32 Indiana state parks. All of the proceeds to go the park, and they also have done some amazing can art to go with them.
My trip to Moontown was one of convenience and exploration but I’d be lying if I didn’t basically just stumble on this place on accident. My brother-in-law and I were driving back from a Chicago trip on a Sunday morning, and we figured it would make sense to stop somewhere near Indianapolis for lunch.
He found a few breweries, but Moontown stuck out. We decided to grab lunch there. When driving through the town of Whitestown, I expected the place to be some tiny shack based on the size of the rest of the town. When we pulled up, all my expectations immediately evaporated, and when we walked inside and were greeted by a friendly staff I knew we were in the right place.
We sat at the bar, impressed by their selection of everything from lagers to IPAs to dark beers. We each ordered a flight, with mine consisting of King of Troy (Dortmunder lager – 5.5%), Spring Mill (kolsch – 4.5%), La Lune Biere (grisette – 5.2%), and West Coast Cecil (IPA – 6.8%). My brother-in-law tried their GABF winning School House Bock (einbecker lager – 7.5%), Bright Side of the Moon (coffee stout – 8%), and Big Trip (Belgian Tripel – 11%). All of the beers were delicious and very true to style. It’s no wonder they won three medals at GABF with amazing beer like they have.
They also serve food, with BBQ being the main staple of the menu. I ordered some chicken drumsticks that came with a side of macaroni and cheese. The food was almost as good as the beer. For us being there at noon on a Sunday, the place was already in top form and ready to leave a lasting impression.
All in all, Moontown was a delightful experience and a surprising visit that’s definitely worth a stop if you’re ever anywhere near Indianapolis.