Best New Breweries: Centerpoint

For a place founded by three engineering grads in the once-abandoned Circle City Industrial Complex, Centerpoint surprises with its beauty. A giant metal arc and plumb bob hang above the bar, while huge factory doors and high ceilings speak to the space’s former use by an auto parts manufacturer. Good looks won’t fill a taproom’s seats if the beer isn’t right, however. And as eastside neighbors can attest, these brews reflect the owners’ attention to detail.
Three varieties appear regularly: Centerpoint Gold (a Kolsch), Centerpoint White (a session IPA), and Centerpoint Black (a porter). Although the brewers aspire to lure Miller and Budweiser drinkers with the low-ABV, lighter end of their spectrum, it’s the dark beers that really distinguish themselves here. The Black manages the chocolate flavor of a Godiva bar without being a bit cloying, while the seasonal Irish Nitro Stout might as well be the freshest possible Guinness. Resist the temptation to settle on a favorite. The flight boards are as pretty as the facility itself, and on a similarly industrial scale—each holds eight 5-ounce glasses in numbered holes to keep track of what you’re drinking.
While Centerpoint lacks a traditional kitchen, food trucks dish out grub in the parking lot. The Cosmic Chrome Cafe—an Airstream trailer with a hippie vibe—serves southwestern fare that’s better than you might expect. The slow-roasted pork nachos, covered with four cheeses and jalapeño slaw, cry out for a cold beer (and maybe a water).
Some of the CCIC remains uninhabited, so the hours at Centerpoint are currently limited, and it mainly draws patrons from nearby neighborhoods such as Windsor Park. As downtown development continues to spread east, though, the brewery won’t always feel so isolated. And now that Centerpoint has begun canning a few varieties, expect the name to be on everyone’s lips.
1125 E. Brookside Ave., centerpointbrewing.com