The story of Union Brewing Company's current owners begins at a different Carmel brewery. Jessica Hayden worked at a dental office near Danny Boy Beer Works in the Village of WestClay, where Derek Herring brewed. Current in Carmel reported that before Danny Boy opened, she walked over one day and looked in the windows, and Herring and his brewing partner unlocked the door and let her in. Herring bought Union Brewing in 2023, Hayden bought it in 2025, and the Zionsville couple runs it together.
That makes Union Brewing one of a small group. Current reports it is among the 3 percent of U.S. breweries owned solely by women, according to a 2021 Brewers Association survey. It is also about to change addresses. The brewery plans to stay at 202 Gradle Dr. until its lease ends on Nov. 28, then reopen about a week later at 513 Industrial Dr., roughly a mile north.
Union Brewing plans to reopen with a kitchen, a stage and a family dining area, and that's close to how Carmel's other taprooms already work.
Why Gradle Drive Is Emptying Out
Union Brewing isn't leaving by choice. It is one of dozens of tenants in two buildings at Gradle Drive and the Monon Greenway whose leases are not being renewed while the site is readied for redevelopment. Herring told Current that many of the brewery's regulars stop in on foot or by bike while traveling the Monon, and he called the place "the garage bar you went to with your dad, where he knew everybody in there."
Keystone Group has owned and managed the site for several years. A company spokesperson told Current that Keystone remains "fully committed to its redevelopment" and wants to replace the industrial buildings with a mixed-use project. The last full proposal for the site, called The Valentina, came to the city council in late 2023. It was a $150 million plan with 380 multifamily units, 17 for-sale townhomes, 50,000 square feet of office and retail space and a 600-space garage. At its first meeting of 2024, the council put that project on hold indefinitely. No timeline for the redevelopment has been set.
Finding the next spot wasn't easy. Herring told Current that vacancies in Carmel are limited and rents are high, and that he thinks they "found a great spot."
What the Industrial Drive Room Adds
The lease forced the move. The new layout is the owners' own choice. Here is what they described to Current:
- Twice the floor space of the Gradle Drive taproom.
- A family-friendly dining area.
- A stage for live music, with an upstairs mezzanine looking down on it. Hayden said they want to book bigger bands.
- Food for the first time, from a chef who will sublease space and sell barbecue and homemade flatbreads.
Herring connected the changes to the wider beer business:
"You can see all the breweries that went out of business, and we're trying not to be one of those. We have to change up the game plan in order to make it work."
He gave that explanation in the Current in Carmel story, where he also said national studies and sales numbers show many Americans drinking less than they used to, or not at all.
This is the brewery's second big change under Herring. After it moved from Monon Square to Gradle Drive in 2022, the company stopped brewing its own beer and ran as a taproom. Herring started writing recipes again and put house-made beer back on the taps and shelves. The first change brought back the brewing. This one adds the food and the music.
The Model Carmel's Other Taprooms Already Use
Each part of Union Brewing's plan already exists somewhere else in Carmel. Look at what the city's taprooms list beyond their own beer and they mostly look like the room Union Brewing is building.
| Taproom | Address | Besides its own beer, it lists |
|---|---|---|
| Sun King Carmel | 351 Monon Blvd. | House spirits; food from King Dough, La Margarita and The Den by FoxGardin; an all-ages space |
| Bier Brewery Carmel | 13720 N. Meridian St. | A food menu, 16 draft lines, cider, wine and non-alcoholic options |
| Upland Carmel Tap House | 820 E. 116th St. | A full kitchen and a patio |
| Ash & Elm Cider Co. | 525 North End Dr., Suite 190 | Cider, plus food, local craft beer and wine |
| Danny Boy Beer Works | 12702 Meeting House Rd. | Barbecue from Patrick's BBQ in its kitchen, plus in-house distilling |
Sun King's Carmel taproom on Monon Boulevard is the clearest example. The brewery's own page says it serves its spirits and beer alongside food from three partners, so the kitchen comes from outside, much like Union Brewing's planned chef sublease. Sun King also calls the Carmel room an all-ages space, while guests must be 21 or older to order beer or spirits.
Danny Boy Beer Works, where Union Brewing's owners met, uses a partner kitchen too. Its Visit Hamilton County listing describes the brewery bringing Patrick's BBQ into its kitchen, with dishes from pulled pork nachos to baby back ribs, plus a kids menu, served in what it calls a family-friendly brewery and pub. Barbecue is also one of the foods Union Brewing's chef plans to sell.
Upland's Carmel Tap House on 116th Street presents its full kitchen and patio as part of the main draw, and Ash & Elm's Carmel taproom serves food, local craft beer and wine along with its cider.
Something on Tap for People Who Aren't Drinking Beer
Union Brewing's plan responds to the drop in drinking with food and music. Two other Carmel taprooms also answer it at the tap.
Sun King Carmel's draft list includes N/A Sunlight Cream Ale, a 0.5% ABV version of its cream ale. It is poured from a 12-ounce can for $6 or sold in to-go six-packs for $10.99, according to the brewery's posted menu. Bier Brewery's Carmel location on North Meridian lists non-alcoholic options, cider and wine alongside its 16 draft lines, according to its Visit Hamilton County listing.
So a group of friends can go to a Carmel taproom together even if some of them want a cider, a glass of wine, an N/A cream ale or a meal. Union Brewing's Industrial Drive plan, with a dining area and a stage, brings the brewery in line with that.
The Taproom Calendar Into December
A few dates are already set between now and the holidays:
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Bier Brewery Carmel hosts a Rainbow Bowls Paint Night, according to its Visit Hamilton County listing.
- Through Saturday, Nov. 28: Union Brewing plans to stay open at 202 Gradle Dr. until its lease ends. Herring told Current the brewery plans a "big, awesome party" to wrap up its time there.
- Late November or early December: Union Brewing plans to reopen at 513 Industrial Dr.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Bier Brewery Carmel hosts a Merry & Bright Paint Night.
- Next spring: Union Brewing plans a second party to celebrate the new space.
Union Brewing posts updates on its Facebook page, which Current listed as the place to follow the move.
If the move goes as planned, the garage bar off the Monon becomes a room on Industrial Drive with a stage, a mezzanine, a dining area and barbecue from a chef in the kitchen. If you'd like to talk through how the changes around Gradle Drive, Industrial Drive and the Monon fit with your own plans, The Carrie Holle Group is glad to meet with you. Schedule a Personal Market Consultation.
