Brewery coming to Holy Cross neighborhood

The 400 block of North Dorman Street has been a quiet place in recent years, little more than a connector between New York and Michigan streets housing a couple of light industrial operations.

Sean O'Connor (left) is president of Flat 12 Bierwerks, while Rob Caputo is the brewer. The operation is scheduled to open this fall at 414 N. Dorman St.

That will change soon, with the arrival of a new craft brewery operation in the Holy Cross neighborhood. Flat 12 Bierwerks will open sometime this fall at 414 N. Dorman St. in a 10,000-square-foot industrial building last occupied by Davis Construction Co.

Flat 12 Bierwerks is the brainchild of Sean O’Connor, a finance executive with an expertise in operations; Steve Hershberger, a marketing technology and social media specialist; and Rob Caputo, process engineer and brewing veteran who will serve as the company’s head brewer.

The one-story concrete-block building required a significant clean-up effort in order to be ready for the late-September arrival of equipment. The renovation will result in space for production, a tasting room, a biergarten and an outdoor urban garden, which will support Caputo’s brewing and further the facility’s green initiatives.

The three men settled on the Holy Cross location after looking at other Downtown sites as well as in Broad Ripple and Carmel. O’Connor, the company’s president, said they were impressed with the evolution of the Holy Cross neighborhood.

“We felt a connection to what the neighborhood has done over the years,” he said, adding that they liked the fact that their new home is an industrial building in a predominantly residential area.

Flat 12 Bierwerks sits just a few blocks, although separated by an interstate highway and railroad tracks, from the year-old and highly successful Sun King Brewing Co. Caputo and O’Connor said Sun King’s success is good news for craft brewers here and everywhere. They noted that, in Indiana, craft breweries account for just 1½ percent of beer sales; that number, on the West Coast, is 20 percent.

“At Flat 12 we are excited to be involved not only with the Indiana craft beer movement, but what is going on all across the United States,” said Caputo. “We are passionate about craft beer, and we hope that comes through whenever you drink a Flat 12 beer.”

The inaugural line-up will include brews for all beer fans, including a Blonde, an American Wit, an Amber, a Porter and an IPA. Flat 12 will also offer specialty and seasonal beers.

Caputo, who has a degree in art, said his personality will show up in those specialty beers. “I’m always looking for something creative to throw into beer,” said the man who began brewing craft beer in his backyard for neighbors, friends and family more than a decade ago.

Said O’Connor, “We’re committed to brewing beers that our consumers are as passionate about as we are. We’ve started referring to Flat 12’s passionate consumers as ‘Hopstars.’ They’re the reason that craft beer is seeing such strong growth here in Indiana and elsewhere.”

Pelican Brands, an Indianapolis-based global beverage brand management company, is Flat 12’s exclusive brand manager and distributor. The company intends to market its beers nationally, although O’Connor said the firm’s new Holy Cross roots will always be its focus. They have coined a phrase to describe the situation: “glocal.” “We’ll always be an Indiana brewery, and this neighborhood will always be our home.”

Hershberger, Flat 12’s chief marketing officer, said, “We will always focus our efforts in making sure the brand performs well here in Indiana. Whether it’s at a local tavern, a favorite restaurant or a pre-game tailgate, we want to make sure we are doing it right, making a social experience better. If you can’t be successful in your own backyard, you can’t be successful beyond it.”