Indianapolis has a solid downtown bar scene anchored by the historic Slippery Noodle Inn — the oldest bar in the state and a live blues mainstay — and a thicker concentration along Mass Ave and in Fountain Square. The craft beer scene is unusually deep for the Midwest, with Sun King and a string of newer breweries downtown and on the north side.
For cocktails, Nicky Blaine's under Monument Circle and the Inferno Room (tiki) on Mass Ave are the standouts. Hotel Tango is the city's distillery-with-bar. The coffee scene has improved sharply: Tinker, Calvin Fletcher's, and Coat Check all roast their own.