half will be local.

"We look forward to showcasing the liquid art being produced by Indiana's brewers," Sellers said, mentioning Sun King, Upland and 3 Floyds brewing companies. "There's a 100 percent likelihood they will be on the menu."

In all, 23 breweries operate in the Indianapolis area and nearly 80 in the state.

Noting the success of Sun King and other home-grown breweries, a generation of beer makers are launching plans for their own brew businesses, from Bargersville to Carmel, from Greenfield to McCordsville, and throughout Indianapolis.

By year's end, nearly three dozen breweries will be up and running in the city and more than 100 statewide.

Indianapolis was an appealing spot for a massive beer bar with all those local craft brews to choose from.

Founded in Grand Rapids in 2008, HopCatis the flagship brand of BarFly Ventures. It has locations in Grand Rapids, Mich., and East Lansing, Mich., with plans to open a restaurant in Detroit — and then another 10 to 15 nationwide.

Since its opening, it has been named the "No. 3 Beer Bar on Planet Earth" by Beer Advocate Magazine, "No. 2 Beer Bar in America" by CraftBeer.com and "No. 1 Brewpub in the United States" by RateBeer.com.

Of course, the beer is one reason. But HopCat is also known for its extensive composting and recycling program that has reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills by its restaurants by more than 90 percent in the past three years.

HopCat will hire 100 people for its Broad Ripple location, from salaried managers to hourly bartenders, servers and