American craft beer wasn’t built on neighborhood taprooms and locally distributed six-packs. At least, not originally. For many of the early brewers in the craft beer movement, the drive to make craft beer was inspired by experiences with beer in the Old World. Whether it was from a motorcycle tour of ancient monastery breweries in … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Bobbing Bobber Brewing Company in Hutchinson
May 17, 2018 by
Looking at a map of Minnesota’s breweries, there’s a significant gap in the Hutchinson area. For 29 miles, there’s not a brewery to be found. For the last four years, Dan Hart and Lane Wanous worked to change that. And on May 23, Bobbing Bobber Brewing Company will finally open its doors in Hutchinson. The taproom … [ Read more]
Minimalism: Paring down to live more fully
February 26, 2018 by
I started stress-cleaning my closet in middle school. Whenever I felt dissatisfied or out of control, I would sort through my belongings: tossing the ones I no longer needed and organizing the ones I kept. For over a decade, from tiny dorm rooms to sharing a fridge with 11 roommates, I have found solace in paring … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Blue Wolf Brewing Company
February 12, 2018 by
Over 20 years ago, a wife bought her husband his first Mr. Beer kit. This is the story of so many Christmases and birthdays and special occasions. But for Mike and Jennifer Campbell, that simple gift sparked a decades-long dream: a dream that is finally coming to fruition in a taproom in Brooklyn Park. Jennifer … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Giesenbräu Bier Co.
October 13, 2017 by
Erin “Mutha Franklin” Hutton fell in love with biergartens while studying in Bavaria. He also fell in love there with a girl from New Prague named Anna Giesen. This is where Giesenbräu Bier Co.’s story begins. Hutton’s interest in dialects brought him to Germany, where he studied “Niederbayerisch” (Lower Bavarian). However, as graduate school drew to a close, … [ Read more]
Now Open: Shakopee Brewhall in downtown Shakopee
September 15, 2017 by
In the fall of 2010, Ryan Lindquist and Damon Schuler toured Lift Bridge Brewing with their wives. During their tour, the pair looked around and thought, “We should totally do this.” Though neither of them had brewed a batch of beer in his life, the pair decided to dive head first into what would become … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): 12welve Eyes Brewing
July 28, 2017 by
Three friends, three pairs of thick-rimmed glasses, and one pipe dream. Elliot Grosse, Dalton Buchta, and Karl Eicher have been friends since they were waiting at their suburban St. Paul bus stop. A decade later, the men were still goofing around together, though they’d moved from the playground to a homebrew system. Beer eventually transformed the … [ Read more]
Now Open: Union 32 Craft House
July 20, 2017 by
Dan Redpath once sold jet fuel for a living. But, just a month before his 50th birthday, he made a serious career change. “Now I sell a different kind of fuel!” he laughs. After 13 years of homebrewing and building a passion for craft beer, he is now the proud managing partner of Eagan’s newest … [ Read more]
Now Open: Alloy Brewing in Coon Rapids
June 28, 2017 by
When two or more of the right metallic elements are combined into one, the alloy can be greater in strength or more resistant to corrosion. Coon Rapids’ new brewery, Alloy Brewing, is built on the premise of collaboration that creates a whole greater than the sum of its parts—from brewing, to the taproom, to the team … [ Read more]
Now Open: Flying Dutchman Spirits
May 19, 2017 by
The world travels of three pilots are about to make their way into your cocktail. Brandon Thornton, Scott Kaldenberg, and Jim Kaldenberg are celebrating the liftoff of a longtime dream—owning their own distillery and cocktail room. Flying Dutchman Spirits, now open in Eden Prairie, is named for its co-owners’ affinity for flying and their mutual … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Copperwing Distillery
March 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Three scientists—Chris Palmisano, Brian Idelkope, and Kyle Kettering—are spreading their wings with the opening of Copperwing Distillery in St. Louis Park. Kettering studied mechanical engineering; Palmisano studied electrical engineering before attending law school; and Idelkope studied genetics, cell biology, and development, before becoming a physician. Palmisano and Idelkope met each other as neighbors in South … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Twin Spirits Distillery
June 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Michelle Winchester wanted to get outside her comfort zone. She’s been a stay-at-home mom and part-time freelancer most of her life, and her four sons are mostly grown now. Her new adventure: taking what was once a boarded-up building in Northeast Minneapolis and starting Twin Spirits Distillery, the first solely woman-owned distillery in Minnesota set … [ Read more]
