Now Open (Or Damn Close): Nutmeg Brewhouse

Nutmeg Brewhouse in Burnsville will have a soft opening in late December and a grand opening in early January // Photo by Aaron Davidson

At a brewpub, “You get the best of both worlds: beer and food,” says Dave Jones of the soon-to-open Nutmeg Brewhouse in Burnsville. Tying worlds together is Nutmeg’s big-picture concept—a brewpub that explores the former British Empire from a culinary point of view, uniting foods from all corners of the globe while pouring their own house-made draught.

The brewpub will serve a diverse food menu with influences from Ireland, Singapore, India, South Africa, and the Western Hemisphere. The beers will reflect the same far-reaching geography and come from the recipe book Jones has grown over 20 years of homebrewing.

Nutmeg Brewhouse’s food and beer are built around the once far-reaching British Empire // Photo by Aaron Davidson

Nutmeg’s unique menu concept and location are the brewpub’s ways of standing out in Minnesota’s growing beer scene. “There’s nothing outside the 494/694 loop,” says MP Singh, one of the three co-founders. “Everybody wants to be inside the loop.”

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L to R: Nutmeg co-founders MP Singh, Dave Jones, and Balbir Singh // Photos by Aaron Davidson

As a beer fan in the suburbs, he says there are few options for craft taps and both he and the surrounding community have a thirst for closer options. In Nutmeg Brewhouse, Singh and his partners are not only planting their own stakes in the local brewing community, but want to challenge the conception that Burnsville is all big boxes and chain restaurants.

Nutmeg Brewhouse // Photo by Aaron Davidson

Jones met MP Singh and Balbir Singh online. MP was a beer enthusiast and homebrewer interested in starting a brewery. He sees himself as a manager and the number cruncher among an ownership group that includes these three figures as well as some silent investors. Jones, a former Navy engineer, is head brewer, and Balbir Singh (no relation to MP) is the executive chef formerly employed by their next-door neighbor, India Palace.

Jones had been working on his own business plan before the partnership, but since connecting with MP and Balbir he’s now focusing solely on brewing. At Nutmeg’s soft open, expected to be sometime in late December, Jones’ line-up will include a West Coast IPA, a Colonial IPA brewed with spruce tips, a porter, and an amber ale. Jones brews using German decoction methods, saying he feels it delivers a higher-quality product.

They’re starting with these four, he says, to present a full spectrum of colors and flavors. This is their “first tier” of the brewing program. The second tier will spotlight seasonal beers and a third will include limited-time and one-off specialty recipes. Only the first tier will be released at soft open as Nutmeg works through operational kinks before their grand opening, which they expect to take place in early January.

“We want to make sure somebody has the best experience with the product,” MP says. The three founders chose the brewpub model in order to facilitate that experience: By brewing beers in-house, they have complete control over conditions such as age, temperature, and taplines. Beer will be available for onsite consumption only at first, with growlers potentially coming later, depending on demand. In addition to their beer, Nutmeg will also offer a full bar.

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