With his wavy, tousled hair, generous salt-and-pepper beard, and preferred outfit of jeans and a flannel shirt, Dave Hoops fits the archetypical portrait of a brewer better than that of a businessman. Yet his 25-plus years of experience in the industry have afforded him a wealth of expertise in the business of making beer. He’ll … [ Read more]
Major ownership, brewer changes at Fitger’s Brewhouse
A lot has changed in the beer world since Tim Nelson and Rod Raymond opened Fitger’s Brewhouse in 1995 as one of only four breweries operating in the state of Minnesota. Today some big changes for the Duluth brewpub were announced. Nelson is selling his interests in the business to Raymond and head brewer Dave Hoops is … [ Read more]
Food With Beer—From the Brewer’s Perspective
This edition of Deep Thoughts explores the delicious, delicious interplay between food and beer By Dave Hoops This issue, we are going to touch on beer and food, two topics I sure love. My name is Dave Hoops, Master Brewer at Fitger’s Brewhouse in Duluth, Minnesota. In this issue we address two of my favorite topics: … [ Read more]
Brewpubs: A Viable Business Model in Minnesota?
Deep Thoughts with Dave Hoops by Dave Hoops I wrote this article for two reasons. First, to help the craft beer lovers of Minnesota understand the beer rules. Second, to support the fact that yes, brewpubs are a viable business model in this state – they just have to work a bit harder within the … [ Read more]