When they were just under two weeks away from opening, Falling Knife Brewing Company’s chief revenue officer, Dan Herman, admitted there were still things left to do. “I’ve got about three months of work to do in the next 13 days,” Herman says. “But I’ve got an understanding fiancée and a need to never sleep.” The … [ Read more]
Now Open: Inver Grove Brewing Company in Inver Grove Heights
October 3, 2019 by
A brewpub isn’t just a brewery with a restaurant or restaurant with a brewery. It’s an agent of change, according to Megan Seiler and Glen Bruestle of Inver Grove Brewing Company, which opened on September 21. Bruestle and his wife Kate and Seiler and her husband Don, who own the brewpub with head brewer Taylor … [ Read more]
First Look: Copper Trail Brewing Company’s new taproom in Alexandria
September 5, 2019 by
I f there’s been one constant at Copper Trail Brewing Co. since they opened in 2016, it’s been growth. “Our plan was—start up, get the loan […] and as we get comfortable with our system, we’d add [additional] tanks,” Graf recalls their plan from 2016. But business at Copper Trail took off much quicker than … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Fergus Brewing Co. in Fergus Falls
September 4, 2019 by
Mounted on the northernmost wall of the brewing space, Saint Arnold of Metz presides over the final preparations at the nearly-opened Fergus Brewing Co. “He’s the patron saint of brewers,” shares head brewer Andy Beck. “He watches over me when I brew. He got a lot of people to drink beer instead of the contaminated … [ Read more]
Now Open: Forbidden Barrel Brewing in Worthington, Minn.
September 3, 2019 by
When Worthington, Minnesota, was settled in 1872 by professor and Prohibitionist Ransom Humiston and A.P. Miller, it was meant to be a town free of alcohol. But then, as the town residents tell the tale, Civil War veterans moved to town with a thirst for beer. Next thing you know, Humiston is destroying a keg … [ Read more]
Now Open: Trout City Brewing in Preston, Minn.
August 15, 2019 by
A giant trout statue welcomes you to Preston, Minnesota. Downtown, a bicycle rack shaped like the fish jumps out of the sidewalk. The city has dubbed itself “Minnesota’s Trout Capital,” so it’s only natural that its new brewery, opening August 15 next to the National Trout Center, would name itself accordingly—Trout City Brewing—and prominently feature … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Thesis Beer Project in Rochester
August 13, 2019 by
The central thesis of Thesis Beer Project is to make good beer and do good. Located in Rochester’s uptown neighborhood a stone’s throw away from Mayo Clinic’s Saint Marys campus, Thesis Beer Project will be the city’s sixth brewery when co-owners Allyson Palmer and Adam Fredericksen open its doors on August 13. The building is immediately … [ Read more]
Now Open: White Bear Meadery in White Bear Lake
July 31, 2019 by
From our professional football team to cultural lore, Vikings play a leading role in Minnesota. But Josh and Dana Eckton believed it wasn’t easy enough to find the seafaring Scandinavians’ drink of choice—mead. To help change this, the Ecktons opened White Bear Meadery on June 29 in Gem Lake, Minnesota, with the goal of helping … [ Read more]
Now Open: Alexandria’s Ida Graves Distillery launches honey-based vodka and organic gin
July 17, 2019 by
Brock Berglund and Anna Wilson’s 77 acres outside Alexandria, Minnesota, are beautiful, bordering on idyllic. The land is enrolled in the Minnesota DNR’s Conservation Reserve Program, in which private land is set aside to encourage wildlife habitation. It’s full of native grasses and pollinator plants. The DNR even installed a berm to create a wetland … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): 22 Northmen Brewing Co. in Alexandria
June 12, 2019 by
June 15, 2019, will mark the grand opening of 22 Northmen Brewing Co., and the realization of a longstanding vision for the owners of the adjacent Carlos Creek Winery. Tami and Kim Bredeson have contemplated building a brewery to complement their winery as far back as 2009. With a successful Kickstarter campaign, the hiring of … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Block North Brew Pub in Aitkin
June 5, 2019 by
Since opening in March, Block North Brew Pub in Aitkin, Minnesota, has quickly become a popular spot for locals to gather and enjoy local beers and unique, homemade food, bringing back a much-appreciated slice of nightlife to the town. Now, after a busy grand-opening event over Memorial Day weekend, their own beer has finally joined … [ Read more]
Now Open: Pig Ate My Pizza Kitchen + Brewery in Robbinsdale
May 21, 2019 by
Andy Goettsch cut his teeth in Italian fine dining. Each dish he prepared required time-consuming techniques and attention to detail, and any missteps were easy to taste. After 15 years in kitchens, including five as chef de cuisine for Travail, his passion shifted to an equally time-intensive craft: brewing. Now, as head brewer for the … [ Read more]
Now Open: Minneapolis Cider Co.
May 17, 2019 by
The mission statement behind Minneapolis Cider Co. is simple: “Welcome to cider.” “We put it on our glassware, we talk about it, that is our guiding ethos in everything that we do,” says co-owner Jason Dayton. “It’s about: how do we enthusiastically welcome people to the category, and how do we guide our work every … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Schram Haus Brewery in Chaska
May 3, 2019 by
After a 60-year hiatus, Chaska will once again have a brewery when Schram Haus Brewery opens May 3. Located on a bluff overlooking the city’s historic downtown area, Schram Haus’ modern take on a German beer hall will also pay homage to the city’s rich brewing history, dating back to the mid-1800s. If the name … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Wild State Cider in Duluth
April 9, 2019 by
Duluth’s local cider scene is continuing to grow this spring with the arrival of Wild State Cider, situated in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, home to Duluth Cider, Ursa Minor Brewing, and Bent Paddle Brewing Company. Wild State Cider is a collaboration between longtime friends Adam Ruhland and Andrew Price, who first met in 2008 as … [ Read more]
