Breweries opening in Minnesota 2015/2016

To add to that list, Rhombus Guys in Grand Forks, just across the river in ND will be opening their brewery in the Spring they hope. They already have pizza place in Grand Forks and Fargo but bought the historical Opera House in downtown Grand Forks and are renovating it now. No separate website for the new place but they are posting pictures of the renovation and brewhouse being built on their facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/rhombusguys

And not quite eastern ND, but Bird Dog Brewing in Mandan, ND had their first beers tapped at 12:01 last night so ND can chalk up the first new brewery in the area for 2015. http://www.birddogbrewingnd.com/

 

- Sidhe had a soft (invite-only) opening on New Year's Eve-Eve.
- LTS is looking to be imminent (and was featured in this local coverage.)
- Oswald is making steady progress...
- U4ic is still buried under their local red tape
- Roets is gettin' there. Amazed they could pull it together after that mudslide.
- Angry Inch -I predict- will have a grand opening sooner than we think...
- Montgomery was open for growler sales (plus tee-shirts and other swag) on December 27th...
- Beaver Island is featured in a pretty thorough article at Saint Cloud Times.
- Union Pizza and Brewing Company (the Fergus Falls plan) is covered here.

There are a dozen others packaging breweries, taproom-only plans (Amity, Black Stack, Lake Monster...), etc., and it'll take me a while to add that info (I had some computer data wipeage on the homefront, just in time for the New Year. @_@)

 

I heard something about a Lupine Brewing in St. Cloud. Used to be Big Lake area but was told they are going to some old bar in the Saint Cloud area

 

Lupulin Brewing is set to open in spring. They are working on the taproom right now. It's next to the Anytime Fitness on Highway 10 in Big Lake.

http://www.lupulinbrewing.com

 

They were trying to open in Hanover, which would have been awesome as it would have been close. I know they couldn't get the spot they wanted, not sure if they tried other spots in Hanover. They are on tap at the River Inn Hanover, need to get out there to check out their beer.

 

Yeah, Lupine Brewing (they have a short video promo up) and Lupulin Brewing sound enough alike, that I (not-so) secretly wonder whether there with be a Northbound / Northgate-esque brouhaha in the works? Probably not, because Craft Beer is such a friendly industry, after all. Nobody really wants to step on anyone's toes, after all.

( And just a P.S., but what are the odds that these guys will place most of the focus on hops? )

 

Dang, didnt even notice that. It was Lupine that was trying to open a tap room in Hanover, looks like they did setup shop in St Cloud. Lupulin now the closer one. Hopefully the one slated for Otsego and St Michael can hurry up... that is if they are still going to open and in those cities.

 

Here are a few I’m tracking that haven't yet been mentioned in this thread and are deep into their development process. Each of these has a lease in place or owns a building (perhaps under construction) at a specific location, and I fully expect each to open in 2015 (prove me right, owners!).

• 56 Brewing Company, Minneapolis, MN (Nordeast) – At the old NorthGate location. Not sure whether will have a taproom (small space).
• Bad Weather, St. Paul, MN – Currently brews at Lucid in Minnetonka in alternating proprietorship arrangement. This is its own brewery. Will have a taproom.
• Barley John’s, New Richmond, WI – Production brewery and taproom. Brewpub in New Brighton, MN will continue to operate.
• F-Town Brewing Company, Faribault, MN – Will have a taproom.
• Grand Rounds Brewing Co., Rochester, MN – Brewpub. Conversion of Sontes restaurant under same ownership.
• Lake Monster Brewing, St. Paul, MN – Currently contract brews at Sand Creek in Black River Falls, WI. This is its own brewery. Will have a taproom.
• Lucette Brewing Company, Menomonie, WI – Major expansion. I think will have a taproom.
• Opinion Brewing Company, Newport, MN – Brewpub. Currently operating as a bar that does not serve its own beer. At least some brewing equipment is in place.
• South Fork Brewing Company, Delano, MN – Will have a taproom. My bet for first to open among the breweries in this list.
• Urban Forage Winery & Cider House, Minneapolis, MN (Longfellow) – Wine, cider, and mead, but no beer. I track cideries and meaderies in addition to breweries.

 

So many beers, so little time...

 

Not meant to derail this thread, and also didn't think it warranted a new one, but here is what Leech Lake is doing to try to get a new brewhouse and equipment:

I have a hard time believing they will be able to get 200 people to commit to this "deal".

From their Facebook page:

Leech Lake Brewing Company
41 mins ·
Happy New Year! Thanks to you all for your patronage over the last four-plus years!

2015 brings with it an immediate challenge for LLBC. We must raise capital and expand our capacity, or close the doors and liquidate our assets. To accomplish the former and avoid the latter, we're offering "bottomless growlers and pints" in the LLBC taproom. Here's the deal... $1000 will get you four personally-engraved Brauler growlers (http://thezythosproject.com/brauler/) and a limitless number of growler refills, in addition to pints for consumption in the taproom. No fewer than 200 participants must commit in order for this offer to be implemented. The growlers aren't transferrable, and additional limitlessly-refillable Braulers may be purchased for $250 each after the initial $1000 non-refundable commitment. The proceeds will be used to procure a new brewhouse and vessels, along with a new bottling line. The improved efficiency and increased volume will enable the distribution of bottles and kegs throughout Minnesota, into North Dakota, and eventually elsewhere.

At existing taproom prices, your break-even point, including the four stainless steel growlers, would occur after approximately 50 growler fills. Of course, pints consumed in the taproom will result in a quicker return on your "investment." So, here's the two-hundred-thousand-dollar question... Are at least 10% of you, and/or your friends, interested in this offer? To make this work, I need to know if you want in by the end of business, January 9th. Contact me via [email protected] if you'd like your name indelibly engraved in Leech Lake Brewing Company stainless. I look forward to adding you to the list. Thanks, and cheers!

 

That's pretty ambitious. I'm surprised they can't find a way to increase capacity without spending $200K. That will buy you about 20bbls of capacity. That's a lot for a small brewery in Walker, MN.

 

I am really torn with these type of crowd funding, especially this one and Four Firkins. I feel like you shouldn't have to beg for money to grow your business, you should have a good business plan that allows you to reinvest in yourself and grow. I question how if they don't expand, that they will have to close. Sounds a little fishy to me and they are not being up front on the real situation that they are in.

I don't see them reaching their goal, that is a lot of money overall and a lot per person. You would really have to like their beer to commit to that.

 

The brewery was actually up for sale in 2014 for some time.

 

Leech Lake was one of my first brewery visits (after Lift Bridge) a couple of years ago, and my wife and I really enjoyed sitting there chatting with the brewer's wife drinking their beer, so I'll always have a bit of fondness for Leech Lake even though I really don't have much call to buy their beer. But, I won't be horribly surprised if we find out that Leech Lake closes in 2015.

Which is the side-issue of all the breweries opening: some are going to close. Because that's what happens to businesses and restaurants. Some fail, for all sorts of reasons.

 

Thank you for the update on Opinion. I tried contacting them since I saw them open as a bar, but couldn't get anything from them on the brewpub aspect.

And I like the tracking of mead and cideries. I put cider in the same family as beer, and mead is close enough for me, though I'm not as much of a fan.

 

One week to raise $200 grand via custom-inscribed Braulers? Color me a cynic if you will, but c'est la vie.

 

As a "professional lurker", I know that Mead and Cider never went away on the smarter site. And while there's little in the way of beer being made (Graffs, and Cysers, sure...) by Minnesota meaderies and cideries, the listings for such here at BA will tend to be few and far-between.

On the one hand, since this is a hobby -and since as hobbyists we are each wont to possess our own criteria, even our own definition for what Craft Beer actually is- I recognize the utility of listing these venues here, as they are typically taproom-based experiences first and foremost.

I reckon there will be a few more such places in the state over time. For instance, this place just released packages...

 

To update this tangent, it was actually on New Year's Eve itself. Their taproom is not fully built-out, and a Spring opening is in the works. Supporting Memberships (including $1,000 for beer for life) are available, along with the usual swag.

 

Yeah, I was thinking they would have a hard time raising that in an unlimited time frame, but one week, no way.