Breweries Opening in the Minnesota 2016/2017

Nice thoughts. They do not even offer a sampler/flight.......server attitude seemed the same as when I was there...luckily I hit 2 for 1 happy hour or I'd have wasted a lot of money on the four I tried. I asked for tastes of some of them when first got there and got maybe half a shot glass full...1/2 an ounce? Figured that wouldn't work to review properly so ended up buying two on the two for one deal and got four...four too many....

 

Checked out Lakeville Brewing and Angry Inch yesterday.

I first tried both a month ago (during Angry Inch's soft opening). Angry Inch remains the better of the two (nothing blew me out of the water, but everything is very drinkable and I'd return -- had their IPA, stout, porter and Belgian).

I had the IPA and red at Lakeville Brewing a month ago. Both were undrinkable. Very sweet. Something seemed off. Yesterday, I had a pint of the oatmeal brown. At first, it seemed off. I ended up finishing it. It was OK, but forgettable.

What really turned me off was the service. I sat in the dining area and noticed they didn't have a beer menu at the table (food, and a wine/cocktail menu). I could see their beer menu on the wall across in the bar because I have fair enough vision, but it could be difficult for anyone who couldn't see, or had their back to it, or wasn't in direct line. I asked the server if they had a beer list and she just pointed to the wall, which was a good 75 feet away. I'd think education will be needed for a lot of clientele and it doesn't seem like LB is working to provide it. I asked how much pints were given there wasn't a menu, she said $5.50. Fine. Do you have flights? Yes, she says. How much are they? She responds, not jokingly, not with a smile, but basically out of frustration, "I have no idea." Um, OK. I'll take a pint of the oatmeal brown.

She came back a few minutes later and said it was $8 for a flight. What gets me is how can she not know how much a flight is? Even if it's her first day, it's a freaking brewery, or should be at least. You've got four beer options, all the same price, or a flight. Everything else in the joint has a price tag on it, so I'd figure their servers could readily respond to a beer price inquiry. I think it's clear that, despite having brewing in its name, Lakeville Brewing Company plans to be a restaurant that just happens to serve its own beer (and some guest taps). There's nothing wrong with that, so long as the beer holds its own. It hasn't for me so far. That, doubled with the service (she was all-around pretty bad in addition to the flight issue), I won't be in a hurry back.

 

I was at AI last Thursday and thought the Belgium seasonal was fine. We brought food from next door. Both brewers where there and very friendly. We talked briefly about the beers, brewery, and how much work it is to get a brewery started.

I'd go back.

 

I'm guessing "Angry Inch" but if I find out it's was "Ardea Insignis" I'm going to be pissed I missed out on that one!

 

Angry inch. Sorry about that Karl.

 

I don't know anything about the people opening this place, but I'm impressed with how quickly this went from announcement to opening. These people were well organized and effing plowed through the process. If their beer is half as good as their business plan, I think they'll be OK.

 

If their beers is twice as good as their crappy name, they should be OK...but yeah, I agree, this place seemed to have their act together. And a brewery in Eagan? Unheard of. Looking forward to the opening!

 

Starry Eyed Brewing Company Little Falls

http://cdc.morrison.mn.us/morrison/news/?item=7701

 

He was at ME?

 

Chaska: An un-named possible brewery plan for the Carver County Public Works garage site. This might sound familiar: Here's an article from about a year ago about the same site.

(Note: On my own "spreadsheet" I see as many as four -possible- plans for down that way.)
Hattip @islay

 

As a person who is folically challenged myself, I am offended and hurt by your insensitive comments.

 

You're not the first...

 

This was the plan I mentioned earlier in the year. The re-appraisal has set them back considerably as they were planning on being open around now. Had to restart the whole process from the beginning. Do not think they will open this year but more spring 2017.

 

Right, I guessed as much.

Good to know.

In-between Chaska and Shakopee and Chaska, I've known there to be eight distinct plans, both "BIP*" and BIP, only three which were ever made known to the pubic.

*These are home brewers without commercial intentions, which have been added to the commercial BIP plans by myself or others in the past.

 

Isn't Dave Hoops offering a service now to help some of these new places get off the ground on the right foot? I might be wrong on that but I thought I read that.

If I was starting a new place that would be step #1 and I'd build the cost into the plan.

 

Pretty sure it's bev-craft.com and I'd at least have a meeting or 2 whatever the cost!

 

Agreed.

More than any other consultancy, Bev Craft should be the go-to for the upper midwest.

 

If you're looking for international brewery consulting, you should give this guy a call: https://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/633/

I've also done additional international and stateside consulting - it's what I was doing before I got the BrewFarm up and running. And it's what I'll be doing post-BrewFarm. (I've got a few interesting gigs already lined-up - woo!)

And most seriously, if there's anybody out there considering opening a brewery reading this (and you don't have 10+ years of commercial experience...) hire a qualified brewery consultant! I swear I will save you more in time and $$$ than I charge. I certainly don't claim to know it all but I do have a wealth of wisdom from 20+ years in the beer and brewing biz.

FarmerD