Brewery Updates in Minnesota (2019)

Not sure if this classifies as a new brewery opening but was at the new Portage last week. Nice upgrade to what they had, same friendly atmosphere and same top notch brewer...

 

I figured that was going to be the case, but the wife and I stopped in anyway, being in Delano our dinning options are limited. Service has a long way to go, so I won't bother again I
until they've got there own beer.

 

FYI it is going to be at the old Pine Island Cheese shop/old Homebrew shop that there is a big banner hang up hwyyou can clearly see off of hwy 52.

 

"Sleepy Eye brewery, taproom opens Friday"

 

Visited the shop a couple of times, seemed to have some potential for as destination of sorts. Best of luck to them.

https://www.postbulletin.com/news/h...cle_cc8e7158-d961-11e9-96f2-c3945cd6b4a6.html

 

Growler magazine (Jan 2020) lists First Draft Brewery in Isanti opening mid January. When I google it Google has a Permanently Closed banner on it. Anyone know anything about this one?

 

They have a Facebook page and stated that they passed their final inspection in late November. No concrete date listed there but they said tentatively late January in the same post.

 

Interesting name choice considering First Draft (the pour your own beer bar) has a location in MN among others.

 

I had the same thought. They may end up having to go with "Second Draft."

 

SmitHops Brewery LLC.
26229 Fremont Drive

https://www.hometownsource.com/elk_...cle_917e2e30-252b-11ea-b398-eb4bcc5e7509.html

 

I never made it to this place, but I know Riverside on the Root in/near Lanesboro did at some point make their own beers (I'm not sure how long they produced beer, but friends tell me they did). They closed "until further notice" on August 8th of this year.

 

They are spending too much on ingredients, hence why beers are $9 a pint nowdays.

 

Good memory. 2 Rivers (the brewery at Riverside on the Root) quietly opened and quickly closed (as a brewing entity) several years ago (I want to say opened 2014 or 2015, closed 2015 or 2016, but don't quote me on those years). I occasionally cite 2 Rivers as the epitome of an obscure brewery; it gathered a total of 56 Untappd check-ins over the course of its short life. Curt Bisek of Trout City Brewing in Preston -- which opened earlier this year -- used to brew there. There was some talk that brewing operations eventually might be revived, but I'll go ahead and write off that possibility now. I wouldn't count it as a 2019 brewery closure since brewing operations were halted long ago.

Added: It seems like eons ago, but F-Town Brewing in Faribault might've been a 2019 closure. It was either very late 2018 or very early 2019; I don't know the official last day of operation. Many of you may recall that former owner Travis Temke supposedly is opening a brewery in St. Paul, although I've heard no updates for a very long time, and a peak in the windows while walking by the site a few months ago revealed a very long way to go.

 

12welve Eyes Brewing and Gull Dam Brewing closed. Were they 2019 or 2018?

 

Gull Dam ceased operations on December 31, 2018. As far as I know, the building (which I never visited but for which I've seen a lot of praise), equipment, and brand remain for sale, so it's possible that it will be revived. 12welve Eyes closed at the end of May 2019. As far as I know, its equipment remains for sale for very cheap, with the huge caveat that the buyer would have to sign a lease at 12welve Eyes' terrible location.

 

Vine Park has applied for a liquor license and a building permit to open a taproom in 2020. I’m not sure what that means for the brew your own operation there.

 

I went to the newly opened ONE Fermentary & Taproom. They had 3 oz. samplers so I ordered all 6 of their beers. There were a couple of tasty ones, but the shock came when I got the bill. Six 3 oz. samplers cost $20. Five were $3 and one was $5. That’s $1.11 / oz. Pretty outrageous. Won’t be returning. There are plenty of breweries with reasonable prices.

 

Absolutely HATE that policy. Told the bartenders and tweeted at them and no response other than that’s the deal. They’re discouraging people from trying their beers to figure out what they like. Absolutely idiotic. I’m staying away too.