Laughing Sun - Bismarck - Expansion

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/23/18 7:30 am

LAUGHING SUN BREWING EXPANDING OPERATIONS IN BISMARCK

Bismarck’s first craft brewery is getting bigger to meet the growing demand for its beer. Laughing Sun Brewing Company, which opened its doors in downtown Bismarck in 2012, will expand its operations this fall. The new brewery is located at 1023 Front Street in Bismarck and will feature a large tap room, eating area and heated outdoor patio. This summer, they’ll begin installing a new 20-barrel brew system and automated canning line, allowing Laughing Sun to have its beer available across North Dakota in the fall. “We’re grateful to the people of Bismarck and the surrounding area for our success so far,” said co-founder and head brewer Mike Frohlich. “This community was introduced to fresh craft beer at our small downtown brewery. They liked it, told their friends and family about it, and ignited a demand for our beers across the state. Now we’re excited to grow and meet that demand.” The new brewery at Laughing Sun will include a kitchen and menu that reflects its recent partnership with Taylor Made BBQ in Mandan. Co-founder and head of operations at the brewery, Todd Sattler, explained, “We love the people over at Taylor Made, and love their barbecue just as much. Their expertise with small plates and vegetarian entrees featuring complex flavors -- in addition to their great Texas barbecue -- sealed the deal.” Along with meats and hand-made sausages prepared in the on-site smokehouse, the new brewery menu will have street tacos, sandwiches, bowls of curry and chili, and appetizers to share. The brewery will be open for lunch and dinner, with a walk-up counter for fast ordering. “And, of course, we’ll have a stage featuring local artists and musicians, which has always been an important part of the Laughing Sun community,” said Sattler.

Laughing Sun’s new location results from years of planning. Soon after starting its downtown brewpub in 2012, the owners realized they would need to grow. “Right after we opened we were already getting requests for our beer that we couldn’t fill, due to our limited brewing capacity,” said Frohlich. “We started looking for new brewery space in 2014.” Initial efforts to find a new location proved challenging. The oil boom in western North Dakota meant that many energy-related companies were looking for industrial space in Bismarck. Prices for commercial land and buildings increased significantly over a short time. And, due to the infrastructure demands of a brewery, existing building options were limited. “A brewery is, at heart, a manufacturing facility with unique requirements -- power and water capacities, for example -- that aren’t available with many commercial properties,” said Sattler. After visiting over 50 different locations in the area from 2014 through late 2017, the owners have found a building that fit its budget and provides the necessary infrastructure. “Our new location looks and feels like a brewery, and that’s important for what we do,” said Sattler. “We make North Dakota beer, and we want everyone who visits our new brewery to understand that from the start.”

The centerpiece of Laughing Sun’s new Front Street brewery is a manufacturing facility that includes a new 20-barrel brew system – a large increase in capacity from its current 3.5-barrel system. When it begins operations later this year, Laughing Sun will have its beer available at bars, restaurants, and liquor stores across North Dakota. To get there, Laughing Sun will move from limited self-distribution to state-wide distribution through licensed wholesalers. “I’ve been loading our beer into my truck every week and delivering it to customers in Bismarck, Fargo and Minot and I’m tired,” smiled Frohlich. “We really don’t want to start a trucking company. We have awesome professional distributors in our state who, thankfully, know our beers, have relationships with the places we’d like to take it, and are willing to do help us do that.” Although Laughing Sun initially will focus on distribution across North Dakota, it has reserved space in the new building to accommodate additional fermentation tanks so that it may serve regional markets beyond North Dakota as its distribution business grows. “North Dakota wants more access to great local craft beer. We’ll start at home, in North Dakota, and if all goes well, move outward from there,” said Frohlich.

Laughing Sun will continue operations throughout the summer at 107 North Fifth Street in downtown Bismarck. Its new brewery is a few blocks away at 1023 East Front Street. Laughing Sun expects to open there in Fall, 2018.