Ok, we have a new one opening every week it seems. SO my question...What opened this year and what is slated to open by year end? Two to three years ago, not counting Brew Pubs, I can think of... Surly Summit Schells Brau Bros Flat Earth Lift Bridge (I think) Lake Superior (I think in Duluth) Cold Spring I know there are more, but cannot recall.
-- Existing MN Breweries -- August Schell Bank Beer Co. Barley John's Big Hurt Brewing Company Big Wood Brewery Blue DiamondBrewing Co. Borealis Fermentery Brainerd Lakes Brewery Brau Brothers Brewing Carmody Irish Pub Castle Danger Brewery Clyde Iron Works Cold Spring Brewing/Third Street Dubh Linn Irish Pub Dubrue Finnegans Inc. Fitger's Brewhouse Flat Earth Brewing Company Founding Fathers Fulton Beer Granite City (175 locations worldwide -- 5 in MN) Great Waters Brewing Harriet Brewing Herkimer Indeed Brewing Company (Opens fall 2012) Lake Superior Brewing Company Leech Lake Brewing Company Lift Bridge Brewery Lucid Brewing Mankato Brewery Mantorville Brewing Company LLC McCann's Food and Brew Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery Olvalde Farm & Brewing Company (opened May, 2011) Pig's Eye Brewing Company Purity Brewing Co. (opened April/May 2012) Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery St. Croix Brewing Company, LLC Staples Mills Brewing Co. Steel Toe Brewing Summit Brewing Company Surly Brewing Company Vine Park Brewing Co. Wellington's Backwater Brewing Co. Upcoming MN Breweries --- Up and Running (2011/2012) - Badger Hill (release parties this and last week) - Boom Island (opened April, 2012) - Borealis Fermentery (opened April 2012) - Dubrue (opened 2011) - Lucid Brewing (opened 2011) - Mankato (opened 2011) Very Soon (2012/2013) - 612 (Fall 2012) - Bemidji Brewing (ETA 2013) - Big Wood (contract/packaged plus brewing site coming soon -- late 2012 / early 2013) - Blacklist (ETA Late 2012 / early 2013) - Dangerous Man (ETA Late 2012) - Excelsior (July2, 2012) - Indeed Brewing (listed at Ba... no beer available yet, but ETA Fall 2012) - Northbound (South MPLS) (ETA ? / 2013) - Northgate (NE MPLS) ETA Late 2012 / early 2013 - Reads Landing (Equipment being assembles, will begin brewing ealey July) - Jack Pine (ETA early 2013) - Hayes' Public House ('up North' / brewpub or tavern? -- ETA early 2013) - Pour Decisions (Beer on tap ETA Late 2012) Coming Up in 2013/2014 - Surly Brewing Company - New Brewery There are plenty of other projects flying under the radar right now my, rainbow-belching friend! This is a little VERY sloppy of me, but I hope it helps!
Great list! Only other one I can think of that is 'upcoming' is Last City in St Paul. I believe they have equipment ordered. Like Chaz sez, there are probably a dozen others that arent listed. Impossible to keep up anymore!
Yep, via the media coverage Last City has indicated an opening date closer to Spring of 2013. If there are a dozen more that've seen some mention in the arts and entertainment (and news and business) publications at this point, it could be like an iceberg -- there's probably dozens more that nobody has seen or heard of yet.
Im excited for a brewery to put out a bottle/can six pack option. Of the 'new' guys, only Fulton and Purity have done it(although both contract bottled), nobody has really done it as of late. I understand its exspensive, but for a guy like me that will not buy bombers(terrible value), or go to your brewery to get a growler(poor value, already have way to much glass), or go to a bar to have it on tap(married/kids)- put your product in a sub ten dollar six pack and you will received some of my reserved beer dollars. Sounds like Excelcisor and Indeed are going to do 6pks for sure, so there is hope. Look at all the breweries in MN that are only available in growler/bomber form- Steel Toe, Olvalde, Borealis, Boom Island , Lucid, Leech Lake, Flat Earth, Harriet...more? Placing 'special' released in bomber form is fine, but having entire lineups this way really turns me away.
You stated your reasons clearly, and I'd be willing to bet that you're not the only Craft Beer-lover in the Metro area (to say nothing of the state at large) with similar cash constraints! Even some of of the bachelors (and bachelorettes) amongst us can probably sympathize, too. In some ways we can almost be forgiven for thinking multi-packs when we think of "Craft" beer, especially with larger one-time Micros (Anchor) moving to 12-packs, and even Brau Brothers offers some 12 packs, and they're very much a part of the new wave of Minnesota Craft-marketed breweries.
Totally agree. Of those, Steel Toe is the only one I buy semi-regularly, because Size 7 is not only excellent, but (for a bomber) affordable. Olvalde is also excellent, but an occasional purchase due to the price. The others, well, I rarely or never buy anything because they're not good enough to justify the cost (though I haven't had Borealis yet).
I so hope that Fulton starts to bottle soon. I spoke to them a few weeks back at a Twins game and the guy I talked to hoped to have some sort of Bottleing line-up soon. I have bought a couple of 6 packs from them and will not buy another until they bottle it here in MN. It tastes oxidizied
Good observation. I had not realized so many were lacking in smaller bottling/canning formats. I would even settle for four packs of 12 oz. bottles from some of those breweries.
I agree with the bomber frustration. I really like flat earth, but don't always want a bomber. If I'm having people over or going to someone's house for a game, I like to be able to bring a six pack. It's tough to pass up a summit or brau six pack for around $7-8 for a $5 bomber. I do understand boom island and Olvalde in bombers though. They are bottle fermented and it adds to their mystique as small Belgian style breweries. I like it. It makes them seem a little more unique. In a booming business market, unique products could mean the difference between success and failure. Plus, Joe's business model at Olvalde is super cool. The fact that he does 70% of the stuff himself (similar to Jason at steel toe and boom island as well) just makes it even more awesome. Then he backs it up with solid beer.
I don't understand the business side of things but I totally agree with this thought....not sure what they could do for a 12 pack of cans but if in the $15 neighborhood or less I would scoop it up...
Yup. Steel Toe still hand bottles for cryin' out loud. They are a TINY operation, but growing. I'm sure they will eventually go to sixers or four packs.
