USA, ND: Drekker Brewing announces plans for new destination brewery in Fargo

Drekker Brewing, the Fargo-based craft brewery, announced on September 13 that it is building a new destination brewery and taproom, The Growler reported.

The historic building, located at 1632 First Avenue North in Fargo, was once a locomotive repair facility before becoming a storage space from the ‘70s onward. Now, Drekker is renovating the historic building, located just a few blocks west of downtown, into its second home.

“We’ve had our eyes on this building since the very early stages of planning our company,” said Drekker president, Mark Bjornstad, in a press release. “We’re so excited to breathe life back into this historic building and to be a part of the movement that’s expanding the energy of Downtown Fargo westward. This is only possible because of the amazing support we’ve received from this community.”

Drekker has been brewing in their downtown brewery since the fall of 2014, adding equipment bit by bit, doubling production twice in the three years since opening. Plans for the destination brewery, nearly triple the current square footage of their downtown brewery, include a taproom, several event spaces, a large patio and area for food trucks to park, and most important, the ability to produce more beer—5,000 barrels of beer per year, in fact, when it opens.

And while designs include brand new, state-of-the-art brewing equipment, the project will retain much of the building’s old-timey character (some parts dating to 1883), preserving and showcasing the exposed brick and wooden trusses with natural light from the new windows and skylights.

“We’re designing this new brewery to not only make more beer, but do it with respect to quality, efficiency, and environmental impact,”says head brewer Darin Montplaisir. “It’s also exciting to design a new brewhouse that will allow us to expand on the unique and experimental styles we’ve been brewing over the last couple years.”

The downtown location will remain open after the new brewery is up and running—something that excites the Drekker’s owners.

“Having two breweries gives us some unique opportunities that we’ll be exploring as the project progresses,” says Bjornstad.

The new brewery is scheduled to open the summer of 2018.

14 September, 2017