USA, MN: Pryes Brewing Co. opening a brewery and taproom on the banks of the Mississippi River

Pryes Brewing Co. is opening a brewery and taproom on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, just blocks from the recently announced First Ave amphitheater project, the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal reported on November 10.

For the last couple years, Pryes Brewing has distributed its IPA, Miraculum, to 50 bars and restaurants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The brewery, planned for 1401 W. River Rd. N., will have 13,000 square feet of space. Co-founder Ben Schuster says half of that will be dedicated to a taproom, which will have a full kitchen available to pop-up restaurants and food trucks.

"We didn’t want to compete with the restaurant scene, we wanted to complement it," he said.

The brewery will have a front patio, a feather bowling lane and a large parking area that can be used for concerts and events. The brewery also hopes to take advantage of a nearby bike trail and kayak rental program by the river.

Co-founder Mike Corneille says the project will cost a little under $3 million. Pryes Brewing has raised over $750,000 from equity investors and the rest from banks and other sources. It's continuing to raise additional funds from investors in the Minneapolis-St. Paul community.

The brewery will allow Pryes to expand its product line and boost production from 800 barrels to over 20,000 a year. Schuster says Pryes wants to jump into making other beers and start a canning production.

"We’ve been looking for a taproom for a couple years and wanted that perfect mix of retail and production space," Schuster said.

The brewery-taproom is shooting for a mid-2017 opening. Schuster says it will have around 20 employees.

11 November, 2016