USA, MN: Minnesota’s first Latino-owned beer company to have physical location soon

Minnesota’s first Latino-owned beer company will soon have a physical cervecería and taproom to call home, The Growler reported on May 8.

La Doña Cervecería founder Sergio Manancero, son of Uruguayan immigrants, former Marine, and University of Minnesota alum, has set his sights upon Minneapolis’ Harrison neighborhood to build a brewery and taproom for his company, which started producing a line of Latino-influenced beers in 2016 under a contract brewing arrangement with Sand Creek Brewing in Wisconsin.

La Doña, previously known as Doña Chela, will occupy a 10,000-square-foot warehouse space at 241 Fremont Avenue North, just slightly northwest of downtown Minneapolis. “We’ve found the perfect home, a great landlord, a welcoming neighborhood, and a complementary neighbor,” Manancero said in a press release. The space will share a wall with Royal Foundry Craft Distilling, the soon-to-open distillery specializing in English-style spirits. “We are excited about the synergies we will create with our neighbor.”

The brewery plans to have a spacious taproom, a 3,500-square-foot patio, and a kitchen to showcase restaurateurs from throughout the Twin Cities area, pairing beers with local Latin cuisine. “We are excited by the idea of feeding our customers the likes of Burrito Mercado, Nico’s Tacos, Bar Luchador, Hola Arepa, and many others throughout the year, making it an integrated experience,” says Manancero.

As a specific benefit corporation, La Doña has a mission to “further inspire and empower not only the Latinx of the Twin Cities, but aspiring entrepreneurs of all ethnic backgrounds.”

A grand opening date has yet to be announced, but Manancero has his sights set on opening this summer.

07 May, 2018