USA, MN: Minnewaska House and Brewing Co + Grill now open in Longbeach

In a normal year Darren and Angie Anderson would have already unveiled the craft brewery now located inside Minnewaska House in Longbeach. At least that was the plan, the Pope County Tribune reported on June 15.

Instead, the coronavirus stopped bars and restaurants from being open to dine-in customers in mid-March, and Minnewaska House and Brewing Co. + Grill had to resort to serving customers with curb-side service. That wasn’t all bad. Darren and Angie Anderson, owners of Minnewaska House and Brewing Co. since 2004, saw a lot of support with customers purchasing take out meals regularly each week and buying lots of gift cards. “The support was just great and we certainly want to thank everyone for that,” Angie said last week as she and Darren were preparing for customers to gather at the popular local restaurant.

But now, since restaurants can serve inside dining customers (with limitations), Minnewaka House with its new brewery, is open and serving patrons both inside and outside its facility along Highway 28/29 between Glenwood and Starbuck.

With the opening, Angie and Darren said they are eager to continue offering customers a “great dining experience, from quality food prepared by being grilled on a unique indoor charcoal grill, to friendly, small-town customer service.”

But the Andersons said last week that they are always looking for opportunities to set them apart from other dining options in the area and that’s one of the reasons they opened a brewery inside the Minnewaska House. Growler and growler fills (64 ounces) are now available with three to four craft beers ready to pour. They are now adding crowlers (25 ounces) as well as a variety of merchandise featuring an updated logo. The growlers and crowlers are filled and capped so they can be taken home or out on the lake.

As the Minnewaska House gears up for more inside dining, beer flights will be available for tasting the variety of House craft beers. It will also allow diners to pair their favorite beer with favored menu items, Darren said.

The beers at Minnewaska House are being brewed by Grozio Bevens, the in-house brew master who has been brewing beer for some 25 years. The Andersons added all the brewing equipment and built a special brewing room within the restaurant. The room if fronted with windows allowing patrons to look in on the brewing process. There are high-top tables and chairs in front of the brewing room as well.

The featured craft beers at Minnewaska House are “No Neck Geno Oatmeal Stout,” a dark, smooth beer; and Minnewaska Ale, a lightly-bittered ale. The Minnewaska Ale can also be purchased with three mild flavor variations of a mango, orange or lemon.

Bevens is also working on another beer called Bottle Bay Suntan Blonde that is a little darker than a normal beer, Darren said.

With the Minnewaska House now open for some inside dining, the Anderson’s are hoping the public will stop out and try the new craft beer offerings and pair then to their food.

Darren said that they are slowly gearing things up for the brewery to offer a variety of beers and “hoped the public” will continue to be patient as they move forward and gain more expertise in the brewing portion of the business. “We’ve sold more than 300 growlers since May 1,” he said, so the beer is getting a reputation.”

Adding a brewery to the restaurant was a natural for Darren. His family was involved in distribution of beer for years. In fact, his grandfather was one of the first beer distributors in Minnesota, switching from milk delivery to beer delivery just after prohibition was abolished.

His family has dealt with wholesale and retail beer sales and now Darren and Angie are operating a brewery within the restaurant. Combined with that experience, Darren said he loves beer and when he met Grozio, a brewing master, it was “a match made in heaven.”

“We started talking and decided it would be good addition to Minnewaska House to add an in-house brewery and offer our own unique craft beers.” Darren said the craft beer business is exploding in Minnesota and he wanted to provide the choice for his customers.

In the future, as things normalize and the pandemic cautions fade away, the Minnewaska House will be offering craft beers with the catering business and could provide special beers for special gatherings like Ducks Unlimited, the Lake Association or the Pheasants groups. “Weddings can have their own beer featured,” he added. “We could have a DU beer.”

Most of the grains and ingredients for the beer brewed at Minnewaska House comes from local sources and more local providers are coming forward all the time.

Another asset for Minnewaska House is the Andersons have the room to expand the brewery. “We started with a three-barrel system, but the plan is to slowly grow it,” Darren said.

They also planned to do a craft beer club, where patrons will get discounts on beer and be the first to try new beers.

18 June, 2020