Category: beer laws

Fulton Beer soon to be brewed in Minneapolis

By on August 21, 2010in beer laws, breweries, general beer

Fulton Beer, four friends creating beer in their garage in the Fulton neighborhood of Minneapolis and producing beer for your consumption across the border in Wisconsin, have found a home for their brewery in Minneapolis. A lease was signed on August 18, 2010 for their new brewery location at 414 6th Ave N. Minneapolis.

Ryan Petz, President
8/19/2010
612.876.0904
For Immediate Release ryan@fultonbeer.com www.fultonbeer.com

FULTON BEER: ONE STEP CLOSER TO BRINGING BREWING BACK TO MINNEAPOLIS
On August 18, 2010, Fulton Beer reached an important milestone in their quest to build the first packaging brewery in Minneapolis in nearly a decade. After searching for over six months, the company signed a lease for a building which they plan to be the home of Fulton Brewing for years to come.
Thanks to the Minneapolis City Council’s recent unanimous approval of the Brew Beer Here ordinance, packaging breweries in Minneapolis will now be allowed to sell growlers. The ability to sell growlers is key to the survival of small volume breweries, and Fulton hopes it will help them become part of a Minneapolis brewing renaissance.
Fulton is withholding details on the building location until the conclusion of a contest in which the first person to find the new brewery space will be rewarded with the very first growler produced in the brewery, and of course, the knowledge that they found it first. Instructions and clues to the contest are available at Fulton’s Facebook page.
The company has extensively researched brewing equipment, and plans to procure a 15 to 20 barrel brewhouse. The new brewery will produce kegs and growlers initially, with limited production 750 mL bottles planned for the future. Fulton will also offer frequent tours, tastings, and special events at the brewery.

About Fulton:
In June 2009, Fulton was incorporated with a threefold vision: 1) brewing extraordinary beer; 2) restoring the brewing scene in Minneapolis; and 3) building a new ethic for responsible business, embodied in Fulton’s unique Ful10 Fund, which will invest 10% of the company’s profits in a microloan fund to help other entrepreneurs launch their dream businesses.
Fulton’s first beer, Sweet Child of Vine, an IPA, launched in October 2009 at seven Twin Cities bars, and is now available at over 70 locations across the metro area. Fulton’s second year-round offering, The Lonely Blonde, debuted in June 2010 and is available at several dozen local establishments. The company currently brews for commercial sale at Sand Creek Brewing Company in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, and for fun in Peter’s garage in the Fulton neighborhood of Southwest Minneapolis.

Underground Brewing

By on March 8, 2010in beer laws

Wanna brew in a basement and sell it? Now you can, under legislation which passed the Minnesota House today. What originated as a bill for a constituent who was making and brewing tea in his basement, and ran into problems with inspections, allows a business to  “manufacture, mix, or compound flavored beverage base or syrup; bottle or treat water; package carbonated or noncarbonated beverages; or bottle beer or other malt beverages.” Bring.com notes that  “the ban on basement brewing is a holdover from the days when basements were often plagued with mildew problems.”

An amendment to significantly reduce the state fee on distillers was withdrawn with a promise to give the bill of the same purpose a hearing.

The brewing bill is working its way through the Senate committee process. Track it’s progress here.

[Note: As someone who spends hours a week on the legislative website, I can attest to the ease of tracking legislation, the depth of information and the ability to influence the outcome of said legislation.]

Minnesota Bill Would Give Home Brewers a Hand (?!?!?)

By on February 22, 2010in beer laws

I don’t get it. Fill me in…

Home brewers, the Minnesota Legislature wants to help.

A House panel considers a bill today that would make it legal to brew beer in basements.

The proposal from Democratic Rep. Mindy Greiling would legalize home brewing in basements and other “subgrade areas.” It would cover beer and other malt beverages, bottled water, treated water, flavored beverage syrups and carbonated and non-carbonated drinks.

Greiling’s bill also would require the state Agriculture Department to update drink regulations that now keep brewing areas off limits for other uses — something that’s not practical in homes.

My assumption would be that this is coming from someone wishing to go pro, from homebrewing to commercial beer production, but I really don’t know. Who has the scoop?