USA, MN: Fergus Brewing Co. almost open in Fergus Falls
Mounted on the northernmost wall of the brewing space, Saint Arnold of Metz presides over the final preparations at the nearly-opened Fergus Brewing Co., The Growler reported on September 4.
Hes the patron saint of brewers, shares head brewer Andy Beck. He watches over me when I brew. He got a lot of people to drink beer instead of the contaminated water, so he saved a bunch of lives.
Despite his stern demeanor (do patron saints ever really look happy?), Arnold clearly favors Becks work. With a grand opening tentatively scheduled for mid-September, Fergus Brewing Co. has already generated major excitement in their hometown.
We got Best Beer at the Fergus Beer Tour. We got Best Brewery at [Fergus Falls] Summerfest
[and]
the Downtown Chowdown was kind of a collaboration win [with Dining Car #423], so well take it!
Then again, collaboration and community are what Fergus Brewing are all about. Were all from the Fergus community, Beck explains. A lot of places were closing, so we wanted to do something to bring something back. This spot had sat vacant for a long time. Its such a prominent spot for Fergus and Fergus history. It used to be a scale house for a beef-rendering plant which, Beck notes, everybody hated. So its nice to bring a little bit of fun back to the spot.
Appropriately, the brewery is very much a collaborative effort. The taproom, a separate building from the brewing space, belonged to local artist Jeff Zachmann. Intended to be an art gallery, Zachmann thought the space was underutilized andtogether with his wife Deb, Beck and Becks wife Klara, and Klaras parents Scott and Kathy Wagnildundertook the task of renovating the space into a brewery.
Many of the final artistic touches are Zachmanns, including the signs, flight boards, tap handles, and a kinetic sculpture featured in the taproom. Scott Wagnild, a dentist in town, is responsible for much of the physical construction. Even smaller details are crowd-sourced efforts. The bartop wood came from a local bakery (it spent all summer weeping olive oil, Beck tells us). The bocce ball turf is from the University of Minnesotas TCF Bank Stadium. Additional plans for the future include a large beer garden, farmers markets, giant beer pong, food trucks and even an ice rink in the winter.
Located along the I-94 corridor, Beck hopes that Fergus Brewing Co. will not only be a frequent stop for locals but for travelers as well. With multiple breweries [Union Pizza and Brewing has been open downtown since 2015, and Outstate Brewing Co. is set to open within the next couple of months] it becomes a destination instead of just a spot. Having multiple breweries in one spot is more incentive for people to come [to Fergus Falls]. Youve got a lot of people coming in for the lakes who will stop [
] and then theyll go on.
Aesthetically, the taproom pulls from both the buildings original purpose as an art gallery and the Fergus Falls communitys heritage. Heavy on the white and the wood, just to give a little bit of warmth, says Beck. And then, since its such a Scandinavian area, we wanted to do more of a Scandinavian, mid-century modern-type feel to itso nice windows, lots of sunlight, bright whites just to give it a clean feel. With a capacity of around 55, the taproom will be close and cozy.
Beck, who previously worked in quality control at Third Street Brewhouse in Cold Spring, Minnesota, is already attentive to the tastes of the local community. He says theyll start with four flagships: a stout, IPA, Pilsner, and saison. People seem to like those styles of beer; theyre very light, theyre very easy to drink. Especially in this community, theyre not huge on overly-hoppy beers. Thats what weve noticed in trends. But that could change, too. It just depends on what people tell me and drink. Were really flexible here; the consumers tell me what to do, and I can do it!
In addition to the flagships, Fergus Brewing Co. will feature six additional tap lines rotating seasonally or situationallyBeck told us he was currently working on a New England IPA with plans for a Mexican-style lager, a dunkelweizen, and a smoked pumpkin porter to follow. The flagship Postmans Breakfast Stout, which is currently served around Fergus, is named after Becks dad who recently passed awaya tribute to his many years as a mailman.
More than anything, Beck is just eager to see his beer served in the taproom. The end is in sight. Its just getting there. September 21 is the first day of fall, so it would be cool to open on that. Ready or not, things need to be completed before then. We have to be open in two weeks! jokes Beck. Were hosting a fundraiser on September 9.
E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .