Urban Growler Brewing Company celebrates grand opening

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Feat9_14UrbanGrowler1 Urban Growler owners Jill Pavlak, left, and Deb Loch hoist the giant scissors used to cut the ribbon at their Grand Opening in August. This is one of the latest additions to the "Creative Enterprise Zone" in St. Paul. (Photo by Jill Boogren)[/caption]

By JILL BOOGREN

Urban Growler Brewing Company was the toast of the town Aug. 27 as hundreds gathered for the grand opening of St. Anthony Park’s hoppin’ new brewery. Seats at the picnic tables in the beer garden filled in quickly as owners Deb Loch and Jill Pavlak took to the microphone alongside Mayor Chris Coleman and 4th Ward Councilmember Russ Stark to welcome guests.

“I never thought it would be this big and this much fun. I can’t even believe it,” said Loch, the head brewer.

Feat9_14UrbanGrowler3 A flight of beer. Six beers were on tap for the Grand Opening Aug. 27. (Photo by Jill Boogren) [/caption]

“We’re very, very happy to be here today. We’ve envisioned this day for six years, so Cheers!” said Pavlak, clinking Loch’s glass.

Stark said the place was “amazing” and called it a great new asset for St. Anthony Park and a great thing for St. Paul. Coleman said Loch and Pavlak having the foresight to build their brewery in the “center of the beer district in the Twin Cities” was fortuitous. He said starting a business is tough, and going from concept to pint is a long journey. Then he offered a toast.

“To a journey well worth taking and to many, many journeys ahead, and many good friendships to be built,” he said to raised pint glasses. “Congratulations, and much success.”

They had been serving beer for a month already, but when they sliced the ribbon with a giant pair of red scissors it was official: their brewery was open for business.

The mood was merry at this little community get together south of the tracks. Neighbors and friends chatted and listened to music by Moonlight Duo and other musicians. People sampled flights of beer and snacked on Chef Paul Suhreptz’s signature pork carnitas (with pork marinated in Urban Growler’s Smoked Chipotle Porter) and other tasty treats.

Parents brought their kids, the littlest ones nestled in slings and perched on laps. People cheered on Charlie Boone, of the Mac-Groveland neighborhood, as he carefully pulled one piece of the 2x4 wooden blocks at a time and moved it to the top of the stack in a giant game of Jenga.

Jay Schrader of St. Anthony Park welcomed having another place in the neighborhood.

“I think it’s great as a community gathering spot,” he said. He thought all the beers he tried were interesting and different enough to want to try more. “The journey’s part of the fun... figuring out what you like best.”

Feat9_14UrbanGrowler2 Urban Growler Brewing Company on the inside. (Photo by Jill Boogren) [/caption]

It would appear that plenty of others were enjoying the same journey, as two of the beers — the Graffiti IPA, a rye beer, and the Amber Skyline — tapped out in the first couple of hours. Other beers on tap were: CowBell Cream Ale; De-Lovely Porter; City Day Ale (styled after a Kentucky common beer); and a Plow to Pint™ Rhubarb Wit.

Their Plow to Pint™ series brings the ingredients and stories of small farmers and community gardens into Urban Growler’s beer; 120 pounds of rhubarb came from the Xiong family, whom Loch and Pavlak met at the Lowertown Farmers' Market.

Bringing people together was central to their mission in founding a brewery six years ago. They wanted to move beyond what Pavlak called a very divisive presidential campaign and a very divisive marriage amendment for gays and lesbians. They wanted to stop the negativity.

“No matter what, we want a place where people can come together and celebrate our differences and learn that we’re all in this together…. We all want the same thing: Love from friends, love from family, and a place where you can just be yourself,” said Pavlak. “We want everyone to be comfortable here. The whole point is to bring people together with beer.”

If Loch and Pavlak are building community, they’re also fostering community within their physical building, a gorgeous brick structure which Pavlak said used to be a stable where they kept City of St. Paul police horses in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Now it houses True Stone Coffee Roasters, who provide Urban Growler’s coffee, and Deneen Pottery, who crafted their mugs.

Inside the brewery, the old brick walls, sleek bar, and shiny fermenters blend past with present in a simple elegance. Artist A.K. Dayton’s photos of Pillsbury’s Best Flour, Fitger’s, and other buildings, pay tribute to Minnesota’s milling and brewing industries.

Because they don’t serve anyone else’s alcohol or beer, Urban Growler can package and distribute theirs, in addition to running a taproom and serving food. For now beer is only available in their taproom and in Growlers, but it will soon be on tap in select bars and restaurants, and bottling will follow.

Loch, who brings with her extensive home-brewing experience and a fair number of awards, brews in 10-barrel batches, with an occasional specialty beer in a five-gallon cask.

Feat9_14UrbanGrowler4 The beer garden at Urban Growler Brewing Company. (Photo by Jill Boogren) [/caption]

Next up is a Plow to Pint™ Blueberry Wheat that uses 150 pounds of blueberries harvested from Blue Acres Farm near Clearwater, MN. And Urban Growler is pairing up with General Mills to create a Monster beer based on their cereal ingredients.

“HA! Count Chocula Stout,” joked Schrader. Or maybe it’ll be a Boo Berry. Stay tuned!

Urban Growler’s Taproom Hours are Tues.-Thurs. 4-9pm; Fri. 3-10pm; Sat. 12noon-10pm; Sun. 12noon-8pm. They’re located at 2325 Endicott St., five blocks north of University Ave. from the Raymond Ave. LRT station. Parking is also available. For more information look online at www.urbangrowlerbrewing.com.

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