MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — With a big building and a new logo, 612Brew is already gearing up for a December opening.

The brewery will be located on the corner of Central Avenue and Broadway Street in an old paper warehouse.

“We’re going to be opening up some parts of the building for a nice little entry way,” said Ryan Libby, co-owner 612 Brew.

The new building will have a patio, rain garden and tap room.

612Brew is named after Minneapolis’ area code and they make four different kinds of craft beer. Rated R is described as a “West Coast IPA meets Midwest Rye” and Zero Hour is a black ale. The “SIX” is named after a local bus route.

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“We’re really excited about it,” Libby said. “It’s taken us about two years to get to this point.”

612Brew is part of number of microbreweries popping up in northeast Minneapolis.

Dangerous Man Brewing Co. will be located at 1300 2nd St. N.E.

Indeed Brewing Company is on 711 15th Ave. N.E.

Northgate Brewing found a home at 3134 California St. N.E., according to The Journal MPLS.

Boom Island Brewing Co. is not necessarily in the northeast Minneapolis, but located across the Mississippi River at 2207 N. 2nd Ave.

“I would estimate in the last year, the number of breweries in Minnesota has likely doubled,” said Ryan Anderson with MNbeer.com, a beer news and information website. “To see the growth and to see all these new projects springing up, in what many may say is not the best economy, I think is really cool.”

Anderson counts at least 25 microbreweries in Minnesota — many in different planning stages. He says 12 of the brewers are in the Twin Cities.

Anderson says seeing the success of other microbrewers has many others wanting to stake their claim in the beer industry.

“Surly, for example, started off very small and now it has nationwide acclaim,” Anderson said.

Libby with 612Brew says northeast Minneapolis is fast becoming a brewery district, which is helping many up and coming brewers.

“It’s nice to know someone who’s going through the same things you are,” Libby said. “We’re a community.”
The northeast area is no stranger to brewing.

Grain Belt Brewing began in northeast Minneapolis, their building still sits on 13th Avenue. And in the ’80s and ’90s, the James Page Brewery was located on Quincy Street in the northeast Minneapolis.

“It’s such a new little industry within Minnesota and Midwest,” Libby said. “It’s just nice to be a part of it.”