Tap Talk: St. Paul's Wabasha Brewing Company
Over the last five years, the craft brewery movement has grown exponentially in Minnesota. The Associated Press says licensing records show two-thirds of Minnesota breweries have opened just since 2010. So, we decided to help you – and your livers – keep up with the taproom trend by stopping by some of these Twin Cities brewhouses. Next, Tap Talk chats with St. Paul brewery, Wabasha Brewing Company.
Go big or go home.
Almost anyone who has decided to take on a new venture in their lives has heard the phrase.
It's certainly nothing new for those in the craft beer world. However, most of the time it is applied to flavor or technique. It's rarely applied to space.
But for St. Paul's Wabasha Brewing Company, it's perhaps the embodiment of their very beginning.
Before creating the company in 2013, co-foundesr Brett Erickson and Chris Kolve were brewing on equipment that many breweries open on.
Erickson, a homebrewer of nearly 20 years, introduced Kolve to the hobby and the two started brewing regularly.
"I started on a small scale, five gallons. Then I moved to 10 gallon and then we moved to a 30 gallon set up in his place, which is basically a barrel," Kolve said. "That's where [many] people start."
The brewers would generate 20 to 30 gallon batches and split up the beer between friends. After a while, they just decided to fill out the paperwork and make their operation a functional company.
As they began to purchase equipment to build out their brewery, they once again went bigger and bolder.
"It actually started out as a much smaller idea when we came up with the idea of a brewery. We were only talking about a five or seven barrel system," Kolve said. "[Equipment sales people] said, 'It's not that much more money to go double and do a 15-barrel system.' So, that's what we did."
In 2015, Wabasha Brewing Company opened a small taproom in the same building that housed its 15-barrel brewhouse. But, quickly, they decided to once again go bigger.
While February marks just two years for this St. Paul brewery, they have already expanded.
In August, Wabasha Brewing Co. opened a brand new taproom that nearly doubled its capacity. And with hopes of acquiring canning equipment, Kolve said he doesn't think that will be the last expansion the brewery sees.
Follow them: on Twitter at @wabashabrewery, on Facebook at Wabasha Brewing Company or visit their website online.
Owners: Brett Erickson, Chris Kolve and Josh Tischleder
Brewer: Brett Erickson
Location: 429 Wabasha Street South, St. Paul
Hours: Wednesdays: 3 – 10 p.m., Thursdays & Fridays: 3 – 11 p.m., Saturdays: 12 – 11 p.m., Sundays: 12 – 8 p.m. and Mondays & Tuesdays: Closed
Contact: 651-224-2102
I think many people could infer from your address where the brewery got its name from. But, is that the case? How did you come up with the name for the brewery?
Kolve: We kicked around a lot of ideas and because we're on Wabasha Street that was one name in the group. We just kind of kept coming back to that one, and the sound of it just kind of had that classic sound. So, that's what we went with.
Well, it certainly helps people remember where you're located in St. Paul too! So, after a little over a year you opened a new taproom. Tell me about that space.
Kolve: We [originally] had a small taproom that was up in the back of where the actual brewhouse is. Then, we opened a new taproom in August [of 2016.] That is down on street level. What's really kind of cool about that room is it had good bones to start with. It's the original body of the building. So, we exposed the brick wall to the outside and we just redid the original floors. When this building was built it was built as a tin shop in 1865, so all the original tin ceilings are still in it. So, that's what we had for just our starting point.
Cool! That sounds like a really unique space! I read that you also have an artist showcase. How did that get started?
Kolve: Brett has a friend that works with artists and placing them in show rooms and buildings and things like that. This was our plan all along. We were going to work with the St. Paul artists' group in downtown, but [Brett's friend] already had all these connections and this ability so we just let her take over. So, quarterly she changes out the artists. They do an artist showcase and we actually sell the art in the room. All the paintings have a price on them, so you can come in and buy whatever you like.
That's great! What an awesome way to not only promote your community but the arts as well. So, let's talk beer! Tell me a little bit about what you have on tap right now.
Kolve: Right now we have our Imperial Stout, which is a seasonal. That's call the Cave Stout. We usually have our amber, which is Red Bonnet Amber. We usually have the West Side Popper, which is a jalapeno cream ale. That was kind of the one that we became known for. We have a Belgian Dubbel on. We throw in one-offs and seasonals along with all of our standard stuff. So, we'll usually have anywhere from 6 – 10 beers on tap.
Sounds like a nice variety! What would you consider your standards, or flagship, beers?
Kolve: The Jalapeno Cream Ale. The amber is another. The Red Dessert IPA. And the Cathedral Hill Porter. Those were our four originals.
Jalapeno Cream Ale – that sounds really unique! Tell me a little bit about that beer.
Kolve: It's not real spicy, you get just a hint of heat, but you get all the aroma and flavor of the jalapeno. We smoke them so you also get a nice little smokiness along with it. [Then, for the name,] we actually did a contest in the tap room and let one of the locals put in and we took the name that we liked best. That was The West Side Popper.
How fun! I bet your customers loved getting to put their ideas in the hat for names. Tell me, do you have any seasonals that consumers get excited about?
Kolve: Our Darktober, that comes out in the fall, and people like that one. Then we usually do a Belgian blond in the spring. The PIA is kind of a seasonal thing. We'll be doing that soon. That's an Imperial IPA.
I bet that Imperial IPA is quite popular! Speaking of, what is your best selling beer?
Kolve: It kind of varies. It's always the new beer that we put on is the best seller, for however long that is. But other than that, it's probably the amber and the IPA. We have two IPAs, we have an Implosion IPA as well. I think the biggest mover in bars, though, is the Amber.
How about for you? What is your favorite beer that you brew?
Kolve: I'm a big IPA guy so I go back and forth between the Red Desert and the Implosion.
I'm surprised there are just two IPAs then if it's your favorite! So, while many in the Twin Cities are familiar with craft beer there are still some that are new to the craze. What would you sell someone who is new to craft beer?
Kolve: I would start them with our lightest beer. We actually had a lot of people that were asking for something that was lighter in color and in body. That's what a lot of people are used to drinking – light beers. That's probably the number one selling thing in the country still, Miller or Bud Light. It's not a light beer, but we came up with one that we can Hey Man and it's becoming kind of a standard for us. It's on tap year round. In the summer, we have one that's called Hail Summer Ale. Both real good, light easy drinking beers.
I'm surprised they aren't your best sellers if people still often request a light ale! How about on the opposite of the spectrum? What would you serve someone that is really knowledgeable about craft beer?
Kolve: I would right now point them to the Belgian Dubbel. Or the Cave Stout.
So, it sounds like you have a nice variety of flavors already but are there any that you'll be working on in the future?
Kolve: We are starting to play with barrel-aging. We did just do a run of the Cave Stout which we aged in bourbon barrels. We sold them in the tap room in 750 ml bottles. We did a run of 100 and [they were gone in a week.] So, we'll continue doing that.
Wow! Sounds like customers were really excited about that! Barrel-aging seems to be the big trend this year. So, tell me, where do you see Wabasha Brewing Company in the next five years?
Kolve: I think we might hopefully see a bigger facility just for our standards. We're just in the process of looking at some canning equipment, so we want to go to cans this year. Right now we're just in liquor stores in bombers. I don't see, with the possible growth ahead of us, that we'll be able to do everything in that little room back there.
Growth is always exciting, though! It's always better to need a bigger space than to not be able to fill it. What do you hope to see for the Minnesota craft beer scene in the next few years?
Kolve: That's a good question. I see more [breweries] coming up. Especially in St. Paul. You're still hearing about them building and opening and that kind of thing. I think I might kind of look at it more in smaller towns and expanding throughout the state. It's kind of what I see.
I think there is a large portion of the state that is untouched. I wouldn't be surprised to see more opening in areas far north or south of the Twin Cities. So, other than drinking it, what is your favorite thing about beer?
Kolve: I kind of like the whole gamut of beer: the color, the smell, the taste. All of that. It's good with meals. Now, there's pairing where it never used to be the thing to pair with. Now, with so many different styles and types you can definitely do that.
I agree! I think that is a really exciting thing that has come from the craft beer movement – its impact on the culinary movement. So, to finish up, how would you describe Wabasha Brewing Company in one word?
Kolve: Awesome!
