Surly Opens New $30M Brewery

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -  It's been four years in the making and it took a change in the law to make it all happen.

On Friday morning, Surly Brewing's $30 million destination brewery opened to a packed crowd.

The 53,000 square-foot building in the Prospect Park neighborhood serves up Surly's craft beers and food.

Surly owner Omar Ansari wanted to open the brewery and taproom back in 2009, but state law prohibited small breweries from serving their beer at the time.

After a long battle, the "Surly Bill" passed, allowing small breweries to serve up pints of beer.

"It's great for the beer scene," Ansari said. "It's a rising tide that lifts all boats. Like in Portland, like San Diego, like Denver--people are going to start traveling here just to visit breweries."

The beer hall features a full menu, with everything from standard bar fare to more adventurous menu items like bone marrow.

Tours of the facility are expected to begin in January.

When the complex is fully operational, it will fill more than 100,000 barrels of beer annually.