Stillwater is best known as one of the state’s early logging towns, but it was also one of the state’s first brewing centers. Now a group of longtime home brewers is trying to bring back a piece of that history by going pro with their hobby.
Lift Bridge Brewery began a few years ago when cofounders Brad Glynn and Steve Rinker, then coworkers at a construction and engineering firm, discovered their shared passion for making beer. Over lunch one day, they decided to dust off their equipment and start a brewing business—a plan so simple that it’s certainly been dreamed up over pints by countless other home brewers before. But unlike most, they’ve carried it out.
Jim Pierson and Dan Schwarz joined as co-owners in 2006. For a couple of years, the team tinkered with recipes, sharing the results with friends to solicit feedback. All the while, they attended beer festivals, networked with bar owners, and researched the industry. When they felt they had a winning recipe, they contracted in August 2008 to use the modest facilities of another small brewer, St. Paul’s Flat Earth, to brew their first commercial batch. Their first product: Farm Girl, a saison (a golden, full-bodied style that originated in rural Belgium). The company has since introduced a pale ale, as well as some seasonal specialties.
The timing is good. Though only making up about 4 percent of beer sales in the U.S., craft beer is fizzing while the big brewers are flattening. And given the Twin Cities’ ebullient beer scene—Minnesota craft beer sales were up 74.5 percent last year—Lift Bridge brews are in demand. They’re sold in about 15 bars and restaurants in Stillwater and across the metro area. Lift Bridge doubled production to 60 barrels per month earlier this year, with a waiting list of establishments numbering 30.
Lift Bridge refers to Stillwater’s historic river crossing. The bridge and the town’s name are featured prominently in the brewery’s labels and marketing materials. The company supports other local businesses whenever possible, hiring local for everything from taxes and design work to carving tap handles.
Lift Bridge’s growth is limited as long as it’s sharing equipment, so the partners are seeking a permanent home in Stillwater, where they all live. They hope to open their own brewery within a couple of years. Meanwhile, they’re looking for a contract brewer that will allow them to increase capacity and bottle their products, which are currently available solely on tap.
