With the ground work done, carpenters have been busy adding onto the former Almost Home/Arrowhead Outdoor building that will now house the Voyageur Brewing Company (VBC), a micro-brewery that will produce craft beers and offer food to go along with growlers of beer fresh from the tap room. Three couples are involved in the enterprise, which hopes to open its doors to the public by the end of 2014. Still a mystery is what types of beer the brewery will produce—stay tuned for further updates.
There has been a lot of buzz in the last year about a brewery opening in Grand Marais. At the Cook County Chamber of Commerce annual meeting at the GunFlint Tavern in June, Mike Prom, Paul Sporn, and Bruce Walters officially announced that yes; they were entering the microbrewery business. The new enterprise? Voyageur Brewing Company.
Prom explained that although the new company bears a name similar to the business he and his wife Sue own, Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, that is not the reason voyageur was selected as the standard for the microbrewery.
Prom said that the partners had considered many names and conducted focus groups with friends and family members. “We kept coming back to voyageur,” said Prom. “It just fits our concept. It represents the journey to our rugged north country. We want our business to be a place for adventurers.”
Prom also answered the question that occurred to many of the Chamber luncheon attendees. Isn’t Voyageur Brewing Company competing with GunFlint Tavern, which has a brew pub in the works? And wasn’t the Tavern an odd place to make the official announcement that another brewery was opening?
Prom laughed and said that Voyageur Brewing Company and a GunFlint Tavern Brew Pub would be complementary businesses. He said Voyageur Brewing Company is primarily a place where beer will be made, samples offered and beer sold. Prom said it is hoped that people will enjoy a beer while visiting Cook County—and then will buy a Voyageur Brewery Company beer when they are back home to relive the memories of their time spent in Grand Marais.
There will be a taproom, which can be rented out for receptions and parties. There may be limited food or the option for catered events.
For GunFlint Tavern, its beer will be enjoyed only in-house along with the Tavern’s extensive, eclectic menu. “If the Tavern finds that it needs more beer than it could brew, we could work with them to produce their product,” said Prom.
And, GunFlint Tavern could possibly add a Voyageur Brewing Company beer to its menu of beverages. Both businesses want to create a welcoming atmosphere for visitors and locals to sample their wares.
Just what the Voyageur Brewing Company will be offering is still being worked out. The founders will look to local sights and activities for beer monikers and flavors. Think maple, honey, and wild rice.
Mike Prom said they are looking at having six beers on tap—three flagship brews and three seasonal. The plan calls for three types of beer— an Indian pale ale, stout and a Belgium wheat.
Those details will become more clear when the Voyageur Brewing Company hires its brewmaster. Prom said to look for that announcement in a few weeks.
As beer recipes and processes are being studied and refined, the home of the new brewery is under construction. At the June meeting, Paul Sporn, co-owner of My Sister’s Place restaurant with his wife, Cara, announced that the entrepreneurs were purchasing the former Almost Home/Arrowhead Outdoor building.
The men shared architectural drawings of what the big warehouse would eventually look like. On July 10, the first steps were taken when the ground was broken for an addition on the front of the building. The company is making great progress. On July 16 the foundation was poured and the walls are going up quickly.
Voyageur Brewing Company plans to be open by the end of 2014.
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