As I write this, it is just after noon on Wednesday, May 29, year of our lord 2024. And there are customers in the taproom. Which means that summer hours are now in effect! We’re now open every day at noon, including Monday!
It’s relatively quiet as people acclimate to the new change, and school isn’t even officially out yet, so full-swing summer culture hasn’t quite happened yet regardless of what side of Memorial Day we’re on.
And that’s just fine. In fact, we all could use the breather after the weekend we had here at the brewery! Friday and Saturday saw a clear uptick in business as summer tourism came to town for the long weekend. And on Sunday…
PANOPTICON!!!
Metal heads traveled from both coasts to this small little hamlet in northern Minnesota to see a rare live performance of Panopticon for their Roads to the North album’s 10 year anniversary. The stage was decked out with stacks of amps and extra lights, the floor was cleared of all tables, and the brewery was opened up with a secondary bar and for a little extra space for the nearly 200 people in attendance to spread out. And the walls reverberated from the deafening sound of the atmospheric black metal that sprung from every string and drum.

We’d also like to give an extra special thanks to Woman Is The Earth for coming all the way from South Dakota to grace our stage, as well as all the die-hard fans who traveled so far to be here on such an amazing night. And who could forget Kyle and Spencer, who set up the sound and lights. A mighty thank you to all involved!

But now we look to the future. If the past was a metal concert, then the future is clearly an art gallery (that’s an obvious thing, right?). In another rare public appearance, local painter Tom Page will be filling the taproom with pieces from his Women with Attitude collection, a series that focuses on the strength, individuality, and je ne sais quoi that makes up the “attitude” of his various models.
”I found all the participants in this series of paintings to be lovely women. They were enjoyable to be around, spoke freely of their interesting lives, appeared engaged in self-empowerment working toward the future,” said Tom at the beginning of his artist statement.

The gallery will be up from 2 p.m. until close at 9. Additionally, there will be both artist as well as model talks at 4 p.m., where attendees will be able to get further insight and stories from the women involved.
As we look even further yet into the future, what is most interesting is what we’re not finding. With summer means any number of summer activities, and an all-too-short look at what the sun is capable of when it’s trying. So whereas we will be continuing with various miscellaneous events, we’ll be putting a couple of our Sunday Funday events on hiatus for the next couple months. Drink & Draw with Lily and Storyteller Sunday will return this September, so enjoy your Sundays off! Come this fall, we expect lots of drawing and storytelling.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Amanda Lussier
Question: How long have you worked here?
Amanda Lussier: I’ve worked here since December of 2020.
Q: And in that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
AL: I’ve thought about this a lot, because as you know, my go-to is Traveling Jack or One Aught. But I have, like, a top 5 of Klockow beer, and they’re all on the malty side. Beatrice is probably my number one. Hays on Tay Scotch Ale. Woodland Legacy Lager; big fan of that. The Münchkin Oktoberfest is one of my favorites! And the last one is Siduri’s (Garden Saison), because it’s me and Tasha’s (Klockow) and Marit’s (Bjordal) beer!
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
AL: Well, you’re my cocktail buddy (staff interviewer, Nathan), so given the chance, my favorite cocktail is the Last Word. I love to sip on something that is elegant and wonderfully crafted. And honestly; can I mention this; your Espresso Negroni is one of my favorite cocktails too! [laughs] Can’t wait to have that again.
Q: Sticking with the general theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
AL: Hmm, I mean, I love food. Probably any type of Asian food: Thai food, Vietnamese food, I grew up with Filipino food. I’d say that my favorite dish ever is my mom’s adobo.
Q: Adobo. What is that?
AL: It’s chicken or pork that’s essentially braised in a soy sauce vinegar mixture, with garlic - lots and lots of garlic - and bay leaves. That’s a big one for that flavor. Serve that with rice, it’s fantastic.
Q: That does sound good. That sounds like my new favorite food! [laughs] Bringing it back home a little bit, what do you do at the brewery?
AL: I am a beertender. I pour beer, talk with our favorite regulars, and - I shouldn’t say that - and others. [laughs] Mainly, I love working here. So whenever the Klockows need help, I will help in any capacity. I will work off-sale events, special events like Frozen Fairways. I’ll label cans if they need it. If they need assistance on the canning line, I’ll do that too.

Q: What are some of the things you like to do for fun outside of work?
AL: I mean, speaking of favorite foods, I love eating and I love dining. I love talking about it with friends and family members. Love talking about service and experiencing good customer service. Outside of that, in town, I love going to karaoke almost every Friday. And yeah, in general, spending time with Kyle, my husband, and our dog and cat.
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
AL: Ok, I’ve thought about this briefly, and I’m excited to say that I’ve just worked a lot of different jobs. I don't think a lot of people know that about me.
So out of college, I graduated with an art degree, so I worked in art museums for about three and a half years. In between major jobs, I’ve always been in the industry, bartending or serving. So after working in art museums, I got really interested in craft beer. So I worked as a beertender and that lead to brewing beer and working in production, and that was like completely out of my wheelhouse! And honestly, all of that lead me back to loving hospitality. And I think that is a strong suit for me.
Q: And the last question, if you could be the supreme dictator of this country long enough to make one edict, what would it be and why?
AL: Oh. Ooh. Uh. That is a loaded question! [laughs]
Well, affordable healthcare for everybody, because everyone deserves that. Everyone deserves access to taking care of their bodies and their minds without having to pay a lot, you know. I’m getting emotional! Our bodies are so valuable, and so are our minds! And our families and our partners and friends. We deserve that.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset
Rocket’s - Cohasset
Eagle Ridge - Coleraine
Locker Room - Coleraine
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Bottles & Brews - La Prairie
Sammy’s Pizza - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

McGregor -

Mark’s Bar
The Craft House

Duluth & Superior -

New Scenic Cafe
Dovetail Cafe
Woodland Liquor
Fitger’s Wine Cellar
SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake
Boulder Taphouse - Superior