I seriously cannot believe it’s been over 5 months since our last Klock Talk update! Not having Nathan around to focus on the details every week has really put a damper on this endeavor! I sincerely apologize for the lack of outreach on this format. Rest assured we have been extremely busy with life inside and outside of the brewing world! I’ll try to keep it to the abridged version!

Since our last Klock Talk on July 8th here’s some highlights in picture form:

July 12: Rare Beer Picnic with Freja, Andy, Russ, Grimm, & Olwyn

July 19: Rapids Radio Rockfest: Andy & Russ

July 25-27: Car Show/Swap Meet Beer Garden

August 12: Art Show: Terry Leinbach, Blackduck-based painter, and Kristen Anderson, Bigfork-based fiber artist

Klocktoberfest was such a great day in weather and enthusiasm! We enjoyed a busy day of music, food, games, and, of course, beer! Thank you to Singing Chihuahua Tacos, Borealis Creamery, Twisted Sister Pretzel Co, United Way 1000 Lakes, Great Tails Animal Rescue, Itasca Curling Club, Lefty’s Rentals, all of our incredible staff that day, all three bands - Nathan Neuman Polka, Lone Rock Bride, and Terrence Smith & The Wild Thyme Strings Band, and all of you who stopped in to eat, dance, drink, and share in the merriment of the fall season! Here’s a couple of pictures from the day:

Terrence Smith & The Wild Thyme String Band Barn Dance at Klocktoberfest

We had some great new beers come through the taproom as well from the minds of our three brewers, Andy, Zach & Russ! Zach made Tater Tot Hop Dish, Double IPA; Russ made Arm Candy, Mango Habenero Blonde; Andy made Driver Off The Deck, New Zealand Pils, and Autumn Skies, Laurentian Pils. We had a collaboration with our friends and taproom alumni Kyle & Amanda Lussier to celebrate the opening of their new restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids, The Pines, with a beer we called In The Pines! We also made our regular and seasonal mainstays all year and figured out how to do smaller runs for taproom exclusive beers which will make us more agile in the future for fun brews! We’re excited about beer in 2026!

Tater Tot Hop Dish - Double IPA from Zach Wood

Arm Candy - Mango Habenero Blonde from Russ Alioth

In The Pines - Pale Ale with Juniper Berries

Andy, Zach & Russ hard at work making that good stuff!

Let’s get to some real talk about the year in review:

We are real people, consistently doing our best to do what we believe is right. We are so ingrained in this community and love it so fiercely. We sit on boards and committees, we volunteer when we have time. If you ask us something reasonable, we consider it. Not because we want the clout or recognition, but because we are invested in the whole ecosystem that makes up our region. We have kids that go to school here. We have relationships and collaborations going constantly. We buy local whenever we can and support our friends and their businesses and the places they work as much as we are able. We want to see everyone succeed in their goals and will cheer you on and support you however we can.

The joy we get to see in our taproom on a daily basis is sometimes astounding. We have seen baby showers and wakes, bachelor(ette) and divorce parties, folks meeting up to instill change in our world with writing letters and making phone calls to their representatives, holiday parties, retirement parties, art shows, music shows, alternative makers markets, drag shows, all different kinds of food trucks, plus lots more stuff I’m forgetting in the moment. We love being a hub for the community - that is what we built the taproom for; people coming together and seeing eye to eye and getting to know the heart of one another. With mainstream media focusing so much on negativity, we urge you all in 2026 to look inwardly to your community, whatever that means to you, and embrace one another, look one another in the eyes and try to understand the needs and wants of other people. Take time off of your phones, tablets, and computers and have a drink with your neighbors.

Much love and appreciation to you all in 2025 and let’s make 2026 awesome! Prost!