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Click on any of the photos below to view each team member’s bio!
Owner/General Manager
Owner/Business Manager
Owner/Head Brewer
Dog Ambassador
From prehistoric caves, laboratories, thunderstorms, and hot tubs to forests, dreams, and showers—ideas of all shapes and sizes come to us in a myriad of ways—but the best ideas are almost always conceived over a couple of beers among friends. The Marine Corps. Shark Week. Buffalo Wings. The Ironman Triathlon. And…Paddlefish Brewing Company—the first brewery in St. Peter since Engesser Brewery Distributors threw in the towel in 1942. That is over eighty years without selling “pure grains of keg beer distributed in single service containers” (as an old advertisement of Engesser’s quipped.) It goes without saying that that is eighty years too long. Thankfully, a trio of beer lovers named Eric Johnson, Luke Dragseth, and Dave Long are bringing a brewery business back to this fine town in the fall of 2023.
This is the story of how St. Peter’s first brewery in over 80 years came about. It begins, as it should, with some damn good beer. At Paddlefish Brewing Company, everything worth talking about begins with damn good beer. In this case, we must raise a glass to Paddlefish head brewer Luke Dragseth—born and raised in “Brew City” Milwaukee—for concocting and sharing his delicious home-brewed Cream Ale for his friends at Gustavus Adolphus College. One of those friends lucky enough to imbibe that batch was none other than owner and business manager Eric Johnson. With Luke’s Cream Ale nourishing his friends in body, mind, and soul, Eric got an idea and joked that he’d like a chance to sell Luke’s product. The idea germinated unseen until Paddlefish’s entrepreneur extraordinaire was enjoying a cold one at Bent Paddle—another Gustie-owned brewery—and that seedling of an idea that sprouted as a joke among friends transformed into a glorious vision to create St. Peter’s very own brewery and taproom.
So after spending hours crafting and perfecting the best beer recipes using equipment in his dorm room, Luke is elevating his talents to the next level. Eric, having put several thousand miles on his feet completing the many tasks of a brewery business manager is also ready and so is their industry expert Dave who has been busy developing the brand and stepping up his managerial skills. The ultimate goal of selling Luke’s damn good “keg beer in single service containers” is fast approaching. Stay tuned for all the ways you can join the fun and contribute to our mission to become St. Peter’s finest community-oriented brewery, a place where you can enjoy some of the best damn beer in the state among your friends for years to come.
And now our beloved beer fans, this is where Paddlefish Brewing Company’s story is almost ready to merge with your own. With gratitude, excitement, laughter, humility, nervousness, and a whole lot of passion, we simply can’t wait to raise a glass of Paddlefish pure grains together!
No need to make dinner for Trivia tonight! Amazing Momo’s will be with us tonight from 4-8pm 🤤🍻 Their dumplings and our beer harness the ultimate brain power to win big tonight!
What’s your favorite Paddlefish flagship beer?? How about artwork? Stop in to buy a crowler or 3-pack (receive a free wooden beer token when you buy a 3-pack). Cheers for beers! 🍻
It’s time to build that dream team and join us on 4/10, because TriviaMafia has officially made it to St. Peter! 🍻 Win prizes, drink beer, win beer, and drink prizes!
Start time @7pm. See you there!
🪵 🪓 SPECIALTY BEER ALERT 🪵 🪓
Introducing our (Paul) Bunyan Hops American IPA, available on tap this week!
ABV 6.4%
53 IBUs
We brewed this one in Paul Bunyan’s honor, because nothing screams ‘lumberjack’ quite like an American IPA.
We packed a piney and floral aroma into this brew, reminiscent of a stroll through the dense forest, just like Paul was used to. A solid, clean and fresh hoppy taste with Centennial and Chinook hops, and a hint of malt in support, this IPA is sure to make you want to chop some wood and split a beer in half.
We’re open our normal Wednesday—Sunday hours this week, with TRIVIA starting next Wednesday, April 10th @7pm!! See you in the taproom!
Spring into our taproom this week! It’s the FIRST day of spring AND it’s the FIRST day of our 10 barrel batch! It’s an exciting day!
🌺🍺
We are back to normal weekday hours AND we have 7 beers on tap, including our seltzers. You read that right, 7 BEERS ON TAP!! 🎉 Open to 3-9pm on Wed & Thurs. See you soon!
Thanks to @madtapmedia for shooting an amazing video!
Tap into the luck of the Irish at Paddlefish this St. Patrick’s Day!🍀🍺 Come celebrate with us!
Today we’re serving up some specials with some special hours, open NOW-9PM!
LEPRECHAUN LAGER🍺
A light, crisp, and clean lager, with a festive green hue and smooth taste! Some say this leprechaun is distant cousins with the Engessers!
LUCKY LIMEADE SELTZER🌈
Housemade @riverrockcoffee lime syrup mixed with green Paddelfish seltzer base
Also, our dearest Sweet Pea is taking a field trip to the parade this afternoon at 3 pm (assuming she starts in this cold weather!)❄️
SPECIALTY BEER ALERT⚠️
Introducing our Vinter Liv Swedish Farmhouse Ale, available on tap today!
ABV 7.2 %
Immerse yourself in the Nordic winter experience with our Vinter Liv Farmhouse Ale, inspired by the traditional Gotlandsricke style. Brewed with a blend of birch leaves, juniper berries, and kveik yeast that we imported directly from Norway, the juniper fruitiness of this beer intertwines harmoniously with the earthy notes of birch, creating a unique and dynamic flavor profile that reflects the rugged beauty of the region🏔️
We are partnering with our friends at @swedishkontur in Saint Peter to bring you “Vinter Liv”! Swedish for “Winter Life”, it refers to celebrating the beauty of winter. Grab your clogs and hit to sauna, this beer is made for enjoying all winter long! It’s even Dala horse approved!
Cheers to enjoying the last few weeks of winter, and our first specialty beer! 🍻❄️
We’re open today 2-10 pm, see ya in the taproom!
It’s Kato Living time! Thank you to KEYC Mankato for having us 🍻 If you’re in the area, tune in at 4pm today!
🚨 MUG CLUB ALERT! Only 10 ceramic mugs remaining—make sure to join our annual or lifetime mug club before these beautifully crafted mugs are alllll gone! Mug club models Natalie, Ryan and Barb NOT included
Annual Mug Club: $150
• 20 oz pours for the price of 16oz (ceramic mug)
∙ Free crowler or pint when you sign up (and when you renew)
∙ Three free beer tokens upon sign up
∙ Monthly member discount night
- Free monthly beer with your annual membership card
∙ 10% off all merch
**Valid for one calendar year/end of the current month (Sign up 3/10/24, Membership expires 3/31/25)
Lifetime Mug Club: $500
• All of the above perks with the addition of one shirt, one hat, one pint glass and your name on a brick in the taproom
Thank you to local ceramist, Barb Page, for cranking out 50 of these amazing, unique mugs 🎉
🐟Introducing Jonas & the Paddlefish 🐟
Step into our taproom and journey to the back wall where awe & wonder await 🔮 Behold a stunning masterpiece crafted from reclaimed scrap metal - the Paddlefish, born from the hands of metal artist, Jonas Habben.
Jonas poured his heart and soul into shaping every piece and every curve of this creature, ensuring the Paddlefish’s essence shines through. Its form, flow, and sheer uniqueness now grace our space, inviting you to explore the depths of creativity and learning what the heck a paddlefish is.
Cheers to Jonas! (He is also the one who crafted our fancy steel tap towers where our beer flows through) 🍺
True love is hugging a 10 barrel fermentation tank that you’ve so desperately been waiting for.
Thank you to @dualcitizenbrewing and to St. Peter Lumber Company for your help!
We are thankful that St. Peter Lumber is only 150 feet away and they can cruise on over with their forklift.
TAPROOM WILL BE CLOSED WED, FEB 21ST TO INSTALL NEW TANKS.
Even though we’re closed for Valentine’s Day today, here’s what’s on tap the rest of the week! We’ll reopen at 3pm tomorrow 🍻 We take pride in our signage!
Welp, it’s a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless! We need to resupply ourselves with enough beer for you to drink 🍺 This means our taproom will be closed this Wed-Fri in order to help us build up our keg count. Luckily, we have a 10bbl fermentation vessel on its way so this hopefully won’t happen again!
We are so incredibly humbled and excited by the amount of support we have received in the last four weeks. It has truly been life-changing for us, so thank you! We are excited to see you all this weekend.
We’ll have our Mountain Mama West Coast IPA, Jolly Giant Hazy IPA, First Apostle Porter, our rotating seltzers and various N/A options available on tap!
Highlighting our eighth and final flagship brew, our Gustie Golden Ale! We even had some VIP Gustavus Adolphus College Staff & Faculty get in on the celebration 🎉 Gustavus President Rebecca Bergman had the honor of pouring the first pint 🍺
Gustie Golden Ale:
A radiant and inviting brew crafted with Maris Otter Pale malt, flaked corn and flaked barley, this golden ale delivers a harmonious blend of malt sweetness with a touch of crispness. Cluster hops add a subtle, floral aroma and a hint of citrus to the mix. The result is a refreshing, easy-drinking beer with a golden hue that’s sure to brighten your day. Raise a glass to the Gustie Golden Ale, a true testament to golden perfection!
ABV 4.6%
Gustie Golden Ale background:
Since two-thirds of our owners are Gustie alumni, it felt right to raise a glass to where we started. After all, we couldn’t have done it without our alma mater.
Three cheers for the Gusties! Beat ‘em, bust
‘em! That’s our custom! Gusties will shine!
Shown in photos:
• Gustavus President, Rebecca Bergman
• Assistant to the President and the Board of Trustees, JJ Akin
• Vice President for Mission, Strategy and Innovation, Kathi Tunheim
• Executive Assistant / Strategic Project Manager, Jean Noren
Brewer/Beertender/Musician—-Joe Weckwerth! Playing this Friday (1/26) from 6-9pm!
Favorite song to play: Poncho and Lefty
Hometown: Stillwater, MN
Favorite beer to brew: Jolly Giant Hazy IPA
Genre: “I play Americana music: an earthy blend of blues, American folk music, and country music”
He’s the guy!
See you there 🍺 🎸
Dry January?? Fear not! We have delicious mocktails made with syrups stirred up by our friends over @riverrockcoffee 🎉 They even come with fun garnishes—great for an IG moment 📸
Try ‘em all out, #1-4! Let us know your favorite!
Shout out to @madtapmedia for these sweet photos!
🎶 Almost heaven, Paddlefish 🎶 Highlighted here are the 1st & 3rd person to order our Mountain Mama West Coast IPA fresh off the tap! (The second person didn’t want a pic 😜) We’ll see you this week and weekend to try it out—come on in to the place you belong!
🎉 Tomorrow is the day!!! The GRAND OPENING!!! 🎉 Is this real life?!? See you at 2pm!!
Brewery Hours:
Mon: Closed
Tues: Closed
Wed: 3-9pm (except 1/10)
Thurs: 3-9pm
Fri: 2-10pm
Sat: Noon-10pm
Sun: 11am-6pm
Lindsey to the rescue! Meet our fancy dancy Director of Hospitality & Guest Relations!
Lindsey has spent countless hours collecting plants and keeping them safe and sound before making their official move to our taproom about one week ago! 🪴
We also love our history here at Paddlefish, so we’ve dedicated one of our walls to photos of St. Peter’s past — a project facilitated by Lindsey 📸
She’s sure to make you feel welcome whenever you see her so give her a smile, a wave, and raise your glass! 👋😀🍻
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Reopening Friday, March 15th!
We are in the process of brewing more beer in our new, larger tanks so we don’t have to do this in the future! Thanks for your patience!
