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!
⚠️ Warning: May cause spontaneous singing and peak enjoyment. Contents are dangerously crisp, wildly hoppy, and born in the heart of St. Peter.
Close your eyes, take a sip, and let Mountain Mama take you home 🏔️ Oh, and take home a 4-pack while you’re at it!
6.5% ABV, 55 IBUs
🍻 Beertender Spotlight: Jason Sletta!
Meet Jason — Paddlefish beertender, sales rep, and everyday math wizard. He’s got a thing for cream ales, 40s music, and helping you find the perfect beer.
• His go-to pour? Boundary Waters Cream Ale
• Weirdest job before beer? Pig farm or stone quarry (yes, both—but not at the same time)
• Hidden fear? Marionettes. Especially Pinocchio. 😳
• Not-so-hidden talent? Growing a mustache and umpiring baseball. He’s been an umpire since the beginning of time. Happy MLB Opening Day! ⚾️
Come grab a pint with Jason—just beware, you might leave with 14 growlers!
🐶 Meet 4 of our four-legged Paddlefish Pups 🐶
Bjorn, Elizabeth, Bowie, and Winston are here to remind you that hoppy tails and wagging ales are best enjoyed at Paddlefish 🍻
Woof!
No matter what the weather is doing outside of Paddlefish, there’s always a cold one waiting for you 🍺 ☀️⛈️❄️🍺
🧩 Puzzle Competition Recap! 🧩
Another Puzzle Competition in the books, and we have a NEW RECORD! 🏆 The winning team crushed it in 31 minutes and 58 seconds—a new best time (though with a different puzzle 🕰️🔥
Funny enough, they sat at the exact same table as our previous champs from January… Maybe that spot has some extra puzzle-solving magic? ✨
Big thanks to everyone who came out to drink, think, and puzzle it out with us! Round 3 coming in May! 👀
#PuzzleCompetition #PaddlefishBrewing #BrainyAndBeery #MNEvents #GameNight
🎨🐾 Paint Your Pet at Paddlefish! 🐾🎨
Join us on Sunday, April 16 from 1-4PM for a Paint Your Pet event with @GrayDuckArt! 🖌️🐶🐱 Whether it’s your pup, kitty, or bearded dragon 🦎—bring your creativity and let’s make some art!
🚨 Deadline to sign up: THIS SATURDAY (March 23)! 🚨 That’s only 6 days left to grab your spot. Don’t wait—secure yours now!
🔗 Sign up at the link in bio!
#PaintYourPet #GrayDuckArt #PaddlefishBrewing #MNEvents #DogLovers #CatLovers #BeerAndArt
“A Promise is a Promise” – Sweet Pea Gets Some Sweet Coat Racks! 🚐💚
We have the BEST customers, and Ole Johnny is proof of that. A true Paddlefish & Sweet Pea fan (he has his own blue VW bus named Neil 🛻), Johnny handcrafted these two amazing coat racks just for us—from the goodness of his heart.
Not only do they match Sweet Pea’s exact paint color (he color-matched it at Sherwin Williams 🎨), but they also feature authentic VW German hubcaps as the base! Absolute perfection.
In the photo, John is in the middle (next to his wife), and Keith Dorn (who helped John with them) is on the far right. Huge shoutout to Keith, a talented scrap metal artist who also did work for Mankato Brewing!
And the best part? Johnny is bringing LOTS of VW friends with their VWs to Paddlefish on Friday, May 23rd for a big meetup, live music (Squid City Slingers 🎶), and On Every Corner Mexican Cuisine 🌮. Mark your calendars—you won’t want to miss it!
Ole Johnny, you’re one of a kind. Thanks for making Paddlefish even more special 🍻
🍀 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Lucky Hours Today 🍀
Lucky Hours are running 11AM-8PM, and Russell’s is back from 4-8PM serving up some Shamrock Specials! 🌈🍽️
PLUS, we’re continue to taste the rainbow with our:
🍹 $5 Lucky Limeade Seltzer
🍺 $5 Leprechaun Lager
🚐 Sweet Pea is rolling through the parade at 5:30pm! Keep your eyes out for some sweets… or maybe even a lucky piece of gold (AKA a FREE BEER TOKEN)! 🍬🍺✨
🍀 Cheers to St. Paddy’s… or shall we say St. Paddlefish?🍻 Grab one of our special edition 2025 “St. Paddlefish” t-shirts today during our celebration and rep the luck of the Irish! ☘️🎉
☘️ One sip of our Green Leprechaun Lager and BAM—your accent’s gone full Irish! 🇮🇪🍻
We’re pouring this magical brew TODAY, SUNDAY & MONDAY for our St. Paddy’s Celebration! Don’t miss out on the good craic, the pints, and the good times! Sláinte! 🍀 🌈 $5 Leprechaun Lager and $5 Lucky Limeade Seltzer all weekend long!
#PaddlefishBrewing #StPatricksDay #GreenBeer #LeprechaunLager #OneSipAndYoureIrish
🚐✨ Sweet Pea is On The Road Again! ✨🚐
She was MIA from the taproom for a couple of days, but for good reason—she got a little TLC from the awesome crew at Nelson Imports in St. Peter! 🛠️💚 Oil changed, a full check-up, and now she’s ready to roll for the St. Paddy’s Day Parade this Monday! 🍀🎉
Huge shoutout to Nelson Imports for taking care of her and making sure she’s road-ready. 🙌 If you see us cruising through town, give us a wave! 👋
#SweetPeaIsBack #StPaddyParade #PaddlefishBrewing #StPeterMN #VWBusLife
🎓🍻 Cheers to the Gustavus Seniors! 🍻🎓
Last night, we had the honor of pouring some of our Gustie Golden along with some of our other flagship beers and seltzers at the Senior Springboard Event at Gustavus! Shoutout to our beertenders Wes and Zoe for keeping the beer flowing (until we ran out after an hour! 😅). And of course, a special moment with President Bergman made the night even better!
From walking tacos to root beer floats and the exclusive senior mugs, it was a fantastic evening celebrating the Class of 2025. Thanks for having us, Gusties—you’re officially Gusties for Life! 💛🍻
#PaddlefishBrewing #GustieForLife #SeniorSpringboard #GustavusAdolphus #DrinkLocal
🍀 This Week at Paddlefish! 🍀
We’ve got a jam-packed week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day! Get ready for books, brews, puzzles, and pints—and of course, our big St. Paddy’s Day Celebration on Saturday! 🎶🍻
📚 Tuesday 3/11 – Book Swap 📖 (6-8PM)
📖 Bring a book, swap for something new-to-you, get $1 off and sip while you read!
🧩 Wednesday 3/12 – Puzzle Competition 🧩 (6-8PM)
SOLD OUT!
🍺 Thursday 3/13 & Friday 3/14 – Happy Hour (12-2PM)
$1 OFF pints to get your weekend started early!
☘️ Saturday 3/15 – ST. PADDLEFISH DAY CELEBRATION! ☘️ (11AM-10PM)
🍀 TWO Food Trucks & St. Paddy’s Day Food Specials!
🍀 $5 Green Beer & Lucky Limeade Seltzer!
🍀 LIMITED EDITION St. Paddlefish T-shirts available for sale (only 20 available!)
🎨 Sunday 3/16 – Cozy Craft Day 🧶✂️ (All Day!)
Bring your own craft and get $1 off any drink! Plus, $15 Growler Fills to take your favorites home!
☘️ Monday 3/17 Special St. Patty’s Day Hours (11AM-8PM) Come see Sweet Pea in the St. Patty’s Day at 5:30pm! Russell’s Food Truck will be here and our Saturday specials continue!
🚨 CANNING DAY REEL 🚨
🎬 Ever wonder how our 16oz 4-packs come to life? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of canning day! Big shoutout to Wooden Hill Brewing for letting us use their canning line to make this happen.
You can now grab Mountain Mama West Coast IPA & Jolly Giant Hazy IPA in fresh 4-packs—available in the taproom and select liquor stores 🍻
🍀 ALL THINGS IRISH at Paddlefish! 🍀
It’s time to get your green on and raise a pint to all things Irish! Here’s what we’ve got coming up over the next week and a half:
🍺 Friday, March 7 | 5PM
Pearly Gates Irish Dry Stout release – on nitro! Smooth, roasty, and the perfect pour for the season.
🎶 Sunday, March 9 | 2-5PM
Live Irish Music with Legacy Celtic Music in the taproom! Traditional Irish tunes, great vibes, and of course, great beer!
🍀 Saturday, March 15 | 11AM-10PM
St. Patty’s Day Celebration!
🍴 Russell’s Food Truck serving up St. Patty’s Day specials
🍺 $5 Green Beer & Lucky Limeade Seltzer all day long!
🎤 Karaoke with Karl 6-9PM – bring your best Irish singalongs!
🌈 Monday, March 17 | St. Patrick’s Day!
Special Hours: 11AM-8PM
🍻 More time for green beers & good cheer!
🌟 Find Sweet Pea in the St. Peter Parade at 5:30PM and score some treats!
It’s about to be a shamrockin’ good time—who’s joining us? 🍻💚
🍀 March is packed with events, and we’ve got something for errrrryone! From a Book Swap, Schitt’s Creek Trivia, Initials Game Live, to live music, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and our Pot Painting and Plant Swap, there’s no shortage of fun (or green beer 🍀🍻).
🔥 New Month New Beer has also officially started! Each first Friday of the month, we’ll be tapping a new brewski—stay tuned for the deets on this banger of an Irish Dry Stout! 🍻
🚨NEW BEER DROP ALERT!🚨
The wait is over—Our Mountain Mama West Coast IPA and Jolly Giant Hazy IPA are now available in fresh 16oz 4-packs!🍻🎉
🔥 Our Mountain Mama brings the bold, crisp & piney bitterness of a classic West Coast IPA, while our Jolly Giant packs a juicy, hazy hop punch that’s smooth and refreshing.
🏡 Available NOW in the taproom! Swing by and stock up! And keep an eye out 👀 for these beauties at your favorite local liquor stores soon!
Huge shoutout to @woodenhillbrewing for helping us get these into cans! Stay tuned—we’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes footage of the canning process next! 🎥 🍺
Which one are you cracking open first? Let us know in the comments! ⬇️🍻
🌾 NEW BEER RELEASE: Prairie Pioneer Kernza! 🍻
We just tapped Prairie Pioneer, our brand-new Kernza beer—just in time for our Beer & Biodiversity event with @greatrivergreening and @cargill 🌾 Even @riverrockkitchenandbakingco got in on the fun by baking up some bagels and chocolatey goodness using Kernza flour!
This brew is indeed sumpin special. It features raw & medium-roasted Kernza, a perennial grain developed by the University of Minnesota to make farming more efficient & sustainable. Since Kernza grows back year after year, it reduces costs for farmers and improves topsoil quality.
While still new to the market, Kernza has found success in brewing, bringing a unique, subtly nutty & bready flavor to beer. Prairie Pioneer uses 15% Kernza in the grain bill, creating a crisp, smooth beer most similar to an American Blonde Ale with a 5.1% ABV & low IBU.
🍺 Best served in a Nonic glass—on tap NOW! Stop in, grab a pint, and taste this sustainable brew for yourself. 🌾🍻
🏆 GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT! 🏆
Congrats to __________ and __________ for winning a $25 gift card to Paddlefish! 🎉🍻 (watch post for both winners!)
Thanks to everyone who entered and stay tuned for more chances to win soon! 🏆
🎉 Happy Birthday, Hayley! 🎉
Today we celebrate the incredible force behind our beertending magic and team leadership. Whether you’re dazzling us with the stunning jewelry from Comet Designs, creating adorable dog bandanas, or unleashing your creativity with that fancy Cricut of yours, you always add a brilliant spark of sass and style to everything you do.
Cheers to you, Hayley, for inspiring us daily with your creative spirit and fearless passion. Have an amazing birthday! 🎂
Fun fact: Hayley went on a solo adventure to Ireland this last year! ☘️
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