Southeast Minnesota breweries adapt to rising costs on supplies and goods

(ABC 6 News) – Breweries across Minnesota have been facing common supply chain issues this year.

With grain shipments from Ukraine cut off due to the war, they’re finding alternative methods for resources and revenue by making their businesses more than just beer.

Chaotic Good and Thesis Beer Project serve plenty of beer, but both breweries have adapted to becoming community hubs for gamers and musicians as another way to roll in some money.

The summer was bountiful in sales for local breweries, but like so many across Minnesota, they’re still struggling with supply chain issues.

Between the war in Ukraine and rising inflation, brewers have had to pivot between sources to find the right price.

“The days and dreams of it all being about beer, that’s not going to be sustainable to keep a business a float brewery wise but yeah, I’m still cautiously optimistic,” said Adam Fredericksen owner, Thesis Beer Project.

And as more breweries learn that beer isn’t all they can do, they’re adapting to other sources. Chaotic Good opened with the intent of being a place for DND and Thesis did the same with music. Now they’re doing more events that cater to their customer bases to keep them coming back for more.

“You can hangout with your kids and play a game of Uno, or meet the neighbors and have a cribbage tournament or whatever you want to do. We have a fair number of additional stuff we bring in, we do yoga every Sunday morning,” said Scott Stroh, owner Chaotic Good.

“The project part of Thesis Beer Project was this idea that we knew we were always going to have to grow and adapt and keep this space adjustable so that it could mold itself into whatever the community needed it to be,” Fredericksen said.

Even with colder months and slower business approaching, Fredericksen and Stroh have cautious optimism on what they’ll see from customers in the colder months.

“We’re trying to be responsive to what the folks around here want to see, want to have happen. It’s a community, it’s not just about the beer and the brewery, it’s about everything, and the people. We’ve met a whole lot of amazing people that we never would have met otherwise,” Stroh said.

“It’s fun to get a group of people in here that wouldn’t be in here for beer otherwise and learning about how we can better get them what they need and deliver a space that is accepting, and comforting and fun,” said Fredericksen

Both Chaotic Good and Thesis Beer Project will have their own Oktober fests the weekend of September 29 and will have plenty of festivities for both gamers alike.