Brewery closure wave hits Minneapolis' North Loop district

The craft-brewing industry’s wave of closures is rippling into Minneapolis’ trendy North Loop district. Inbound Brew Co., which has been a staple of the North Loop for a decade, announced over the weekend it will shut down its taproom and brewing facility at 701 N. 5th St. on Dec. 31. Distribution of its cans and kegs will continue to stores and bars for however long supplies last. “When the beer runs out, it’s out,” Inbound’s operators wrote in their closure announcement, which — unlike their typical taproom beer menu — was remarkably light on sourness. “This industry is dyanamic, ever changing and complicated, but it is also beautiful, fun, rewarding and sometimes beyond our wildest dreams,” the Inbound team wrote in social media posts . Advertisement Expanded image view Beers like the Hazy Shades IPA remained the core part of Inbound BrewCo's business in its 10 years operating in the North Loop in Minneapolis. ( File/The Minnesota Star Tribune ) “Mix in a fair share of struggles, heartbreaks, blood, sweat & tears and you’ll just barely start to scratch the surface. Call it retirement, other opportunities or just needing some time to pet our dogs more ... whatever it is, it’s the end of an era for us.” Inbound opened in 2016, when founders John Messier and Eric Biermann, who formerly operated Lucid Brewing in Minnetonka, opted to open a new brewery near downtown Minneapolis — i.e. they were “inbound.” That was near the peak of Minnesota’s craft-brewery boom, when Fulton Brewing and the Freehouse had already opened taprooms in the North Loop, with Modist, StormKing Brewpub and the Burnsville-founded Bricksworth chain to follow. One of the few breweries in the area to not double as a restaurant, Inbound is the first of those North Loop beer hubs to close amid a sharp, industry-wide uptick in production and distribution costs for brewers, confounded by a slump in consumer demand as many Gen Zers avoid alcohol consumption. Expanded image view Eric Biermann and John Messier in 2012, around when they launched Lucid Brewing in Minnetonka ahead of their move into Minneapolis to open Inbound. ( Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune ) Like many breweries, Inbound expanded its offerings to suit changing tastes in recent years, including the addition of seltzer, its Petal Pounder nonalcoholic beer and the THC sparkling drink brand Satellite. It remained mostly known for its beer, though, including its Fruit of the Loop and Hazy Shades IPA and the Laser Loon pilsner.