Soon you may be able to order a beer inside one of the most offbeat houses in the city — currently the only single-family home in downtown.
The house in Downtown East, just steps from U.S. Bank Stadium, is the creation of musician and restaurateur Jeff Arundel (Aster Cafe and Jefe Urban Hacienda, both on St. Anthony Main).
Arundel bought the place, a former blacksmith shop that had been converted into a home and dance studio, in 2002, then transformed it into his fantasy home and recording studio. The urban castle, with its copper-clad "twisty troll roof" outside, is full of Gothic arches, stained glass and hand-wrought architectural details, including a massive stone fireplace and a staircase that winds to a rooftop deck overlooking the stadium.
The house has been on and off the market for the last few years. Now Brass Foundry Brewing Co. is seeking a brewery and taproom license and off-sale growler license at that location.
Representatives Dan Shrader and John Kraus presented applications to the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) Land Use Committee last month.
Brass Foundry plans to create a "destination brewery," similar to Surly, according to a letter of support signed by Christie Rock Hantge, DMNA Neighborhood Coordinator, on behalf of the DMNA. The proposed brewery will "retain the unique character of the building," according to the letter, which was submitted to the city's Department of Licenses and Consumer Services.
Currently, the 4,500-square-foot home has three bedrooms and 3½ bathrooms. "It's the greatest party house," Arundel told the Star Tribune in 2014.
The proposed brewery does not plan to serve food but will allow patrons to bring food on site from nearby restaurants and food trucks, according to the letter.
Hantge, reached by e-mail, said she did not know when the brewery and taproom might open to the public, but based on the presentation, she anticipated it would be around or soon after Super Bowl 2018.
Kim Palmer • 612-673-4784
@stribkimpalmer
