Founder,
Travis Peterson, recently spoke to us at Montana
Beer Finder about his upcoming project.
“I was born
and raised in Sidney, and I’ve been homebrewing since high school,” says
Peterson. “While on a family trip, my parents told me it was time I open my own
brewery. We started looking for usable space but it took two-and-a-half years
before we could find something. Since the oil boom here property has been hard
to come by, especially for a reasonable price.”**
After finding
a building at 119 S. Central Avenue, the former Carpenter’s Storehaus and
Snowflake Bakery, Peterson lucked into the neighboring building too, the Jock
Stop, allowing them twice the space they originally planned for.
During the
early renovation stages, Peterson uncovered a few good omens, including a stash
of Olympia Brewing cans behind a wall. He also uncovered a few newspapers
dating back to 1931, just as Prohibition was repealed.
Before
moving back to Sidney three years ago to work at the family business, Sidney
Red-E-Mix, Peterson spent time working as a civil engineer building bridges in
the Bay area, Seattle, and around Sandpoint, Idaho, where he got to know the
crew at MickDuff's.***
Meadowlark
Brewing Company will operate on a 15-barrel Metalcraft Fabrications
brewhouse, a company based in Portland. The system, pictured below, is expected
to arrive in early September.
“Originally
I wanted a 7.5-barrel brewhouse,” says Peterson, “but after talking with a few
other brewers, they suggested at least a 10-barrel system. But then they also
pointed out that a 15-barrel system would take up the exact same footprint and
save in expansion costs down the road whenever we’d be ready to increase
production.”
Peterson
says he’s planning to brew 500 barrels annually at first and then grow from
there.
“I certainly
want to get into regional distribution in kegs when it’s feasible,” says
Peterson, “and then I’d be open to canning too after that.”
Sidney has
already made strong headway into the Montana craft beer scene. It is the host
city for the annual Bakken
Brew Fest, which has now sold out two years in a row! In April 2013,
the Bakken Brew Fest featured more than 40 craft breweries (up from 29 its
first year), and tickets ($50 each) sold out quickly.
Meadowlark Brewing Company’s 32 oz.
growlettes, aka. Boston bottles, debuted at the 2nd annual Bakken
Brew Fest.
Peterson has
applied for a beer and wine license, allowing him to stay open after 8:00 p.m.,
serve food, and not be limited to 48 ounces daily. But he also plans to make
the brewery family-friendly. Seating will be on two floors with the brewery
operations in the rear of the building.
“There are a
lot of bars here,” he says. “But there aren’t a lot of places where families
can dine and drink together. I’ve actually had my architect include a
designated kids’ area with a small tree house and games area. The brewery will
be very open and well-lit.”
Peterson
expects to roll out with a “four-to-five beer lineup,” including a Kolsch and
Hefeweizen to appeal to the macro-beer drinkers in the area. Then, hopefully,
he can entice them to try a porter or pale ale.
Opening day,
according to Peterson, will be 30 days after the first brew day.
*Meadowlark Brewing Company is currently
seeking a head brewer. More information about this position, as well as
instructions for applying, can
be found here.
**Sidney’s population was 5,100 in 2010.
Because of the Bakken Oil Boom, the town is expected to gain another 9,000
residents by 2015. Three new hotels opened in 2012 and apartments that rented
for $300/month in 2011 are now on the market for up to $2,000/month. The boom’s
epicenter, Williston, North Dakota, doubled its population from 12,500 to
25,000 since 2010 and is expected to hit 60,000 in the next three to five
years.
***The original article incorrectly listed the brewery as Laughing Dog. The correct brewery is MickDuff's.
***The original article incorrectly listed the brewery as Laughing Dog. The correct brewery is MickDuff's.
Love the Eastern Montana breweries...or are they western North Dakota breweries? Either way, it is terrific!
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