Bloomington is set to get its first taproom this fall
Bloomington is getting a brewery.
Nine Mile Brewing Company, named after the Nile Mile Creek that runs through the city, is set to open this fall at 9555 James Ave. S, a news release says.
“We’re really looking forward to opening the first craft brewery and taproom in Bloomington. While Bloomington has a lot to offer already, we believe residents are ready to embrace a local brewery and taproom," Bob Countryman, founder and operator, said in the release.
The 10,500-square-foot space will include a 3,000-square-foot taproom for 200 guests, a dog-friendly patio, a brewing facility and 2,000-square-feet of event space.
There will be a dozen or more beers on tap crafted by head brewery John Leingang, formerly the head brewer at Dangerous Man in Minneapolis.
“Running the gamut from crispy pilsners, to sure-fire Hazy IPAs, to vivid sours and everything in between will be made for y’all to enjoy,” Leingang said in the release. "Paying homage to established styles, digging up forgotten recipes, and endlessly riffing upon anything that can be considered beer will be the name of the game. Exploring all avenues of the vast realm of this lovely liquid means that there will be something for everyone to imbibe.”
Nine Mile Brewing is able to open in Bloomington after the city passed a ballot measure in 2019 to remove language from the city's Charter that previously prevented breweries from serving beer on-site in taprooms, the release notes.
The Nine Mile Brewing team's goal is to provide a warm, friendly atmosphere where friends, family and community members can enjoy craft beer, conversation and a variety of entertainment, the release says.
"I worked with Bob on developing this project and I think we came up with a really cool model that is uniquely Bloomington," said Ilan Klages-Mundt, consultant and part owner at Nine Mile Brewing. Klages-Mundt also co-founded Insight Brewing in Minneapolis in 2014. "I traveled around the world learning from top breweries and gained a lot of knowledge from that adventure. I’m still surprised that this will be the first brewery in Bloomington, but am thrilled to help bring this vision to reality."
An exact opening date hasn't been announced.