Blacklist to open brewery, taproom in former Last Place on Earth building

The former home of Last Place on Earth is going to be a brewery.

Blacklist Artisan Ales is planning to open a brewery and taproom at 120 East Superior St. this summer, according to a news release. Currently, the brewery is located at 211 East 2nd St., the brewery's website shows.

The 5,700-square-foot space on East Superior Street is in a historic building that was originally built as the Delray Hotel in 1908, but "suffered a period of neglect" after becoming home of the "notorious Last Place on Earth" head shop, the release says.

After Last Place on Earth's owner was convicted for selling synthetic drugs, the building was forfeited to federal authorities.

Titanium Partners has since purchased the building and has invested in bringing it back to "its former glory," with Blacklist being the building's flagship tenant.

Brian Schanzenbach, a founding partner and head brewer at Blacklist, said in the release that the move will allow them to "expand production while continuing to experiment with new ales in a setting that leaves us more accessible and better connected to our customers."

The building, located in Duluth's Historic Arts and Theater District, "aligns with our goal to further solidify our place in Duluth's dynamic craft brewing and arts community," Jon Loss, Blacklist's founding partner and marketing director, said in the release.

“We couldn’t be more proud to welcome Blacklist to this revitalized part of our vibrant downtown,” Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said in the release. “Blacklist embodies the spirit of Duluth’s craft culture. Whether we’re talking about better beers or better neighborhoods, we come together to make things better."

Blacklist Artisan Ales was founded in 2012 by Schanzenbach and Loss thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, and specializes in Belgian-style artisan ales.