Dust is flying inside the Miller Textile Building as the founders of HeadFlyer Brewing get ready to start building their taproom and brewing space. Husband and wife team, Neil Miller and Amy Miller (no relation to the original Millers, but a great fit just the same), along with Amy’s brother Austin Lee and business partner Nate Larson are the intrepid group of start-up owners turning their dream into reality. As we walk through their area of the historic Miller Textile Building, Amy outlines their vision. The front space, a room with huge sunny windows facing Hennepin Avenue, will be the taproom. They’re hoping to convert some of the windows to sliding doors that open onto a patio for the warmer months. We go through the cellar where a huge hole in the floor clearly marks where the tanks will sit, encased behind glass for easy viewing. We walk into the smaller brewing room and Amy tells us about how her husband Neil is really into the science of brewing. After hatching their brewery idea three years ago, Neil took his previous homebrewing experience to the next level, with more classes and apprenticeships.
They found this location in Beltrami after two years of searching and fell in love with the historic nature of the Textile Building. They’re also excited to be in a vibrant and growing part of Minneapolis. “We want this to be a community space, as well as a brewery,” says Amy. Opening the space up for “not just beer-drinking” events and community activities is important to them. As the parents of young children, being family-friendly is also a priority. For the adults, there will be 13 taps, approximately 5-6 staple beers and the rest for small-batch and seasonal concoctions. Neil says the focus will be on perfecting some American style beers, such as IPA variations and some Belgian styles for their staples, and making sure to have some interesting small-batch beers for those who want to take a chance on something new. Trying something new and taking a risk is something the HeadFlyer team is familiar with, and was part of the inspiration for the name. “Take a Flyer” is the team’s slogan, which has come to mean taking a chance on something, just as they have with this brewery project.
HeadFlyer is hoping to open it’s doors in early spring of 2017 and Beltrami residents can “Take a Flyer” on the brewery once their doors open. Stay tuned to their Facebook page and Twitter for more announcements!
