Address: 817 Fifth Ave. S., Minneapolis
Website: finnegans.org
Opened: March 2018
Cost: $15 million
Architect (interior and exterior): ESG Architects
Contractor: Kraus-Anderson Construction
Property description: Anchoring the middle of an East Town/Elliot Park block developed by Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson, the four-level Finnegans House is another addition to the burgeoning craft brewing scene in Minneapolis, albeit one with a decidedly different approach than many of its competitors.
“We call it the ‘untap room’ because so many other taprooms look so industrial,” said Jacquie Berglund, Finnegans CEO, who points to the inspiration of Irish pubs. “We wanted to offer nice furniture, good acoustics and beautiful art.”
The 4,500-square-foot Finnegans House taproom sits on the building’s south side, where patrons sit at long tables with benches or at smaller tables with chairs. An expansive, African mahogany bar and a carved sculpture by local artists anchor a wall with several floor-to-ceiling views of the brewing operation on the north side. Come summer, an outdoor patio will open out back.
The brewery is Finnegans’ research and development laboratory in collaboration with Badger Hill Brewing Co., which means many of the beers available are generally not available anywhere else. A special brewers’ tasting table anchors the brewery room, which can be rented for corporate events. (Finnegans’ 16,000-square-foot production and bottling facility, shared with Badger Hill, is in Shakopee.)
The 44,000-square-foot building’s second floor features “The Brewer’s Den,” a private social club in an elegant room with leather chairs, a lovely wooden bar and closed-off seating areas. Boasting more than 500 members, the club’s fees run $360 to more than $1,000 annually.
The third floor offers an event center with an outdoor deck overlooking the Minneapolis skyline, and the fourth level will house Impact Hub MSP, a social entrepreneurial co-working space expected to open in May.
Intriguing tidbits: Berglund continues to operate Finnegans as a social enterprise, the second-oldest in the country after Newman’s Own. She has donated more than $1.2 million to charity, primarily to The Food Group in Minnesota and to food shelf partners in other states where her company’s beer is sold.
Finnegans shares a block with Kraus-Anderson’s headquarters, a Marriott Autograph hotel and HQ Apartments.
“I live and work in the neighborhood, and I’ve seen the potential for years of this neighborhood,” she said. “I’m happy to have our building in Elliot Park.”