A Grand Time in Grand Rapids: Klockow Brewing
One of the places I have long wanted to visit is Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It is definitely a trek from Saint Paul, so it has been difficult just to drop by on a whim. The stars finally aligned when I helped emcee the Minnesota Brewers Cup Award ceremony. It piqued the interest of Andy and Tasha Klockow and they asked if I would be interested in coming up to Grand Rapids to do a podcast at Klockow Brewing. I am not one to ever refuse the invitation from nice people to talk beer, so I decided to make a trip of it.
Once I got to thinking about heading up to Grand Rapids, I decided to pair it up with a visit to Nisswa, Minnesota, to celebrate Father’s Day with my dad. I decided that two nights in Grand Rapids would be enough time to get a sense of what the town is like and hopefully would fill me with some experiences that I would be able to recommend to others. I love to visit northern Minnesota in the summertime. It is truly the best time to look out the car window and see the cool, blue waters of any of the 10,000 lakes that act as a backdrop for various pine and birch trees. If you want a peaceful way to detach from the day-to-day grind, you should treat yourself to a long weekend up north.
Klockow Brewing Company
Klockow Brewing Company opened in 2017 and sits in a building that used to belong to the phone company. That taproom is open and spacious. On the wall, there is an incredibly beautiful mural depicting the different seasons in Minnesota as well as a silhouette of the Klockow family.
There is a stage in the corner that is quite large. With the willow tree logo of the brewery displayed prominently. The bar is on the wall near a hallway that leads to the brewhouse where there is a huge logo of the brewery accompanied by a bunch of stickers of other breweries who have visited.
Klockow Brewing is owned by Andy and Tasha Klockow. They are partners in every sense of the word. After five minutes of conversation, it is quite clear why they work so well together. They are smart, witty, and compassionate individuals. This dynamic inspires the rest of their small but intrepid brewery staff.
I arrive shorly after 1pm for our podcast interview. I walk in and there is a huge table of folks enjoying some beers. For 1pm on a Monday, I take this as a good sign. I meet Tasha at the bar and ask her where I should set up. We decide on a table close to the stage on the far wall. She asks if I would like a beer, and I go with the New Zealand Pilsner, Driver Off the Deck. I love pilsners that hail from all over the world. This one is crisp and clean and is the perfect thing to refresh me after a long drive.
I get the mics plugged in and Andy finishes up in the brewhouse. We make sure that everyone has a beer before pressing record because it is bad luck to do a beer podcast without a beer.
Andy used to brew at Hammerheart Brewing, which is a craft beer darling in both Minnesota and regionally. Hammerheart used to be located in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, and then relocated to Ely, Minnesota. They are back up and running again on the production side and you should definitely keep an eye out for their cans. Andy clearly learned a ton while brewing at Hammerheart and it shows in the beers at Klockow. The flavors and textures are befitting a place that knows how to educate and challenge the palates of people who may or may not have much experience with craft beer.
We have our beers and it is time to press record on the interview. I have prepared a list of topics to discuss and the conversation really just takes off. I love doing a podcast where I don’t have to say a lot. That isn’t because I am lazy, but I want the focus to be on the folks I am interviewing. I am also sometimes nervous to interview people I haven’t met before because there is potential for a lack of rapport; today is not an example of that. We are instantly riffing with banter that has me feeling really comfortable.
The entire staff at Klockow Brewing are all trained to welcome locals and new visitors into the fold the same way. This adept way of fostering hospitality and community is at the core of what craft beer should be. Especially when the beers are avant garde and not simply the ones your grandfather drank, their needs to be a willingness to educate and patiently work with the customer to ensure that they have the best craft beer experience possible. This all starts with Andy and Tasha.
The Beers at Klockow Brewing
I mentioned that the beers span a vast spectrum of flavors and textures. On the light end of the spectrum there is Stranger Ranger, a light American lager. Stranger Ranger is a “gateway beer” to other things. I appreciate the Stranger Ranger because it is really well made. There isn’t a ton going on, but then again, there isn’t supposed to be. This is the beer you drink when you want to swear at the television during the Vikings game.
On the more high octane end of the spectrum, there is Song of Susannah, a 10.5% ABV Double IPA. This is for the people who love hops and a little bit of warming alcohol in their beer. In fact, I met a regular sitting at the end of the bar who absolutely loves this beer. If you want to stay in the stratosphere of big beers, you can also try the Siduri’s Elixir, a Gin barrel aged Saison. Siduri’s Elixir has a fabulous bouquet of herbal aromas. The tart and herbaceous flavors balance out the moderately hefty body of the beer.
If you are in the mood for a more decadent and rich malt experience, the Pokegama (Poe-keg-eh-ma) Porter is definitely the move. This Baltic Porter is just sensational. It has some dark fruit, molasses, and dark chocolate notes that all come together in a cacophony of delight. It is available on both CO2 and Nitro. I suggest both so you can compare and contrast.
My favorite beer of the bunch, by far, was the Travelin’ Jack West Coast IPA. It has the quintessential elements of the beer style that captivated so many people into loving hops. Travelin’ Jack has brightness the comes across as citrusy goodness and finishes with a piney hop bite. I dare you to just try and only have one sip of this liquid wonder.
After chatting on the podcast, Tasha has to go and do kid pick-up duty. Andy offers to show me the brewhouse. We do a little TikTok to document him putting an A One Pint Stand sticker on the Klockow Brewing wall of stickers.
The Klockow Brewery Tour
The brewhouse kicks out a lot of beer for its size. Andy and his crew definitely keep busy. They self-distribute and that keeps them extremely busy. It also gives them a lot of control of their product. There is some room for expansion, but they are content to grow organically and slowly. Klockow brews on an eight and a half barrel electric brewhouse. They have 4 17 barrel tanks so they can double batch their bigger sellers. They also have the ability to half-batch experimental or taproom-only beers.
Too many breweries have expanded too fast and are now struggling to pay down their crippling levels of debt. Unfortunately, there are many craft breweries without any semblance of business sense and that is a big reason why there have been and will continue to be brewery closures. Luckily, Andy and Tasha are shrewd when it comes to managing all of that.
I did wind up going back to Klockow the next day two times. Once was to quench my thirst after a challenging bike ride on the Mesabi Trail. The second was after dinner to join Andy for a few pints at the brewery to chat. What I can say is that Klockow is absolutely worth your time. Klockow Brewing has beers for everyone and they will treat you like a local the best possible ways. I am so grateful for Andy and Tasha for extending the invitation to me so I could come up and enjoy their company and space.
If you liked this article and have enjoyed listening to the podcast, consider supporting A One Pint Stand through our Patreon. There are multiple levels of support to choose from, some of which come with great additional content and perks.
[…] A Grand Time in Grand Rapids: Klockow Brewing Company […]