The Minhas Craft Brewery is located in Monroe, Wisconsin, owned by brother and sister, Ravinder and Manjit Minhas.[2] It is the Midwest's oldest brewery and the second oldest in the United States.[3] It survived the Great Depression, Prohibition and a fire.[4] It is currently the 18th largest craft brewery in America.[5]

Minhas Craft Brewery
TypeCraft brewery – alcoholic beverages
LocationMonroe, Wisconsin, US
Opened1845 (formerly Joseph Huber Brewing Company)
Other productsSoda, Alcopops, Liquor
Owned byRavinder Minhas & Manjit Minhas
ParentMinhas Brewery
DivisionsDivisions of Minhas Brewery
  • Minhas Distillery – Monroe, Wisconsin, USA
  • Minhas Craft Brewery – Monroe, Wisconsin, USA
  • Minhas Micro Brewery – Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Pizza Brew Restaurant – Calgary, Alberta, Canada
DistributionAcross Canada, the U.S. and 16 other countries worldwide (including: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, Finland, Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Panama and Trinidad)
TastingTours & tastings offered daily[1]
Websiteminhasbrewery.com
Active beers
Premium Brews
Boxer Lager
Boxer Gluten Free
Boxer Ice
Boxer Light
Boxer Bubbly
Boxer Watermelon
Boxer Apple Ale
Boxer Blond
Boxer Moscow Mule
Boxer Hard Root Beer
Mountain Crest Classic Lager
Clear Creek Ice
Huber Premium
Craft Brews
Lazy Mutt Chocolate Stout
Lazy Mutt Double IPA
Lazy Mutt So Cal IPA
Lazy Mutt Traditional IPA
Lazy Mutt Strong Ale
Lazy Mutt Belgian White Ale
Lazy Mutt Alberta Wheat Ale
Lazy Mutt Authentic IPA
Lazy Mutt Alberta Brown Ale
Lazy Mutt Alberta Red Ale
Lazy Mutt Farmhouse Ale
Huber Bock
1845 Pils
Minhas Swiss Style Amber
Axehead Malt Liquor
Name Type
Seasonal beers
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Shandy
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Oktoberfest
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Winter Bock
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Wet Hopped IPA
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Pumpkin Ale
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Hazelnut Dark
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Hefeweizen
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Chocolate Cherry
Lazy Mutt Seasonal Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Name Type
Other beers
Bad Hare Autumn Ale
Bad Hare Blonde Ale
Bad Hare Rum Ale
Bad Hare Scotch Ale
Bad Hare Bock Light
Bad Hare Oatmeal Stout
Bad Hare Espresso Stout
Bad Hare White Chocolate
Uptown Girl Premium Light
Uptown Girl Cherry Belgian Red
Uptown Girl Strawberry Blond
Kirkland Kirkland Signature Light
Simpler Times Pilsner
Simpler Times Lager
Boatswain H.L.V. Ale
Imperial Jack
Name Type

Capabilities

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The Minhas Craft Brewery produces a variety of over 233[6] beers, spirits, liqueurs and wines.[7] Their products are shipped across Canada, the U.S. and 16 other countries worldwide[8] (including: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, Finland, Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Panama and Trinidad).[9] The facility offers daily brewery tours and beer tastings.[10] It also houses the largest brewery memorabilia museum in the United States.[11]

This brewery is one of the alcohol manufacturing companies owned by the Minhas siblings – collectively designated as Minhas Brewery- that generate more than $155 million in revenue annually.[12] The other companies under the Minhas Brewery umbrella are: Minhas Micro Brewery in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Minhas Distillery in Monroe, WI; and Pizza Brew Restaurant in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

History

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Minhas Craft Brewery opened in 1845 as the Monroe Brewing Company under the ownership of Mr. Bissinger.[4] Since opening the brewery and property ownership changed hands ten times[4] until the Minhas Siblings purchased it in 2006.[2] Prior to the Minhas purchase the brewery was known as Joseph Huber Brewing Company. Upon acquisition Ravinder and Manjit Minhas changed the name to the Minhas Craft Brewery.[13]

In 2021, the brewery partnered with the Nelk entertainment group to produce Happy Dad hard seltzer.

Beers

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Minhas Craft Brewery packages beer, soda and alcopops in 236 mL, 355 mL, 473 mL and 710 mL aluminum cans; 207 mL, 330 mL, 650 mL and 1,183 mL glass bottles, and a variety of polyethylene terephthalate bottles.[9]

Among the most well-known beers and malt beverages produced at Minhas Craft Brewery are:

Boxer

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Varieties include Lager, Light, Blonde, Gluten Free, Ice, Watermelon, Apple Ale, Bubbly, Moscow Mule, and Hard Root Beer.

Lazy Mutt

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Varieties include Farmhouse Ale, Gluten Free, Oktoberfest, Shandy, Alcoholic Ginger, Hefeweizen, Chocolate Cherry, Hazelnut Dark, Pumpkin Ale, Wet Hopped IPA, Winter Bock, Traditional IPA, So Cal IPA, American IPA, Belgian White Ale, and Strong Ale.

Bad Hare

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Varieties include Autumn Ale, Blonde Ale, Rum Ale, Rye Ale, Scotch Ale, Bock Light, Oatmeal Stout, Espresso Stout, and White Chocolate.

Uptown Girl

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Varieties include Premium Light, Cherry Belgian Red, and Strawberry Blonde.

Minhas Craft Brewery also produces Mountain Crest Classic Lager, Kirkland Signature Light, Simpler Times Pilsner, Huber Bock, 1845 Pils, Boatswain H.L.V. Ale, Minhas Swiss Style Amber, Axe Head Malt Liquor and Imperial Jack.[9]

Trader Joe's

Minhas Craft Brewery Simpler Times Pilsner, Simpler Times Lager, Boatswain series and others are sold at Trader Joe's.

Kirkland

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Minhas is the private label bottler of the Costco Brand Beer.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Best Wisconsin Breweries". MinhasCraft Brewery.
  2. ^ a b Daykin, Tom (September 30, 2007). "Crafting Success: Canadian firm brews new life into Monroe's old Huber Brewing". Journal Sentinel Online. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  3. ^ Snider, Mike (March 31, 2015). "Yuengling ousts Boston Beer as top U.S. craft brewery". USA Today. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Huber Brewing through the years". The Capital Times. April 29, 2004. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2004.
  5. ^ "Top 50 Brewing Companies by Sales Volume of 2019". Brewers Association. April 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  6. ^ "Minhas Craft Brewery". RateBeer. RateBeer LLC. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  7. ^ Pachner, Joanna (June 4, 2015). "Manjit Minhas is the biggest beer baron you've never heard of- yet". Canadian Business. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ^ "Manjit MInhas Founder of the 10th Largest Brewery in the World, Co-Star of CBC's Dragons' Den". Lavin Agency Website.
  9. ^ a b c "Private & Custom Label, White Label, Contract Packaging". Minhas Brewery Website.
  10. ^ "Minhas Brewery". Wisconsin Brewery Tours Website.
  11. ^ "World of Beer museum opens in Monroe, Wis". Modern Brewery Age. June 25, 2010. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  12. ^ Truman, Nancy (March 25, 2015). "Dragons' Den adds Snapsaves creator Michele Romanow, Minhas Breweries' founder Manjit Minhas". Financial Post. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  13. ^ Adams, Barry (October 6, 2006). "Huber brewery now called Minhas". Wisconsin State Journal. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2006.