Twin Cities breweries add coffee to the menu

A new kind of brew is taking over Twin Cities breweries.

Driving the news: Instead of sitting empty until late afternoon, breweries across the metro have begun adding in-house coffee shops.

Why it matters: The coffee component gives breweries added revenue at a time of the day when they're usually dark.

• Plus: It gives remote workers and networkers more spots to go, and breweries often have spacious interiors and lots of natural light.

State of play: Wild Mind Ales, BlackStack Brewing and Venn Brewing serve drip and specialty coffees in the morning, with beans roasted in-house or sourced from other local shops.

What they're saying: Venn has seen an influx of new patrons, including remote workers, since opening its coffee shop in April.

• "We already had a neighborhood brewery, and coffee stops are intrinsic watering holes to a community. It's a third space people can now visit throughout the day," Venn Brewing coffee manager Ezra Hinton told Axios.

Zoom out: Breweries across the country have been adding coffee to their menus. Beyond just the extended hours, it's another way for them to diversify their business, writes Axios Denver reporter John Frank, who has long covered the brewing industry.

• "Many brewers are now making seltzers while others are venturing into canned cocktails. Coffee is just another extension, and it's popular with brewers in California (Modern Times) to Tampa (Magnanimous)."

Bob Galligan, director of government and industry relations for the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild and a certified barista, formerly ran a brewery in Texas, where he implemented a coffee program.

• "People would come in, they'd have coffee, and then you would slowly but surely see them come up to the bar and order a pint and then another pint. People would extend their stay a little bit," he said.
• Venn has also gotten business from workers coming in at 8am when their graveyard shift is over.