Today we’d like to introduce you to Dee DeLange.
Hi Dee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are a family run brewery that started out of a love for craft beer. The craft beer industry was just getting off to a good start and we loved visiting all of the different breweries that were opening up.
WBC started with my brother in law, my husband and myself. We opened the doors in October of 2014. Since 2019 my brother in law moved to Colorado and is now a silent partner. My head brewer is my son Dru, my brand manager is my son Tanner and my taproom manager is my daughter in law Faith. My other two sons worked various jobs until graduating college.
We have a large taproom with 12-14 different beers on tap. We have two distributors we work with to have our can in as many liquor stores as possible. It has been a lot of work but so much fun too!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
LOL, absolutely not! We were doing amazing until Covid slammed us, just like everyone else, down. It has been a struggle to climb out of that whole but we are doing well. There will always be a pre-covid and a post-covid in all businesses I believe.
Taxes, regulations and now tariffs add to the struggles!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The last known brewery in Waconia closed its doors in 1890 and for over 100 years, the residents of Waconia didn’t have a brewery to call their own. The Waconia Brewing Company opened its doors in October of 2014 and the city again, has a local brewery to enjoy! We’re family-owned and operated and pride ourselves on crafting quality beer and providing an enjoyable taproom experience to our customers who come from near and far.
Our taproom is family friendly, dog friendly and we welcome all. Most of our employees have been with us almost from the beginning so are very knowledgable on the beers. We are most known for our Peanut Butter Porter, which is just what it sounds like. A lovely dessert beer. Our 4 other flagship beers are Carver County Kölsch, Flashpoint Vanilla Cream Ale, 255 Main and 90K IPA. We have 8-10 other rotating seasonal and “fun” beers. Along with our craft beer, we have many NA options that include beer and sodas. There are snacks for purchase also.
The WBC taproom feels more intimate and it seems a bit more like an adult coffee shop. We are also, very family friendly. There are games, root beer, chalk, art classes ect. for the littles so that the parents can relax. The dogs always get a treat when they come in with their owners.
Our brand speaks for itself. We sell authentic great beer! Our company gives back to the community by doing monthly Drink One Down for the Towns. These are for anyone that needs a little help. It varys from individuals, organizations and foundations. Waconia supports our brewery, so we support our town.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I liked beer but never saw myself owning a brewery! It has been amazing to be able to work with my boys though!
Pricing:
- Beers are $7 per pint
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.waconiabrewing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waconiabrewingcompany
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waconiabrewingcompany/
