Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Meyers.
Hi Laura, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Imminent is a small craft brewery and tap room located in the heart of downtown Northfield, MN. For us, brewing excellent beer is just as much of a priority as the people we work with and the community we serve. Our motto, “It’s about time,” started in reference to the fact that breweries were popping up all over the place, and yet we were shocked that Northfield didn’t have one yet — this was in 2015, as we were in the early stages of planning. Our thought was, “a brewery must be imminent,” and thus our name was born. It was about time that Northfield got a brewery, we thought! But beyond that, we always knew that starting a brewery would be just as much about people as it would be about making good beer. It’s about the time we spend with our teammates, crafting excellent recipes, and making sure the space is clean and ready for the tasks at hand, whether that be brewing or inviting our neighbors to come in and enjoy a pint. And it’s about the time that our customers get to spend with each other, glass in hand, connecting with an old friend, conversing with a neighbor, or celebrating a special occasion. We are grateful for the many relationships we’ve cultivated over the years with artists and musicians, food vendors, and other businesses and organizations, and always look forward to the next opportunity to grow and work with the amazing people around us. We’ve worked hard to cultivate a space that is welcoming to everyone, and are incredibly grateful for having such a supportive community over the past eight years!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, for starters there was that whole pandemic thing. Keeping folks safe was our top priority, and we are incredibly lucky that we were able to pivot and offer to-go sales for a length of time until we could be partially open, and then eventually fully open again. It was a huge struggle from which we are still recovering, like many businesses, and we’re grateful that we are still here. We will forever appreciate our neighbors who came out and supported us and bought growlers during that time!
Running a small business is always hard, and seems to be getting harder all the time, from rising costs of ingredients, disruptions in supply chains, changing markets and desires from consumers always keeping us on our toes. Our concern for the safety, health and well-being of our employees and our customers remains constant, and we do the best we can to make sure that everyone is well taken care of.
As you know, we’re big fans of Imminent Brewing. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am incredibly proud of our team – every single person that works at Imminent Brewing is a really good human being first and foremost. Not only do they work hard at their jobs, but they stand up for what’s right and help us create an atmosphere that is welcoming and safe for everybody who walks in. I’m really proud of our whole community for helping to create that safe space, though we are always facing new challenges and growing, we do a lot of learning together. I’m also really proud of our brewing team. They work really well together and are so reliable, creative and fun to work with. I couldn’t possibly choose a favorite beer, but I do want to highlight a few: Our Prancing Pony New Zealand Pilsner is an absolute delight for the light beer drinkers. Our Marzen-style Oktoberfest is chock-full of malty deliciousness. It became such a hit we started having to brew two batches back to back to make sure everyone has a chance to enjoy this late-summer/early fall seasonal! When our current Head Brewer, Justin Holden, took over in late 2019, he crafted our very first Juicy IPA. That beer immediately climbed to the top of our sales chart, and has stayed hovering near the top ever since. Dragon Squirrel Juicy IPA was named after the gorgeous Dragon sculpture that graces our patio. The sculpture, crafted by our friend Curtis Ingvoldstad, was frequently visited by one particular grey squirrel. We made up the story that the Squirrel imagined he was also a fierce, but also friendly, Dragon! I could go on and on…
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Honestly, we tend to wear our politics on our sleeve, and that is a risk, especially today. It’s a balance because we do have the conversations with the entire team to make sure no one is uncomfortable with what we do or say, but I also am protective of the staff and want to be sure that folks know that these kinds of comments are coming from me, the owner, and if people want to discuss them, they should talk to me. Sometimes that is hard when every member of our team can be considered the face of the business.
For example, I’m still not clear as to why the Art of Drag has become such a political thing, but for whatever reason it has been politicized. We stand behind our support of the Queer Community as a whole, and are pretty loud and proud about that, and Drag is a part of that. We host a monthly family-friendly game night with Northfield’s Very Own Drag Queen, Mrs. Moxie, and her fabulous husband Mr. Moxie (I believe they have already been featured in an article!). I trust that everyone on our team agrees that drag is an art form that inspires creative self-expression and joy. Yet, we’ve had some complaints about it, and sometimes folks aren’t very kind about their opinions about Drag.
Lately, we have been working with Barrios Unidos (Neighbors United), another organization that supports Immigrants and particularly the Latinx community, on various events, Fundraisers, and initiatives. Again, our being vocal about our beliefs about Immigrants’ rights could be risky.
In both of these cases, it’s possible that people will stop coming to patronize the business because we speak up about these things. It’s also possible that people will give feedback about our beliefs in an aggressive manner. Nonetheless, I continue to view our goal as being more and more inclusive to all kinds of folks. Basically, the only folks we won’t tolerate are those who are intolerant of others! Despite the risks, standing up for ALL of our neighbors and their rights is still the right thing to do, and I see the business as being something of a megaphone for that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://imminentbrewing.com
- Instagram: @imminentbrewing
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imminentbrewingnfld/
