Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Countryman.
Hi Bob, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a long-term resident of Bloomington, I often questioned why the city did not have a brewery and taproom. As a family, we enjoyed visiting taprooms all over the Twin Cities and beyond, and it was a void in the hospitality offerings in the city. After exploring the issue, we discovered that Bloomington’s City Charter effectively prevented the town from having breweries/taprooms. We partnered with the city to get amended Charter language on the November 2019 ballot – the change would allow Bloomington City Council to create the appropriate code to allow taprooms. The ballot initiative passed by almost 80% in favor. Nine Mile Brewing is ready to go – Covid, however, had other thoughts, and we had to put the taproom on hold for a bit. But long story short, Nine Mile opened in February of 2022. Our core goals are to have a great beer with many styles, a welcoming atmosphere for all, and to be engaged in the community.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
There were a few hurdles we had to overcome. First of all, Covid delayed our start by over a year. Secondly, our build-outbuild-out was delayed by supplies, contractor availability, and navigating the various agencies involved in opening a brewery. The cost was also a big hurdle due to a need for more supplies and contractor availability.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Nine Mile, we are most proud of living our core values, providing excellent beer of variety and quality, having a fun, open, and welcoming atmosphere, and giving back to the community by volunteering and donating to local charities. We pride ourselves on our beer offerings – we always keep four core beers on tap and then feature rotating drafts. We usually have 14-16 beers on tap, providing a wide variety of choices for different tastes. We like to bring out 1-2 new beers weekly so that our regulars always get to try something new. Our space is family-friendly and inviting. We have several different seating styles – from couches around our gas fireplace to low-top game tables to large high tops that can accommodate bigger groups. We typically sponsor a specific charity or cause each month – often donating $1.00 from each pour of a particular beer to a charity. For example, we supported ALES for ALS in November and donated $1,123 to that cause. We also get out into the community to volunteer at things such as park cleanup or native garden plantings.
Contact Info:
- Website: 9milebrewing.com
- Instagram: 9milebrewing
- Facebook: 9milebrewing
Image Credits
Stephanie Luoma
