Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Countryman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Nine Mile Brewing was an idea born out of a desire to bring a brewery/taproom to Bloomington. Prior to 2019 the Bloomington City Charter effectively prevented breweries, distilleries and corresponding tasting rooms by very strictly describing how alcohol could be sold in the city. Therefore, Bloomington was one of the few communities in the metro area without a brewery/taproom. Working with the City in the early parts of 2019 we were able to get a ballot initiative on the 2019 ballot. The initiative basically removed the restrictive language from the City Charter thereby allowing the City to move forward with zoning and licensing with the laws of MN. This measure passed by about 80/20 in favor of removing the language from the City Charter.
During the period of working with the City on the above ballot initiative we were also exploring options on bringing a taproom to Bloomington. Due to Minnesota’s restrictive laws around breweries and taprooms we quickly realized that in order to have a taproom in Bloomington we would need to start from the ground up.
We found a number of local Bloomington residents eager to invest in Bloomington’s first brewery. We were all set to go in early 2020 when COVID 19 threw a huge wrench in our plans. We had to put everything on hold and then regrouped at the end of 2020 and were hoping to open in fall of 2021 – which ended up being delayed until Feb of 2022.
Our taproom is community focused. We volunteer multiple times a year partnering with Bloomington Park and Rec to clear buckthorn, gather native seeds for future plantings and park cleanups. We host events weekly – and try to have events that can appeal to lots of different people. We have Trivia and Bingo every week. We also have things like cribbage tournaments, Magic the Gathering events, and other things like art classes or exercise classes.
We also strive to have beverages for all tastes. We have multiple non-alcoholic options, including our own NA beer. Our beers cover a wide range of styles so that everyone who likes beer can find something to their tastes. For those who are non-beer drinkers we have seltzer slushies and cocktails. In addition we recently opened Creekside Kitchen at the taproom. Our focus is mainly pizzas but we also have numerous other items to choose from – sandwiches, salads and appetizers.
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?
There have been a number of struggles along the way. Navigating the many layers of government for a business that produces alcohol can be very challenging. We also faced a significant hurdle in our buildout which took place in 2021 and ended in Feb of 2022. Due to COVID the costs were much, much higher than normal. There were also issues with limited availability of both materials and contractors. This issue really impacted our start up date which was delayed over three months.
As you know, we’re big fans of Nine Mile Brewing. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a craft brewery that makes our own beer to be served in house to our guests. All beers are created by our head brewer, John Leingang, from the initial recipe to the final product that is poured with care for our guests. Our goal is to provide a welcoming beverage experience so that people can learn about the various styles of beer from around the world.
We also recently opened a kitchen and have craft food to go with the craft beer. We make our sauce and dough from scratch – and recently rolled out our own sourdough crust. The kitchen rotates menu items, creating new pizzas, salads and sides so that there is always something new to try.
As mentioned earlier we take great pride in being part of the Bloomington community. Our goal is that our space is welcoming to all. Our brand is be part of fabric of the community – a place where people gather with friends, family and co-workers to enjoy good food and beer.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My favorite podcast is Stuff You Should Know – great variety and very engaging.
Books range all over the place from science fiction to historical novels.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://9milebrewing.com
- Instagram: 9milebrewing
- Facebook: 9milebrewing
