A Popular Central MN Brewery Closing Taproom & Moving To Offsale
I hate to hear this kind of news, especially as we are getting ready to enter into the holiday season. A Minnesota small business and Monticello brewery, Rustech Brewing, announced yesterday on social media that they would be closing their taproom to the public, and moving to a strictly off-sale business model. Your last chance for an in-house beer? This Sunday.
The announcement was somewhat startling to me, as I had thought many local breweries that made it through the pandemic were seeing somewhat of a rebound, but that must not have been the case with Rustech Brewing. Just look at some of the reasons they gave for the change.
Covid, Post Covid, and Inflation issues
Rustech Brewing initially posted about some of their troubles back in September.
It also doesn't help as much of the country is seeing a resurgence in non-alcoholic/mocktail beverages. According to Statista:
Revenue in the Non-Alcoholic Drinks market amounts to US$496.50bn in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 3.90% (CAGR 2023-2027). The market's largest segment is the segment Soft Drinks with a market volume of US$328.10bn in 2023.
So if you get a chance to head down to Monticello this weekend, enjoy the vibe and atmosphere of Rustech's interior and taproom.
Rustech Brewing is located at 105 W 3rd St in Monticello, and is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
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