BEMIDJI, Minn. (Jan. 3, 2012) — Bemidji State University alumni Tom Hill and Justin “Bud” Kaney, along with Tina Hanke, look to return to their alma mater town of Bemidji to start a brewery for northern Minnesota called the Bemidji Brewing Company.
The group is hoping to raise $15,000 through a Kickstarter campaign that is set to finish Jan. 23.
The Kickstarter campaign allows community members, local businesses, and people around Minnesota to get involved by donating funds to the project. The three chose this form of fundraising so the Bemidji community and Minnesota would have a part in bringing a brewery to Bemidji.
“We love the idea of being in downtown Bemidji and have a collaboration with the downtown businesses,” Hill explained.
Those who donate can receive Bemidji Brewing Company shirts, bottle openers, pint glasses and complimentary dinners featuring the company’s beer.
The three hope to reach the $15,000 mark in order to purchase equipment for a pilot brewing system capable of producing approximately 25 gallon batches, approximately enough beer to supply one or two bar accounts in Bemidji.
Hill, Kaney, and Hanke will be hosting a beer tasting on Jan. 13 from 6-10 p.m. at Keg N Cork in downtown Bemidji.
For more information about the Kickstarter campaign, the Bemidji Brewing Company, or the beer tasting event visit bemidjibeer.com.
About Bemidji State University Bemidji State University, located in northern Minnesota's lake district, occupies a beautiful campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. The University enrolls nearly 5,000 students annually and offerings include more than 65 undergraduate majors and 13 graduate programs encompassing the liberal arts, interdisciplinary studies and applied fields. The University is a member of the Minnesota State College and Universities System and has a faculty and staff of nearly 600. University signature themes include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and global/multicultural understanding. For further information about the University, visit our web site at: http://www.bemidjistate.edu.