Cottonwood County is one of Minnesota's rural gems, and Windom's Mari Harries would like more people to get to know it. The young policy associate at Minnesota 2020 is working on opening River City Eatery and she's run into a regulatory roadblock that will prevent diners from truly appreciating the prairie.
3.2 beer.
More precisely, Windom's beer license regulation, which unlike her restaurant's state license, restricts her to serving 3.2 beer. This is a real shame, because she won't be able to serve the great sacred local beers flowing from the waters of nearby Lucan and New Ulm, nor any of the truly micro breweries in Southwest Minnesota.
She writes at Hindsight 2020:
As River City Eatery starts to take shape and my dream of opening a restaurant in my rural southwest Minnesota town are coming true, I'm getting thirsty from all this hard, but oh so much fun work.
I'm getting thirsty for some great, local craft beer.
The beer and wine license I have obtained from the state of Minnesota allows River City Eatery to sell “strong beer,” but the Windom city ordinance only allows us to serve 3.2 beers. It’s an issue I’m certain many other small towns face.
Local micro brews don't come in the 3.2 style, which leaves my only options as a restaurateur in the City of Windom being Miller or Budweiser. . . .
As one friend tweeted, "Strong beer for a strong local economy." This is true, and Windom itself is the place--during the government shutdown-- I first learned of the Prohibition-era song popular in labor circles, "No Beer, No Work." (Revised version here).
Minnesotans brew up some pretty tasty beer, and our local economies could use the boost it can give restaurants. Here's hoping that Windom and other small towns drink in Harries' wisdom.
Her restaurant looks like it's going to be pretty swell, too. Follow her progress at my $.02: Finding Windom.
Related posts: No Beer, No Work: a song for the end of the shutdown
Last call on shutdown: Minnesota's looming beer riots send state's leaders back to bargaining table
Sacred local beer honored among "Top Ten" breweries in 2011 US Open Beer Championships
Prairie ramblings: Brau Brothers Brewery in Lucan
New Ulm's creator of sacred local beer honored for service to humanity
Spring flooding report: New Ulm budget woes jeopardize sacred local beer reserves
Comments