Bars: Republic of beer

It's so long to Sgt. Preston's, with new owners, a new name and 32 tap beers.

August 17, 2012 at 9:06PM
(Margaret Andrews/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Looming over the bar at the former Sgt. Preston's rests a large, picturesque piece of stained glass. Its ornate design, depicting a kaleidoscopic wilderness, wouldn't be entirely out of place in a church. I had never noticed it before.

"It was here the whole time," said new co-owner Matty O'Reilly.

When he and Rick Guntzel bought the aging Seven Corners bar last month, a long banner with the words "PIZZA BUFFET" covered the multicolored glass, which had been above the bar for three decades. They tore down the banner immediately.

They removed a lot more, too. O'Reilly said they must have taken down 45 neon beer signs and maybe 200 liquor posters. The more they stripped away, the more they liked what they saw. Three weeks ago they reopened the Minneapolis pub under its new name: Republic.

The former bar was famous for its "fishbowl" community cocktails -- 100-ounce mixtures of pure inebriation served in a plastic fishbowl. O'Reilly and Guntzel ditched the concoctions. Take away a college student's fishbowl and there's no telling what they might do. O'Reilly said old regulars got a little peeved.

The bar owner isn't used to being greeted with animosity. In the past six years he's turned around two ailing establishments, transforming both -- the 318 Cafe in Excelsior and the Aster Cafe at St. Anthony Main -- into hot music venues with a taste for great food and drinks. His goal with Republic is to give Seven Corners craft beer and pub food at prices that are friendly to penny-pinching college students (and penny pinchers everywhere).

O'Reilly and Guntzel also took down nine flat-screen TVs and removed the arcade games. A couple of things they didn't throw in the trash: the animal mounts, including the giant moose head, buffalo, bear, buck and what looks like a Bambi.

"Our entire vision is we don't want to alienate people who were coming here, but I think we'll attract people who weren't coming here, too," O'Reilly said.

Republic is a true beer bar. With 32 taps, the new brew list hasn't reached Happy Gnome levels of beer heaven, but it's an impressive lineup. O'Reilly has six Belgians and four Germans on draft, with the rest being very Midwest-centric. Sticking to his charge of staying affordable, O'Reilly is offering Bells, Fulton and Furthermore beers at $4, a happy hour price at other beer bars. One of my favorites on the list is Matacabras from Dave's BrewFarm in Wilson, Wis. If this all sounds too snooty, there's Hamm's in a can for $2.

Republic is home to a monster patio, with seating for more than 150. Expect a lot of beer events this summer. On June 23, O'Reilly will pair local cheeses with Ommegang brewery's Belgian-style beers. In mid-July, the patio's first full-on beer dinner will feature Two Brothers, with a $50 ticket getting you a five-course meal paired with the Illinois brewery's beers.

As for the food, almost everything except for a couple of steaks is under $10. Again, local is the focus. The plainest thing on the menu -- a burger -- is made from Thousand Hills beef, with Widmer Wisconsin cheddar. One burger is made with garlic confit ($8), while another features a red wine reduction and brie ($9). Appetizers include mussels ($9) and ricotta fritters with honey ($6). There's a spicy sausage plate ($9) with meats from Kramarczuk's. One of Republic's best late-night snacks is a squash and potato hash with poached eggs and tangy chimichurri ($8).

O'Reilly already is planning his next move. Inside, the bar is partitioned off into three rooms with one of them already equipped with a stage and sound system. He's applying for an upgrade to his license that would allow for live musicians. He plans to keep it low-key with acoustic sets. Look for that by the end of the summer.

In the meantime, it's all about conjuring up the old-school charm that once made this a destination bar.

"I remember coming here 20 years ago," O'Reilly said. "It's still the same place, but with different food and different beer."

(Margaret Andrews/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(Margaret Andrews/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Tom Horgen

Assistant Managing Editor/Audience

Tom Horgen is the Assistant Managing Editor/Audience, leading the newsroom to build new, exciting ways to reach readers across all digital platforms.

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