DULUTH — Blacklist Brewing fans will soon have more room to chuck axes while downing a Hazy Project IPA.
The Superior Street brewery, nearly a decade old, is moving a block east to the historic Lange Motors building, former home to Carlson Used Book and Records in downtown's Historic Arts and Theater District.
"We are bursting at the seams," said Tyler Kocon, one of four owners of the brewery. "We can't produce enough beer to meet demand."
The new space, in the former car dealership at 206 E. Superior St., is expected to open in August. It doubles the space offered for both beer production and the taproom, known for its ax-throwing lanes and garage door patio.
Distribution to its 650 retailers from North Dakota to eastern Wisconsin increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people drank beer at home, Kocon said. Drive-up sales at the taproom helped the brewery muscle through. On pace to produce 2,500 to 3,000 barrels of beer a year, the new location will help the brewery eventually triple its production.
"We are behind the Bent Paddles and the Castle Dangers (in production). We're definitely trying to grow, and that's the premise behind the new space," Kocon said.
Aside from more lanes to throw axes, plans include an event space with a stage, more garage doors opening onto a planned 150-foot street-front patio and potentially a rooftop deck. Customers will be able to brew their own beer with Blacklist brewers, part of a plan to differentiate from the plethora of local breweries.
It has been surprising to experience growth during the pandemic, said taproom and ax-throwing manager Ray Mindestrom, but the current location is too small for taproom demand. With vaccinated people emerging from their homes and businesses reopening, he said, recent weekends in the taproom have been "record-breaking."
