Surly Brewing's plan to open a taproom in Prospect Park has won final approval from the Minneapolis City Council.
Council members voted Friday to approve the license for the Brooklyn Center-based brewery, which plans to open a 49,000-square-foot facility that will include a beer production and packaging area, large beer hall, event hall and private dining room. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden will have a stage and fire pit. The complex will be located north of University Avenue SE., on Minneapolis' eastern edge.
The council's approval comes more than three years after Surly Brewing led the charge for a change in state law that would allow breweries to get taproom licenses. The "Surly Bill," passed in May 2011, allowed cities to decide if they wanted to grant licenses to breweries that planned to brew and serve their beer on a single site. Since then, cities around the region have granted licenses to a growing number of taprooms.
Surly hopes to open its destination brewery by the end of the year.
Erin Golden • 612-673-4790
