As JD and Megan Park eyed their anticipated brewpub opening, they had a couple beers ready to roll and so decided – what the heck – they'd throw open their doors for thirsty neighborhood folks walking by.
The Minnetonka operation, Unmapped Brewing, was a hit. And within a couple days, they had already sold out of one of the two brews available – the aptly named No Trace IPA.
The Parks have since regrouped with sudsy reinforcement, but they are still marveling at the early success, which included about 100 people lined up outside when they "quietly" opened the doors for the soft open on June 17.
"We couldn't believe it," JD said. "It was just a huge response from the community. We couldn't pour beer fast enough."
That reaction led the Parks to realize they would need to up their production, significantly. The brewery and 4,000-square-foot taproom at 14625 Excelsior Blvd. in Minnetonka, will eventually fill its 12-tap system, but for now is focusing on tripling the previous batch size for a handful of beers.
Beyond the IPA, which will be available again later this week, Unmapped's head brewer Derek Allmendinger also features a Witbier, a Saison and a Belgian Quadrupel. An official grand opening is planned for mid August.
"We're geared up and ready to go," JD said. "We are going through beer a lot faster than we anticipated, which is a good thing, but it's been crazy."
