Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you and your current job?
My name is Barb Gettel and I’m Events Manager / Charitable Giving Manager at NorthGate Brewing, I’ve been with the company since we opened our doors in our first location in 2013.
What was the inspiration behind your brewery?
The inspiration behind NorthGate Brewing is that one of the owners (Adam) was injured playing soccer and was stuck at home while he healed. One of the other owners (Todd) came by with a homebrew kit to help him pass the time. Adam then started making beer out of his house and serving it to his friends at gatherings.
Soon enough we were in our first brewery space in Northeast Minneapolis off California Street. NorthGate likes to focus on British inspired beer, we have a good variety of beers on our menu from lagers, to stouts/porters, and a couple of really great nitro beers as well.
Can you give us a tour of your beer scene?
The beer scene in Minneapolis is booming! Locally in Northeast, we have 11 breweries alone with at least 2 (maybe 3) to be operational this year, we haven’t hit our bubble here in Northeast Minneapolis and I’m personally looking forward to what brewers come out with this year. In Minnesota, we have over 100 breweries in operation.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a brewery?
This job isn’t for the faint of heart. Your days are filled with blood, sweat and possibly tears. It’s not glamorous nor is anyone getting rich from working at or owning a brewery. It’s hard work, for everyone. It’s also incredibly rewarding when we get it right.
From production to staffing, to day-to-day operations, it’s a great industry to be a part of and I’m fortunate to be lucky enough to work for a team that’s full of motivation and excited about what we do.
