Another one down, and this one hits close to home.

Alloy Brewing closed its doors after 8 years this past weekend & while the loss is felt deeply across the Minnesota craft beer scene, it holds an especially meaningful place in the heart of Paddlefish.

Back in 2023, before we opened our doors, Dave (Co-founder of Paddlefish) got his start behind the bar at Alloy. They knew he was planning to open a brewery & they welcomed him in anyway.

Rob, Alloy’s owner, is the kind of guy who answers any question within minutes of a text or call. Always helpful, always encouraging. He and the crew helped us troubleshoot our jockey box at our very first pouring event (2024 Winter Beer Dabbler) & it just so happened they were set up next to us when we were in full-on chaos mode.

Ben was instrumental in Dave’s learning. Dave shadowed him in the taproom and outside events, giving him hands-on insight before Paddlefish even opened.

Chris, Alloy’s longest-tenured team member, personally helped us revive our used crowler machine with the finesse of a Swiss watchmaker.

Doreen? Absolute connection queen. She introduced us to Brad (@mnwoodbee), who makes our custom tap handles, tokens, tackboards, and more. If you’ve ever held a wooden beer token at Paddlefish, that’s Alloy’s ripple effect.

Dave even graduated high school with Cory Nygaard, who brewed at Alloy & is the head brewer at Fish Dream in Rockford, MN, opening in 2026.

Even now, a few former Alloy team members & regulars make the trek down to St. Peter to visit us. Some even have joined our Makers Markets, selling their handmade koozies & trinkets. That kind of community carryover says it all.

The brewing industry is a family. People move between breweries, build new friendships, pass along ideas and tools, and create something bigger than themselves. When one of us closes, we all feel it. It’s not just the loss of a business, it’s the loss of a gathering place, a legacy, and a piece of our shared story.

So here’s to Alloy Brewing. Thank you for the beers, the mentorship, and the memories. You made an impact, and your ripple effect will live on in every pour.

Support your local brewery. Support local, period.

Throwback Thursday to January 2024 when Dale and Aaron snagged the very first pints of our Mountain Mama West Coast IPA! 🍻⁠
⁠
Major shoutout to Dale, who also gifted us a beautiful wooden Engesser Brewery case from the early 1900s (check it out by the water station). When we opened it, we found an old bottle of Engesser inside… and of course, we cracked it open and drank it!

Just kidding 😜

We are absolutely honored and feeling so much love right now!🥹

Paddlefish was voted Best Brewery in Mankato for 2025!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who voted, visited, and continues to support us on this wild ride. We’re so grateful to be a place where community can gather, families and friends can celebrate, local non-profits can be lifted up, and where we can highlight local artists and history with an excellent beer-in-hand. We’ll keep doing our best to make this place feel like home!

We appreciate every single one of you! Thank you thank you thank you!! 🍻

🎉 July Promos Unlocked! 🔓

As if things weren’t hot enough, we’re heating things up even more with a fresh lineup of taproom deals all month long:

🍻 Bring a First-Timer Monday (4–8pm)
👶 Kiddo Cup Tuesday – free 10oz Italian soda drinks for the littles w/ purchase of adult beverage
💵 $5 First Pint Wednesdays
🍺 Thirsty Thursday Flights – $2 off all day
🎟️ Free Raffle Fridays – win Paddlefish prizes (7-10pm)
🎯 Spin the Wheel Saturdays (7–10pm) (one spin per paying customer)
🍻 Growler Fill Sundays – Always just $15, off-sale ends at 6pm

Stop in and sip something new! Cheers! 🍋☀️

🍋 Pike’s Portage Lemon Shandy Release – July 4th @ Noon! 🛶

We’re paddling into the holiday weekend with a crisp new release! Join us Thursday at 12pm for the taproom debut of Pike’s Portage Lemon Shandy — a bright, citrusy brew inspired by Minnesota’s backcountry trails and paddle routes.

Your ideal schedule for the 4th:
8:49am: 👕 Put on your Paddlefish swag
10:13am: 📸 Snap a photo of Sweet Pea in the Parade, get some candy, possibly a free beer token
10:51am: Head over to the taproom, get a $1 off your beer because you are one of the first 20 guests. Show your Sweet Pea photo to your beertender and you’ll be entered into our free crowler raffle!
12pm: 🍋 Get yourself a Pike’s Portage Lemon Shandy!

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸

#PikesPortage #LemonShandy #ShandySeason #MinnesotaBeer #CraftBeer #DrinkLocal #ParadeToThePint #SweetPeaSighting #PaddlefishBrewing #TaproomRelease #4thOfJulyBeer #MNBeer

Happy 4th of July from Paddlefish Brewing! 🇺🇸

We’re rolling right from the parade to the pint!
🍺 First 20 guests after the parade get $1 off their first pint!

📸 Plus—spot Sweet Pea (our vintage VW bus) in the parade?
Snap a photo, tag us @paddlefishbrewing or show a beertender to enter to win a free crowler!

🍖 And don’t worry about food—Doc E’s BBQ will be serving all day until 8pm!

We’re opening right after the parade (~10:45am) and staying open until 10pm.

It’s gonna be a red, white and brew kinda of day! 🇺🇸

🎉 Happy Birthday to the Crowler King himself—Jason Eggers! 🎉

Whether he’s slingin’ hazies or stacking cans like a legend, Jason keeps the beer flowing and the party going.

He loves a good DDH, a Guinness in London, and thinks Jaws 4 deserves justice.

Cheers to custom cakes, trampoline tales, and the guy who could definitely handle a beer pool in Austria.

Happy Birthday, Jason! 👑🍻

🚨 Say hello to your new favorite membership: The Monthly Paddle Pass 🍻

For just $25/month, you’ll get:
✅ BOGO beers every day (max 1 use/day)
✅ 1 FREE crowler every month
✅ 1 FREE brewery tour each month (Always the last Sunday of the month at 1PM!)
✅ 10% off merch, crowlers and growlers
✅ Early access to new beer releases

🎉 The first 10 members get their very own ceramic mug to use at the brewery! Just ask your beertender if you made the cut and then you can choose any available mug!

🧡 Sign up online via the link in bio or scan the QR code in the taproom!

🚨 This Week at Paddlefish! 🚨
📅 June 25–30
New beer release, food trucks, karaoke, brewery tours… and a Monday sing-along 🍻🎶

🍺 WED 6/25
• Happy Hour 12–4pm ($1 off pints)

🧠THURS 6/26
• Russell’s Traveling Kitchen 4–8pm
• Initials Game Live 7–8:30pm

🎤 FRI 6/27
• Panta Ta Ethne (Puerto Rican eats!) 4–8pm
• New Beer Release: Polka Night Hefeweizen 5pm
❌ POSTPONED: Karaoke (Stay tuned for our rescheduled date!)

🍖 SAT 6/28
• Doc E’s BBQ 12–8pm

🌮 SUN 6/29
• Taco Taco 12–5pm
• Paddlefish Brewery Tour 1pm – $20 (includes beer!)

🎶 MON 6/30
• ⚠️ Taproom reserved until 6PM for a private group
• 🕕 Beer & Hymns 6–8PM – Everyone welcome!
• 🍖 Food by Brick House Meats

Paddlefish Open Mic every 3rd Tuesday from 6-8pm is going so well! Our host Chase D. Burkhart Music / @chasedburkhart has cultivated a fun and welcoming atmosphere for people of all ages, talents, and ability levels. He`ll even play guitar for folks who just want to sing with some heads up beforehand! Our next event is coming up July 15th, so mark your calendars and come enjoy the great vibes yourself!

🍺 New Beer Drop Alert 🍺
Katie’s Ale – 7.2% ABV
We brewed this historical ale-style bock in partnership with the Women of the ELCA to honor the 500th anniversary of Martin & Katie Luther’s marriage.

🍌 Notes of banana & clove
🔥 Fermented warm, cold conditioned
📜 Inspired by Reformation-era brewing

$1 per pint supports the Women of the ELCA.

We held a DIY doormat painting night a couple of weeks ago and it was a blast! From “Buzz Off” to “Moove On In,” the creativity was flowing 🍻🎨

We love putting on unique events like this. Got another fun idea? Drop it in the comments!

It’s also going to be an eventful weekend, especially this Friday…
🍺 Katie’s Ale releases Friday @ 7pm (A tasty and unique beer—it’s a German Eisenbock!)
🎶 Matthew Aitch live Friday @ 6–9pm
🌻 Also catch us pouring at the Young John Denver Fest in Minnesota Square Park starting @ 5pm

🎉 Happy Belated Birthday to the one and only Auntie Wendy—the legend behind Auntie Wendy’s Kettle Corn and a true Paddlefish favorite!

She just wrapped up her incredible career at Gustavus and is kicking off retirement the right way—with a bag of her famous kettle corn and a half drank/half full pint of her go-to beer: Jolly Giant. 🍿🍺

Wendy, we’re so lucky to know you (and snack on your kettle corn). Cheers to your next chapter—and to another great year ❤️ Make sure to raise a glass and grab some of her infamous Kettle Corn in the taproom!