The business partnership between William Constans and Jacob Schmidt began on August 4, 1884 when Schmidt purchased a fifty-percent interest in the North Star Brewery. With this purchased he replaced Reinhold Koch as part-owner of the brewery located down-creek from Swede Hollow at the foot of St. Paul’s Dayton’

In the second half of the 19th century, Minnesota was caught up in the national alcohol temperance movement. The intoxicating liquor industry was at the center of a conflict involving those who felt alcohol negatively influenced society and those who advocated drinking for enjoyment. By the 1880s, the fight between

In the late 1840s and early 1850s, a temperance movement swept the nation calling for the prohibition of all intoxicating liquors. In 1851, Portland, Maine mayor and noted temperance advocate Neal Dow helped push through state-level legislation which would soon become known as the 'Maine Law,' banning liquor and

State legislators passed the High License Law in 1887 after failing to pass it in 1883 and 1885. Touted by proponents as the temperance movement's alternative to prohibition, the law substantially raised the cost of liquor licenses throughout the state. The legislation aimed to reduce saloons in local communities while

After Minnesota became a US territory in 1849, the population exploded. Alcohol consumption was blamed for the immoral behavior occurring in its cities. A call-to-action was sounded to establish a more efficient system to define municipal laws and maintain order. The state hoped regulatory changes would reduce societal harm related

In 2011 the Surly Brewing Co, to meet growing customer demand, hoped to expand their operation by opening a new multi-million dollar facility in the Twin Cities. To recoup some of the costs associated with such a significant venture, they wanted to include a restaurant and beer garden. Their goal