Waite Park is home to the newest brewery in town, Back Shed Brewing! They opened in August of this year after starting their construction in April, though the story Scott shared with us, we found out it’s been years in the making…
“The conversations to start Back Shed Brewing started about 4-5 years ago. We took our first step when we bought a pilot system and our brewer, Chris, started making practice batches in our back shed. We wanted to start a brewery because we wanted to create a space for people to come together and enjoy locally brewed beer. We knew we had an awesome space with a lot of potential to do just that.”
Their space – nestled next to Crafts Direct – is familiar for Scott and his family. “My siblings, Jennifer and Jason, and I grew up in Paynesville, MN. Our parents moved us there in 1983 and we all graduated from Paynesville High School. In 1990, our parents started a Ben Franklin Crafts store in Waite Park. In 1996, we changed the name to Crafts Direct. Being a part of the Central MN community for so long has been such a blessing! All three of us live in Sartell and love living and working in the St. Cloud area.”
The Back Shed Brewing family considers Central MN their family; they were born and raised here, and continue to plant their businesses and families here. “Our family business, Crafts Direct, has been a part of the business community of Central MN for over 30 years and the support we receive is amazing! Knowing how supportive the business community has been at Crafts Direct gave us the confidence to move forward with opening Back Shed Brewing. Also, the local brewing community has really helped us when we have had questions. It is fantastic to have people so close by to rely on when you need help. The support of our community has been outstanding! The enthusiasm has exceeded our expectations.”
Back Shed Brewing has a beautiful space with so much to offer. They have a large taproom, event space, and a great patio. “We offer plenty of space for people to come and connect with each other. With the amount of space we have, we can offer a variety of fun events that the community can participate in.”
The people of central MN are so supportive by coming to Back Shed and having a beer with family and friends. Not only have they supported us during our opening months, but they have also helped to support all the musicians, food trucks, and special events we have at the brewery. The more local businesses we can support at the brewery, the more we all help our entire community grow.”
#StCloudShines
