Drekker Brewing Company recently opened Brewhalla, “a food and entertainment wonderland” attached to the brewery in Fargo.
With a mission to be an immersive entertainment hub in Fargo, Drekker Brewing Company taps into its Viking roots, determined to “create experiences and destroy expectations.”
Drekker Brewing Company opened in Fargo in October 2014, with the four founders sharing a passion for craft beer and placemaking.
“We saw an opportunity to really create something that was community-focused, really fun and to challenge the boundaries of what we thought Fargo could be, what we thought beer could be and really do something new,” says cofounder Mark Bjornstad.
With Scandinavian heritage running through their blood, the four combined the Old Norse word for a Viking dragon ship, drakkar, with Icelandic slang meaning “to share a drink with your friends” to land on Drekker Brewing Company.
“Thus, Drekker is about catalyzing those moments that bring people together, whether it's sharing stories or memories or making new plans. We really try and catalyze more instances that people come together and enjoy their life,” Bjornstad says.
The brewery has 24 beers on tap, but crafted over 200 different beers last year and releases about 100 new beers every year, releasing five to 10 new beers every other Friday.
The brewery is best known for its hazy IPAs and fruited sours.
The most popular and flagship IPA is Ectogasm, described as a hazy New England IPA brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops.
Inside the fruited sours category are a series of beers all designed to create a theme. These series are Braaaaaaaains, Chonk, Slang Du Jour, Plop and PRRRT.
“Besides those two most popular categories, we make a whole slew of classic styles, light lagers, barrel-aged stouts. You don't make over 200 different beers a year and only have it be two different types,” he says.
And the Drekker Brewing label can be found in 30 states, Europe, England and Asia.
“We really are challenging the boundaries of not just what beer can be, but what the whole experience can be, from artwork on the can to the events that we hold, to the places that we create. We're trying to shatter as many norms as possible,” Bjornstad says.
To continue to grow in placemaking, the Brewhalla opened in March, attached to the current brewery at 1666 and 1702 First Ave. N. In Fargo. The brewery had moved to its current location from downtown in 2018 after restoring an 1880 locomotive repair building. The Brewhalla is a 100,000-square-foot addition to the brewery.
“We call it a food and entertainment wonderland,” he says. A market area includes 14 local businesses selling everything from food to crafts.
“We wanted to work with other amazing people in the community that were like-minded and believed in delivering the same experience as us,” Bjornstad says.
A boutique hotel with 40 beer-themed rooms offers an immersive experience, and an event center hosts outside groups and weddings.
Drekker Brewing wants to be the launching pad for a visitor’s experience in Fargo, he says.
“People travel in from all over the country to come visit us,” he says. “We wanted to be able to host them. Our bartenders are already absolute professionals at telling everyone the best museums to hit up, the best coffeeshop in the morning, the best place to get late-night snacks or really helping people curate their travel experience in Fargo. We want to be the host of their entire experience in Fargo.”
Luann Dart is a freelance writer and editor who lives in the Elgin area.
701-532-0506 | www.drekkerbrewing.com
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