The Organization
Membership
The Brewery
History
What is a cooperative?
A cooperative is a business or organization owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services. Profits and earnings generated by the cooperative are distributed among the members, also known as user-owners or member-owners.
An elected board of directors and officers run the cooperative while our members have voting power to control the direction of the cooperative. Members can become part of the cooperative by purchasing shares, though the amount of shares they hold does not affect the weight of their vote. Cooperatives are common in the healthcare, retail, agriculture, art and restaurant industries.
The cooperative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.
- Voluntary and Open Membership
- Democratic Member Control
- Member Economic Participation
- Autonomy and Independence
- Education, Training and Information
- Co-operation among Co-operatives
- Concern for Community
What cooperative chapter is Bluenose Gopher Brewery organized under?
Chapter 308B. Learn more about Chapter 308B here.
Why start a brewery using the cooperative business model?
We believe the cooperative model is a long-term, sustainable model for the brewpub.
What is membership?
There are two classes of membership, patron membership and nonpatron membership.
What are the types of membership?
What type of beer is Bluenose working on right now?
The brewing team has develop recipes for 3 main types of beer.
- Munich Helles
- Scottish Ale
- IPA (Indian Pale Ale)
where does the name Bluenose Gopher come from and what does it mean?
We credit a local blogger, Sally Jo Sorensen, for coining the phrase "Bluenose Gopher" when referring to Andrew J. Volstead. Bluenose means a person who advocates a rigorous moral code according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. For us, "Bluenose Gopher" refers to Andrew J. Volstead, a conservative Minnesotan.