IN THE NEWS:

7/21/2023: Gravel riders make scenic route the fastest. It’s exactly what sponsors of this event hoped to hear. The gravel race was launched three years ago in part as an opportunity to introduce more people to the Minnesota River Valley and the recreational opportunities it offers for the growing sport of gravel road riding, explained Luwaina Al-Otaibi, race director. It’s sponsored by the Bluenose Gopher, a cooperative-owned taproom in Granite Falls that has a stake in bringing visitors to the area.

9/1/2022: Rising Stars: Meet Melissa Peterson of Granite Falls. It’s also about the town of Granite Falls, whose residents are open to new ideas and support a thriving art community. It’s about the beauty of the Minnesota river valley, its unique ecosystems, and how it feeds the curiosity and creativity of the people who live here. I’ve lived in several rural towns in northern, central, and southwestern Minnesota, but Granite Falls is a special place. I’ve never met so many people in one little place whose first response to a new idea is ‘yes!’. I think that spirit has allowed Bluenose to exist and thrive. We hope to continue to be integral to the growing arts, culture, and community movement here in Granite Falls.

10/31/2019: Alum Taps Into Hometown’s History. Melissa Peterson and her husband, who live 20 miles away in Clara City, got involved in the Bluenose two years ago after seeing a flyer seeking co-op investors and volunteers willing to donate sweat equity. The hands-on restoration process and groundswell of community support resonated so deeply, they bought a house and are moving to Granite Falls in two weeks. “The Bluenose project was a really neat thing to be a part of and gave us a sense of ownership,” Peterson said. “We’ve felt more wanted and welcome in Granite Falls than any other community we’ve ever been.”

10/24/2019: TPT Almanac to showcase Granite’s Prohibition legacy. Goetz and photographer/cameraman Mike Phillips, later visited Bluenose Gopher Public House and spoke with board member Sarina Otaibi and other residents. The reporter looked for lines of connection in the community history of Prohibition and the cooperative pub, as it was a “throwback to speakeasies that proliferated as a consequence” Goetz referring to the prohibition Act.

10/24/2019: Media focus on Volstead on 100th anniversary of act enforcing Prohibition. Mary Gillespie has had a big role in keeping that legacy alive. She is among the founders of the Bluenose Gopher. The downtown establishment is a cooperative public house, owned by its members. It exclusively serves Minnesota-made beers and wines. It is one of only a few cooperative public houses in the world. Its name is a nod to Volstead, who was drubbed by his critics as a “Bluenose Gopher.”

4/5/2019: It's cheers to native son Volstead: Bluenose Gopher celebrates as cooperative public house in Granite Falls. The Bluenose Gopher celebrates its grand opening Saturday. Not so coincidentally, it happens to be the weekend of National Beer Day, which celebrates the return of legal beer sales on April 7, 1933, several months ahead of the end of Prohibition. Otaibi and the more than 250 member-owners of this public house have many reasons to celebrate its opening. It was nearly seven hard years in the making. "It was definitely the most difficult project that I have ever done in my entire life," she said.

4/3/2018: Member-owned public house to serve brews, community in Granite Falls. Sarina Otaibi dreamed up the idea of a cooperative brewery back in 2013 with fellow founding Bluenose Gopher board members Andrew Hodny and Mary Gillespie. Through the ups and downs of the planning process, Otaibi has maintained her passion for bringing people together in new ways. “It’s not just about us being a drinking establishment. It’s also a community space where people can gather, can talk about and implement ideas,” Otaibi said. “We really want to see this project succeed because we want to use member ownership as a model that can be replicated by small communities struggling to keep a local meeting place for people.”

8/24/2017: Bluenose Gopher plots new direction. Bluenose is also attracting new partners. Cathy Anderson, the EDA Director for Granite Falls and a longtime supporter of the venture, attended an August 17 meeting of Board and co-op members. Although she hasn’t reviewed any of the new plans, she strongly supports their efforts to open a public space. “Craft beer has a positive impact on rural towns, “Anderson explained. “Public houses are social spaces for people to gather, even for people who don’t drink beer.” She added that when spaces like Bluenose crop up, they have a ripple effect on the local economy, adding, “small rural towns need that spark of ignition.”

8/22/2016: Craft brewer launches capital campaign for Granite Falls location. Board members are going into the capital campaign with optimism. Since Bluenose Gopher has been launched, organizers have heard from many interested people. People are always asking: "When is it going to be done,'' Gelhar said. "Not many realize what a process it is." (West Central Tribune)

8/19/2016: Bluenose Gopher Brewery launches capital campaign. One local brewery group is seeking to turn some noses ‘blue’ in the upcoming weeks. The Bluenose Gopher Brewery launched it’s figuratively named ’Turn you Nose Blue” Capital Campaign recently as an effort to step into the next phase of raising funds to make the possibility of having a co-op Brewery in Granite Falls a reality. (Granite Falls Advocate Tribune)

11/2/2014: Brewpub to honor author of prohibition act. "The solid foundation for us is the community,’’ said fellow board member Rickie Maynard. “If the community is involved and becomes members we feel it will have that solid foundation.’’ (West Central Tribune)

9/8/2014: West-central Minnesota Brewer gives rare co-op model a try. "It's a lofty goal, but I believe we can get there," Otaibi said. "There are two wineries in the area and they're packed a lot of the time. People are looking for something different." (Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal)

8/18/2014: Making a co-op work. There is a new cooperative brewing in Granite Falls. The Bluenose Gopher Brewery is forming a brewing community and brewpub on Prentice Street by selling memberships to build capital and give any beer lover a chance to have an ownership stake in a brewery. (Marshall Independent)

6/27/2014: Bluenose Gopher Brewery builds upon history. “Granite is really fortunate in that it has such a rich history… the person who brought the enabling legislation for prohibition, Andrew Volstead, also brought the Capper-Volstead Act which helped spread the use of the cooperative business idea in the United States,” said Andrew Hodney of the Bluenose Gopher Brewery. (Granite Falls Advocate Tribune)

6/20/2014: Local brewery focuses on members. ““We want to offer a community place for people to gather,” Gillespie said. “Part of our mission statement is to get community involvement, or host community events.” (Granite Falls Advocate Tribune)

1/17/2014: Frogs on the Footbridge relocates, brewery gestating. "She's doing us a huge favor right now by paying the bills while we take time to complete the business plan, solicit co-op members and perfect the brew recipes," said Otaibi of her mother. (Granite Falls Advocate Tribune)

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Press inquiries should be addressed to Sarina Otaibi.  Please note your deadline.

Email: info@bluenose.coop