Bauhaus Brew Labs Will Close at End of June, Beer Run Ends
Bauhaus Brew Labs will close its northeast Minneapolis beer business at the end of June, ending a 12-year run that began in 2014. The brewery said Thursday the decision follows financial pressure from supply-chain costs, changing beer preferences, the pandemic and federal immigration enforcement.
The closure hits the brewery’s taproom model directly. Bauhaus had become a familiar stop at 1315 NE. Tyler St. in the Crown Iron Works building, where its Wonderstuff pilsner and other German-style beers drew crowds and where live music helped turn Art-A-Whirl weekends into one of its busiest stretches.
Matt Schwandt and June exit
Matt Schwandt, the principal owner, co-founded Bauhaus with family members including his brothers Mike Schwandt and Mark Schwandt. The company said it had made the “very difficult and heartbreaking decision to close our doors.” It also said, “Despite pulling every lever available to us, the financial headwinds have proven to be insurmountable.”
The brewery opened in 2014 near the start of Minnesota’s craft-beer boom, then shifted after the COVID-19 pandemic into non-alcoholic beverages with its Nah beer and THC drinks with its Tetra brand. Those moves did not prove lucrative, leaving the company without a new revenue stream strong enough to offset higher costs and softer demand for craft beer.
Art-A-Whirl and Liquid Zoo
Art-A-Whirl returned to northeast Minneapolis for its 31st year on May 15-17, and Bauhaus planned to use its final weekend there to keep a longstanding tradition alive. Its annual Liquid Zoo concert was set for Friday through Sunday, with performances by Obi Original and the Black Atlantics, McNasty Brass Band, Viva Knievel, Maygen & the Birdwatcher and Ben Katzman's DeGreaser.
The brewery’s statement said, “There is still time for celebration ahead.” It added, “We can’t wait to see everyone at our annual Liquid Zoo celebration during Art-A-Whirl this weekend. This has always been our favorite way to kick off the summer season and celebrate amazing local artists, and we can think of no better way to move into our final chapter than to be surrounded by the community that means so much to us.”
White Light Riot family legacy
Mark Schwandt called the shutdown “the end of an era, but what a beautiful ride it has been.” He and Mike Schwandt are musicians in the rock band White Light Riot, tying the brewery’s final chapter to the family that helped build it and to the music scene that made the taproom a destination beyond beer.
For customers, the practical cutoff is simple: Bauhaus remains open through the end of June, and the final Art-A-Whirl weekend gives regulars one last chance to visit the northeast Minneapolis site before the doors close for good.
