Bryce Parr – 

In mid-November, the Brewery Nonic will open its doors to all interested in craft beer. Owner Ryan Verdon saw an opportunity to refurbish the old Menomonie Railroad Station West of the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus, 621 Fourth St. W, into a brewery and tasting house.

With twelve years of brewing experience, Verdon wanted to start his own brewing venture. “The opportunity just kind of fell into our laps. I had given thought to venturing out on my own for a while and thought ‘Now is the time,’” Verdon said. Verdon spent 9 years in the brewing industry, working with the Rush River Brewing Company and helping to start Real Deal Beer with the Raw Deal. Brewery Nonic has a brewing capacity of five barrels, much larger than Verdon’s previous setup at Real Deal.

“Ryan is passionate about what he does. He cares so much about creating craft beer. He deserves it. He’s a charming person that engages in the community,” said Stout student and Raw Deal barista Jared Leclaire.

Verdon plans to start brewing alongside his assistant brewmaster Levi Gilbert in two weeks. They plan to fill all ten taps with Brewery Nonic beers, so brewing responsibilities will be tended to regularly. “It’s nice if you make beer reasonably often, everything you serve is fresh,” Verdon said.

Two of the taps are traditional cask pumps to serve unique cask ales, but Verdon hopes to brew a wide variety of beers. “Flavor is my goal, I want beers to taste good, but not be overwhelming,” Verdon said. “I think beer can be craft, it can be independent, it can be counterculture, all of these things, but it doesn’t have to be in your face. Beer is approachable from so many angles.”

Verdon hopes to create a welcoming and relaxing environment at Brewery Nonic. “It’s important to me to keep this place as community oriented as I can. I want people to be able to come down here, have some beers [and] have some fun.” The Brewery will host food trucks and work with local caterers to have themed food nights as well.

Verdon hopes the historic space will be as important as the beer. “I hope people think of [the brewery] as an all-encompassing experience. The only place you can find our beer is here. That creates a natural environment where the space is a part of the beer.” Verdon said.

 

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