Closed For 9 Months, Beloved SE Minnesota Brewery is Making a Comeback With Big Changes

For a town of just over 7,000 people, Kasson’s restaurant/bar scene has been buzzing lately. Earlier this year, Smokin’ Silverback BBQ and Saloon made the move from Owatonna and set up shop in the old Daniel’s location. Not long before that, Jimmy’s Pizza rolled back into town with a new food truck parked in the Verizon lot on Highway 57.

READ MORE: Secret SE Minnesota Cemetery is All That Remains of a Vanished Ghost Town

And now, the cherry on top: after being closed for 9 months, Chaotic Good Brewery is officially making its comeback!

Chaotic Good Brewery's Kasson Journey

Four years ago, Chaotic Good Brewing Company rolled out its very first batch of Initiative Cream Ale and started slinging crowlers curbside as a home brewer. Two years later, in October 2022, they leveled up in a big way, taking over the old carwash on Highway 34 and 2nd Ave SW in Kasson. It was the perfect place to set up shop.

What used to be suds for your car became suds in a pint glass in a beautifully renovated taproom. Not long after opening, they added a cozy fireplace to go with it, a feature I personally love.

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Then, right before Christmas last year, it looked like the adventure was over. Scott and Molly Stroh, the husband-and-wife team behind the brews, poured their hearts (and about 800 drinks on that last day) into a farewell for a crowd that didn’t want to say goodbye.

Turns out, the story wasn’t over; it was just taking a side quest.

Chaotic Good Brewery is Reopening in Kasson, MN

In the months that followed, the Chaotic Good Facebook page was a flurry of updates.

First came the call for new partners and investors. Then came the hunt for someone to take over the front-of-house side of things. Piece by piece, it seemed the brewery was starting a new campaign.

And now, the wait is finally over. Chaotic Good Brewing announced on Tuesday that they are officially reopening the taproom this September, ready to once again be Kasson’s spot for pints, games, food, and good company.

How Will Chaotic Good Brewery Be Different When It Reopens?

I caught up with Scott to learn more about the brewery's resurrection.

“Our new operational team has four main people,” Scott explained. “Lanse will be spearheading the front-of-house and staffing side of things. Bob will be spearheading the food, and I will get to focus on brewing alongside our second brewer, Cory. Lanse, Cory, and I will also be working together to bring in a more consistent tie-in with our gaming roots with more events and inventory for gaming-related goodies.”

He added that having a larger team with narrower focuses will help elevate every piece of the brewery experience.

As for Scott and Molly’s role, it’s shifting.

“Molly and I will be taking a big step back from the day-to-day of the brewery. I will still be a guiding force for the whole ship, but my focus will shift to supporting the others in growing into their roles and getting back to the passion that got me into this in the first place: brewing beer!”

What's New at Chaotic Good Brewery?

The biggest change might be the brewery’s new license.

“The biggest shift, and probably most exciting for most people, is that we will be moving to a Brewpub licensure rather than a ‘brewery,’” Scott said. “The difference is that as a ‘brewery’ we were prohibited from bringing in any alcohol we did not produce. This meant no guest taps, no domestic beer, no wine, etc. As a brewpub, we will be able to bring in those things. We plan to keep our menu of non-beer items simple and focus on local and craft producers.”

That means you may not find three different gins on the shelf, but you will see a curated, locally focused menu of options to go with the beer. The only tradeoff: under Minnesota law, they’ll no longer be able to distribute cans to liquor stores and restaurants. Beer sales will be crowlers, growlers, and pours right from the taproom only.

There may be a short delay before Chaotic Good’s own beers hit the taps due to licensing timelines, but Scott says they won’t leave people thirsty.

“Rest assured, the guest taps we bring in to have in the meantime will be top-quality local craft beer," Scott told me. "Cory and I will be curating the beer list to complement what we brew and to make sure that we have great craft beer all the time!”

Food is also stepping up a notch. With new equipment in place, the team plans to expand offerings and boost both quality and efficiency.

Scott says there will also be a few tweaks to the taproom itself. They’re rearranging to add a smaller secondary seating area that will be perfect for gaming groups, trivia nights, or anyone looking for a quieter spot.

What Hours Will Chaotic Good Brewery Be Open?

As for hours, they’re starting back at their original times: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week.

“We will really be relying on the community to show us when they want us to be open,” Scott said. “We will be using the first 6–12 months of data to help inform our hours going forward after that. This does, however, rely on us being able to staff all those hours.”

(So yes, if you’ve ever dreamed of working in a brewery, now’s the time. Anyone interested should email lanse@chaoticgoodbrewing.com.

What Does 'Chaotic Good' Mean?

By the way, in case you were wondering, the term "Chaotic Good" is a classic Dungeons and Dragons character alignment that describes someone who values doing what's right, but doesn't always follow the rules to get there.

Looking to explore more of Minnesota's top-tier craft beer scene?  Check out some of Minnesota’s highest-rated breweries below.

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