The Dangerous Man Returns

“…so then I bought a Zamboni.”

Most people in the Minnesota craft beer scene have heard the story of Dangerous Man Brewing. From one of the cornerstones in Northeast Minneapolis, to moving to Maple Lake, to shutting down, to the recent rebirth, the crew at Dangerous Man has seen it all.

Now that the brewery is back in production and rolling out cases of its five flagship beers (some new, some classic), part of the Aleluminati team thought it was worth it to make a field trip out to the Maple Lake site to have a chat (and of course some beer) with the new owner, and massive hockey fan, Jeremy Kuhns.

And it’s not just a metaphorical rollout. Kuhns himself has been loading up cases and making deliveries to local stores near his Lakeville home, underscoring just how personally invested he is in bringing Dangerous Man back to shelves.

From the first moment we walked into the brewery, we could tell Dangerous Man was in good hands. Not only did the team retain head brewer and original founder Rob Miller, but the excitement Jeremy had for talking about Dangerous Man was palpable. “I want to celebrate Dangerous Man,” said Kuhns.

Jack Says:

"It was immediately clear - Jeremy is a longtime fan of Dangerous Man, above all. He is dedicated to keeping the pieces of the first iteration that worked, and more importantly, the nostalgic pieces that have been there since the start that MN beer drinkers hold near and dear. He wants to put people at ease - He is not the evil new ownership that is coming in and changing everything. After our chat, I know I feel very hopeful, and excited to see what he does with the brand."

New Dangerous Man Owner Jeremy Kuhns (Left) and Aleluminati High Councilman Jack (Right) discuss the Maple Lake production facility.

And celebrate they are. Only 19 days after announcing the return, the first beer came off the production line: a new hazy IPA simply called “Hazy IPA.”

Max says: "Wow. Dangerous Man has come back swinging,. This hazy isn't as piney as some can be, but the sweetness isn't overpowering. It finishes with a nice mango taste. Smooth all around."

But it doesn’t stop there. As promised in their initial press release, two mainstays have made a return: “House IPA” and the one most have been waiting for, “Peanut Butter Porter.”

Rounding out the first batch of flagships, “Kolsch” and “POG Sour.”

Jack Says: "Meant to be the new "light" offering in their lineup, Kolsch is bound to be popular with drinkers that gravitate towards lager styles. It hits all of the boxes - light, crisp, clear, crackery, and a slight hop bitterness that imparts a delicate floral character."

Now that Dangerous Man is back on their proverbial feet, Kuhns is already looking towards the future. Don’t quote us on it, but rumor has it more brews will be hitting the shelves soon, potentially some N/A options, as well as a long-awaited return of a quintessential THC staple (the snow storm caused some legal delays).

And that is just on the beverage side.

Jack Says:

"I am no better than the other fans of the old Dangerous Man taproom. I barely waited 5 minutes before asking, 'When are we getting a new taproom?'. Fully expecting Jeremy to give me a rehearsed answer, stating they would take it slow or something of the like, he said something that surprised me. 'A taproom is closer than a lot of people probably realize. We may or may not be in talks for a space already...'. So be patient, the wait is not likely as long as you'd think!"

Kuhns also has aspirations about being the best contributor to the community they can be. Whether that's maintaining a public ice rink at their facility in Maple Lake, hosting tasting events across the metro, or even potentially being a major sponsor of a peewee and high school hockey event.

From 20 years in the Bloomington school district, to a 20 gallon system, Jeremy made two things very clear to us:

First, he is foremost a fan of what Dangerous Man was, what it is now, and what it will be.

Second, he is all about the community.

“We want everyone and anyone to be a part of Dangerous Man,” said Kuhns. “We want people to feel welcome no matter who you are.”

We cannot wait to see what Dangerous Man becomes, and of course, visit the new taproom (whenever and wherever that may be). Rumor has it it may or may not feature a Zamboni.

All photos courtesy of Max G. (@thatguywithacamera). Written in collaboration with Jack B. (@jacksgothops).