Ursa Minor Brewing

What Ursa Minor Brewing does

Ursa Minor Brewing is a privately held craft brewery and taproom founded in 2018 by Ben Hugus in Duluth, Minnesota's Lincoln Park Craft District. The company operates two brewhouses producing over 100 new small-batch beers per year across styles ranging from Altbier and American IPAs to sours, lagers, stouts, and Belgian dubbels, with a stated 5,000-barrel annual production target. Its taproom at 2415 W Superior St operates 77 hours per week (11am-10pm Sunday-Thursday, 11am-11pm Friday-Saturday) and pairs the beer program with a from-scratch food menu anchored by wood-fired pizza, salads featuring local suppliers (Yker Acres, Food Farm, Bodin Fisheries), appetizers, desserts, and a growing non-alcoholic line (Hop Water, Kombucha, Ursa Root Beer, NA Slushies).

The company runs a three-channel revenue model: direct-to-consumer taproom sales (the core stream), wholesale distribution to bars, restaurants, and retailers across Minnesota and Wisconsin supported by a Beer Finder locator tool, and private event hosting for groups up to 55. A Square-based e-commerce storefront generates incremental merchandise revenue. The marketing motion is community-driven, leaning on live music programming four-plus nights per week, trivia and bingo events, private taproom rentals, and recurring local stewardship activities such as the annual Lincoln Park Earth Day Cleanup — all reinforcing a "Made for the Northland" brand identity. Headcount is described internally as "50+ beautiful humans," with COO and Director of Production Kelly McMahon overseeing brewing operations alongside Head Brewer Cameron and Lead Tech Brewer Frank.

In early 2026 the company formalized a new sabbatical policy (2 extra weeks PTO plus a $4,000 travel budget at 5-year tenure) and restructured its core values around four pillars: Boldly Curious, Made for the Northland, Do Good, and Work Hard, Live Wild. A sister business, Bean & Bear Bagels, is scheduled to open Spring 2026 at the 202 S 26th Ave W production facility, marking the company's first step into an adjacent food vertical. No revenue, funding, ownership, or financial figures have been publicly disclosed.

Name

Ursa Minor Brewing

Legal name

Ursa Minor Brewing

Website

https://ursaminorbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ursa Minor Brewing is a Duluth, Minnesota craft brewery and taproom founded in 2018, producing 100+ small-batch beers per year and wood-fired pizza for direct taproom guests, regional wholesale accounts across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and private events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery & Brewpub

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Alcoholic Beverage Tours & On-site Experiences (Brewery/Winery/Distillery) (THAFALAK)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Wood-fired pizza
• Taproom hospitality
• Wholesale beer distribution
• Brewpub operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Taproom Sales: Direct sales of craft beer and wood-fired food to consumers at the taproom location. Core revenue stream with emphasis on creating memorable community experiences.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Bulk craft beer sales to bars, restaurants, and retailers across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Business-to-business channel for broader market reach.
3. Private Event Rentals: Private event bookings for groups up to 55 people, offering full food and beverage service for celebrations and gatherings.
4. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including t-shirts and hats sold through Square e-commerce site

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ursa Minor Brewing operates a small-batch craft brewery and taproom in Duluth's Lincoln Park Craft District, producing over 100 new beers per year across diverse styles (IPAs, sours, lagers, stouts, Belgians). The taproom serves wood-fired pizzas made from scratch plus salads, appetizers, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages, supported by live music, trivia, and private event hosting. Beer is also distributed wholesale to bars, restaurants, and retailers across Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Product overview

Ursa Minor Brewing operates a craft brewery and taproom in Duluth's Lincoln Park Craft District, offering a unified hospitality experience centered on small-batch craft beer and wood-fired pizza. The core products include rotating craft beer styles (over 100 new beers per year) and wood-fired pizzas made from scratch, complemented by salads, appetizers, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages. The company also offers wholesale beer distribution across Minnesota and Wisconsin, and private event hosting for groups up to 55 people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ new beer styles released annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ecolibrium3 (Eco3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization that helps organize and scale the annual Lincoln Park Earth Day Cleanup. Eco3 provides volunteer maps, secures pickers and high-visibility vests from the city, and helps spread the word about the event.
• Resource Renew (formerly WLSSD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides sharps safety and education for the annual Earth Day cleanup event.
• Waste Management & Twin Ports Trailer TrashminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandles heavy lifting of actual trash disposal for the Earth Day cleanup event.
• Free Air Life Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHelps promote the Earth Day cleanup event to their community of nature enthusiasts.
• Yker AcrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal supplier providing wild rice sausage, hot sausage, and smoked pork loin featured in wood-fired pizzas and salads. Community partner highlighted on food menu.
• Food FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm partner providing rotating featured ingredients for the 'Food Farm' specialty pizza. Community partner highlighted on food menu.
• Bodin FisheriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal supplier providing smoked lake trout for the 'Smoke on the Water' salad. Community partner highlighted on food menu.
• Bean & Bear BagelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister business located at 202 S 26th Ave W (same location as production facility). Opening Spring 2026. Serves as starting point for Earth Day cleanup and hosts post-cleanup celebrations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Castle Danger Brewery: Two Harbors, MN craft brewer with taproom and regional distribution. Closely comparable in size, North Shore identity, and small-batch production targeting Minnesota craft drinkers.
• Lift Bridge Brewing Company: Stillwater, MN craft brewery with taproom and Minnesota/Wisconsin wholesale footprint. Operates a similar brewpub-plus-distribution model targeting the same regional craft consumer.
• Indeed Brewing Company: Minneapolis-based craft brewery with taproom and broad Minnesota distribution. Competes for tap handles, shelf space, and taproom occasions across the same regional market.
• Bent Paddle Brewing Co. Duluth, MN craft brewery with taproom and distribution across the Upper Midwest. Most direct local competitor operating in the same Lincoln Park-adjacent market with overlapping taproom and wholesale model.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. National craft brewery with widespread distribution and an on-site taproom/brewery experience. Comparable as a scaled craft player whose flagship IPAs and seasonals compete for tap and shelf in the same regional markets.
• Bell's Brewery: Established Upper Midwest craft brewer (Comstock, MI) with broad distribution and Eccentric Café taproom. Comparable as a regional craft incumbent whose products compete on the same MN/WI taps and shelves.
• New Belgium Brewing: National craft brewery (Fat Tire) with broad distribution and Asheville/Fort Collins taprooms. Comparable as a scaled craft incumbent whose packaged products compete for the same off-premise shelf as Ursa Minor's canned offerings.
• Stone Brewing: Large national craft brewer with broad distribution and taproom/brewpub venues. Relevant as a broader craft incumbent whose IPA portfolio overlaps with Ursa Minor's Bear Hop and Galactic Face Slap SKUs.
• Surly Brewing Co. Large Minneapolis craft brewery with destination beer hall, broad Minnesota and Midwest distribution, and a much wider portfolio. Sets the upper-end benchmark for taproom-plus-distribution craft scale in the region.

Emerging players

• Venn Brewing: Minneapolis-based small craft brewery with taproom. Comparable as a similarly sized Minnesota craft peer with rotating experimental beers and a focus on local taproom experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ursaminorbrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ursa-minor-brewing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ursa Minor Brewing