Sudden closure of Harriet Brewing

I found out that Harriet Brewing has closed. I was going in to fill a growler and thought maybe the “permanently closed” icon in the info bar on my phone was a mistake or the result of a dirty tactic by a business rival. A quick search showed that their own announcement and the newspaper articles on the closure said they would shut down in January 2017.

But sure enough, when I poked my head in there was the sound of drills drilling and carts crashing around removing everything.

They were at their best as a community gathering place in summer when the grate doors were wide open and the live band was going. Their ethos was kindred to the neighboring Hub Bike Co-op and Gandhi Mahal.

I am sorry to see them go. However, this is not exactly a tragedy because:

• The quality and consistency of their beer was open to debate. A friend told me his bar dropped Harriet from the tap list when they couldn’t maintain consistency. I agreed.

• Each brew had kind of the same syrupy-sweet taste that filled your mouth and nose. Yes, they are Belgian-inspired. But no, they don’t all have to be syrupy.

• The dark and steamy interior went against the trend of bright, industrial spaces that people seek nowadays. I almost expected to step on a mouse or slip in a puddle of water in there in the winter.

A closure that did actually disappoint me was a couple of years ago when Mosaic restaurant across the street from Harriet suddenly closed. They had a great triangular patio with a fire pit, the best bathroom in Minneapolis, and a freckled beauty who served me the best garlic fries I’ve ever had (I think they won an award. For the fries, not for being pretty). I would rather spend an hour in Mosaic’s excellent bathroom than in Harriet.

I think Mosaic might have survived if it was around now, since Minnehaha has been resurfaced and some lethal features of the road have been mitigated. I bet in two years, the whole area will be improved just because of those bike and pedestrian improvements. Yes, this is an instance of tenants being pressured out. But Harriet in turn replaced some other tenant six years ago.

In the meantime I will go to Lake Monster Brewing for their excellent Empty Rowboat IPA and their spacious taproom and huge courtyard with cool giant sculptures. They are also in a transitioning industrial area, are the same distance from me, and will fill any clean growler, unlike certain stiffs who will remain unnamed (Northbound Brewpub).