New Paynesville brewery opens its doors with a focus on community

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New Paynesville brewery opens its doors with a focus on community originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
It's not all closures in the world of Minnesota breweries.
Koronis Brewing in Paynesville has just opened its doors and will celebrate its grand opening from June 6 to 8.
"It was a couple years ago now when we had some community members dreaming about opening up a brewery in the area and creating a new community space," manager and brewer Laura Naujokas tells Bring Me the News.
The ball, or keg, got rolling with Mary Peterson, a Paynesville native who now lives in Portland, Ore. She was keen on the idea of a brewery setting up shop in her hometown. She and a group of community members approached Laura and her husband Alex, who operate the Koronis Kafe houseboat that serves food and drink during the summer months.
They accepted. Alex had a background in the service industry, but Laura did not. "I was a science teacher for almost 10 years," she says. "So, I ended up leaving that field to pursue learning brewing and everything else that comes with managing and running a restaurant."
Construction began in September, and it officially opened on June 1.
The brewpub will serve its own beers and seltzers along with drinks from other companies, including cider from Milk and Honey. But Laura says the project came from the community and is about the community.
"Our first day was so packed," Laura says. "Everyone was so excited to come out and try it, and it was just a really good buzz, a good feeling of having somewhere to go that's new and just a little bit different."
The food menu, which aims to source as much as possible from local businesses, offers street tacos and flatbreads, as well as some more unexpected dishes like the Bison Tater Tot Hotdish Commercial and House-Made Sausage Rolls.
With that eye on community, it's also hosting free concerts in the summer and has an event space called The Boathouse, where it has already booked a reunion and a bridal shower.
As a brewpub, Koronis Brewing's beers will only be available inside the brewery. Curious imbibers can get a taste of taps like Lake Time Light Lager and Crow River Cream Ale at the brewery this weekend during its grand opening events, which include live music and plenty of beer.This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.