OK, I have decided that home brewing is just not enough. I am in the process of renovating an 1860s building along the Mississippi River in Minnesota and converting it to a brewpub. I hope to be open by the spring of 2011. First order of business is a name. I am looking for ideas. Reply to this post and give me your best shot. If I use it, the beers on me (after I open of course).
Well with not a lot of back round info I can only guess some things.
How bout ‘The Busted Nut’
Cause that is what you are going to be by the time you get it open. 
Where abouts in MN along the ole Miss.?
Uhhhm - he wasn’t being a jerk at all. Relax, dude. It was a joke.
Without knowing anything about you or your interests its hard to suggest something that is meaningful to you. Having said that, you could go for a British pub style name - The Something & Something (like Fox & Hound or Pig & Thistle) or even simpler like the Stag’s Head or the Bristly Boar.
Just my .02
How bout ‘Sarah Wipple’s Pub’ or ‘Whipples’? Cause that is the maiden name of Henry Hasting Sibleys mother.
I dont know. Not much to work with and I just want some free beer.
Dont do the English pub name thing. I hate those places that are trying to be English pubs. Its like being white with dreadlocks. Ja-fakein.
“Tool Shed”. Think of the decor you could go with. Also, “Honey! I’m going to the Tool Shed.” That was going to be my band in High School…if I had any talent.
Rolling Bluffs Brewery
Sticking with politics use Jesse THE BODY Ventura. “The Body Shoppe” has a nice ring to it, but I think I’ve heard that one somewhere. _____'s Riverfront Pub?
Need some background on the original building to help with the name
Tool shed sounds like a male strip joint. Like where you’d go to see Chippendale dancers or something like that.
Just call the place “Depot” if you want to give every guy out there an excuse to stop in.
How far north is it? How about: (Drum Roll)
Dat der Yoint. or Da Yoint for short.
Background information: The building was built in the 1860 in a town called Reads Landing. It is located at the mouth of the Chippewa river and Lake Pepin. Location is right on the water with a Burlington Northern rail line about 40’ infront of the building. Area is historic for shipping/logging. Located between Lake City and Wabasha in SE MN.
Along the same lines…“I Can’t Believe Al Franken is Our Senator Pub”
Too bad you won’t have it up by this summer for the NHC…Good luck with the venture!
“The Broken Duck Pub”…
just do it !
Best of luck and Happy New Year
Chip
Does the Milwaukee Road 261ever come by there? Oh man that is a beauty.
Train Related. ‘The Puffer Belly’
Sounds like a nice location.
Logging…hmmm. Sawmills?
Shipping…hmmm Depot, Docks, Quay?
What about Sawyers Quay?
Or you could emphasize the region like others said. Nordic Pub
Either way -I’m one of an army of jealous guys…
How about “The Broken Tooth Brewing Company”? Broken Tooth (Katawabeda) was perhaps the most celebrated Chief of the Chippewa (Ojibwe) people. See here: sandylakeojibwe.org - sandylakeojibwe Resources and Information.
You might also consider something river (“The Barge Inn”), or railroad (“The End Of The Line”) related, as these would provide a lot of other terms and phrases that could be used to give themed names to your beers.
Below is a link to the MN Historical Society. They have pictures of Reads Landing from the 1870s on. My building is the one to the far left.
Beautiful building. Will you be able to have the brewery area near one of those wonderful large windows in the front?
I don’t have any ideas for a name (don’t know the area) but I wish you much luck on your venture! Very exciting.
Gail