MINNEAPOLIS - It's not easy being first, especially when you're opening up one of the first establishments in a neighborhood.
"In the area that we're in, there are no other bars right now and not a lot of restaurants," Sergio Manancero said.
Manancero is the owner and founder of La Doña Cervecería located at 241 Fremont Ave N in Minneapolis. He says it is the first Latin-inspired brewery in the state. It also happens to be one of the first breweries in the Harrison neighborhood near the North Loop.
"We've developed this place that's a community center," Manancero said. "People from the neighborhood are coming in and meeting their neighbors."
Manancero says when he got out of the Marine Corps five years ago, he didn't expect a home-brewing hobby to turn into something so big
"There wasn't anybody doing Latin beer in the Twin Cities and it was kind of something that none of the tap rooms could really draw from," Manancero said.
Although he was born and raised in Minnesota, he says his family is from Uruguay, making him the perfect liaison between the two communities. He says he ran his idea by the Latin community for years before he actually committed to the idea of La Doña.
"[I want to] represent the Latin community in Minneapolis," Manancero said.
At La Doña, you can find their newest lagers infused with mango or Serrano peppers along with several others on the tap list. You can also find that La Doña has a mini turf soccer field outside, where you can engage in a small soccer game.
If soccer is not your jam, you can browse through the brewery's impressive mural and artwork collection.
"The authenticity comes from the taproom experience," Manancero said.
He adds that he is just happy to have established a place where people can come and engage with others in the community, and grab a beer along the way.
La Doña Cervecería's Grand Opening is happening from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. You can find details on their website: https://dameladona.com/