We’ve got a couple of friends that live south of the metro area that enjoy visiting new breweries with us. Because of this we’re always looking for openings in that area. This allows us to spend more time in the taproom and waste less of our weeknights on the road. One thing we noticed was a pocket of new breweries opening near Northfield. The newest of these is Chapel Brewing and not long after they opened we stopped by for a visit.
It was a cool autumn evening when my wife and I exited our vehicle parked in the Dundas municipal parking lot. We didn’t see a sign of any of our friends, but we did spot the ruins of the Archibald Mill. I had no knowledge of this before we arrived and I love to see these windows into the history of our state dotting the countryside. It was once the most advanced mill of its time and was able to sell their higher quality flour at a premium. It milled its last flour in the 1930s and since then it’s been added to the National Register of Historic Places and stands stoically on the banks of the river.
After taking some photos we walked across the Cannon River and spotted a small unassuming building that now bares a blue door. In its past life this building has hosted a jail, chapel, school, town hall, and a photography studio. It is now the site of Chapel Brewing’s taproom and has a small deck facing the river that’s got more room than the taproom itself. There is also a garage adjacent to the building that houses the brewery’s production equipment.
Upon opening the door I got a full look at the entire taproom. They’ve got a small bar on the left side with a handful of seats, three high tops opposite the bar, and a couple of circular tables near the door. The bar appears to have wood salvaged from the chapel itself. Hanging above the bar are lights that would seem more at home in a church. All in all, they are staying true to their name by using church themed decor throughout. Since we had a decent sized group we grabbed one of the larger tables and then went up to put in our order. I got my usual flight and then a pint for my wife.
There were four beers in the flight. I began with the Kölsch, and then moved on to the Belgian Blonde, Red IPA, and Oatmeal Stout. Of the four the Kölsch was my favorite. It was crisp and clean with a great malt backbone. It’s an easy drinker but still has a nice floral aroma. Later on I’d have a pint of their Brown Ale. It had a dark hazy brown color with a great balance of caramel, malt, and grains. Those build on each other and make a flavorful beer that was great complement to their cozy taproom.
For the most part it was a pretty quiet Wednesday evening. Later at night after everyone in our group arrived the taproom did fill up yet it was still comfortable inside. Unlike their metro area brethren, the music at Chapel Brewing was a mix of pop standards and oldies. This fit the vibe very well and was a nice change from the norm. The taproom is small and intimate with warm wood accents. I would recommend it to anyone that’s looking for something quieter and a bit outside the norm. Dundas locals are lucky to have a new place to go and enjoy some well brewed craft beer.
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