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The Buck Stops Here

Get an exclusive inside-look at Bucks Mill Brewing, uniquely designed by Design 2 Sell at the lakes.

The Journey of Opening a Brewery

The idea to open a brewery first took shape when longtime colleagues Chuck Fritz and Henry Van Offelen bonded over their mutual passion for home brewing. All of the home brewing in the early days was done in Van Offelen’s garage near Detroit Lakes. Appropriately, the name for the brewery came from the road where Henry lives, Bucks Mill Road.

After attending events and sharing some of his brews, Van Offelen knew it was time to seriously consider opening a brewery with Fritz. Why Detroit Lakes? Well, for one, there’s no single true brewery in Detroit Lakes. Plus, breweries are a great community asset and all the communities around the region with breweries can attest to that.

In the summer of 2022, Bucks Mill Brewing officially opened.

“I think this is going to be a great community asset and is going to be a popular place,” Van Offelen said. “Downtown (Detroit Lakes) will love it. I think we’re full steam ahead now.”

Meet the owners of Bucks Mill Brewing, Chuck Fritz and Henry Van Offelen

I’m most looking forward to standing over the balcony with a whole bunch of people here just enjoying this space and this community.”

-Henry Van Offelen

A complete Walkthrough

For Fritz and Van Offelen, one of the best parts of working with the Design 2 Sell team was their ability to take control of the project and lead every aspect of the process. From mood board presentation to project completion, Skye and Roxanne’s vision, leadership and execution took the burden off Fritz and Van Offelen so they could focus on what they love doing: brewing beer.

One of the main goals for the design was to give the sense of bringing the outdoors inside. The lounge area evokes that exact feeling, bringing in elements like the pergola and suspended lights, giving an outdoor patio vibe.

One of the first elements of the design Skye and Roxanne knew they wanted to incorporate was the green subway tiles for the main bar paired with the beer hops pendant lights.

The hallway is lined with black and white photographs capturing moments from the prohibition era, a nod to American heritage.

About The Beer

When it comes to their beers, Bucks Mill Brewing is a full-service brewery that offers a wide range of beers that fit your palette. If you like a light beer, they’ll have that for you. If you like a malty beer, they’ll have that for you. If you want an IPA, they’ll have a couple of those on tap. they’ll have a seltzer as well as a range of sours. And no doubt they’ll definitely have a group of flagship beers that are always on tap. Additionally, there will also be seasonal beers that rotate.

Meet Skye Fingalson and Roxanne Kirby, interior designers at design 2 sell and the creative geniuses behind this project

The eye-catching larger-than-life murals were done by local artist Hans Gilsdorf and his team.

For owners Fritz and Van Offelen, the most fulfilling part of all of this is being able to watch people enjoy the space and enjoy the beer. “The best part is walking into something that you did and watching people enjoying themselves—that’s what we want,” Fritz said. “Everywhere you look, there’s going to be eye candy,” Fritz said.

“Everywhere you look, there’s going to be something unique and cool to look at—and that vision wouldn’t have been possible without Skye and Roxanne and the team at Design 2 Sell—they were awesome and we can’t thank them enough.”

The Perfect Place For Events

The eye-catching larger-than-life murals were done by local artist Hans Gilsdorf and his team.

Bucks Mill Brewing is perfect for events and provides four distinct spaces that can be mixed and matched for your event. The brewery provides 7,000 square feet of space on the main level, plus the taproom and a back party room. Additionally, the second floor provides 2,500 more square feet that has a capacity for 30 people, as well as another space underneath the second floor. If you are interested in hosting a party or event, contact Bucks Mill Brewing through their site.

bucksmillbrewing.com

Written by Josiah Kopp

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