About

I didn’t know it at the time, but the journey to opening Black Paws Brewing Co. began back in 2010 when I joined the Muddy River Mashers, a homebrewer’s club in Bismarck, ND. That is where I was first introduced to home brewed craft beer, and where I started learning how to brew. It was early in 2011 when I brewed my first five-gallon batch (a Black Cherry Stout). At the time the brewing kit I had was minimal and incomplete, and despite having only second-hand knowledge, which I had learned through conversations at club meetings, I managed to make a beer that tasted good…damn good! That first batch led to a second, and a third, and so on. Miraculously, they all turned out! That doesn't happen often in homebrewing.

Life happened and I moved from Bismarck back to Devils Lake to open a law practice. The problem with this plan, I soon discovered, was I didn’t enjoy practicing law, and I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life doing it. It was at this point that a friend told me he and some others planned to open a brewery in Bismarck, and they wanted me to be their brewer. Suddenly I had a new path. I ramped up my homebrewing and started developing my own recipes while I made arrangements to close my practice and move back to Bismarck. I waited for the project to begin… and waited…and waited some more. Eventually I got tired of waiting, so I told my friend I was going to start working on opening a brewery of my own in DL. With that decision made all I had left to do was… EVERYTHING!

One of the first decisions to make was what to call the brewery. I thought I knew already. I’d had a name stuck in the back of my mind since I started brewing, and was just waiting for the opportunity to use it, but it just didn’t seem right. It didn’t have any personal meaning to me. It was humorous, but didn't have any heart. However, there was something that did have an enormous amount of personal meaning and has been a very important part of my life for over 30 years. The Newfoundland dogs my family have raised, trained and used to search for lost people and victims of drowning.

My family got its first Newfy in 1991, and ever since then they have been a HUGE part of the family (pun intended). Our Newfies do not only mean a lot to us. All of the dogs we've had have been K-9 members of Lake Region Search and Rescue. They have been called upon to search for countless people over the years to find people lost in the woods, teens who have run away from home, people swept away by raging flood waters, and victims of drowning. Our dogs have helped bring relief, and/or closure to many families during the last few decades, and it just made sense to honor our dogs by naming the brewery for this giant, noble, and gentle breed.

When you come into the brewery, take a look around. The first thing you’ll be greeted by is a larger-than-life sculpture of Riggley. If you look closely you might even find his paw print in the concrete at the base. You’ll see drawings and paintings of Newifes done by my niece, and on several of the tables you’ll see photos of the dogs we’ve had over the years. Take a look at these things and, even if you’ve never met a Newfy before, you may begin to understand the allure of this breed, and why these dogs mean so much to me and my family.

So grab a Black Paws brew and raise a toast to the Newfoundland dogs who inspired this place. Don’t forget to include all the dogs who have touched your life and given you the unconditional love that can only come from someone who’s greatest joy is seeing you walk through the door at the end of the day.

Cheers,

Jeb