Spicy Coconut Chicken from Gluek’s Brewery in Minneapolis

In 1857, German immigrant Gottlieb Gluek opened the Mississippi Brewery on the banks of the Mississippi River near 22nd Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis. The complex of buildings was nearly indestructible, with walls reported to be five feet thick. He changed the name to Gluek Brewing Company when his sons were old enough to begin working at the brewery. The Gluek Brewing Company then added several new brews to its well-known staple Gluek’s Beer, including Glix Beer, Gluek’s Stite, and Pioneer Beer. The brewery used caves on the north end of Nicollet Island to create its popular lagers. By 1902, the plant was turning out 44 barrels of beer per day. 

While other breweries were going out of business, Gluek’s survived Prohibition by making near-beer and soft drinks. But after 107 years in business, the Gluek Brewing Company closed in 1964, and their core brands of beer were discontinued. At the time, Gluek’s was Minneapolis’ oldest continuously operated business in the city. The entire complex was purchased by the G. Heileman Brewing Company the same year. The brewery was later sold to a box-making company — they demolished the brewery buildings in 1966. 

In 2017, Gluek’s label returned using a new recipe based on the old-world tradition of beer-making. Gluek Park was established in 1978 at the former site of the brewery.