Self-serve beer now on tap in Cloquet

There's a new game, and a lot of craft beer, in town.

The 218 TapHouse opened for business on Wednesday, Dec. 27, in the business complex that includes Premiere Theatres on South Highway 33 in Cloquet. Southgate Family Pizza previously operated in the space that is now home to 218 TapHouse.

"We had a very successful first week," said bar manager Dane Levinski. "Opening day was on a Wednesday and our seating was full with a good standing room crowd. Our weekends have been very popular."

"The community has been very excited to have this place, something different for the Cloquet area," Levinski added.

The lively establishment brings back a form of bowling to Cloquet, so that's the new game in town.

"We've got duckpin bowling, three lanes, basically a mini-arcade style of bowling," Levinski said. "It's been a hit with adults and families."

And, what about the beer?

"The big attraction is the beer wall," Levinski said. "We have 29 taps; a lot of them are local from Duluth, Superior, and northern-area breweries with a few from the Twin Cities." Selections range from light lagers to pale ales to IPAs to amber and brown ales, plus a few ciders, seltzers and THC-infused beverages.

"Most of our customers head straight to the beer wall, and then they inquire about the bowling," Levinski said. "Once they realize the bowling is there, we get reservations. But the draw has been the beer wall, and the duckpin is a great bonus."

"We have a full bar as well with specialty cocktails, so you can get a drink or some pop," added Levinski.

Seating is available for about 75 customers, including high- and low-height tables, bar seating, and plenty of standing room space. Owners of the new venture are Dean and Alison Crotteau, who own Cold One Liquor a few storefronts away.

"Owners Dean and Alison Crotteau, along with manager Haley Sobczak from Cold One Liquor, have a lot of experience in the beer market and strong relationships with distributors, and they take local recommendations and balance them with customer requests and personal preferences to select the beer and other beverages on tap," explained Levinski. "It starts with them and their experience and knowledge."

The beer has been flowing since opening day about two weeks ago.

"We've gone through quite a few kegs of beer already," said Levinski. With 29 taps to fill, the selection will change so returning customers will always have new options to try.

The new business venture currently employs seven people. Levinski explained they have plenty of staff to handle busy nights and it's fun for customers to try out the beer wall. The self-pour beer wall makes it so less staff are needed, and it provides customers the opportunity to pour their own pint, or less.

The beer wall process is simple. Customers come in, show age identification, and then they get a wristband that looks like a digital watch. Using the wristband, a customer selects their beverage on the beer wall, scans the wristband on the 218 TapHouse logo above the tap, and then starts pouring their beer.

"You pay per ounce," explained Levinski. "The price per ounce is on every screen, and it's really user-friendly. So, if you want to try 2 ounces of a beer just to taste it, or if you want to pour a pint, it's totally up to you. When you are done at the end of your visit, you come up to the kiosk and it will tell you what and how many ounces you poured, and the cost."

While the self-pour beer wall is new to Cloquet, they have been around for several years.

"There is a learning curve, but the pour-your-own systems have been around so we have had people who have tried it elsewhere," Levinski said. "Our employees are great about explaining it, showing customers how it works and helping out. After you do it once or twice it's really simple and a great system."

Levinski noted that during the first two weeks, customers were primarily local, from the Cloquet and Carlton area plus southern parts of Carlton County. He thought local people were excited to have a place like the 218 TapHouse nearby and not have to drive to Duluth. Levinski said they have hosted people from the Iron Range, hockey tournament families from out of town, ice fishing guests, and others passing through town who stopped in to check out the new place.

The 218 TapHouse has established a hotline food ordering and delivery service partnership with Sammy's Pizza. Customers can also order snacks from the Premiere Theatres concession stand. 218 TapHouse sells frozen pizzas that are prepared on site and plans to add more options in the future.

The self-pour beer wall and duckpin bowling involve a substantial amount of technology to operate correctly and accurately. For example, each tap has a tablet that is hardwired through a network cable into the system.

"Everything has been working really well," said Levinski of the first two weeks. "We've had a few stuck pins on the duckpin that we just have to untangle. The support from the tap wall manufacturer has been really helpful, so everything has gone smoothly."

From original concept through construction to opening day, the process took about 18 months. Construction services were through local contractor Ray Riihiluoma Inc., of Cloquet.

"We've had a good balance of customers," said Levinski. "We've had plenty of date nights, adult groups, and families and younger groups. There's a definite pattern; for example, on Saturdays we open at 11 a.m. and we have a few birthday parties in the afternoon, and then it turns into a nice adult atmosphere for a beverage without kids running around. We are family-friendly and we encourage that, but it's a good balance of both."

218 TapHouse is located at 918 Highway 33 in Cloquet. Hours are 3-11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to

11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Find more information at

218taphouse.com and on

Facebook and Instagram.