HOW IT ALL BEGAN
On his 21st birthday, James received a homebrewing kit from his craft-beer loving older brother, Sean. This sparked a passion that resulted in James creating and brewing nearly one hundred unique beer recipes over the next few years.
James discovered one of his greatest joys in brewing is sharing his beer with others, so he partnered with Sean to bring his dream to reality. Together, the brothers built the first brewery and taproom in the City of Edina.
UP THE WOODEN HILL
Coming from an expression the brothers' grandfather used to say when it was time to go upstairs to bed, this peculiar name for a staircase always stuck with them.
Taking inspiration from family tradition and their grandfather's entrepreneurial spirit led them to name the brewery "Wooden Hill."
THE SPACE
Breaking ground in 2017, we transformed a long vacant 9,000 square foot warehouse into a production craft brewery and taproom.
We opened in March of 2018 and soon added a kitchen to the taproom. Click through the nifty virtual tour below to see how it turned out!
OWNERS, BROTHERS, BREWERS
Get to know our founders!
James Ewen
Given my background in nanotechnology, I particularly enjoy the science of brewing. The creative process of crafting so many new flavors from just water, hops, malt and yeast is incredible. I love sharing my beer with others, receiving feedback, and educating them about brewing methods.
Sean Ewen
As a doctor turned serial entrepreneur, my ethos is to improve the lives of others. I love how Wooden Hill accomplishes this in many ways. Not only does our beer and food bring joy to so many, but we've also made Wooden Hill a great place to work by challenging industry norms and always seeking to provide value to our team.
SHARE THE JOY OF CRAFT
We view our motto as a mission everyone can participate in. Who could use a little joy in your life?