Sugar Loaf Brewery, former brewery in Winona, Minnesota, United States
Sugar Loaf Brewery is a historic industrial building in Winona, Minnesota, constructed from stone with simple, sturdy 1800s architecture and a peaked roof. Behind it lie caves carved into the bluff that once stored and aged beer, using the natural cool temperature to preserve the product during production.
The brewery was founded in 1862 and later operated by Peter Bub and his family, who ran it for nearly a century until the business changed hands in 1969. A fire in 1872 damaged the original structure, prompting the construction of a larger addition that allowed the operation to expand significantly.
The building takes its name from the nearby Sugar Loaf rock formation and was long the center of local commerce and pride. For Winona residents, it remains a symbol of handcrafted tradition and community identity that visitors can feel when walking through the site today.
The site sits at Sugar Loaf Road near the Mississippi River in a hilly, tree-covered area that is easy to reach and walk around. Today it functions as an antique shop called Treasures Under Sugar Loaf, allowing visitors to explore the old structures and imagine the building during its active brewing years.
The caves carved into the bluff are one of the site's most striking features, showing how brewers used the natural cooling power of the landscape before modern refrigeration existed. These caves remain intact today and can be explored by visitors, offering direct insight into how the ancient brewing method actually worked.
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