Barley John’s Brewery
A brewer and a Butler Builder® create an energy-efficient, flexible brewery and taproom with structural clarity, expandability and long-term performance while supporting the Prohibition-era aesthetic envisioned by the owners and design team.
Project
Overview
Barley John’s expanded its operations with a 13,000-square-foot taproom and production facility designed to support growing distribution while capturing the character of the brand. Founders John Moore and Laura Subak have been refining their craft since the 1990s, and as their business advanced beyond the original Minneapolis brewpub, they needed a building that balanced distinctive design with long-term performance.
Architect Brandon Sigrist of Artangent Ltd. guided the design vision and partnered with Derrick Building Solutions, a long-standing Butler Builder®, to determine the most responsible and future-focused way to deliver it.
Early discussions centered on how to translate the brewery’s identity into a structure with both engineering rigor and architectural intent.
Sigrist noted, “During Prohibition, beer was made on the fly in people’s barns or sheds and then smuggled into the city, so that’s where we came to the idea that the new building should look agricultural.”
To achieve that aesthetic without compromising performance, Sigrist and project manager Chad Derrick evaluated multiple structural approaches. A Butler® building system rose to the top because, as Sigrist explained, “Butler had more to offer in terms of detailing and building envelope options.”
The clearspan structural system became the framework for the building, enabling the multilevel rooflines essential to the design concept while reducing the total heated volume and improving long-term energy efficiency.
The system’s flexibility also played a critical role in integrating the facility’s production demands. Working with Butler Manufacturing™, the team identified a design that allowed Moore and Subak to run heavy glycol lines from the ceiling — lines that can weigh up to 50 pounds per foot — without compromising structural integrity.
The clearspan capability gave the production floor the open movement needed for forklifts and equipment placement, while the expandable wall design ensured the owners could enlarge the facility easily as distribution continues to grow.
We love the final building. It fits all the requirements we had and is efficient in its space and use of energy.
“Barley John’s is a great example that any type of project is possible when customers work with Derrick Building Solutions and Butler Manufacturing,” Derrick said.
Energy performance remained a primary driver throughout the project. The Butler Thermawall™ wall system delivered strong thermal value with three inches of insulation per panel. Sigrist emphasized its engineering advantages, saying, “I like the Butler Thermawall wall system from a technical and structural perspective. The panel design and the way it handles thermal bridging makes it superior to other insulation options.”
Roof performance was equally critical given the climate, and the MR-24® roof system met those expectations. As Sigrist put it, “The MR-24 had good details in regard to thermal bridging, so I think the roof is going to perform close to its prescriptive R-value.”
The facility opened in October 2015, giving Barley John’s a building engineered for efficiency, expansion and long-term reliability.
Said Moore: “We love the final building. It fits all the requirements we had and is efficient in its space and use of energy.”
Sigrist shared the same satisfaction, saying, “I was really happy how the different materials went together with the Butler system, and I think we brought the whole project to the next level up in architectural quality.”
The result is a structure grounded in technical performance yet tailored to the brewery’s identity — an example of how disciplined engineering and thoughtful design can work together to support a growing business.
