You could say that the Forgotten Star Brewing Company in Fridley has gone from battleships to beer.
The Twin Cities bar is located in a building that helped the United States win WWII.
“More than 10,000 Minnesotans worked here in its heyday,” said Andy Risvold, co-owner of Forgotten Star Brewing.
From the 1920s, the Northern Pump Company manufactured water pumps in the building for firefighting. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the company shifted its operations to turret guns for naval warships.
“In just three to six months after the Pearl Harbor event, they’re already shipping their first set of marine turret guns, and they were really good at it,” Risvold said.
Forgotten Star Brewing Co. (KSTP)
The installation has been called a production miracle. The factory became known as one of the most efficient enterprises during the war, earning it a Navy E Award for Excellence in Manufacturing and several stars.
“You realize there are a lot of people who came before you to make this opportunity possible for us, but everything we’re doing here is an attempt to honor the hard work they’ve done,” Risvold said. .
