Craft Beer Brewing at Forbidden Barrel Brewing Company

We were among the first members of the colony to arrive at the station of an unfinished railroad… There was a good hotel, well and comfortably furnished, one or two stores neatly stocked with goods, and several others in process of erection. The streets, scarcely defined as such, were filled with prairie schooners of families waiting for their masters to secure 'claims.' The women pursued their housewifely avocations—some utilized cooking stoves in their wagons, while others relied on gypsy fires for culinary tasks, with everyone appearing happy and hopeful.

Among the settlers, some hailed from New England, many of them Civil War veterans from Massachusetts and Maine, who occasionally conflicted with the temperance movement. A curious incident unfolded during Worthington's very first Fourth of July celebration. Hearing about a keg of beer at the Worthington House Hotel, Professor Humiston stormed in, seized the keg, and shattered it with an axe outside. Witnessing this, the young men of the town found it offensive. They gathered, hired a band, and under military direction, marched to the rear of the hotel. With a wheelbarrow and shovel, they collected the remnants of the keg and, playing a solemn dead march, they solemnly marched to the flagpole in front of Humiston's office, where they dug a grave and buried the empty keg with all the honors of a soldier’s funeral.

Later, flag at full mast and accompanied by lively music, they returned to the ice house, procured a full keg of beer, and laid it by the grave. A general invitation was extended to those wishing to partake, many of whom indulged until the keg was emptied. In the evening, they reassembled and burned Prof. Humiston in effigy around 10 p.m. Thus concluded the memorable Fourth at Worthington, Minn. This brewing history reflects the community spirit that would be foundational for many family-owned breweries in the region, showcasing local ingredients and the camaraderie among settlers.