by

By Brian Kaufenberg

Bang Brewing Co.

With the 1,300 square foot grain bin-style craft brewery in St. Paul’s South St. Anthony Park near completion, Sandy and Jay Boss Febbo hope to have beer in the market as soon as mid to late March. Until then, Jay, a software engineer, and his wife Sandy, an executive art producer at an ad agency, find themselves asking: “Are we there yet?”

The one-room brewery is the product of years of planning and homebrewing, a hobby of Jay’s that soon took over the couple’s kitchen in 2005. Equipped with a commercial stove and an elaborate chilling system running from the kitchen to the basement and into the fermenter, Jay began experimenting with different recipes.

“Jay began each recipe with a bang, which is the term for an exclamation point in typography,” Sandy recalled. Sandy explained how “Bang” became the name of the brewery as it brought together their backgrounds in computers and design and their love of brewing. More than that, “It represents an emotion and an intent,” Sandy said.

The brewery is small and focused on sustainability, many of the building supplies coming from reclaimed materials including the wooden parking deck made from the formerly wood-surfaced road nearby the Mill City ruins in Minneapolis.

The brewing equipment is lined up against the inner wall of the circular grain bin and will allow patrons to follow the brewing process from start to finish simply by circling the inside of the brewery.

With each piece coming together, the brewery is beginning to reflect Jay and Sandy’s personalities. “Quirky, with some decent elements of design, but not stuffy,” Sandy described.

Bang’s philosophy to “push to make the most out of a few quality ingredients” is just as simple as it’s design, and is perhaps the reason the couple chose a very pale ale called “Neat” as their flagship brew.

This craft brewery’s Saint Paul location is also a reflection of the personality of the couple who were married in Minneapolis, moved to New York City, and settled in Saint Paul. “We’re St. Paul Strong and we love it,” said Sandy, adding, “We’re really excited to be a part of the neighborhood.”

The Brewer: Jay Boss Febbo

The Beer: Neat

Visit: 2320 Capp Rd., Saint Paul, MN 55114

Online: bangbrewing.com