Before

Graham and Brook’s story began in Skagway AK where they met in 2007.  They both found their way up to the great white north Via South Dakota (Brook) and Wisconsin (Graham). Brook owned a local coffee shop and Graham was working at a brewery, a pizza joint, and swinging a hammer. After Alaska, around 2012,  they moved to the Front Range of Colorado and found themselves knee-deep in a craft beer movement. That place in time was an eye-opening experience for them, as there was a sea change in the air. The craft beer industry was taking over and like-minded people were migrating to the region in droves.  Graham was fortunate enough to land a job at Odell Brewing Co where he was able to see firsthand what it took to make world-class beer.   

Graham “Alaska was an amazing and life-changing experience for the soul. Colorado was an eye-opening masterclass into the craft beer world, but no matter where we were in life, the Midwest was always pulling us back home.”

 In 2018, they made the decision to move back to the Midwest with a plan in mind. They aimed to combine the vibe of the northern Colorado brewing scene with the culture of the Midwest, combining the best of both worlds. However, the question remained: how would they accomplish this?  They sold everything they couldn’t fit into their truck and purchased an old farmhouse on the backwaters of the Mississippi River. They had no jobs, no business plan, just a dream, some grit, and confidence that what they were doing mattered, and faith that it would happen.  Brook began teaching elementary school in Winona, and Graham landed a job at Island City Brewing, the nearest brewery to that farmhouse where he worked part-time cleaning tanks and creating pilot brews for about a year. Then, he seized the opportunity to immerse himself deeper into the local beer scene by joining Forager Brewing and learning from influential local brewers.  Covid hit, a baby was on the way, and plans drastically changed. Graham started a new job to be closer to home at Lacrosse Brewing Co., running the brewing program. When the opportunity arose to open their own brewery in the very same building where Graham began his local brewing career, the full-circle nature of everything was not lost on Brook or Graham. Everything just felt like it was falling into place and felt right.  

Now

Our inspiration:

We strive to be an all-inclusive meeting place for locals and tourists alike.  Our brewing style is rooted in the American West but is constantly evolving as we hold authenticity in the highest regard, treating every brew as a learning experience into the unknown. We specialize in unique limited releases and independently crafted original brews with a focus on progressive brewing techniques. Whether it’s through the exploration of freshly sourced hops, experimental yeast strains, specialty grains, or the utilization of unique local ingredients we are always evolving and putting forth the highest quality of beer. Our beer releases are unique one-offs, as each style lives in the design stages of improvement. 

Meaning behind the name:

A fathom is a unit of measurement, typically used in the nautical sense to measure the depth of water. It is equal to approximately six feet or the distance between fingertip to fingertip of an adult person.

Measuring river depth was a process in which an anchor was tied to a rope with unique markings at each fathom and lowered to the bottom. This technique was commonly used during steamship travel up and down the Mississippi River.  This process is where the well-known author Samual Clemens acquired his pen name.  Clemens adopted the pen name Mark Twain, inspired by the shout used by deckhands to measure a river’s depth. They would drop leads and then call out the readings.  The cry “mark twain” means two fathoms, or 12 feet, a safe depth for boat travel.  Here’s to wishing you safe travels, my friends!

In one of its earliest uses, the verb fathom was a synonym for embrace: to fathom someone was to encircle the person with your arms. Two fathoms would then be a hug.  You are all welcome here and we embrace you all.

The words “Father” and “Mother” spelled backward are significant in Hermeticism. The central two letters that connect “Father” and “Mother” – the “Th” – are also important symbols of “Thoth” in Renaissance Rosicrucian cryptography. In addition,  Could this Father+Mother measurement represent the sum of all that is Knowable? All that mankind can embrace/comprehend and ‘fathom’ about this incredible Universe?