Whether they are in the mood for some local brew and food or are just looking for a place to get out of the summer heat and enjoy the company of others, residents and visitors of Sister Lakes now have a new spot to eat, drink and gather.

Sister Lakes Brewing Company officially opened its doors to the public Friday, offering its selection of craft beers to customers at its brewhouse and bar next to the Sister Lakes Fire Department on County Road 690. The business will be open seven days a week, with summer hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The opening came after the owners, Sister Lake’s Jerry Morin and his sons Brian, Joe and David, wrapped up work on the building’s interior and exterior. The family has spent nearly a year transforming the former hardware store into a microbrewery, complete with a brewing area, kitchen, bar, indoor dining room and outdoor patio.

Brothers Brian and Joe, who before launching the business were avid home-brewers, have also spent the last several months making and testing batches of beer for the big opening.

On Friday, following weeks of brewing and after several successful soft opens, the two decided it was time to pull the handle on the operation and let the customers begin to pour in.

“I just took one photo of the open sign about an hour after we opened and posted it to Facebook,” Brian said. “It just snowballed from there. We were packed all day on Friday and Saturday and business was pretty steady on Sunday.”

The brothers currently have eight different beers on tap, many of which are named for places and institutions within their beloved lakeside community. These include the Crooked Lake cream ale and Magician’s Milk Magic stout, named after the nearby lakes, as well as the Noon Whistle session IPA, named for the whistle that blows at the next-door fire station at noon every day.

In addition, they offer their own root beer and cream soda drinks for children and those not wishing to drink, Joe said.

The two plan on introducing two new beers to the rotation soon, and will be mixing up their selection from time to time to keep things fresh and seasonal, Brian said.

“Part of the reason we got into brewing is because we like to try new things, to keep pushing the envelope,” he said. “We will have always have a few standbys on tap, but we also want to always offer something new for beer aficionados.”

While Joe and Brian are in firm control on the brewing side of things, the affairs of the kitchen are being handled by executive chef Kyle Schroeder, who joined Sister Lakes Brewing Company last week, Brian said. Under his direction, the kitchen offers a selection of salads, sandwiches, appetizers and desserts, all of which, like the beer, is made from as many locally sourced ingredients as possible.

“We wanted to keep the menu simple but as high quality as possible,” Joe said.

Another one of the Morin family’s goals with the business is to provide a gathering place for their neighbors and friends throughout the Sister Lakes community. To that end, there are just two giant tables in the dining area, so that people will often be sitting side-by-side with strangers while enjoying their beer and meals, Brian said.

In spite of the busy opening weekend, Brian took a brief moment to stand back and witness all that he and his family had accomplished these past several months, watching people enjoy their custom made beers and — more importantly — enjoy each other’s company in the process.

“It was a cool moment of pride to see our vision become a reality,” he said.

Sister Lakes Brewing Company is currently hiring experienced servers. For more information about positions with the company or about the business itself, contact them online at http://www.sisterlakesbrewing.com.