Upper Room Brewery expands with 52 Taphouse opening in Minden

MINDEN, Neb. — A new tap house is officially open in Minden, giving Central Nebraska beer fans another place to gather.

52 Tap House held its grand opening Thursday, drawing a steady crowd within the first hour as customers stopped in to check out the space and sample local brews.

The tap house is owned by Upper Room Brewery, based in Kearney, and marks the brewery’s first expansion into a new community.

Owner and brewer Michael Freitag said community support played a major role in bringing the project to life.

The tap house follows a similar model to Upper Room’s Kearney location but does not include on-site brewing. The Minden location serves Upper Room beers on tap, with plans to add guest taps in the future.

The menu also includes local pizza, with wine expected to be added later.

Freitag said the idea for a Minden location came after conversations with local residents who encouraged the brewery to bring its beer south.

Much of the final preparation came together with help from volunteers and community members, who assisted with cleaning, painting, and finishing work in the weeks leading up to opening day.

Freitag said the brewery is excited to become part of the Minden community and looks forward to growing alongside it in the years ahead.