Oct. 18, 2023

One of the owners of Glacial Lakes Distillery is opening his own craft beer bar.

Quentin Robertson and his wife, Jodi, are opening Session Ale Works in the Firehouse 42 development.

The property along a man-made lake at 12th Street and Ellis Road is adjacent to a city fire station. The site is planned as a boardwalk-style development incorporating multiple retail and service uses.

“I just connected with it right away,” said Robertson, who lives nearby.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, just do something on my own with a different identity and different vibe,” he said.

He plans to continue his ownership in Watertown-based Glacial Lakes Distillery, which includes Glacial Lakes Distillery & Brewhouse in downtown Sioux Falls.

Session Ale Works will serve Glacial Lakes spirits in craft cocktails when it opens, plus offer 30 taps. The focus on beer brings Robertson back to his background, he said. He plans to collaborate with local breweries for his house beers.

The 3,000-square-foot space is in a retail center that includes an Edward Jones office. It’s large enough for a full-size kitchen.

“I’m excited for that,” Robertson said, adding he’s looking at a brick oven for pizza, wings and signature dishes.

“I don’t want the same menu as everyone else in town, so we’ll do some unique stuff there,” he said. “There are some restaurants out of Omaha I want to model.”

Session Ale Works also will have a “ridiculously huge” patio that will look out to the water.

Dunn Brothers Coffee is the only other food and beverage option in the development at this point. It opened more than a year ago.

“Quentin’s concept fits perfectly with what the developers were envisioning,” said Bobbie Tibbetts of Bender Commercial Real Estate Services, who helped put the deal together and has the building listed.

“We explored interest from fitness concepts, other restaurateurs, and breweries, but conversations never fully materialized.  Quentin knew what he wanted and quickly realized this site as unique with the amenities and neighboring tenants. Session Ale Works will be a draw and a destination for many on this side of the city.”

With the deal, the development from WS Construction Management has one approximately 1,450-square-foot space left in its first phase.

“A small office user would make for a great fit given the existing tenant mix,” Tibbetts said.

The growing population in the area can support a concept like Session Ale Works, Robertson said.

“Neighborhood bars tend to fill up — especially when it gets cold out,” he said.

The hope is to be open by the end of the first quarter in 2024.