Celebration For Gold Medalist Coming Up At North Loop Taproom
Just back from Italy where she won gold for the second time with the USA Women’s Hockey Team, local hero Kelly Pannek will be honored Monday, March 9th at Fulton Brewing’s North Loop taproom.
From 6:30-8:30 that night, she (and perhaps some of her teammates) will be signing autographs and checking out the seasonal beer that Fulton is naming in Pannek’s honor: “Been There, Won That Again.”
“It’s the closest thing to a parade that we could give her,” said Fulton’s VP of Marketing, Holly Manthei. “They deserve a platform to be celebrated and we’re really excited to be there. We feel like they’re ‘ours’ and to be able to celebrate that with them is super special.”
It’s actually the third time that Fulton has celebrated Pannek’s accomplishments with a limited-release beer. The first time was when she became a “quadruple gold medalist” – winning championships in college (U of M), the IIHF World Championship, the PWHL’s Walter Cup (MN Frost) and the Olympics. The second time was last summer when the Minnesota Frost won their second straight title.
“She’s making the milestones, we’re just putting the milestones on a beer can,” said Manthei, “and as long as she keeps doing this, we’ll keep making beer.”
Manthei is hoping for a packed house Monday so the players can feel the love.
“Having a little girl come in, knowing who this team is, and knowing that she could grow up to be number 12 on the U.S. women’s national team like her idol, Kelly Pannek, is just so cool. It’s great to have that accessibility for the next generation of women’s hockey players.”
The new beer, which is a shandy, will be for sale on the 9th along with limited edition merchandise.
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer