Invictus Brewing Closes, Former Executive Relaunches THC Line

Invictus Brewing Co. said in a November 19 Facebook post that the decision to close its Blaine taproom was "difficult but necessary." The brewery, which opened in 2018 near the National Sports Center, cited surging costs and an increasingly challenging business environment after the company sold its original building earlier this year and determined relocation was not viable. For more than seven years Invictus served as a community hub, partnering with the onsite Tipsy Steer kitchen, hosting events, and drawing steady traffic from local sports and social venues.

As Invictus winds down, part of the brand will live on in a very different form. Nate Schneider, who served as vice president of sales and marketing, acquired the breweries hemp derived THC line and rebranded it as Voltage THC. Production and canning will move out of Blaine to Trove Brewing in Burnsville, a facility Schneider co owns, with distribution handled by Credo Brands. Voltage aims to begin production and canning in early 2026 and plans a full retail rollout that year.

The relaunch arrives at a fraught moment for low dose THC beverages. Minnesota law currently allows beverages containing up to 10 mg of THC per can, but a change in language in a recent federal appropriations package would redefine legal hemp to include only products containing 0.4 mg of THC or less per container. That shift would effectively ban the category of beverages now sold statewide. Voltage THCs original formulations, including 10 mg offerings and potential 25 mg variants, would exceed the proposed federal threshold.

Schneider has told associates he always had a "Plan B," and could move higher dose production to states with more permissive laws such as Tennessee or Wisconsin, or pivot into Minnesotas forthcoming adult use cannabis market if federal rules tighten. Industry advocates continue to lobby against the 0.4 mg limit, warning that the change could devastate Minnesota producers and reshape local beverage innovation.

For hobbyists and small scale brewers the story underscores two trends that matter: rising operating costs that can shutter cherished taprooms, and a regulatory shift that could remake opportunities in hemp derived products. Invictuss closure marks the end of a beloved local gathering place, and the Voltage THC pivot highlights how entrepreneurs are scrambling to adapt as craft beer and hemp THC sectors face tightening federal scrutiny.