In May 2013, their brewery and taproom opened to the public with distribution of kegs and cans in the Duluth area beginning shortly thereafter.

As part of their "Best of MN" awards, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune named Bent Paddle the best new brewery in Greater Minnesota for 2014.

[6] The brewery also won a bronze medal at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival for their 14° ESB.

[8] In August 2014, Long Trail Brewing Company filed a trademark infringement suit against Bent Paddle for using a logo of a hiker with a backpack similar to their own.

The suit was amicably settled in December 2014 with Bent Paddle agreeing to discontinue the use of that logo and both breweries making charitable donations to hiking-related groups in one another's states.