Author: ryan

Ryan Anderson (that's me!) is the editor & founder of MNBeer. Much has changed since the fall of 2005 and I'm proud to have been a part of it all. Sometime I'll tell you about my grand theory that links craft brewing to punk rock. Just ask.

We’re Looking for a Few Good Men and/or Women

By on June 13, 2012in mnbeer.com

It’s been a while since we’ve added new writers to the ranks of MNBeer. As the community grows and new breweries spring up, we’re looking for new blood to help cover all of the great beer news in Minnesota. So if you think you’re up for the task and are committed to helping out with at least a few stories and/or features a week, we’d love to have you join our ranks.

You don’t need to be an English major, but some mastery of the language always helps. Tact, a sense of humor and a love of beer are nice, too. Perks include free entry to beer fests, free beer from time to time and other goodies.

Interested? Email ryan AT mnbeer.com.

612Brew Signs a Lease

By on June 12, 2012in breweries

In case you missed it earlier, on 6-12-12, the folks from 612Brew announced that they’ve signed a lease for property at the corner of Broadway & Central in Northeast Minneapolis. After years of planning, things are moving forward. The gang plans to have a brewery & taproom, 15 barrel brewhouse and a focus upon sessionable beers. You can read the press release in its entirety below.

Congrats guys! Time is running out for us to give Robert hell about his “pretend brewery.”

The Growler Launch Party Thursday

By on June 6, 2012in bars/restaurants, beer events, breweries

As you may or may not have heard, Matt and the Beer Dabbler crew are set to launch a new bimonthly craft beer/lifestyle magazine called The Growler. On Thursday, they’ll celebrate sending 20,000 copies to press with a party at Amsterdam in St. Paul. They’ll be giving away Growler pint glasses to the first 250 guests and plan to fill said glasses with great beer… no surprise. It’ll also be your first official, legit chance to try Minnesota’s newest Brewery, Badger Hill. There will also be a firkin from Boom Island, Fytenburg Grand Cru (Tod’s wedding beer) and something special from Crispin. To tie things together, there will be free live music from Big Trouble & Silverback Colony, Beer Dabbler ticket giveaways and of course, your first chance to grab a copy of The Growler.

Music starts at 5:30, Beer Tapped at 6:00.

The Growler is a bi-monthly magazine focusing on craft beer and the community and culture surrounding it. Published by The Beer Dabbler—producers of craft beer sampling events in and around the Twin Cities since 2008—this magazine will have an initial distribution of more than 300 outlets across the Twin Cities at establishments such as local beer stores, restaurants and bars. This complimentary magazine will be published every two months with a mission to educate and entertain a wide spectrum of craft beer drinkers.

In addition to feature stories, regular columns, an events calendar, and brewer profiles, this collectible digest will also highlight the latest news about the craft beer industry in Minnesota and beyond. The premiere issue will offer a unique look at pairing outdoor adventures and northern Minnesota breweries, a glance back at the pint law a year after its signing, and an engaging interview with Jacquie Berglund (philanthropist and founder of Finnegan’s) about her work with The Emergency Food Shelf Network’s Harvest for the Hungry program and Finnegans’ Mission of “Turning beer into food.”

The Growler will also feature:

  • Restaurant Reviews from Heavy Table
  • Interviews and Biographical content about members of the craft beer community
  • Recipes from Dinner on the Farm
  • Bicycling to your beer
  • Event calendars and featured Twin Cities happenings
  • Brewer’s Corner—homebrew wisdom from the Folks at Northern Brewer
  • Behind-the-scenes peeks at where your beer comes from
  • Beer Reviews from: The Ale Jail, Thomas Liquors, Zipp’s Liquor, Surdyk’s & Four Firkins
  • Local artist profiles
  • Craft beer comics including Louie the Loon’s pub reviews
  • Music editorial from the Midwest Beer Collective
  • Hand-illustrated cover art from local artist Dave Witt

The Growler Magazine is an independently-owned and operated organization whose mission is to expand and promote the craft beer community through education, entertainment, and community events. For more information, sign-up for our email list at growlermag.com

Beermuda Triangle Saturday in St. Louis Park

By on June 5, 2012in beer events, beer stores, breweries, homebrew

We like St. Louis Park, and not just because our offices (read: my basement & laptop) are here. The Four Firkins, Midwest Homebrew Supply and Steel Toe Brewing are nice to have in town as well. Saturday from 2-6, the three are coming together to put on an event dubbed “The Beermuda Triangle,” a collaborative, multi-location beer event. The event will feature beer samples, brewing demonstrations and swag as well as raffles to win prizes like gift cards, a brew session with Jason from Steel Toe, a night on the town with Alvey and the Four Firkins crew and a kegging system from Midwest.  More importantly, the ticket price for the event goes to support STEP, the St. Louis Park Emergency Program. STEP provides essentials like food, clothing and other resources to those in need in the St. Louis Park area. They’re one of my personal charities of choice. Couple that with beer, and I think there’s not much left to consider!

Check it out! Purchase tickets here.

Six Pack: Rob Shellman of Better Beer Society

By on June 4, 2012in beer education, Features, six pack

Rob Shellman launched Better Beer Society earlier this year with two great events – – a brown-bag blind tasting and film screening/discussion panel about women in the beer industry. Later this month, you’ll have another chance to partake in another brown bag event at Butcher and Boar, which promises to be nothing short of awesome. You can buy tickets for Summer Session: BBQ Beers here. Read on for more information about Rob & Better Beer Society.Further questions? Don’t hesitate to shoot rob an email: rob@betterbeersociety.com

Rob Shellman, Better Beer Society (at Cantillion)

1. Tell us a bit about the impetus for Better Beer Society.
My passion and dedication for craft beer all started while my wife and I were living in Southern California, and just being immersed in an amazing beer culture. I then sought out my certification as a Cicerone, and the wheels just started turning. The concept actually started as a bottle shop, and has slowly morphed into a full blown agency for craft beer. I wanted to create an agency that promotes and supports all aspects of craft beer, and brings the entire community together. As far as I know, this agency is one of a kind.

2. What inspired you to get involved in the craft beer scene in Minnesota?
My wife and I are from here, and we knew right away that we, and BBS belonged in Minnesota. We are on the cusp of becoming one of the next great destination beer states, but together as a beer community we have lots of work to do to get there. With the vast growth of beer focused bars and restaurants opening as of late, I felt there needed to be an agency in place that was both educational, creative, and would strive to help improve the level of quality across the board in our community.

3. Without overthinking it… describe your ideal beer… right off the top of your head…
My ideal beer would be sessionable, a conversation beer if you will (4 – 4.5% ABV). It should have a nice hop bitterness to it (preferably Nelson Sauvin or Citra), it would be balanced, but still have some depth to it. Maybe a British Ale yeast strain? Just something so that I can have a few over a period of a night with friends, and focus on the evening, and not the beer.

4. What was the first Minnesota-made beer to pass your lips? How about the latest?
The first Minnesota made beer I tried would have to be either James Page back when they were in Northeast Minneapolis, or a Summit EPA. The last MN beer I had was yesterday at Muddy Waters for lunch. I had a Steel Toe Size 7 with a soft shell crab bánh mì…which I later dreamt about.

5. If you could change one thing about the craft beer scene in this state what would it be?
I would revisit our growler law. As it stands now, you need to purchase a growler exclusive to that selling establishment, that has their logo on it. So you have no choice but to accumulate a bunch of glass, which I feel is wasteful. Yes, filling these many growlers is certainly eco-friendly and allows us to reduce and re-use…but why not have a universal growler? One vessel that is recognized by the state, which allows for less waste. Perhaps it could be a stainless steel or Nalgene growler, allowing for use in state parks…oh wait, that’s illegal too isn’t it?

6. Where do you see craft beer in Minnesota in 10 years?
Again, I see Minnesota as a craft beer destination state, much like Oregon or California. We’re making great beer in Duluth, the Twin Cities, as well as other markets like Bemidji and St. Cloud. Once Surly opens their newly-expanded brewery I feel it’s really going to open the tourism flood gate. Saturation is inevitable, though once the dust settles…the market should dictate who stays and who goes, and we should be left with only high-quality and interesting craft beers. We’re building something pretty special here, I’m just happy to be a part of it.