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.

St. Paul: Get Stone(d) at the Ale Jail, Bulldog & Groveland Tap

By on March 28, 2011in bars/restaurants, beer events, beer stores

Crazy busy week but we’ll be posting Stone reminders as time allows. Here’s a link to the complete list of visits from the folks from Stone on the brewery’s website.

Ale Jail & Groveland Tap:
New info for all of you “Stone”ers out there. On Tuesday, March 29th we will have all Stone products open for tasting and available for purchase. You may then take your bottle, 4pk, 6pk, over to the Groveland Tap and get it signed by Greg Koch. First come, first serve so get here and get over there quickly. Tasting will start at 5pm. Hang out have a few samples, buy your beer and off to Groveland Tap where Greg will be available from 7:30 to 8:30pm. Cheers!

Groveland Tap Stone beers:
Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA, Stone Smoked Porter, Stone Levitation Ale, Stone Ruination IPA, Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA, Stone cask to be announced!

Bulldog Lowertown:
Tuesday, 6-7pm. Seven awesome Stone beers on tap, plus Greg Koch and Nate Sellergren will be there! Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Smoked Porter, Double Dry Hopped Stone IPA, Stone cask to be announced!

Summit’s New Spring Duds

By on March 28, 2011in breweries

Check it out. Summit launched a new website redesign today with the help of gdb (which may or may not stand for “gimme’ draft beer). Looks good – playful, clean and full of info.

Incidentally, if you haven’t, do yourself a favor and throw down a few pints of Unchained No. 6, Gold Sovereign Ale. I enjoyed a couple of pints in the Firehouse Room at the Happy Gnome during a break from the craziness of Firkin Fest on Saturday. I know I was supposed to be drinking cask beer, but I guess that’s  how I roll. Nice job Mr. McConn!

Minnesota Brewpubs Behind New Legislation

By on March 24, 2011in beer laws, brewpubs

Yesterday, we reported some news of a bill that would allow for brewpubs to sell their beer to wholesalers. Today we’ve learned that Barley John’s, Boathouse, Fitger’s Brewhouse and Town Hall have all lent their support for said bill (SF1013 and HF1276).

From Tim Nelson, owner of Fitger’s Brewhouse: “The bill is critical for Minnesota Brewpub owners and employees as they strive to grow along with counterparts throughout the United States.”

As many of you know, our laws are certainly not as lenient as some of our surrounding states with regards to brewpubs… brewpubs in Wisconsin can serve on site and also bottle and distribute beer in Minnesota while Minnesota brewpubs can not legally bottle and distribute their beer (aside from on-site, in growlers).

“Minnesota’s current law’s run counter to our state’s interests. It doesn’t make sense to shackle our own breweries in a way that other states do not. We simply want the opportunity to compete, it can only benefit everyone in our state through increased job growth, improved tax revenues and a richer regional culture.”

New Brewpub Legislation

By on March 23, 2011in beer laws

Aaron tweeted a link to an interesting new bill, SF 1013, which would essentially allow brewpubs to sell beer to wholesalers. Follow the link above to see the proposed changes. Our man at the capitol is working on more information as we speak… or doing his day job… or both… we hope!

Brewers who also hold one or more retail on-sale licenses and who manufacture malt liquor  at any one licensed premises, for retail sale at on-sale or off-sale at any licensed premises owned by the brewer,
as permitted and limited by subdivision 7, and for sale to licensed wholesalers for distribution to other
retail licensees without limit. A brewer licensed under this clause must obtain a separate license for
each licensed premises where the brewer brews malt liquor. A brewer licensed under this clause may not be licensed as an importer under this chapter

Two Hearts, One Trademark and a Homebrew

By on March 23, 2011in homebrew

So … we just received a letter from an attorney representing one of our favorite craft breweries; this letter informed us that we need to change the name of our Three Hearted Ale kit in a hurry. We’d love to hear your suggestions!

Yup. Bell’s Brewery sent our friends at Northern Brewer a cease and desist letter regarding the their Three Hearted Ale kit, a recipe kit styled after Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.

Bell’s owns the trademark for Two Hearted Ale and as such is charged with protecting that mark from others that might dilute or tarnish that name. Most of the time, trademark issues aren’t purely black and white, as is the case with the Three Hearted Ale kit. Bell’s (or rather their lawyer(s)) decide what they see as a threat to the mark and what they see as something that they can let slide. As The Gambler once said, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, [and]] know when to fold ’em…”

In Bell’s case, they may have been better off just folding. Though Northern Brewer’s Facebook post was extremely kind, others comments haven’t been so kind, with some even suggesting a boycott of Bell’s beer. I understand Bell’s position, but not without a dose of skepticism. On the PR side, it looks just plain ugly watching a large and well-regarded brewery go after perhaps the best homebrew retailer in the country. It make me wonder if they weighed the negative publicity before sending the letter.

On the upside, our friend’s at Northern Brewer will no doubt receive plenty of free press on the issue and no doubt a little business as well. Bell’s, on the other hand, might want to take a breather and re-read Hemmingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River” again.

“Nick slipped off his pack and lay down in the shade. He lay on his back and looked up into the pine trees. His neck and back and the small of his back rested as he stretched. The earth felt good against his back. He looked up at the sky, through the branches, and then shut his eyes. He opened them and looked up again. There was a wind high up in the branches. He shut his eyes again and went to sleep.”

Update: Here’s a link to Bell’s position on the issue (Thanks Ben). It’s certainly kind, though it somewhat reads like it was written by a lawyer, go figure.