ryan – Page 204 – MNBeer – Craft beer information from the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul and beyond

And Yet Another Law We Should Probably Change…

By ryan on February 14, 2011in beer stores

Also covered here and here (and others, no doubt).

Firkins is also trying to change a Minnesotan liquor law.
Now, we know that this is not even in the same realm as what Surly is trying to do but it is a state liquor law and we have been working on the for a few weeks now. The draft of the Bill was just introduced so now we can tell you all about it. Currently, it is illegal for MN liquor stores to sell apparel of any kind. That is, shirts, jerseys, hats etc. See MN Statute 340A.412 subd. 14. It’s basically a list of items that MN liquor stores can sell. If something’s not on that list we aren’t allowed to sell it. Shirts and other apparel is not on that list. Which is unusual because as you know, breweries are allowed to sell shirts as well as bars here in Minnesota. I figured it was about time somebody did something about that. I contacted Rep Steve Simon here in St. Louis Park and Senator Ron Latz. Both have been very helpful in getting to this point. Rep Simon drafted the Bill and has officially introduced it. Sen Latz will take it from there. At somepoint in March I will go to the capital to testify as to why I believe this will be a good thing for Minnesotan liquors stores. Hopefully this bill (and the one Surly is working on) will be passed and then liquor stores everywhere in MN will be allowed to sell shirts with their own logo and branding on them. In know this may seem like a small thing, but to us and I suspect a lot of other stores, it will make a very big difference. I will be proud to wear a Firkins shirt to a bar, or a Firkins jersey whilst on my bike and I know a few other people too who might like one… Wish us luck! Jason Alvey. The link to the Draft of the Bill is below:

Links

Link to proposed bill

Stanley’s Supports Surly

By ryan on February 11, 2011in bars/restaurants, beer events, breweries

Not surprisingly, Stanley’s is standing in support of Surly’s hope to open a destination brewery. Others such as The Ale Jail, Princeton’s Liquors, The Four Firkins, Cafe 28, Grumpy’s NE, Stub & Herb’s and others have all voiced their support. Here’s the latest effort from the crew at Stanley’s:

We at Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room fully support Surly’s vision of creating a new brewery, restaurant and event center. Surly Brewing has become a very successful brewery, who wants to invest additional time and energy into a business expansion that will produce jobs and contribute to the beverage and tourism economies of Minnesota.

We do not feel threatened as a bar and restaurant to have one of our beloved Minnesota breweries create a restaurant for themselves. We say, go for it and good luck!

To further support Surly’s vision, we will be hosting a “Support Surly” party Saturday February, 19th and taking signatures of supporters. Our names will be the first on the list. We hope other
restaurants and bars will show their support for Surly as well.

Sierra Nevada Tasting at Heritage Tonight

By ryan on February 10, 2011in beer events, beer stores

Good times at Heritage. 5-7pm. Cheers!

Come and join us for a rare treat. You have all heard about the myth and legend of Bigfoot…come and experience it first hand. Short of having Frank run around in a big, furry suit, we will have to let you try the tasty seasonal Barleywine from Sierra Nevada called Bigfoot. But wait, there’s more, we also will be pulling some 2009 Bigfoot out of the cellar so you can see the difference a year makes with this beer. We will also be pouring some of their 30

Wait, there’s opposition for Surly’s proposed plans?

By ryan on February 9, 2011in breweries

Great article from Tom Scheck at MPR, A Brew Ha Ha over proposed brewery?

Update: Here’s a response from Frank Ball, with the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association:

It’s pretty simple within the parameters of the three-tier structure we have in Minnesota. The manufactures make the product, the wholesalers distribute the product and we, the retailers, sell the product to the consumer. It’s even more simple if you say it the way my retailers say it: “you make it, we’ll sell it”…you make it ‘and’ sell it, we won’t buy from you”.The reason for the three-tier structure was to keep the integrity of the distribution of a controlled, highly regulated, commodity. Alcohol — like prescription drugs or firearms — is no ordinary commodity. In fact, alcoholic beverages are the only commercial products specifically named in the United States Constitution. Because our society recognizes the importance of controlling alcohol use and access, alcohol has always been treated differently under the law than most other products.

The manufacturers (breweries, vineyards and distilleries) supply distributors. Under the laws which created the three-tier system, each level of the system is independent of the others, ensuring accountability to the public as well as the benefits of healthy competition. By preventing tied houses (i.e. Retailers that sell the products of only one supplier), the three-tier system limits the number of retail outlets and therefore promotes moderate consumption, hence our position with the Surly matter. We want the Surly product to sell in our stores, we don’t want the manufacturer of a great beer to sell to the public, we’ll do that enthusiastically as possible.

Personally, I see “you make it, we’ll sell it”…you make it ‘and’ sell it, we won’t buy from you”. as unfortunate. Certainly these retailers don’t need Surly to stay afloat, though I wonder whether you’d actually see an all-out boycot of Surly products by MLBA retailers should the law get changed. Would you dump a product that sells well & that your customers ask for? “You don’t sell it, I can’t buy it from you… I’ll have to go somewhere else.”

Summit Unchained #6

By ryan on February 3, 2011in breweries

Hmmm. What do we have here? Summit Unchained #6? Damian McConn’s baby?! Read on for details about Summit’s 6th beer in the Unchained series, Gold Sovereign Ale.

Draught Release: March 7

Package Release: March 21

Beer name: Gold Sovereign Ale

Brewer: Damian McConn

Color: Straw Gold

Malts: Organic Westminster Floor Malt

Hops: Boadicea, Sovereign, Pilgrim, First Gold

Yeast: UK Ale Strain

OG: 1.060 SG

Gold Sovereign: Where the past meets the future. Combining a 19th century recipe with 21st century ingredients, Gold Sovereign seeks to emulate the pale ales of the Victorian era using ingredients that have only become available in the last few years. The ultra-modern barley variety Westminster gets the traditional malting approach through organic cultivation and malting by hand on the floor. Highly disease and insect-resistant hedgerow hops were developed from classical varieties using time-honoured breeding techniques. These ingredients are combined with a unique English yeast to produce a refreshingly drinkable beer with a solid malt base and assertive character. Expect this unfiltered ale to have an aroma of pear, apricot and spicy orange, leading to a pronounced hop bitterness and malt flavour reminiscent of freshly baked bread.

In Damian’s words:

I’ve always been extremely interested in beer, specifically ale, produced in the 19th Century. This was a transformative time for brewing in general, with the switch from the largely small scale brewing of the 18th Century to the large industrial operations of the 20th . In the UK by the middle of the 19th Century, brewing styles were becoming more defined, with paler, hoppier beers such as Pale Ale challenging the darker, more established styles of Porter and Brown Ale.

Since it is very difficult to replicate process conditions and ingredients from this period, but recipes do exist, I thought it might be fun to produce a beer based on an old recipe but incorporating some of the most modern varieties of malt and hops available. Our base malt, Westminster, for example, was only approved in the UK for brewing a few years ago. However, I decided to use the organic, floor malted version as a nod to the production methods used in malting during the 19th Century. We also often seem to think that very hoppy/bitter, and/or high alcohol beers were somehow only “invented” in the last twenty years by brewers on the US West Coast. An examination of some European recipes from the past indicate however, that this approach is not a recent fad but has existed for some time!

Hopefully this beer will showcase some of the best modern varieties of malt and hops available in the UK today, while providing some insight into the pale ales of the past.”