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.

Winterfest 2008

By on February 11, 2008in breweries, brewpubs

Winterfest 2008

Another Winterfest has come and gone and another 400+ Minnesotans left Landmark center with a cool buzz (or perhaps happily drunk?) after being exposed to some of Minnesota’s best beers. Needless to say, I tried a lot of beers, spoke to a lot of people and came to the realization that I should read the camera’s instruction manual before shooting a bunch of throw-away shots. Regardless, there are photos for your enjoyment over at Flickr.

Town Hall’s Chocolate Raspberry Bourbon Stout took the Great Snowshoe award, though there were many, many standout beers. I have a few more ideas for homebrew projects thanks to a number of breweries.

Kudos to everyone who once again worked so hard to put on such a solid event. These events aren’t easy to put on and the Minnesota Craft Brewer’s Guild and Flings Event Design do a great job.

Trippel Trouble on tap tomorrow at McCann’s

By on February 7, 2008in brewpubs

McCann’sI’ll be enjoying this one at Winterfest tomorrow evening, but for those of you who aren’t going, perhaps a visit to St. Cloud is in order?

Belgian Monastery breweries have been making the worlds most interesting beers for many years. Many of these beers are only available inside the monastery walls only for the monks enjoyment. Beers of high strength are brewed to sustain the monks during their fasts. Our Abbey style Trippel is one such beer. Trippel means that it’s three times the strength of a regular beer. Brewed with over 900 pounds of the highest quality Belgian malts and candi sugar. Belgian candi sugar looks like “rock candy” and contributes a “rummy” flavor to the beer. A Belgian monastery ale yeast gives this beer a fruity/spicy complexity while maintaining drinkability despite it’s strength. Hints of honey, carmel, apricot and a subtle spicyness are experienced in it’s flavor. This beer is served unfiltered and pours a tawny gold. A strong, wonderful beer for cold winter evenings.
1.082 O.G.

Happy Gnome Firkin Fest

By on February 7, 2008in bars/restaurants, beer events

TruthBrew wrote this and I’m too lazy to re-edit it and pretend I wrote is, so…

Fantastic news for lovers of quality beer and especially those who love cask/real ale. On Sunday March 16th, The Happy Gnome will be hosting their first annual Firkin Fest (name not final).

This fest will be outdoors in an enormous tent featuring over 26 breweries and 50 cask beers (as of writing), with both domestic craft and import beers featured. It will be the largest cask beer festival in the midwest since the fantastic and now defunct Real Ale Festival was held in Chicago.

Update: the event will start at noon and run until the casks are empty.

More information will be coming this weekend…. stay posted on Twin Cities Imbiber or MNBeer.com for more details.