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.

Bent Paddle is Coming to the Twin Cities

By on November 13, 2013in beer stores, breweries

bent

Starting Wednesday, Duluth’s Bent Paddle Brewing Co. will be distributing their beer to thirsty Twin Cities imbibers on a regular basis. Look for Venture Pils, Bent Hop and Black Ale at The Ale Jail, Elevated, North Loop Wine & Spirits, Stinson Wine Beer & Spirits and The Four Firkins.

As production increases, no doubt you’ll see their beers at other venues as well. In December, the brewery will add three new 90bbl fermenters and a 120 bbl brite tank, bringing their capacity up to 8000+ barrels a year.

 

Okay Chicago, You Can Have Some Surly Again…

By on November 8, 2013in breweries
Surly Brewing Co.

Surly Brewing Co.Hey Chicago, Minnesota is throwing you a bone (again). Starting November 18th, select bars and retail accounts will give you a chance to once again get Surly. Surly Brewing Co. will be rolling out the barrel in Chicagoland and offering Furious on draft as well as Bender, Coffee Bender, Furious, Hell, Cynic and Overrated! cans at the retail level. Surly has ramped up production at their current facility in Brooklyn Center to accommodate Chicago fans – be sure to thank your brewers.

Read the complete press release below:

Northbound Smokehouse on Beer Geeks TV

By on November 6, 2013in breweries, brewpubs

northboundThis is cool. Our friends over at Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub will appear on Beer Geeks TV on November 9th at 12:30am. Locally, the show is on WFTC/Fox 29. To celebrate, Northbound Smokehouse is hosting a pair of special screenings of the episode on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10.

Stop by Northbound to watch the episode – they’ll be offering an extended late night happy hour with $3 house beers from 10 pm to 2 am. And to honor the collaboration with Indeed Brewing, Northbound will also offer a partial “tap takeover” with several special Indeed Brewing beers along with Northbound’s house beers.

“We’re thrilled to be one of the first Minnesota breweries featured on Beer Geeks TV,” said Northbound Smokehouse Co-Owner and General Manager Amy Johnson. “Having recently celebrated our first birthday, it’s quite an honor to receive national attention. We’re also thrilled to share the spotlight with our good friends at Indeed Brewing.

The episode centers on Hot Box, a collaborative beer created by Northbound Smokehouse and Indeed Brewing Company. To create this Imperial Smoked Porter, Northbound hickory smoked 150 pounds of jalapeño and Fresno peppers and cold-smoked malts. The ingredients were then incorporated into the brewing process at Indeed Brewing Co.’s Northeast Minneapolis brewery.

For those unable to attend the late-night screening, Northbound Smokehouse will host two additional screenings on Nov. 10 at 11:00 am and again at 7:00 pm.

“We truly hope that our loyal customers will join us to watch our television debut with us,” said Johnson. “None of this would be possible without their continued support.”

StoutFest VI at The Blue Nile Saturday

By on October 29, 2013in bars/restaurants

Al from the Blue Nile. Photo: Star Tribune

For the sixth year running, The Blue Nile turns their taps over the dark side for one day, celebrating porters and stouts. Look for sample sets –  3 4-ounce pours for $7.
Here’s the line-up this year:

Surly Darkness Russian Imperial Stout
Surly Cacao Bender (Coffee chocolate vanilla brown porter)
Left Coast Voodoo American Stout
Great Lakes/Deschutes Imperial Smoked Porter
Moylan’s Dragoon Irish Dry Stout
Southern Tier Plum Noir Imperial Porter with Italian Plums
Southern Tier Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout
Sierra Nevada Narwhal Russian Imperial Stout
Bell’s Java Stout
Bell’s Expedition Stout
Weyerbacher Heresy Russian Imperial Stout
Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout