ryan – Page 59 – MNBeer – Craft beer information from the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul and beyond

Better Beer Society University: Classes Begin Wednesday

By ryan on September 3, 2013in bars/restaurants, beer education

Just a quick reminder – Better Beer Society University classes begin on Wednesday. As a kid, I always had reservations about heading back to school. Perhaps if my parents would have sent me to BBSU, things might have been different!

We’re pleased to announce that campus will once again be located at Republic (Seven Corners), and will consist of two sessions to account for busy schedules. First session is at 6pm, and a second session will be held at 7:30p.

Both will be one-hour long courses, and the guest(s) will be the same. Please choose your preferred session below.

BBSU is an educational beer school for both the beer enthusiast, as well as the novice. Our goal is to educate students on all aspects of the beer industry, from production, retail and distributing, to the agricultural side of hop farming and malting.

We also teach you how to explore your palate, cook with beer, and create your own pairings.

Students are treated to some very exclusive and interesting beer styles each and every week. In addition, students will embark on a special field trip, as well as create a recipe & brew their own commemorative class beer.

Sign up here. Right now.

Green Flash to Enter Minnesota Market

By ryan on August 27, 2013in general beer

In January of 2009, Dawn and I few out of Minneapolis, leaving on a morning that the temperatures measured -20 degrees Fahrenheit and landed in San Diego, where temperatures were above normal. 80 degrees or so, actually. We decided to grab a beer at The Yard House that evening. Looking for something hoppy and local, I picked Green Flash West Coast IPA. Whether it was the beer or 100 degree temperature swing, I have fond memories of that 16 oz. pour.

Fast forward a few years and a few beers and starting in October, Green Flash will be entering the Minnesota market with the help of Wirtz Beverage. Drink up! Full press release below.

Hop Heads Only Vol. V at the Blue Nile Saturday

By ryan on August 23, 2013in bars/restaurants

This Saturday, August 24, join Al and the good people at The Blue Nile’s as their taps turn to the hoppy side once again for their 5th Annual Hop Heads Only event. Not surprisingly, this event features IPAs and double IPAs, including Surly Urine Trouble Imperial Brett Belgian IPA, Tallgrass Ethos, Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum, New Holland Michigan Hatter, New Belgium Rampant, Deschutes Inversion, Squatters Hop Rising, Lucid Duo, Goose Island The Illinois, Moylan’s Hop Craic XXXXIPA and Brooklyn Blast.

Enjoy!

Minnesota State Beer… er Fair

By ryan on August 23, 2013in bars/restaurants, breweries

In case you live under a rock, the Minnesota State Fair started Thursday. St. Paul, can I get a collective “Oh shit!”? I used to work on Energy Park Drive and always cringed in the days leading up to the Fair. My company usually had a flood of last minute creative and print work for one of the broadcasting companies AND traffic absolutely sucked. I still can’t figure out why some people choose to go to (or leave) the State Fair during rush hour. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Hungry? Look no further than HeavyTable (Twitter) for State Fair food information. You really don’t need to go anywhere else. Seriously. Stop typing.

Thirsty? Here are a few of our suggestions. Do you have your own? Leave them in the comments.

Fair Exclusives:

Lift Bridge’s Mini Donut Beer
Our friends at Lift Bridge have produced what is said to be the first-ever mini donut flavored beer. The fruits of the brewery’s labors will be available exclusively at the Ball Park Café. Expect a malty sweet sipper that weighs in at about 5% abv. Mini-Donut will be served in a glass rimmed with cinnamon and sugar. Suggest pairing: Mini-donuts. Duh. And while it’s been suggested that perhaps Lift Bridge “jumped the shark” with this one, we tend to think that it sounds tasty enough to try before passing judgement.

Summit State Fair IPA
This beer was brewed by our good friend Jeff Williamson. This beer is full of great Minnesota ingredients like wild rice, honey, ~~pronto pups~~ corn and Cascade hops from Hippity Hops Farms. Look for it daily at the International Bazaar. 95 IBUs and 5.5% ABV.

Great Beer Destinations:

Ball Park Café
The Ball Park Cafe is essentially the Minnesota State Fair’s very own craft beer bar with a strong focus on local beers. It’s the only place that you’ll find the aforementioned Lift Bridge Mini Donut Beer and this year they’re making onion rings with a beer batter made with Indeed’s Day Tripper Pale Ale. Other craft beers at the Ball Park Café include Surly Furious, Bitter Brewer and Hell, Lift Bridge Mini Donut, Hop Dish and Farm Girl, Bent Paddle Black Ale, Third Street Jacked Up, Steel Toe Size 7, Mankato Original, Excelsior Bitterschaple, Badger Hill White IPA, Lucid Dyno, Indeed Day Tripper & Midnight Rider and one out-of-towner, Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale.

The Land of 10,000 Beers
The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild returns to the Agriculture/Horticulture building with an expanded “Land of 10,000 Beers,” featuring beers from 26 Minnesota breweries. Once again the exhibit will showcase craft brewing in Minnesota with brewers, displays and presentations throughout the duration of the Fair.

This week’s presentation schedule:

Thursday, August 22

3pm – Getting to Know the Guild: Clint Roberts, Guild Executive Director
6pm – Beer Tourism: Dan Justesen, Guild President, Vine Park Brewing Co.

Friday, August 23

3pm – Member Showcase: 612Brew, Indeed Brewing Co.
6pm – The Art of the Cask: Tony Digatono of Great Waters Brewing Co.

Saturday, August 24

Noon – Homebrewer Award Program
3pm – Primary Fermenter Showcase
6pm – Member Showcase: Surly Brewing Co., Fulton Beer

Sunday, August 25

Noon – A Historian’s Perspective: Craft Beer with Doug Hoverson
3pm – Minnesota Hop Star: The U of M’s Charlie Rohwer, Ph.D.
6pm – Member Showcase: Third Street Brewhouse, Boom Island Brewing Co., Flat Earth Brewing Co.

Tracking Down Your Favorite Beers:

Summit Brewing Company’s State Fair Guide

Fulton Brewing Company’s State Fair Guide

August Schell State Fair Beer Guide

Ten State Fair Beers You’ll Never See…

By ryan on August 22, 2013in breweries, brewpubs

Years ago, I used to be a part of a couple of well-received music-related print ‘zines. At the time, the zines’ focus was on punk & indie rock (or whatever they were calling it in the 90s… alternative?), the writers’ own lives and idiosyncrasies and the fact that our cozy little scene was blowing up thanks to acts like Nirvana and Green Day becoming household names. Does that sound vaguely familiar? In any case, one of the things that we liked to do to inject a little humor into a scene that, on occasion, took itself a little too seriously.

Inspired by the past and looking for a break in the mold of craft beer coverage, let’s spin the Ferris wheel and see what we can see.

Ten State Fair Beers You’ll Never See:

1. Indeed Brewing Co. Carnie. A deceivingly strong brew with notes of sulfur, tobacco and bourbon.

2. Pour Decisions Écurie. Brewed with wild yeasts cultured from actual horse blankets.

3. Bad Weather Heat Lightning. Banned from the Fair due to safety concerns.

4. Surly Yardstick Belgian Pale Ale. Aged on genuine State Fair yardsticks and dry-hopped with tiny leather straps.

5. Badger Hill Grandstand. Market research found that this particular recipe would only taste good on Friday, August 30th. Nixed. Side note, Sugar Ray is still a band? Oh, and #RothNotHagar.

6. Jack Pine Home Depot Bucket Small Batch Cream Ale. This nano brewery just got nano-ier.

7. Lucid Seed Art IPA. Gluten-free and earth-friendly – brewed with germinated seeds left over from a seed art project depicting former Minnesota governor Wendell Anderson.

7. HammerHeart Deep Fried Habanero Imperial Coffee Stout. Yow.

8. August Schell Roasted Corn “Crafty” Altbier. Scrapped after a tussle with the Brewer’s Association. Texas’ Spoetzl Brewery rumored to be working on a similar recipe.

9. Olvalde Purple Prince Heirloom Belgian Strong Golden. Absolutely delicious. Concept scrapped due to trademark concerns.

10. Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery State Fair Mama. Shelved until brewpubs in Minnesota are allowed to sell their beer to distributors. Wouldn’t you like to know what this one tastes like! We would!

Author: ryan