Category: Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

New Bites at Target Field for 2026

By on April 3, 2026in Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Fulton Brewing Co., general beer, Summit Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co.

The Twins are preparing to kick off their 2026 season with a new manager and a relatively new cast of players. Target Field which opened in 2010 is widely considered one of the most beautiful ballparks in the entire MLB, and with that always comes an array of tasty nibbles around the park.

The team strives to entertain a fanbase full of skepticism this year, and hopefully they’ll surprise a lot of people. They won two World Series titles in both 1987 and 1991 after lackluster years in 1986 and 1990. Could this be year?

You’ll have to come down to Target Field to find out. While you’re here, be sure to check out some of these food and beer options.


The Elote at La Madre was a hit. Served on a stick, this comes multiple ways. Cotija, Tajin, árbol, Flaming Hot Cheetos, or blue corn chips. I preferred the Tajin with fresh squeezed lime. Pair this up with a Fulton Chill City and you’ve got yourself a winner.



At both Truly On Deck and Keeper’s Heart Town Ball Tavern, they are serving up Chocolate Fish on a Stick. No, it’s not fish. It’s a fish shaped battered waffle served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. I’m not usually a big sweets person, but this is worth checking out on a summer day at the park. This was created by Chef Matthew Kazama who is opening Izakaya Kazama in the next couple of months. Grab a Bent Paddle Cold Press Black and call it breakfast.

The Mediterranean Bowl at Grand Slam Shawarma is a great lighter option. You know, some actual vegetables in a dish served at a stadium. Consisting of rice, chicken shawarma, diced red onion, tomatoes,
cucumber, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. Summit Twins Pils is the perfect refresher for this dish.

The surprise of the bunch was the Vegan Sriracha Brat from Herbivorous Butcher which will be served at the Market Grill. This tasted freakishly like a real sausage and was even better than some of the sausages I’ve eaten at Target Field over the years. A Surly Furious would be perfect to match with this.

My one skip would be…

No Gluten Way is serving up burgers, hot dogs, cookies, beer and snacks suitable for those with celiac’s disease. For those fortunate enough to have the choice, I’d avoid this one based off the buns having an off-putting texture. It is nice, however to have an option for the many that suffer from celiac’s. Holidaily Golden Ale is their gluten free beer option if you are looking for something in the beer realm, and the ballpark features ciders from Minneapolis Cider Company. Go with the Mango Habanero option to spice things up.



Cheers!

Top Local Barrel-Aged Beer Programs

By on February 5, 2026in beer dinners, beer events, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., general beer, Lift Bridge, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Steel Toe Brewing, Surly Brewing Co.

Quality Barrel-Aged beers are not always easy to find. The entire brewing process is lengthy and can lead to unexpected results in the final product. These beers require patience and the quality is hard to predict. Results often vary and they don’t always turn out the way the brewer intends them to. That being said, there are a handful of programs here locally that do a solid job at delivering on their experiments. Here are some of the top programs here in Minnesota.


Town Hall Brewery hosts Barrel Age Week every February with this year’s iteration taking place from Thursday, February 13th thru Sunday, February 24th. That’s a whole 10 days featuring over 20 special beers and a ticketed beer dinner event. Some of which include:

Manhattan Reserve: A Gran Cru aged in the barrels of two different Kentucky distilleries with tart Michigan cherries. This is must try.

Cold Runnings: The ever popular Scottish Wee Heavy aged in Jamaican Rum barrels contributing flavors of vanilla, chocolate, nougat, maple, and black strap molasses.

Jalisco Highlands: A Strong Belgian Blonde aged in an oak tequila barrel with notes of honey, lemon, watermelon, cherry and lime. A very unique addition worthy of sipping.

Iced Old Vine Curve: A blend of Town Hall beers aged in Cali Red Zinfandel barrels and briefly frozen to which left H20 crystals that were later removed with the concentrate saved for your enjoyment. What charcuterie boards are to Lunchables, Iced Old Vine Curve is to Icehouse. Plus, Icehouse is so mid-nineties.

Surly Brewing is notorious for their annual Darkness release every fall and their barrel-aged version is collected by many from all over the region. They are currently pushing their Barrel Goblins Project headed up by the talented Ben Smith. This collection includes:

Boris, a Parker’s Heritage 14 year Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine.

Lizzie, the French Oak Aged Dopplehelles Bock.

Viktor, a daring Bourbon Barrel-Aged Strong Ale with Vanilla.

Vlad, the mega Belgian Golden Strong Ale aged in Bourbon barrels and fermented with Brettanomyces.

Also around the bend is a collab project with Chicago’s Revolution Brewing which released in January. This concoction happens to be a Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout finished on wine lees. Also of note, Barrel-Aged Darkness is heading our way coming up in March in bottles and on tap. I’m drooling…

Steel Toe Brewing produces a couple of barrel aged beauties, Lunker and Before the Dawn. These releases are typically every other meaning that one year it will be Lunker, and the next is Before the Dawn. These usually drop late fall and they move fast so you’ll want to get in soon after the release if you want it on tap.

Bent Paddle Brewing brews up a Russian Imperial Stout version of Cold Press Black called Double Shot Double Black which typically releases in late November. This beer is a beast in terms of ABV, and especially compared to the standard version of Cold Press Black which is extremely crushable and the perfect companion to a campfire.

Lift Bridge Brewing produces one of the most overlooked barrel-aged options around called Silhouette. This Russian Imperial Stout is often available in different versions. For example, last year they released the traditional Bourbon Barrel Silhouette, French Toast, and Espresso Martini versions.

Cheers!

Holiday Beers Worth Hunting Down

By on December 22, 2024in Bent Paddle Brewing Co., general beer, history, holiday beers

The holiday season often calls for beers with some substance. Oftentimes they carry a higher ABV and will feature seasonal spices (think cardamom, cinnamon, anise, cherries, and chocolate) to bring holiday cheer to those who imbibe. The truth is though, that the first known holiday beers were actually brewed by Viking women in celebration of the winter solstice using ingredients that were readily available.

Women were the primary brewers in medieval Europe, and would often make special beers to celebrate the yuletide season which were often consumed in honor of the gods. This was especially true in Norway (women primarily brewed beer stateside before the industrial revolution as well) where beer was enjoyed by all communities across all social classes.

Modern holiday beers can be credited to Fritz Maytag of the infamous Anchor Brewing Company out of San Francisco California. The team first brewed Anchor Christmas Ale (Originally called Our Special Ale) in 1975 making it the first seasonal beer since Prohibition.

Here are some holiday beers worth seeking out.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale – St. Bernardus uses their proprietary yeast that was harvested back in 1946 to bring this beer to life. This Belgium Quad is essentially their ABT Ale with spices added. Roasted chestnuts, stone fruit, and chocolate come across the palate making this a great pairing with all things chocolate, or your favorite winter stew. 9.8% ABV.

Sierra Nevada Celebration – Celebration differs from many options in the market as it is a West Coast IPA rather than a Winter Warmer and does not contain the typical spices used in most holiday beers. Citrus and pine notes seek to balance the sweet caramel malt used in this recipe. Serve it up with Sole Meuniere for the holidays to honor the legacy of Julia Child. 6.8% ABV.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale – Roasted malts along with cinnamon, honey, and ginger make this classic winter warmer worth space in your fridge for the holidays. Pair it with a festive salmon dish for the holidays and you won’t regret it. 7.5% ABV.

Bell’s Christmas Ale – This is one of the better Scotch Ales in the market and the perfect partner for your cheese board. The sweet malt base with subtle plum notes plays well with a nice brie or an alpine style cheeses such as Gruyere or Comte. 7.5% ABV.

Bent Paddle Christmas Cookie Cream Ale – This crowd pleaser is essentially a liquid spritz cookie. Yes, just like the one on that plate of cookies at any given holiday party. Naked oats and acidulated malt make up the base of this beer that also showcases vanilla, almond, and cardamom. Bring this to your party and serve it right alongside that platter of bright, sugary morsels. 5%ABV.

Cheers!

Bent Paddle Trampled Golden Ale

By on May 17, 2019in Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

On the heels of their 6th anniversary, our friends at Bent Paddle has released Trampled American Golden Ale, a collaboration with Duluth-based band Trampled by Turtles. The beer is (not surprisingly) golden in color, with a “not-too-sweet” malt profile with a hit of fresh hop flavor on the end.

“The band was looking for something lower in alcohol content but full of flavor – a beer you could enjoy while you were at a concert.” says Bent Paddle Co-Founder Karen Tonnis. At 4.6% abv, this beer should be a great match for doing just that.

Aside from retail release, you’ll find some temporary distribution of this beer during upcoming Trampled by Turtles shows as well.

  • May 17 | Special Beer Release Event @ Kelly’s Bar in Red Wing, MN (a bar made famous by the Trampled by Turtles Kelly’s Bar song)
  • June 13-16 | Events Surrounding the Blue Ox Music Festival Show in Eau Claire, WI
  • July 6 | Trampled by Turtles Headlining Concert @ Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, MN
  • July 23 – 25 | Events Surrounding the Red Rocks Amphitheater Concert in Morrison, CO
  • August 29 | Events Surrounding the Sister Cities Smokeout Show in Moorhead, MN
  • September 21 | Trampled by Turtles + Avett Brothers Concert @ Treasure Island Casino

    in Red Wing, MN

Duluth’s Bent Paddle Brewing Co. is building a new taproom

By on December 5, 2017in Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

Cool news out of Duluth today – our friend at Bent Paddle Brewing Company have announced plans to relocate their taproom to a larger historic space adjacent to their main production brewery and current taproom. Bent Paddle expects the new taproom to open in early 2018. In addition to the larger space, the taproom will also feature a 7bbl pilot brewing system, an event space, bar games, fireplace gathering area, performance area, retail shop, kids’ nook area, and pet-friendly patio.

 

Construction began in November 2017 and will continue into early 2018 with an official opening date of the new taproom to be announced in early 2018. We can’t wait!