Category: breweries

Are You Headed to The Beer Dabbler Saturday?

By on January 24, 2014in breweries

If so, hopefully you have tickets as the event is sold out and Craigslist seems to be full of folks that want tickets. Sadly I’ll be working tomorrow, throwing snowshoes on peoples’ feet at another (beer-less) outdoor event. Even worse? I volunteered myself for the gig. So beer friends, Dabble and dabble some more. Take lots of pictures and be sure to throw the #mnbeer hashtag on your tweets!

In the spirit of Buzzfeed and other list purveyors, here are the 10 things I’ll miss the most about missing Saturday’s Beer Dabbler event:

1. Beer from newcomers Burning Brothers & Day Block Brewing
2. The James Page folks & Osker Blues folks duking it out over who really was the first craft brewery in cans
3. Sims
4. Random dudes wearing horse head mask(s)
5. Beer from our friends in the plans of Fargo & Moorhead, Fargo Brewing Co. & Junkyard Brewing
6. Freezing dude in kilt.
7. Winchfest
8. NateDogs
9. Pelting intoxicated people with snowballs during the World’s Largest Snowball Fight
10. Having a beer with you. Seriously.

Dabbler2013-531

 

 

 

New Digs for NorthGate Brewing

By on January 24, 2014in breweries

northgateAbout a year and a half ago, we profiled NorthGate Brewing, as they were setting up shop in Northeast Minneapolis. This month, they celebrate their one year anniversary with news that they’re expanding into a new location at 783 Harding Street NE in Minneapolis and expect to open in late summer. They’ll be expanding into a space about ten times larger than their current location and will ad a new 20 barrel brewhouse and 1500 square foot taproom. Not a bad way to celebrate a first, birthday, eh?

But what would a birthday be without a party? Never fear, NorthGate is doing it up right with a little throwdown at the place where they first launched their beer – Grumpy’s Northeast. At 5:00pm on Monday, January 27th, they’ll release Fiddle Smasher Wee Heavy. The roster will also include Wall’s End, Maggie’s Leap and Parapet ESB.

But wait, there’s more! They’re also celebrating their first anniversary by bottling their first beer. That’s right, Fiddle Smasher will be available at select retailers in 22 oz bottles starting on Monday. You’ll also be able to grab said bottles at the brewery in 750ml bottles during public hours – Wed. from 4-6pm and Sat. from 1-5pm.

“We’re incredibly excited to announce our new, larger facility and our one-year anniversary plans,” said NorthGate Brewing co-founder Adam Sjogren. “We started as one of the smallest breweries around, but through the great support of the local craft beer community, we’ve been able to grow steadily over our first year. Our new larger facility will allow us to take our brewery to the next level, and we’re thrilled to stay in Northeast Minneapolis where our business began.”

Tuck, Adam & Todd, Northgate Brewing Co.

Tuck, Adam & Todd, Northgate Brewing Co.

“By your powers combined…” Pour Decisions and Bent Brewstillery To Merge

By on January 12, 2014in breweries, brewpubs, general beer

pdbcBent Brewstillery

Over the past several months, Bent Brewstillery and Pour Decisions Brewing Company have been working together more and more closely.  Contract brewing in the spring led to brewing and distilling in the same space this  summer and a relationship flourished.  Well, after months of living together, one of them finally popped the question and the other said YES!  The two are formally merging and re-opening as Bent Brewstillery at the Pour Decisions location in Roseville.

Kristen England of PDBC will retain the brewing reins and Bartley Blume, founder of Bent Brewstillery, will still distill. Their partnership will allow for a renovated and expanded  taproom and increased production of Bent beers & booze as well as your favorites from PDBC. Michael Agnew at A Perfect Pint has an in-depth discussion with Blume about the changes here.  Takeaway: Michael likes gin.  No,  he really likes gin.

Currently, Bent and Pour beers are both on tap and in stores, so don’t fret over finding them.  If you’re looking to fill a growler, though, you’ll need a little patience, Axl Rose. The taproom which will be closed until the end of February to accommodate construction.

Hold your tears – the name may be going away, but the beers will be the same with Kris in charge.  He’ll just be sporting a new kit, so to speak.  So hold on to your PDBC growlers until they tell you otherwise and definitely hold on to that 750 of this year’s Maroon & Bold you just finished; that’s likely to be a collector’s item someday.

Here’s to the new partnership!

Follow their progress and look for updates from your favorite internet vantage point:

Bent Brewstillery on Facebook
@BentBrewstiller on Twitter
@BentBrewstillery on Instagram

 

Fulton Garage Series: Patience

By on January 9, 2014in breweries

unnamedI blame Fulton for this one. Ever since the name of their latest Garage Series beer passed through my head, I’ve had Guns N Roses “Patience” in my head. And unfortunately for me, that song is as sticky as George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You.” Yeah, sorry about that.

In any case, Fulton has a new one that’s guaranteed to put a little warmth in your cold hearts. Patience is a barleywine that weighs in at 13.2% abv and 88 IBUs. Supposedly the weather is going to be nice this weekend, so head on down to Fulton after 12 noon and check out their new beer. They’ll have it on tap ($6/10 oz pour) and in bottles to go ($15/750mL).

This is an extremely limited beer – Fulton’s smallest bottling run, in fact. They did just over 200 cases, so get them while you can. Liquor stores will receive small quantities next week and you’ll see a few kegs around town as well.

And now… my Opus. Please sing along.

1, 2 , 1, 2, 3, 4…

*Annoying whistling.*

Fricking cold and I need a beer
Don’t want to go outside
Dude let’s go to Fulton on Saturday
I hear they got a new barleywine
Hope it tastes real good
There is no doubt
I want to drink it now

Hey buddy, take it slow
This beer’s 13 ABV [13.2% actually]
Lets go get a 750 of Patience
Hey Bucko drink it slow
It might just blow your mind
All we need is just a little Patience

etc.