Category: Surly Brewing Co.

Surly Rhubarb Farmhouse Ale at Chipotle Cultivate Festival Saturday

By on August 21, 2015in beer events, breweries, Surly Brewing Co.
Cultivate

Brewer at Surly Brewing Jerrod Johnson and Chipotle’s Manager of National Events Scott Robinson

No doubt you’ve heard that Chipotle’s Cultivate Festival is returning to Loring Park on Saturday. And once again, they’ve teamed up with our friends from Surly Brewing Company to brew an exclusive seasonal offering for the event.

In addition to celebrating all things good (i.e. food, music, beer and ideas), the event will include the “Cultivate Farmnouse Ale,” a Saison brewed with Minnesota barley and rhubarb. If you’d like to try it, we suggest you hit up the Cultivate festival on Saturday between 11am and 7pm. Otherwise you’ll be out of luck.

“For festival goers, Cultivate celebrates great local artisans in both food and drink. The talents of Head Brewer Todd Haug and his team at Surly perfectly exemplify that for the great city of Minneapolis,” said Scott Robinson, manager of national events for Chipotle. “The Farmhouse Ale was so well received last year that we tapped Todd’s team to create another unique beer that appeals to craft beer fans and highlights the great ingredients of Minneapolis.”

This year’s beer includes traditional Belgian malts, Slovenian hops, Minnesota rhubarb and barley grown and malted in Minnesota. We’re told to expect spicy clove notes thanks to the yeast and a rounded malt backbone to offset the tartness of the rhubarb. Wanna’ try it? You’ll be able to grab this beer as well as other great craft beers and wines from nearly a dozen local breweries and wineries in the Tasting Hall.

The event is free and you’ll have the opportunity to check out cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, live music, local food and other interactive fun. Check it out. To learn more about the the 2015 Cultivate Minneapolis Festival, visit http://chipotlecultivate.com/cities/minneapolis/.

rhubarb

Darkness 2015 Artwork by Brandon Holt

By on August 15, 2015in breweries, Surly Brewing Co.
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Surly Brewing Co. 2015 Darkness Art by Brandon Holt. Click on the image for the full version of the artwork.

Go figure that we stumble across the artwork for Surly Brewing Company’s 2015 Darkness on a hot and sticky day in which a Russian Imperial Stout is about the last thing I’d consider drinking. Truth be told, I’m nursing some iced tea and craving a saison. But I digress… For 2015 Surly brought tattoo artist and illustrator Brandon Holt on board. If you’re curious to check out some of his other work, click here for a some samples and here for his Instagram feed. Brandon follows Nic Skrade as second Darkness artist affiliated with Uptown Tattoo.

From the back:

Our 2015 vintage bottling of Darkness features a screeching bat-nightmare by local artist Brandon Holt.

No creature is more adept at navigating in the Darkness than a bat. Emerging from a deep and ancient cave, this year’s twisted nocturnal creature has evolved a set of adaptations well suited to detecting and devouring uncommon nourishment.

Notes of chocolate, coffee, dried tart cherries, and raisins emanate from his lair. If you can evade the talons and teeth, the thick body of this Russian Imperial Stout finishes sweet, with a piney resinous hop character.

Surly Darkness Day 2015 is slated for Saturday, October 24th at their Brooklyn Center brewery. Watch this space for more info as it becomes available.

 

(Todd) The Axe Man Cometh

By on July 24, 2015in breweries, Surly Brewing Co.
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He doesn’t really look much like Lee Marvin, does he? In any case, next week our friends at Surly Brewing Company will be add a new canned beer to their lineup – Todd The Axe Man. Todd The Axe Man is a West Coast IPA brewed with Golden Promise malt and plenty of Citra and Mosaic hops. Dare I say it’s a tasty IPA? It has been a favorite in the Surly Beer Hall and now you’ll be able to find it in cans across Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Chicago starting next week.
Todd The Axe Man was first brewed as collaboration with Amager Brgyhus in Denmark in 2014. Amager chose the name in honor of Todd’s other gig as a (musical) axe-slinger. Perhaps Powermad rings a bell?
Surly will be celebrating the launch of Todd The Axe Man on Monday July 27 at Pat’s Tap in Minneapolis starting at 3pm, http://surlybrewing.com/events/todd-the-axe-man-can-release-party-at-pats-tap/

Opens Friday 5/22 – The Brewer’s Table at Surly Brewing Co.

By on May 20, 2015in bars/restaurants, breweries, general beer, Surly Brewing Co.
Tea Egg

Tea Egg at The Brewer’s Table (Photo: DD)

Located in the upper level of the brewery, The Brewer’s Table, Surly’s fine-dining sibling to the Beer Hall & Restaurant, opens this Friday and offers patrons a more ambitious menu and more intimate setting than what is found downstairs.

Creating the fine dining experience at a brewery has been a welcome challenge for both Executive Chef Jorge Guzman and Head Brewer Todd Haug; each of them masters of their craft, now tasked with innovating while also keeping the pairing of food and beer in the back of their minds.

The results of that collaboration are outstanding and belie the modest price point.  Entrees on the menu will be changed regularly and range in price from $10 to $25.  The most intriguing option, in my opinion is the $15 Beer and  Bump, where the diner has no clue what they’re getting other than is is a food paired with a beer.  I’m a sucker for a surprise.

A five-course food and beer pairing can be had for $75. You could combine your own, but you’ll be well-served to leave it to the experts. The pairing of Pentagram with beets & foie gras was an exercise in perfectly contrasting flavors. The tea egg paired with Cynic was a piece of art – a soft-boiled egg, steeped in black tea and a charcoal mixture to give a marbled appearance – and showed just how versatile that stalwart of Surly’s lineup is.

Octopus

Octopus & Chorizo @ The Brewer’s Table (Photo: DD)

While the butter-soft pork jowl is a must-have, I will go out of my way to have the octopus and chorizo again.  Spicy and smoky with a perfect texture one would not expect from a cephalopod, it was perfectly complemented by an Overrated West Coast IPA.

A different experience in different parts of the building – to paraphrase Surly Hospitality Director Linda Haug – is what Surly is offering patrons with their tours, Event Center, Beer Hall & Restaurant, and The Brewer’s Table. With the opening of the latter, the Surly vision is complete and ready to be had.

 

 

 

The Brewer's Table at Surly Brewing

(Photo: DD)

 

The Brewer’s Table

520 Malcolm Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Reservations via OpenTable can be made here.

Hours:

Wednesday & Thursday: 5-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 5-11 p.m.

Phone: 763-999-6526
Email: brewers.table@surlybrewing.com

 

 

Surly Doomtree Cans Debut Today

By on February 25, 2015in bars/restaurants, breweries, Surly Brewing Co.

doomtreecanFans of Surly and/or Doomtree take note: Surly Doomtree cans will be available for the first time in Minnesota later today at The Depot Tavern as part of Doomtree’s First Avenue pre-party event. If you were fortunate enough to get your hands on tickets to tonight’s sold-out show, you’ll also be able to drack open a can of Doomtree at the show.

What’s that? You didn’t get tickets for the show? You may be in luck, friend – there will also be ticket giveaways for the sold out show at 6pm.

Look for cans around the state starting next week.

Here’s the description of the beer, courtesy of Dessa:

Surly started with some homebrewing in a garage. Doomtree started with some noisemaking in a basement. Careful what you do in your spare time in your spare rooms, man. That stuff just might take over your whole life.

A decade later, Doomtree meets Surly. Instant crush. We’re both indie and strong-willed. We love Minnesota and we’re allergic to focus groups. We don’t have a formal professional outfit between us.

We convene at the brewery to scheme. Working in extreme secrecy, we decided to make a beer team Surly suggests, a “bastardized style” that will build on a classic, but buck convention. Doomtree cannot nod vigorously enough. We know this style. Guided by instinct, we came up with this dark gold, toasty, aromatic, subtly spicy, bitter enough, dry-hopped brew. Best enjoyed cold, in a spare room, with new friends.

WHAT: Surly Brewing debuts Surly Doomtree cans
WHERE: The Depot, 17 N. 7th Street, Minneapolis
WHEN: Wednesday, February 25, 4pm – close