Category: brewpubs

Get Your Autumn Brew Review Tickets at NOON TODAY!

By on July 26, 2016in beer education, beer events, breweries, brewpubs
Look forward to many smiling faces at Autumn Brew Review. Hi Chelsea!

Look forward to many smiling faces at Autumn Brew Review 2016. Hi Chelsea!

(TL-WR*) Tickets are $45 and you can grab them here. Autumn Brew Review takes place on September 17th from 1-5pm.

Yes today… Tuesday, July 26th. Don’t screw this up!

The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild-sponsored festival is one of my very favorite festivals and if past history is any indicator, you’ll want to be on your computer right at noon for a chance to grab tickets as everyone else seems to enjoy the event as well.

ABR runs from 1-5pm Saturday, September 17th at the Historic Grain Belt Brewery in Northeast Minneapolis and will feature more beer than you can possibly drink from more than 130 participating breweries. If that’s not enough for you, there will be live music, food vendors, beer education and more.

*Too long, won’t read. Lazy fuckers.

 

Places and Events to Check out Over All Pints North Weekend

By on July 21, 2016in 612 Brew, August Schell Brewing Co., Bauhaus Brewlabs, beer events, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., breweries, Dangerous Man Brewing Co., Fair State Brewing, Fitger's Brewhouse, Fulton Brewing Co., general beer, Indeed Brewing Co., misc. mn beer, MN, mnbeer.com, Surly Brewing Co., Tycoons

All Pints North is one of the best beer fests held here in Minnesota for a few reasons. The first reason is that Duluth is one of the most picturesque cities in all of Minnesota, and there isn’t a better city to host such an event. The second reason is that Duluth is home to my favorite bar scene, partially due to all of the music that takes place on stages big and small across town. The third reason is that the beers that breweries bring to this event are some of the best being made here locally.

While the main event is always going to be the beer festival, you owe it to yourself to make a weekend out of it and check out the town on Friday. If you see me around, be sure to say hello. I’ve highlighted some of the events going on the night before the big event.
All Pints Eve Hootenanny at Bent Paddle – This event starts at 2 pm on Friday and will feature some rare beers which will of course include Double Shot Double Black. There will be a happy hour (3-5 pm) with 90.9 The Current which will be followed by bands from 7-11 pm.

Fulton Beer Presents This is a Cool Party at Pizza Lucé Duluth – Admission to this event (9:30 pm until midnight) is free and it will feature the bands Reflectivore and Dem Atlas. Grab a few beers and some pizza and prepare to party.

All Pints Eve at Sir Ben’s Tavern on the Lake – Live music, a restaurant pop up, and special tapping highlight this event on Friday from 4 – 9 pm. Beers from NorthGate, Bauhaus, Surly, Indeed, Castle Danger, Schell’s, Fair State, Dangerous Man, 612Brew, Beaver Island, and Bent Paddle will all be available for purchase. There will also be games and a kombucha station.

The Rathskeller at Tycoon’s – It’s no secret that this basement hangout is the place to be over the weekend. The Rathskeller is where people in the beer community hang and with good reason. The beer selection is top notch, and the whiskey is some of the best you’ll find around town. One thing to note is that the fire code dictates that only a certain number of people can be down there (it’s in the basement of Tycoon’s) so you may have to wait in a line to get in.

Places to eat over the weekend include Duluth Grill (fantastic breakfast), Northern Waters Smokehaus, Fitger’s Brewhouse, New Scenic Café, Tycoon’s, and Taste of Saigon.

And finally some pro advice: Don’t overdo it on Friday night or Saturday might be daunting. I’ve done this a few times. Perhaps I’ll never learn…

Cheers!

Minneapolis Cider Week Celebrating 6 Years

By on May 25, 2016in beer dinners, beer events, general beer, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, misc. mn beer, MN, mnbeer.com, Republic

The cider scene in Minnesota has been growing over the years and for the sixth time the fermented apple beverage will be celebrated for an entire week from June 6th – 11th. Minneapolis Town Hall will host the event once again and to kick it off all of the Town Hall locations will offer 12 ciders on tap at any given time.

When they started this six years ago there was only one cidery in Minnesota, now there are 14. Of those, Four Daughters, Loon Juice, Milk & Honey, Number 12 Cider House, Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly, Sociable Cider Werks, Sweetland Orchards, and Wyndfall will all be featured at the Seven Corners location, Town Hall Tap, and Town Hall Lanes. The schedule for Minneapolis Cider Week is as follows:

All Week

Ciders Take Over the Taps at Town Hall Locations
Town Hall Brewery, Town Hall Lanes and Town Hall tap will each have at least 12 ciders on tap all week.

Tuesday, June 7

Cider Dinner and Seminar at Town Hall Tap
7 p.m., Tuesday, June 7
Enjoy a cider-paired course dinner from Town Hall Tap featuring presentations from cider makers representing Minnesota cider makers Milk & Honey and Sweetland. Tickets are $65 and limited — call (612) 339-8696.

Thursday, June 9

Minnesota Cider Competition
Cider makers are invited to submit their homemade ciders for prizes, including a large cider collection. Register and find more information at http://townhallcidercomp.com. There is a $7 entry fee.

• Deadline to enter is 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 31 — submit entries at Northern Brewer on Lyndale Ave. in Minneapolis. Participants must submit two bottles per category entered (Dry, Sweet and Other).
• Awards ceremony is 7 p.m., Thursday, June 9, at Town Hall Tap.

Saturday, June 11

Cider Fest at Town Hall Brewery and Republic 7 Corners
1–5 p.m., Saturday, June 11
Discover hard-to-find ciders alongside favorites from local, national and international producers including Keepsake, Milk & Honey, Sweetland, Wyndfall, Yellow Belly and more. Tickers are $35 for unlimited samples and a Cider Week glass.
Tickets: www.tempotickets.com/ciderfest

Cheers!

Five Beers to Try at Winterfest

By on February 25, 2016in August Schell Brewing Co., beer education, beer events, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., breweries, brewpubs, cask beer, Fulton Brewing Co., general beer, hops, Junkyard Brewery, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, misc. mn beer, MN

Winterfest2016

If you are fortunate enough to attend the 15th annual Winterfest on either Friday or Saturday, you are sure to get a taste of some of the best locally made brews. Here are some of the highlights for both nights.

Friday:

Apricot Vista from August Schell Brewing Company – The latest in the Noble Star collection was aged for a year before Jace dropped 4,800 pounds of apricots in the tank. That tank by the way is from 1936 and will be on display at Star Keller when it opens in May.

Cherry Double Shot Double Black from Bent Paddle Brewing – This Bourbon barrel-aged version of their Black Ale received an infusion of cherries along with double shots of Madagascar Vanilla and Cold-Press. Have we mentioned that the Cold-Press comes from Duluth Coffee Company? Enough said.

Cabernet Barrel-Aged Belgian Dark Strong Ale from Dangerous Man – This is one of my favorite beers that they’ve made over at their Northeast brewery. Stone fruits and sweet caramel are prominent in this complex brew that was aged for almost a year in an oak Cabernet barrel. Let this one warm up a bit in your hand a little while and you’ll be rewarded.

300 from Fulton Brewing – All that really needs to be said about this brew is that it’s one of the best locally made IPAs. Expect blueberry and tropical fruits on top of a clean Pilsner malt base. Somehow the folks at Fulton are making this happen year-round and you won’t hear me complain.

Blackberry Gose from Junkyard Brewing – This Blackberry Sour Ale looks interesting and will be a nice change of pace from all of the really big beers being poured at the festival. Gose is an ancient German style of beer that goes back 1,000 years, and is unique in that it was traditionally brewed with salty water. Junkyard is based up in Moorhead so this also serves as a grand opportunity to get an introduction to their brews without the drive.

Saturday:

Imperial Cocoa Hefe from Blacklist Brewing – Chocolate and bananas will be the theme with this German-style Hefeweizen. Blacklist has always made interesting beers and they will now be able to better showcase them in their new space located in downtown Duluth.

Imperial Raspberry Truffle from Lupulin Brewing – I was able to try this version of their Porter at an event recently and I was impressed. The name of this one sums it up, big time chocolate with loads of raspberries. Who needs dessert?

2016 Fiddle Smasher from NorthGate Brewing – NorthGate is now 3 years old and they celebrated by releasing this Scottish Wee Heavy Ale. This version will be served from a cask and it tips the scale at over 8% ABV.

Saaz Pils from Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery – Sometimes there is nothing better than a clean Bohemian style Pilsner, especially when it’s made by someone who loves them as much as Mike Hoops does. Saaz hops are known for their spicy and earthy characteristics and they are what define this style of beer. This is one of my favorite styles of beer hands down.

Gin Botanical Freewheeler from Sociable Cider Werks – This cider looks interesting on many levels. For one, this sat in Wander North Distillery’s botanical basket and also on top of a bed of fresh spruce needles. Nothing says Minnesota like evergreens and apples.

Cheers!

Fair State Celebration

By on February 17, 2016in 331, Fair State Brewing, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Red Cow, Republic, Surly Brewing Co.

medallion-smIn case you hadn’t heard, several Minnesota breweries were honored by RateBeer recently. The list includes the likes of Fair State Brewing Cooperative, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery and Surly Brewing Co.

Fair State had the distinction of beating out over 5400 new breweries to be named one of the top ten new breweries in the world. Pretty rad. This is the first time a Minnesota brewery has been on this list. RateBeer also ranks Fair State’s lagers highly, with its Festbier and Kazbek Kellerbier ranked 7th and 2nd in their respective categories.

Minneapolis Town Hall was recognized as best brewpub in Minnesota and also was honored as of the top 100 breweries in the world. The ever-awesome Town Hall Tap was also honored as best restaurant in Minnesota.

Surly Brewing Co. also received some nice awards, ranging from being listed as one of the top 100 breweries to individual worldwide and Minnesota specific awards for beers such as SurlyFest, Abrasive, Todd the Axeman and more. Visit RateBeer for the full list of winners.

FAIRSTATE

Fair State is celebrating their honor with a month of parties to say thank you to their supporters and fans. They start on Friday at Grumpy’s NE and follow up next week on Thursday at Republic 7 Corners (5:00pm),  331 Club on Friday 3/4; Red Cow North Loop on Wednesday 3/9. We’ll be doing special tappings at each place, and Matt, Niko, and Evan will all be in attendance to chat with whoever wants to say hi.

They cap things off with a party at the brewery on Friday, 3/18. Members get half priced beer all night, but everyone is welcome.  If anyone’s not a member, for this whole celebration new sign-ups will get a free t-shirt with their Membership. They’ll also be tapping the second in their series of Member Designed beers, a Baltic Porter with maple and black pepper.