This sounds like fun as well. Word on the street is that Lanny, Dave Berg from Bandana Brewery and I are all from the same town in central Minnesota… beer nerds unite!

Slow Food Minnesota Presents
TRUE BREW
Sunday, April 30, 2:00-6:30 p.m.

Lanny Hoff, owner of Artisanal Imports of Minneapolis and an international beer expert, will conduct a formal beer tasting from 2:00-6:30 p.m. Fifteen fine beers from around the world will be presented in five flights: each flight will consist of three examples of a single type of beer. (A very special thanks to Cellars Wines & Spirits, Inc. for being our retail partner and for offering attendees a 10 percent discount on purchases at their shops throughout the Twin Cities.)

At the halfway point, attendees will have an opportunity to enjoy a light snack, conversation and of course more beverages. In addition to treats from the Happy Gnome, our snack will feature certified organic cured pork tenderloin from Beaver Creek Ranch. We are grateful to Doug Anderson of Beaver Creek Ranch for his generous donation. Mr. Anderson holds the patent for his unique curing process using spinach. No nitrites or nitrates are used. You will not want to miss this tasting and presentation.

Activities: formal beer tasting, light lunch and conversation. Casual dress.
Where: the Happy Gnome, 498 Selby Avenue, St. Paul.
Directions: (from Minneapolis) take 94 East to exit 240-Dale Street. Turn right on Dale Street. Go to Selby Ave. and turn Left. The Happy Gnome will be on your right. Turn right into the parking lot. Our event will be held upstairs in the banquet rooms.
Cost: $25 for Slow Food members; $35 per person for non-members. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

RESERVATIONS NEED TO BE MADE BY APRIL 27, AND FULL PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE EVENT.
To reserve, e-mail chefron73@hotmail.com or call 612-362-9210. Please make check payable to Slow Food Minnesota and mail to
Slow Food Minnesota
P.O. Box 14059
Minneapolis, MN 55414.
Reservations are limited, so take a moment to respond to chefron73@hotmail.com now.

For those interested in joining Slow Food, membership materials will be available at the event.

A portion of the proceeds from this event will be used to fund local food producers accepted as Terra Madre participants in Turin, Italy in October 2006.

Thank you for your continued support.
Ron Huff, CCC
Leader/founder Slow Food Minnesota

Vine Park is hosting a beer trip and it sounds like a great time… if only I had some $$ and vacation time…

Enjoy a beer with us in Prague & Krakonos & Cerna Hora & …
Introducing Vine Park’s First Beer Trip!

Ten days starting & ending in Prague with days of exploring micro and
independent breweries throughout Czech Bohemia and some of Moravia.
We’ll visit medieval cities, tour breweries, see Telc (a UNESCO World
Heritage site) and much more. Our focus is the culture of the area as
expressed in the beers but also with plenty of time to see &
experience the food & people beyond the beers!

August 31 thru September 10, 2006. We meet in Prague and the trip
price includes: 9 nights accommodations, travel by private coach, rail
and public transportation, brewery visits, beer tasting, entrance fees
& tours, all breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners, and trip leadership.

Our tour operator is very experienced and specializes in travel to the
great beer destinations of the world. We are very lucky that Beer
Trips owner, Mike Saxton, will join us in our travels. Dan & Deb
Justesen will go as trip hosts and we want to encourage spouses &
significant others to come along.

Detailed trip information and registration is at
www.beertrips.com/vinepark. Contact Dan at dan@vinepark.com or call
at 651-228-1355 to express an interest.

Great Waters will be releasing their Tartar Control IPA next Tuesday. I suggest you stop by for a pint. Their e-mail also detailed their happy hour specials:

Join us for Happy Hour!
Monday – Friday 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
and 10:00 p.m. to close

All Pints – $2.50
Rail Drinks – $2.50
House Wine – $3.50

I’m all about saving some $$ and having a great pint of beer. Now if only we oculd get them to update their beer list on their website 🙂

It’s Wednesday again (thank God!) and Minneapolis Town Hall will have two beers tonight! Sounds tasty! I was there on Friday night and they were rolling out a few different seasonals for the weekend. They had the last of their Irish red on tap when I arrived and I also tasted a barley wine (Twisted Reality), a smoked dunkel and an imperial stout (Jack Frost). My favorite beer of the night, however, was the IPA on cask. My preference will probably change on my next visit, but the cask IPA was very nice.

Midnight Howler Coffee Stout- 5.3% Stout infused with cold press coffee made from freshly roasted beans by Peace Coffee. (Check them out @www.peacecoffee.com)

Little Stubby Pale Ale 5.7% English pale ale that features floor malted Marris Otter base malt and this beer is also generously hopped with British Kent Golding hops. Some may believe it resembles an ESB, but we used an Irish yeast. This is the first batch of beer made in our new fermenter…..the short little stubby tank.

If you are wondering what will fill the third seasonal line you may just have to stop by the brewery and see……should be worth the trip!

Pssst! Surly is having their grand opening in May!

Mark your calanders! Surly is planning on opening to the public for tours (which involve beer tastings) on May 12 & 13. Yes 2006. Look, we have been really busy brewing beer because people keep drinking it. Yes, it took a long time. Look, it’s gonna be cool. Two beers on cask, Bourbun Bender and maybe a dry-hopped cask of Furious. I’m not sure exactly, I’ll have to see what Todd wants to do special for the Grand Opening. Of course we will have Bender and Furious on tap. Our summer beer? Well it may or might not be ready. More details to follow. See you here.

P.S. The April 1st posting about Surly versus Surly was, of course, an April Fool’s joke.