Category: general beer

Indeed Puckers Up with New Belgium on a Sour Ale

By on April 27, 2016in general beer, Indeed Brewing Co., misc. mn beer, MN, mnbeer.com, new beer

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Mention the name New Belgium to sour beer lovers and they will often tell you that La Folie (first brewed back in 1997) was their introduction to the style. Now veterans of brewing up these funky beverages, New Belgium is teaming up with Indeed to collaborate on a kettle-soured beer they are calling Strawberry Fields. It’s easy to see where the name comes from (the last collaboration was called Come Together) when you know the history of Indeed and head brewer Josh Bischoff’s love of 60s music.

The beer itself will be brewed right here in Minneapolis and it will be brewed with strawberries to compliment the Belma hops which already produce berry notes. The brew date happening this Friday will serve as a homecoming for New Belgium brewers Travis Burge and Matt Pollock. Pollock worked for Indeed before moving over to New Belgium and Burge is a Minnesota native. Pollock considers Bischoff his mentor and one can’t help but think this won’t be their last collaboration.

Distribution will be limited but the timing will be perfect with this release. A patio beer in May…sign me up.

Cheers!

Modist Brewing Looks to Push Boundaries in the North Loop

By on April 13, 2016in beer education, breweries, cooking & food, education, general beer, grand opening, misc. mn beer, MN, mnbeer.com, new beer

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It took a while, but Modist is looking to change the way we think about beer. First of all, founders Eric Paredes, Kale Anderson, Dan Wellendorf, John Donnelly, and Keigan Knee are all in on some state-of-the-art equipment that gives them efficiencies that other breweries just can’t achieve. “We’ve been able to reach 90 – 98% efficiency with our beers” says Paredes.

This is in reference to the fact that they “pulverize” their grain into a powder and filter it out afterwards rather than having to clean out the mash with a shovel. Essentially they run it through an expensive piece of filtering equipment which produces a cake of the unusable material.

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With the beer (reasonably priced at $3 for a tulip, and $5 for a 20 oz. pour) they hope to change the way we view beer. Paredes went on and on about how he wants people to see beer pair with food the same way that wine does. They aren’t big on making beers to fit into specific styles. Out of the gate they are pouring three beers, pHresh, TOATS, and Calibration Ale which are all very clean.

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PHresh is your sessionable patio beer. It’s described as “a refreshing tart beer” which it certainly will be. The initial batch didn’t quite reach the pH balance they were looking for so it’s not very tart out of the gate, but I’m told the next batch will be. “It’s super drinkable. A gateway sour beer” according to head brewer Keigan Knee.

Toats is my favorite of their initial offerings. People tend to think of robust and roasty Stouts, and a velvety mouthfeel with oat based beers. This one is clean, sessionable, and damn tasty with a citrus kick in the nose. A perfect example that the color your beer does not determine the bitterness, nor the alcohol content of your beverage.

Calibration is the first beer that they brewed on their new equipment. Years of homebrew experimentation inspired this one. This tasty sipper clocks in as their highest ABV offering yet at 5.9%. Once again, this is very drinkable and the Pilsner malt comes through nicely lending it a touch of sweetness.

The wait is over and Modist definitely lives up to the hype. With those prices, Twins fans are going to be very happy.

Grand Opening

Friday, April 15th 3:00 PM

Modist Brewing

505 N 3rd Street

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Cheers!

LTD and MN Beer Activists Team up with Adam Turman on Sunday Sales Beer

By on April 6, 2016in beer events, beer laws, general beer, misc. mn beer, MN, mnbeer.com, new beer, tap rooms

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The fine folks at MN Beer Activists spent a rainy Tuesday over at LTD Brewing where they helped brew a beer they are calling Sunday Sales Pale Ale. Part of the proceeds will go to SundaySalesMN.org which is run by consumer activists.

The estimated release date is on Sunday, May 1st from 1 pm until 5 pm at LTD which is located in Hopkins. Adam Turman is the man behind the label and has long been an advocate for changing this law.

If you’d like to join the cause, sign the petition over at their website.

LTD Brewing
8 8th Ave. N.
Hopkins, MN 55343

Cheers!

MN Beer Notebook: Early April 2016

By on March 30, 2016in general beer

Xtra Citra

Surly just released Xtra-Citra Pale Ale into the market in 4 packs of 16 oz. cans. The beer itself is bright and beautiful with big citrus notes and a very crisp, clean finish to go along with a very low ABV of 4.5%. Perfect for all that grilling you’ll be doing when the weather cooperates. The best part though may be that you can find this for $6.99 a four pack which is a very approachable price point.

Firkin Fest is happening at The Happy Gnome this weekend. This is always a really fun event and it takes place from noon until 4 PM on Saturday, April 2nd with tickets going for $60. Expect some fun brews that you can only find at this event. Grab your tickets here.

Modist Brewing is set to open in mid-April in the North Loop. Stay tuned to the blog for a sneak peek most likely happening next week. I have high expectations for them given their pedigree and passion for making beer.

I’m hearing rumors of the return of Sticker Fight at Steel Toe Brewing. This tropical hop bomb of a Double IPA is one of my favorite seasonal releases and it usually sells out pretty quickly. Stay tuned for more details….

Indeed Brewing is collaborating with New Belgium on a couple of beers they are calling Come Together Honey Wheat Wine, and Strawberry Fields Sour. Come Together will hit shelves first (this was brewed in Fort Collins recently) in very limited quantities (expect an April release) and the sour will be brewed at the end of April here in Minneapolis. I will be there on the brew day and will be sure to post some photos and such.

That’s it for now.

Cheers!

Wild Mind Ales Brewing Up Something Different

By on March 22, 2016in breweries, general beer, hops, misc. mn beer, MN, mnbeer.com, new beer, tap rooms

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It all started back in college when Mat Waddell tried a Saison for the first time. “That got me into fermenting with fruit” he says. Next were a series of internships at breweries like Summit and Badger Hill where he says he learned the importance of quality when it comes to making beer. Now Mat finds himself taking the ultimate risk in opening his own sour brewery in south Minneapolis.

This isn’t just any brewery though. His beers are going to fall under the category of “coolship” which by definition are fermented in open vessels—meaning that they utilize wild yeast to munch on the sugars instead of those cultivated and sold to the masses. There are a number of breweries out there currently practicing this including Allagash Brewing and Jester King. This of course involves a lot of risk in that one beer won’t taste the same as the last. “I love the wild, uncontrolled risk” says Waddell. “You get a nice reward.”

There are two ways of making coolship beers. The traditional way with open fermenters sitting out doors which would ideally happen in late winter and spring, and what is called wood cellaring (Jester King does it this way) which is where the wort is inoculated with wild yeast after it has been transferred into wooden barrels.

The space currently is not much to look at with all of the construction going on. Eventually though, there will be windows throughout the brewery where you can peek inside the production area, and picnic tables to sit at while you sip your brew. There will also be an indoor projector and screen where you will be able to watch the Olympics all summer long.

The outdoor beer garden will need plenty of work (currently a barren slab of busted concrete) but in the end will be home to some fire pits and a nice plot of grass complete with trees and hopefully hops. Mat also plans to screen some outdoor movies on the wall out in the beer garden where he hopes people will gather and enjoy the beer and weather. In fact, the goal is to keep the glass garage doors open all summer so the entire space will feel open. “We’re going for light and bright open space” according to Mat.

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Upon opening he plans to have his House beer (and a Spanish cedar version), a Pale Ale using Conan yeast, and a House Stout that showcases bourbon sugar. After a couple of months you can expect to see some of the Barrel Fermented Saisons come out followed by their sours in about 6 months. Mat is hoping for an early summer opening.

Wherever there is risk, there are often rewards.

Wild Mind Ales

6031 Pillsbury Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55419

Cheers!