Category: homebrew

Vine Park News

By on June 18, 2008in homebrew

First off, we’re happy to share that Vine Park’s newest employee found out about the job through MNBeer.com. Keep it up and we’ll be the Monster.com of the local craft beer world… or something like that. Here’s another cool deal from VP:

We are offering a special change in our Wednesday night Brew Club offering. On June 25th & July 2nd, the six beers will be a hop lovers harem! The six brews featured will be our Horny Toad Pale Ale, CA Steam, India Pale Ale, Mulligan Ale (a west coast hopped version of an IPA), Rabid Penguin Porter, and a nice crisp Capital Hill Pilsner. What with hop prices as they are, this is a special priced event. $80 on brewing night and two weeks later you return to bottle the brews. Your cost would depend upon whether you need bottles or are bringing them back from a previous brewing with us. Your yield is 3 cases with a mix of six bottles of each of the six kinds.

Brewers Bazaar – A Post Mortem

By on May 18, 2008in breweries, brewpubs, homebrew

Yesterday was Stillwater’s 2nd Annual Brewers Bazaar, hosted by the Stillwater Sunrise Rotary Club.  For those of you who couldn’t make it, here’s a quick recap.

First of all, this event was lightly attended relative to many other local beer tasting events (still too new, I guess), so lines were short and attendees could spend time speaking with the brewers and reps, if they were so inclined.  The crowd was diverse in terms of age and craft beer experience, but seemed united in its enthusiasm for the beer.

The breweries and brewpubs were very well represented, which was a surprise and delight for many of us.  I had a chance to chat with the following brewers/founders/etc. representing their respective joints: Dave Berg (Brewer, August Schell); Mark Stutrud (Founder, Summit); Steve Rinker and Dan Schwarz (Brewers, Lift Bridge – I think several other Lift Bridge folks were there, but I didn’t get a chance to meet them…sorry); Trevor Brau (CFO, Brau Bros.); Bob DuVernois (Brewer, Great Waters); Jeff Williamson (Brewer, Flat Earth); and Brian and Bob (Fitger’s…did I get the names right guys?).  Additionally, C.R. Stephens, founder of Still-H2O (Homebrewing Hydroponics & Organic Gardening Supplies) was there will a panoply of hombrewing gear, cooking up a batch of blond ale.  Tod Fyten of Mantorville/St. Croix was also there, but I didn’t get a chance to catch up with him.  I also didn’t get a chance to catch up with the folks at the Finnegans table.  Town Hall and Barley John’s, which were on the program, were no-shows.  Too bad, but there was enough other, good beer to go around.

This wasn’t an event crammed full of special releases but Brau Brothers debuted their Whirly Bird Oatmeal Stout and Lift Bridge’s entire offering was new.

 Overall, I would call this intimate beer event a good time.  It would be well worth attending next year, especially if the breweries and brewpubs are as well represented and you can catch a free moment to meet the folks.

Hop rhizomes at Northern Brewer

By on March 24, 2008in general beer, homebrew

Here’s a little note from Juno at Northern Brewer:

Northern Brewer has just received hop rhizomes (root cuttings) from Oregon! Now you can grow your own hops at home for use in beer or for decorative purposes. Stop by our retail store in St. Paul at 1150 Grand Avenue. Each rhizome is $5.99 and we have the following varieties available: Cascade, Centennial, Crystal, Goldings, Mt. Hood, Magnum, Nugget, Sterling and Willamette.They will only be available for the next week or so!

Rum River Wort Hogs in Strib

By on March 20, 2008in homebrew

Nice story in the Strib yesterday highlighting the homebrew club in the North Metro…..

A club of home-brewers share full flavors and friendship at their montly meetings in Anoka 

The raspberry chocolate port wine being tasted so captivated Cheryl Kern that she turned to the maker and blurted: “Can I lick the bottle?” ¶ The port wine was one of 13 beers, three wines and three meads (wines made with honey) sampled last Monday night — all in small portions — by a merry band of home-brewers known as the Rum River Wort Hogs, who come together to share tips, techniques and tastes once a month at Billy’s Bar & Grill in Anoka.

The group, in its 13th year, welcomes home-brewers of all skill levels. Some brew with home kits, others from scratch. Beyond beer, Wort Hogs make wines, meads and ciders. As for the group’s name, “wort” refers to the liquid that becomes beer once fermented, longtime member Owen Strand of Anoka explained.

Full story here.