Category: new beer

Bauhaus is Back Under New Ownership

By on August 25, 2026in Bauhaus Brewlabs, general beer, new beer, tap rooms

It was only a few short months ago that Bauhaus announced they’d be closing for good. Now, that has changed. The folks at ABV Technology have taken over, and the results seem promising. They plan to honor the legacy of Bauhaus with their new vision of creating a space that welcomes people with all types of lifestyles.

CEO of ABV Technology Ben Jordan is excited to invite folks back into the taproom at Bauhaus. “I worked with Matt (Schwandt) and the team for 7 years and they wrote me my first check. Matt and I had been talking a lot about the business and we had an opportunity to step in. For us the taproom is about providing a show floor for what I can do. For me, it’s a place where people can come in and you try something with no alcohol and enjoy it. You might then ask… Can you do this for my beer?”

Photo by Jess Bentley


The trend of being Cali-Sober is all the rage right now along with people choosing to leave alcohol on the sideline all while enjoying the social benefits of going out with friends. The options at the new iteration of Bauhaus seem endless. Want an N/A beer? They have them. Want a THC seltzer? They have that too. For those that enjoy a beer after a long day at work, they certainly have those too. According to Jordan, they will also have cocktails made from the seltzer base, where they should come in around 15% ABV.

Expect some similar events like the ones that Bauhaus used to host such as Liquid Zoo durning Art-A-Whirl along with some brand new ones. “We are working on our own food program, we’ll do a pig roast, and possibly some seafood events. We are taking Backyard Boombox, and Liquid Zoo and bringing those back but also diversifying our events.”

Jordan also expects to see growth in the coming years, not just here in Minnesota, but nationally. “We have three legs on the stool. We’re focusing on having a great space serving great beer, and great food. We are going to get back into liquor stores and bars. We have seven new brands we’ll be introducing by mid-September. In terms of contract brewing, ABV has a special ability to do lower alcohol beers for others. We will be focusing on the things that we do well. ABV Technology grows by opening up 3, 4, or 5 new locations that can do that.”

ABV plans to keep the Bauhaus beers brewing with the same recipes and they’ve retained a lot of the staff that made it a special place for regulars and neighborhood folks to hang out. They put in some new picnic tables and put a fresh coat of paint on, but otherwise it’s the same esthetic that people having grown accustomed to over the years. Jordan emphasized that this is a place for everyone new and old.

Photo by Jess Bentley


With THC beverages potentially on the chopping block this fall, Jordan wants fans of locally made craft beer to be aware of the importance of keeping THC beverages alive here in Minnesota as many breweries say that these are a major source of revenue. “The great majority of people who haven’t tried THC might not understand how important these beverages are. We need the support of Minnesotans reaching out to their politicians about this. If this goes away, it’s a lot of lost revenue. If THC doesn’t go through, all the big breweries will come in and take over that market. Smaller breweries will be the ones to suffer. And that will mean that some of your favorite beers will go away.

Photo by Jess Bentley


ABV Technology has been working with other breweries and legislators to protect this source of revenue, and this excellent option for those that choose not to drink alcohol.

Their hours of business are as follows:
Wednesday 3pm to 10pm
Thursday 3pm to 10pm
Friday 3pm to 11pm
Saturday Noon to 11pm
Sunday 11am to 7pm

Cheers!

Local Breweries Support International Women’s Day

By on March 15, 2026in Bad Weather Brewing Co., Broken Clock Brewing, general beer, new beer, Unmapped Brewing Co.

Let’s be real, we should really be celebrating women every day, but there is one day a year dedicated to supporting women internationally, and there are several local breweries who choose to celebrate with a special beer, brewed by their female employees.

This industry has a long and not so pretty history of keeping women at the front of the house rather than in the brewery where decisions are often made.

Here are some of those breweries.

Broken Clock Brewing brewed up a Dark Czech Lager called Czech on Your Neighbor. This one clocks at 4.9% ABV and would be a great addition to your first spring backyard fire. They held a women’s safe defense class on Sunday along with a donation drive that sent feminine products and diapers to Community Aid Network MN in support of women in the community.

Unmapped Brewing deployed MJ and the crew to collaborate again with Base Camp Coffee for Paddle My Own Canoe with a nod to to the line in Little Women “ I’d rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe.”

According to the brewery, “We’ll be donating $1 from every pint of Paddle My Own Canoe to A Book of My Own, a nonprofit dedicated to getting books into the hands of children and families who need them most. The giveback continues until the beer is gone — not just on release day.”

Congrats to MJ and crew for their dedication to the cause and giving back.

Bad Weather Brewing concocted a Pear Kölsch aptly named Girl Power. Bad Weather hosted an Kölsch service on IWD where customers opened a tab and the staff came around and re-filled empty glasses. Six packs are still for sale at the brewery. Here is what brewer Jessie Skrypek had to say about the choice.

“Kölsch is a crisp, pale, beer that originated in Cologne, Germany. We chose to add pear to complement the subtle fruitiness attributed from the yeast and El Dorado hops. It is a refreshing beer for the spring to celebrate Women around the world for international Women’s day.”

Name: Girl Power

Style: Pear Kölsch

ABV: 4.6%

Malt: Rahr North Star Pilsner malt, Weyermann Pilsner Malt and Rahr White Wheat.

Hops: Saphir, Tradition, El Dorado

This is your reminder to support women in the beer industry and to advocate for equal opportunities in ownership, leadership, and brewing. Women were the original brewers of beer and we all need to defeat stereotypes and make sure that the industry continues to grow in a more equal manner.

Cheers!

Twins Pils Debuts at Target Field for 2022

By on April 6, 2022in food pairing, general beer, new beer, Summit Brewing Co.

It’s about time. A local sports team finally has an official craft beer partner. Dave St. Peter and the Minnesota Twins have teamed up with Summit Brewing and Mark Stutrud (both from North Dakota) to bring Twins Pils to Target Field beginning this year. For years we’ve had to settle for Budweiser or Miller at stadiums here in Minnesota. Now there are local breweries teaming up with our local sports teams to bring their products to the field.

About the Beer:

Twins Pils is a rebranding of Keller Pils, made with German hops and barley. Unfiltered and crisp—perfect for a day at the ballpark, or out by the grill with friends and family.

There will be 16 oz. cans available for purchase at Target Field starting on Opening Day. You will also find 12 packs of 12 oz. cans at your local liquor stores.

Alcohol by Volume: 5.1%
IBUs: 38
Original Gravity: 11º P
Color, (deg. L.): Pale Straw (4L)
Hops Utilized: Tettnang, Huell Melon
Malts Utilized: Weyermann Barke Pilsner Malt
Yeast: German Lager


Pairs Well With:

The beer is a perfect match for the new beer battered walleye with sea salt and jalapeno tartar sauce menu item from Mac’s Fish and Chips. Perfectly crisp beer with battered fish is always a hit.

New at Target Field:

A new walk-in beer cooler has been installed at Target Field where fans will be able to select their beer from the cooler and pay for it at the kiosk of “The Market” which is located just inside of Gate 6. We were told that if you lined up all the beer in the cooler, it would stretch about 1 mile!


Cheers!

Ski-U-Mah! Finnegan’s Brews One (in time) for the Gophers (game)

By on November 27, 2019in general beer, new beer
Finnegan's Running With Axes cans.

Finnegan’s limited seasonal release Running with Axes is out just in time for this Saturday’s defense of Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

From the brewery:

“This weekend, the Minnesota Gophers will take on the Wisconsin Badgers in a fight to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe right where it belongs. Football fans are certainly going to need a beer to calm the nerves and *fingers crossed* celebrate the win. That’s where FINNEGANS can help, with their “Running with Axes” beer, displaying the champion’s trophy in the hands of a Paul Bunyan-esque lumberjack. The IPA is brewed exclusively with Minnesota-grown Mighty Axe Hops, Maltwerks Malts grown in Detroit Lakes, MN, and is M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A strong with 6.8% ABV.”

The fetching plaid cans are available in stores now and will be available at TCF Bank Stadium for the game.

 

Review – Surly Frost Pack Newcomers

By on December 9, 2018in general beer, new beer, Surly Brewing Co.

Mention Brut around this time of year and visions of iconic (and I use that term loosely) commercials and thoughts of endcaps full of personal care products bubble up in the brain. Apparently, the holidays are the one time a year people need to be reminded they might smell bad and should probably do something about that.

However, Brut – the green, long-necked bottle of seventh grade – is not what’s on topic here. Nor is Stetson, Preferred Stock or White Diamonds. I’m talking about Brut the style descriptor – usually of champagne/sparkling wine, but more recently used to describe a style of very dry, effervescent IPA. Surly has brewed their own version of this style, as well as (for the very first time) a genuine porter and put them in their winter variety twelve-pack. Please enjoy these tasting notes of warmth and celebration for your holiday season.

 

Surly Mortal Sun

American Porter

ABV – 5.5%

Aroma: Crisp and chocolatey with bitter coffee notes. You can tell it’s going to be dry right from the first whiff.

Appearance: Dark brown to black.   

Flavor: Dark chocolate and coffee. Very toasty body with sustained bitterness from start to finish.

Mouthfeel: Light on the palate and drinkable. This is not Darkness (i.e., heavy and sippable).

Overall Impression: If you don’t know what you’re getting from Surly by now, you haven’t been paying attention; a great representation of the style that is turned up to 11. 

 

Surly Liquid Stardust

Sparkling/Brut IPA

ABV – 7.0%

Aroma: Bitter and citrusy. Complex. 

Appearance: Between yellow and dark yellow. 

Flavor: There’s a lot to unpack here. Lemon peel slaps you in the face right away and the other fruity hop notes play underneath that banner – melon, mango and pineapple all popped out, but that lemon bitterness carried throughout. 

Mouthfeel: Not an understatement when they say incredibly crisp and dry. Very refreshing, but the bitterness makes you pace yourself. 

Overall Impression: I had to do a couple rounds of tasting to get a good impression of this one. This included stopping in the taproom and comparing it to the Brut IPA on tap there. There was a distinct difference between the two and I see why they chose to can this version. The multiple fruit undertones along with the bitterness make it a more interesting and tasty.