Category: tap rooms

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!

Hoops Brewing set to Celebrate Two Years

By on June 24, 2019in beer events, general beer, Hoops Brewing, tap rooms

Things were going to be different for Dave Hoops as he set out to start his own brewery after years of concocting beers over at Fitger’s Brewhouse and a year on his own as a consultant. His approach was different from many of his peers. His dream brewery was one that started small and would continue to grow only as he saw fit. Two years later he has few regrets, and is set to celebrate a second anniversary with an event called HoopLa 2 on Saturday, June 29th.

The brewery exists in Canal Park and has a reputation with locals as a place where they can bring their families and check out a hockey game, or as a place to relax after a hard day of work. “We’ve been happy with our beers and the heavy community support. Pop ups are huge right now and were some of the first to do that up here in Duluth. There’s been very little turnover here and we’ve received so much support from this community” Hoops says.

The first two years didn’t come without challenges though. “Limited distribution has been tough. I’ve turned down so many opportunities because we just don’t have the beer. We’re the only independent brewery left in the north and growing slow is a challenge” he says. But slowly he plans to increase their distribution footprint and possibly make their way into 12 oz. cans. Plans for a barrel program are in place, and you may even see some “true” sours coming out of the brewhouse.

Dave had been brewing at Fitger’s Brewhouse for nearly 17 years when decided it was time to leave back in 2015. He knew that there was a big risk in opening his own brewery, especially all the responsibility that comes with it. “The difference is that the brewing part is fun, but owning a brewery consists of putting out fires, stress, bills, and drama. On the plus side, every day is different and I don’t have a boss. My talents are now being used in the front of the house too” he states. Trendy beers are not something he gets excited about despite the rapid growth and popularity of breweries in the northland and across Minnesota. “I don’t like being ridiculed for not making a pop tart sour beer. Let’s make beer that we’re proud of. I think it’s important to support each other” he says.

The Duluth scene has grown quite a bit and Hoops attributes much of this to the community and the fantastic beer festival coming up in late July called All Pints North. He calls it the “center point” of our summer. “It rivals Madison and it’s the most beautiful beer fest in Minnesota. I love hosting all the breweries when they come into town” he says. Just call him what he is, the ambassador for quality beer here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

If you’d like to check either or both of these events. The details can be found below.

HoopLa 2
Free on Saturday, June 29th starting at noon.
Featuring live music from Father Hennepin , food from New Scenic Cafe, games, prizes, raffles, and beer specials throughout the day.

All Pints North
$45 on Saturday, July 27th from 3 pm until 7 pm.
Featuring 2 oz. pours of Minnesota beer, live music, food trucks, and a beautiful view of the water from Bayfront Park. Grab tickets here: https://www.tempotickets.com/AllPintsNorth2019

Cheers!

Fair State Mirror Universe Review

By on March 14, 2018in Fair State Brewing, general beer, new beer, tap rooms

Haze is all the craze right now and Fair State Brewing seems to be embracing (sorry Niko) this trend. Their collaboration with Modern Times out of San Diego called Spirit Foul was a hit so it’s no wonder they’re going forward with this popular IPA style. Throw in a Star Trek reference and you have my attention. Here are my thoughts on Mirror Universe.

Like all hazy IPAs this looks like grapefruit juice in a fancy glass. Pineapple and papaya come through in the nose and in the flavor but the level of bitterness is very low. This feels like a mouthful of juice, similar to drinking a mimosa. Overall a nice version of the style and very similar to Spirit Foul which is still their best hazy IPA.

Modist is still the local darling when it comes to this style, but don’t sleep on Fair State. They seem to do everything pretty damn well. Grab a four pack of Mirror Universe if you don’t believe me.

Cheers!

Minnesota Beer Industry Loses a Great Friend and Ambassador

By on February 20, 2018in Bad Weather Brewing Co., MN, tap rooms

“What do you think of the beer?” That was a phrase I was used to hearing from one of the biggest supporters of Bad Weather Brewing and the local beer scene in general. This was Greg Carpenter, father of Zac, who is one of the founders of Bad Weather Brewing. His smile was infectious and his passion for all things beer was enormous.

Sadly Greg passed away last Tuesday leaving heavy hearts around the brewery and the industry. There are so many interactions that we’d had that I’ll never forget. One of my favorites was at an arcade event held at the brewery last summer. Bad Weather had just released their first Helles Lager. We talked about this style of beer which we agreed was underrepresented here in the Twin Cities and how brewer Andy Ruhland had done such a great job executing this. He was so proud to talk about the brewery that he helped bring to life from the ground up.

Greg always supported my writing and genuinely cared about what was going on in the beer world. For that, I am forever grateful. I’m proud to have called him a friend and my love and condolences go out to Zac and the Bad Weather Brewing family.

Godspeed. 

Brew Day at Surly: $pice Boyz Lager Beer Camp Collaboration with Sierra Nevada

By on May 5, 2017in Beer Ingredients, breweries, general beer, new beer, Surly Brewing Co., tap rooms

Last Friday I had a rare opportunity to spend the day at Surly for a brew day with Michael Palmer from Sierra Nevada for their Beer Camp collaboration. The beer is called $pice Boyz, a lager infused with ginger and cayenne—aged on oak, and appearing on tap at the Surly Beer Hall. The Sierra Nevada version was brewed a couple months ago and will be released in the Beer Camp 12 pack. Their version was simply named Ginger Lager.

“All three of us came up with the idea for this beer” says Surly co-head brewer Jerrod Johnson. “We wanted to make a beer that would age well. We figured all the other folks would be making bigger beers, and we wanted to make something more sessionable.”

Ben Smith is the other co-head brewer at Surly and he was excited to work with Sierra Nevada on this project. “Their [Sierra Nevada] hospitality is second to none. Everyone there is a professional, and it was cool to see” says Smith. We wanna be stewards of the industry and it was a great experience.” He reiterated what Jerrod said about wanting to make something that was easy to drink. “We made some assumptions about what the others were going to do. They were doing sippers. Let’s make something simple but unique.” Jerrod and I have always wanted to do a ginger beer.”

How did this all come together? Well, it started when I ran into Michael, Jerrod, Ben, and Josh Lemke (brewer at Surly) at Grumpy’s in Northeast last Thursday evening. They suggested that I come in for a brew day at the Brooklyn Center Brewery. You don’t pass up an opportunity to brew with two of the best breweries out there.

The brew day began with a Red Bull courtesy of Josh. He mashed in while Ben and Jerrod held a meeting in back. Mike joined Josh and I on the brew deck and performed the ceremonial adding of the hops.

Ben and Jerrod joined in while we chatted about brewing and all the fun new beers that Surly has coming. Ben, Michael, and I sampled some of those beers to see how they were coming along.

Then it was back to the brew deck where we checked in on the boil. Josh was busy monitoring the progress of the batch. I chatted with Jerrod before he had to skip over to Surly MSP for a meeting.

Ben and I then bellied up in the old taproom and talked about Sierra Nevada, the collaboration beer, and life in general. He tells me that the Surly version of the beer will be a taproom only release starting in June and that the SN version will be included in the Beer Camp 12 pack, also in June.

Back out in the brewery Josh was manning the kettle and also took some time to change up the music in the brewery. Heavy metal would be the music of choice. Ben joined him on the deck to perform another hop addition while I was “busy” SnapChatting the process.

The crew then broke for lunch and that’s where my day there ended. The experience was fantastic, and the Surly brewing team is group of true professionals that know exactly what they’re doing. It almost seemed too easy. I guess that’s what you’d expect from one of the most respected breweries here in the country.

One thing is certain, you’re gonna want to stop in at the Surly Beer Hall in June for the $pice Boyz release. Just make sure you don’t break out in full Spice Girl mode….That would just be awkward.

Cheers!