News & Updates

Badger Hill Takes the “High Road” with a New Session Ale

By on April 10, 2013in breweries
badger hill high road

badger hill high roadIs the session beer the new sour beer which was the new IPA? If that makes no sense to you, fear not, I sometimes just make sh…tuff up. In any case, our friends at Badger Hill have launched their fourth beer, High Road Everyday Ale! which is their take on a sessionable ale. Brewed with Galaxy and Wakatu hops, High Road “swirls with the aromas of tropical fruit and notes of citrus.” Badger Hill says it’s not a blonde ale or a pale ale per se, though they say you’ll find a clean, dry flavor with just a hint of sweetness.

High Road Everyday ale is available on draught across the metro area. Make sure to ask for it the next time your are out! 12oz bottles will be available at the end of April/Early May.

Summit Meridian Session Ale Details

By on April 9, 2013in breweries
Summit Brewing Meridian Session Ale

Summit Brewing Meridian Session AleSummit Brewing Company launches the first in their Union Series, Meridian Session Ale the week of April 15th. We offered some hints as to the details of this beer back in February (read it here), but The Union Series will focus on brewing with new raw materials and ingredients, exploring the latest malts and hops in the industry. Meridian Session Ale will also the first beer to feature Summit’s new packaging and logo.

“To create Meridian, we used Concerto malt, a new rising star in the UK, and Meridian hops, which was discovered by accident by a grower in Oregon,” said Damian McConn, Head Brewer at Summit. “Both of these new ingredients combine nicely to create a very drinkable beer – simple in design and complex in character.”

Meridian Session Ale is Belgian-style session ale, roughly in the Enkel (single) tradition. The combination of Concerto malt and Meridian hops results in a distinctive ale with a spicy, floral lemon aroma and clean bitterness.

Meridian Session Ale Specs:

AVB: 4.5%
IBU: 32
Color: Hazy sunset gold
Malt: Concerto Pale Malt
Hop: Meridian Hops

There will be a series of special events featuring the new Meridian Session Ale:

  • April 22: Earth Day Beer Dinner hosted by brewer Gabe Smoley – Barrio, Edina, 6pm.
  • April 23: Meet the brewer and sample the new Meridian Ale – Bunny’s Bar and Grill, St Louis Park, 7-9pm.
  • Month of June:  Summit Tap Invasion, taking over 4 taps (including Meridian Ale) – Lyndale Taphouse.
  • May 1-11: Summit Tap Invasion, taking over 6 taps (including Meridian Ale) – Salut, Grand Ave. Join us on the patio on Thursday, May 2 from 4-6pm.
  • May 7: Summit Tap Invasion, taking over 7 taps (including Meridian Ale)– Old Chicago, Apple Valley. Meet the Brewer that day from 5-7pm.
  • May 15: Summit Tap Invasion – Old Chicago, Roseville. Meet the Brewer that dayfrom 5-7pm.
  • May 17:Patio Kickoff Event with Brewer Gabe and live music – Tally’s, White Bear Lake, 5pm.
  • May 21: Beer Dinner with Summit Brewers Mike and Nate –Wooley’s, Bloomington. 6 Summits also on tap including Meridian.

The Union Series will be limited in scale and will rely heavily on the availability of new ingredients. As a result, there will not be a set schedule for Union Series releases.

Fytenburg Brewing Company Launch Party at The Muddy Pig

By on April 9, 2013in beer events, breweries

fytenburg brewing companyJoin Fytenburg Brewing Company at The Muddy Pig Wednesday, April 10th from 5-7pm  for the official launch of Fytenburg Grand Cru, affectionately known as “The Wedding Beer,” and Grand Cru Blanc. To kick off the celebration, Father Dan Haugan of the Church of the Holy Spirit will bless the brews. After the blessing, chat with brewer and owner, Tod Fyten, and enjoy all that the Muddy Pig offers with some “Wedding Beer” on the side.

The “Wedding Beer,” St. Paul’s Original Belgian Style Beer, is a smooth, Belgian Abbey Ale, first brewed nearly 24 years ago for the wedding of Fyten.

Fyten’s good friend and business partner with Brewers Digest Magazine, Mike Urseth says, “What does this beer taste like? It tastes like more. Both Grand Cru and Grand Cru Blanc are blessed with that ‘I’ll have another one’ flavor”.

For more information, check out the Brewery at www.fytenburgbeer.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FytenburgBrewingCompany or on Twitter at twitter.com/FytenburgBeer

Surly Overrated Release Party/Concert Saturday

By on April 4, 2013in bars/restaurants, beer events, breweries
Surly Overrated West Coast Style IPA

Surly Overrated West Coast Style IPA

To kick off the release of Overrated, Surly’s new West-coast IPA, they’ll be throwing a release party at The Depot and following that up by sponsoring a show with The 4onthefloor at First Avenue’s Mainroom. Starting at 5pm, you can check out Overrated at the Depot. Music in the Mainroom starts at 8pm. Drink some Overrated beer, listen to some stompin’ rock music and have a good time. There will be $5 cans of Overrated. Furious, Cynic, Hell, Bender, Coffee Bender, and Smoke will also be available.

Tickets are $12 in advanced or $14 at the door.

To purchase tickets visit http://first-avenue.com/event/2013/04/4onthefloor

About Overrated:
It’s been said: “It’s easier to brew an extremely hoppy beer than an extremely balanced beer.” And you know us, we are always looking for the easy way out, so we jumped on the West Coast IPA bandwagon and brewed this dry and hoppy ale. “Surly’s a little bit of a one-trick pony, they just brew gimmick beers,” and maybe we are OVERRATED, but at the end of the day, it’s just a beer. If you like it, great, so do we. If you only liked us when we were small, then leave this one on the shelf. Let one of the fanboys grab it.

Chop & Brew # 4: Washing Yeast with Don O.

By on April 3, 2013in beer education, homebrew, video

If it’s one thing that (most) homebrewers love, it’s saving a few bucks. If there’s a second thing we like, it’s keeping something unique around for as long as possible. In this episode of Chop & Brew, we walk through the steps of washing yeast for the purpose of reusing it for brewing more beer at home. This easy process should yield healthy, clean yeast that’s ready to rip into your next batch of wort. Try it with your favorite house yeast strain or the next time you have something special you want around for a few generations.