News & Updates

Apparently Summit is Doing Something

By on October 3, 2017in breweries

Notice the cap on the beer? It’s okay. We’re sure this photo is for illustrative purposes and not a blatant disregard for safety.

We’re told that there is indeed a giant hole in the ground outside of the brewery as well as some noisy equipment outside and things are happening… legally… and on an unspecified timeline. Kick back for a few paragraphs of PR that would fit nicely on the pages of McSweeneys and ponder just what is happening at Summit Brewing Co.

Recent visitors to the Summit Beer Hall & Patio may have noticed a giant hole in the ground outside our brewery, as well as a Komatsu PC35 Mini Excavator parked beside a large pile of dirt. This is because we have begun remodeling our brewery’s public spaces. As more changes take place in the coming weeks, rest assured the construction activity is temporary, beer production will not be affected, and we have obtained all necessary permits from the City of St. Paul.

Because we intend to remain open during renovations, we have taken a variety of precautions to keep the Beer Hall & Patio areas safe for our guests. We’ve installed a sturdy fence around the abyss, for starters, and we’ve strung up some bright yellow CAUTION tape, too. Respect these boundaries and everything will be fine.

Although we don’t want to divulge any specific details at this time — anticipation is the height of joy, as they say — we can confirm that we have enlisted David Heide Design Studio of Minneapolis to oversee the whole deal. Construction Results Corporation of Plymouth, Minnesota, is literally doing a bang-up job, too. Together they’ll guide us through the remodel, including a substantial facelift inside the Beer Hall itself.

Since construction was completed in 1998, Summit Brewing Company’s Beer Hall, also known as the Ratskeller, has served as a meeting space for community organizations and non-profit groups, free of charge; it’s still used in this capacity multiple evenings every week. In recent years, however, public interest in taprooms has increased. “The original design was meant to accommodate the community and public tours, and give staff somewhere to eat their lunch,” says Summit Brewing Co. Founder and President Mark Stutrud. “Now it’s time to upgrade the experience for beer drinkers when they come visit.”

For more information about the progress of our remodel and any updates regarding construction, altered hours of operation, or beer, please visit http://www.summitbrewing.com/summit-beer-hall.

Town Hall Lanes Fresh Hop Fest

By on September 27, 2017in Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery

Now in its 5th year, Town Hall Lanes’ Fresh Hop Fest will take place this year on Saturday, October 14. This year’s Fest will include about 30 breweries with a variety of fresh hop and other fall-inspired beers like Oktoberfest, Pumpkin, Wood-Aged, ciders and more. The event will also feature live music, food and more. Tickets to the event are  $40 and you can grab them  http://www.tempotickets.com/hopfest2017

For Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery this marks year 12 for their fresh hop beer, Fresh Hop 100.

 

Details:

1–5 p.m., Saturday, October 14
Town Hall Lanes (outdoor event)
5019 South 34th Ave., Minneapolis

Participating Breweries:

  • Bad Weather Brewing Co.
  • Badger Hill Brewing Co.
  • Bent Paddle Brewing Co.
  • Boulder Beer Company
  • Castle Danger Brewery
  • Fair State Brewery Cooperative
  • Founders Brewing Co.
  • Inbound Brewing Co.
  • Indeed Brewing Co.
  • Insight Brewing Co.
  • Lake Monster Brewing Co.
  • Lift Bridge Brewing Co.
  • Loon Juice
  • Mankato Brewery
  • Milk & Honey Ciders
  • New Holland Brewery
  • North Loop Brewing Co.
  • Surly Brewing Co.
  • Sweetland Orchard

Autumn Brew Review Recap 2017

By on September 19, 2017in 10k Brewing, August Schell Brewing Co., Badger Hill Brewing, Barrel Theory, breweries, Foxhole

An oldie but a goodie. Abr 2006.

By now, everyone who attended the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Autumn Brew Review should be feeling (more or less) completely recovered. But if not, we can’t blame you. As with every year at ABR, a nearly endless treasure trove of must-have beers were on display, and you could be forgiven for trying to sample just a few too many of the best brews the state has to offer.

There’s something a little strange about writing up the ABR experience, as I’ve done many years in a row for various outlets. I’ve never had anything short of a great time at the Guild’s flagship event, and this year was no different. However, veterans of ABR may have noticed a few differences this year. The layout was different, with Minnesota breweries claiming the outer ring of the event space at the historic Grain Belt brewery, and the national brands more tightly clustered together in the center rows. This was the reverse of the historical layout, and illustrated how large the local brewing scene has grown. The ratio of local to national brands has definitely tipped in favor of the hometown breweries, with many previous national exhibitors nowhere to be seen this year. And finally, perhaps because of a slightly expanded space, or perhaps because there are more beer festivals than ever, the event didn’t seem as completely packed as year’s past. Once an event that reliably sold out in minutes, there were tickets for ABR still available the day before the event.

Of course, the turnout was still very strong, and many of the most popular booths still had impressively long lines for their timed releases. I chose to wait in few of those lines, and still had no trouble sampling impressive beers from all around the event grounds. A few of my standouts:

  • August Schell Lunar Interference: I’m a sucker for the Schell’s Berliner Weiss series, and this was one of the richest, most layered releases yet. Rich, chocolatey, fruity, and complex. The best beer I tried at the event, and I can’t wait to grab a bottle.
  • Badger Hill Tripel Abbey Ale: Belgians are typically not my jam, but this one really worked for me. Smooth, rich, and drinkable. Badger Hill always zigs when you expect them to zag.
  • Barrel Theory DDH Rain Drops: I haven’t tried the standard version of Rain Drops yet, but this double dry hopped version was the best NE IPA I had at ABR, easily.
  • Foxhole Old Snaggletooth: A lovely, drinkable old ale. This was the first beer I’ve tried from Foxhole, and it suggested that a road trip to Willmar may be in order.

I did not have a chance to check out 10K Brewing, who took home the audience choices for both Best Brewery and Best Beer with Loonar Uprising. I guess I’ll have to make a point to check them out next year, when they return as reigning champions. I’m already looking forward to it.

National Brett Day Celebration at Surly

By on September 18, 2017in Surly Brewing Co.

There’s a National ______ Day for everything, now, isn’t there? Today is no exception – our friends at Surly Brewing Co. are going Brett-wild (look what I did there) in celebration with a very limited special food and beer menu.

The brewery and kitchen teams have gone all-out for some serious Brett-a-mania today in the Beer Hall. Stop in and check out a variety of food and drinks spiked with Brettanomyces including:

  • Brett Poppers
  • Brett Cracklins’
  • Responsibly-Raised Freshwater Brett Filets
  • Bretteast IPA
  • Beef Brettskit
  • Firkins of Brett-Aged Brett Fermented on Brett
  • A variety of meats and cheeses slathered in our house-made, small-batch Brett Sauce

“We love brett and want to marry it,” says Surly Head Brewer Jerrod Johnson. “But apparently you can’t marry a yeast strain. I thought this was America. I guess I was wrong.”

In addition to the Beer Hall, charitable coordinator Mary Brettske has launced a special one-day project: Surly Gives a Brett, a charitable arm focused entirely on raising brett awareness. Events include:

  • Brettanomyces 5K/Fun Run
  • Brett ‘n Bikes Trail Ride
  • Mississippi Headwaters Cleanup (with Brett)
  • Let’s Throw Some Brett in a Lake Just to See What Happens
  • Can You Build a House with Brett? Let’s Find Out Together Without the Cops.

Festivities conclude with tonight’s Lighting of the Brett in the Beer Garden.

“At sundown, we invite everyone on social media and various internet forums who has celebrated Surly’s use of brett to gather with us by the Brett Pit as we consecrate the spent Brettanomyces with a cleansing fire and somber ceremony. We’ll also do some fireworks and shit.”

For more details, please visit http://surlybrewing.com/news/surly-celebrates-national-brett-day/

Menus below:

#theresnosuchthingasnationalbrettday

Autumn Brew Review Saturday

By on September 15, 2017in general beer

A classic.

…and there are still tickets. You should go. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild consistently puts on some of the best festivals in the state. Not so long ago, this festival would sell out immediately, so if you’re riding the fence, the time to get tickets is right fucking now. As per usual, Autumn Brew Review is an awesome showcase of local beers as well as out-of-state breweries. A ridiculous amount of work goes into making this event happen each year. I think it shows.

Some festival hints:

  • Get the app. Guild events are using an app for their programs these days. This cuts down on paper waste, and with the sheer number of breweries in the state, paper booklets start to get heavy. Plus, it’s just one more thing to carry around, drop or leave in the port-a-potty. That being said, put your stupid phone away. Make some mental notes about what you want to taste and then go for it. While you’re at it, strike up conversations with your fellow beer lovers. Meet new people! Who knows, Charlie Brown, you may even meet the little red-headed girl (woman?).
  • Step away from the booth. 1. Get in line. If there’s no line, proceed directly to the fine folks who are pouring beer. 2. Pick a beer. This won’t be a life-changing decision, so don’t waste a lot of time. You can always come back. 3. Step away. Not two feet, not 10 feet. Move away from the tent and enjoy your beer. It’s frustrating for other festival-goers to get in what looks like a line only to find that it’s a group of jackasses who didn’t have the common sense to move away from the tent.
  • Don’t drink it all. You’ll thank me later. You don’t have to try every beer, and there is certainly no shame in dumping a beer. There will be a beer that you won’t like. Find a dump bucket and get rid of it – no sense in “taking one for the team.”
  • Eat. Some suggest a “base” of food. Personally, I suggest eating a healthy and filling breakfast and lunch. Follow it up with something excellent at the festival (I’m partial to NateDogs) or in NE Minneapolis following the festival.

Some beers we think you may want to try:

  • August Schell Lunar Interference. Cask (fass?) preview of their forthcoming 7% ABV Berliner Weisse, described has having notes of chocolate, coffee and cocoa. Okay, I’ll bite… Also drink the Oktoberfest. Just because.
  • Bad Weather Pucker Face. Kettle-soured American wheat beer with waaay too many raspberries? Sounds tasty to me!
  • Beaver Island Sweet Miss w/ mole. Cask conditioned milk stout with smoked Chipotle peppers, cinnamon and vanilla beans.
  • Bent Brewstillery Vintage Funked Up Sour. etc. “Some of your favorite sours from the head brewer’s own archive.” Go drink Kris’ magic.
  • Dangerous Man Barrel Aged Blutpakt. German porter collaboration with Surly Brewing aged in a tawny port barrel after spending time on white ash.
  • Fitger’s Brewhouse Cherry Batch. So many cherries. Go get this. In fact, steal the keg and bring it to me!! (Don’t really do this…)
  • Indeed Whiskey Queen. Barrel-aged imperial stouts are hit and miss for me. I like this one. I bet you will too.
  • Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery Coconut Pitstop. Light lager brewed with Michigan Balaton cherries and coconut.
  • Pryes Brewing Wisconsin Brandy Ol’Fashion Cask. Hmmm. Cherries and oranges in a cask of Miraculum?
  • Steel Toe Brewing Saison. Yes.
  • Surly Brewing Co. Twelve. Kidding. I’d go with the Dampfbier, though if Darkness is your thing, why not try the cherry-infused version?
  • Wild Mind Pash Bash. Blend of three beers with 700 lbs. of dragon fruit and passoin fruit.

Important details: