News & Updates

Oysters & Summit Oyster Stout at Meritage

By on August 29, 2012in bars/restaurants, beer events, breweries, food pairing, MN

Sometimes you read an article and a line jumps out at you. Hell, sometimes it’s just a fragment:

…Summit Beer’s launch of its first oyster stout… (Pioneer Press – article link)

Granted, the Pioneer Press article is about more than just a beer, but I do have a bit of a one-track mind. So aside from the fact that Meritage is holding their second-annual Oyster Fest on September 30th from noon-8pm (which is a big deal in itself), here’s the snippet to make beer geeks excited:

Summit Brewery will launch their Oyster Stout, inspired by and made from our very own oyster shells. In first discussions the Brewers are thinking a British perspective and tradition might be an interesting way to go. Enjoy your pint, and even join us at the pairing station to learn about the beer, its process and pairing oysters with it. We’re even in development for a seminar on the brew and the history of Oyster Stouts.

Further details forthcoming. Aside from great beer, Meritage has a great schedule of music, education, pairings, oyster shucking and more planned for the day. For a schedule and less beer-obsessed information, visit their website.

 

Schell’s Update: Citra Pils, Chimney Sweep

By on August 29, 2012in breweries, Features, MN

Some nice news from New Ulm. Mike, one of our contributors, caught wind of one (or both) of these after the Schell’s beer dinner a couple of weeks ago. Glad to see more details, even if it’s just label art!

If you watch Beerpulse with any regularity (Thanks, Adam), you might have noticed that Schell’s Stag Series No. 6 is Fresh Hop Citra Pils. This beer will be an unfiltered pilsner, dry-hopped with freshly-picked Citra hops. More info on specifics and release to come shortly!

This unfiltered Pilsner was brewed with 100% while cone Citra hops, picked fresh from the farm and shipped overnight directly to the brewery.

Update: Schell’s has 750 pounds of Citra hops ordered, with an expected harvest date the week of September 14th. The hops will be picked, packed wet, and shipped overnight to the brewery and brewed with as soon as they arrive.

The malt bill is fairly simple, Pinnacle 2-row malt and a decoction mash. There will be four separate additions of Citras including a huge addition in the whirlpool to let the hops shine through in the beer.

5.0% ABV, 45 IBU’s  mid to late October release (depending on the harvest).

Also on deck at Schell’s is Chimney Sweep, a Franconian Dark Lager. Again, more details as we get them. From the label:

Schell’s Chimney Sweep is inspired by the rich dark lagers of upper Franconia. Black in color with a rich roasty maltiness, firm hop bitterness, and a subtle underlying smokiness.

Update: Here are some more details with Chimney Sweep. This beer will be the first part of a duo of beers that will replace Stout in Schell’s year-round line-up of specialty beers. It will be available November through March and then from April to September, another yet-unnamed beer will take its place (Nope! Not the Radler.)

The inspiration for Chimney Sweep comes from the rich dark lagers of Franconia. The idea for the beer is a full-bodied, yet sessionable black lager with a wisp of smokiness. It will have a rich roasty malt body with notes of bittersweet chocolate and coffee. It will have a sturdy hop bitterness and a subtle smokiness for balance and depth. From what I gather it defies style, featuring he rich malty body of a Franconian dunkel, the roastiness and color of a Schwarzbier and a subtle smokiness, though it’d decidedly not a rauchbier, either.

31 IBUs
5.2% abv, and 48 srm ( black). Cheers!

Today at the Minnesota State Fair… Beer…

By on August 29, 2012in breweries

Today at the Minnesota Craft Brewers Exhibit in the Ag. Building.

3:00pm: The New Craft Beer Consumer, Jason Alvey, Four Firkins

6:00pm: Art of the Cask, Matt Hall from Lift Bridge & Chad Hilgenberg from Great Waters

Today’s beer flights in Land of 10,000 Beers:

HOPPY NOW:
Brau Brothers Hopsession
Excelsior XLCR IPA
Indeed Midnight Ryder American Black Ale
Surly Furious

HOPPY NEXT:
Brau Brothers Sheepshead Ale
Lift Bridge Crosscut Pale Ale
Lift Bridge Hop Dish IPA
Fulton Sweet Child Of Vine

LIGHTER NOW:
Fulton Lonely Blonde
Mankato Original Kolsch
Schell’s Pilsner
Surly Hell

LIGHTER NEXT:
Lucid AIR
Indeed Shenanigans Summer Ale
Summit Pilsner
Excelsior Big Island Blonde

BELGIAN STYLE/SWEETER NOW:
Lift Bridge Farm Girl Saison
Flat Earth Belgian Style Pale Ale
Flat Earth Bermuda Triangle Tripel
Surly Cynic

BELGIAN STYLE/SWEETER NEXT:
Lucid Summertide
Boom Island Thoprock IPA
Boom Island Brimstone Tripel
Harriet Westside

DARKER NOW:
Brau Brothers Moo Joos Oatmeal Milk Stout
Lift Bridge Chesnut Hill
Mankato Stickum
Schell’s Dark

DARKER NEXT:
Summit Oatmeal Stout
Brau Brothers Ring Neck Braun Ale
Schell’s Oktoberfest
Brau Brothers Bancreagie Peated Scotch Ale

 

To keep up to  date with Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild events, speakers, flights and other fun things at the Fair, be sure to follow @mncraftbrew on Twitter and check out their Facebook page!

UPDATE Brewmaster’s Dinner 2012

By on August 29, 2012in bars/restaurants, beer dinners

This dinner is Sold Out

The breweries have been decided! And they are…

Fulton
Founders
Surly
Indeed
Tallgrass
Dave’s Brewfarm

Tickets ($65 all inclusive) have been going fast so if you’d like to attend this event contact Blackbird Cafe or purchase tickets Here. If you purchase through Eventbrite there will be an extra $4.00 fee.

Two Brothers & Japanese Cuisine Beer Dinner at Masu

By on August 29, 2012in bars/restaurants, beer dinners, beer events, food pairing

Masu will be hosting their first beer dinner on Monday, September 10th featuring Two Brothers beers! The menu is all set (however is subject to change) and looks like this:

Course One: Domaine DuPage Country Ale paired with a Sushi Assortment

Course Two: Take Two Hybrid Pale Lager paired with a duo of Ebi, Robata grilled Blue Prawn with Cucumber Kimchee.  Tempura Shrimp with lotus root.

Course Three: Incinerator Blonde Doppelbock with Black Peppercorns paired with a Beef Ramen with grilled trumpet mushroom, organic egg, and shabu shabu style beef ribeye.

Course Four: Pahoehoe Coconut Golden Ale paired with roasted pineapple with coconut puree cereal milk ice cream and toasted rice.

Tickets are $60 (gratuity not included) and just went on sale. Contact Masu at 612-332-6278 or email Greg at gmueller@masusushiandrobata.com for reservations.