News & Updates

Meritage Oysterfest

Yes, this is a bit more of a food geek event rather than a beer geek event, BUT…this is the part you’ll be interested in…it will feature Lift Bridge’s Oyster Stout. Better? Then keep reading for all the briney details.

The all-day celebration of bivalves will feature tastings galore of all oyster species, including the “holy grail of oysters,” the Olympia. Shucking stations will be manned by prominent oyster farmers from both coasts, including Blue Island Shellfish Farms of Blue Point, New York, Penn Cove Shellfish Company of Coupeville, Washington, and more.

Classes and seminars include a course on the basics, as well as informational sessions on the styles of both East and West Coast oyster farming and processes.

Lift Bridge Brewery will launch its Oyster Stout, made from Meritage’s own oyster shells. There will be a pairing station available throughout the day offering insight into the pairing of wine, beer, and cocktails with oysters.

The food goes beyond oysters, too: You’ll find a full menu of seafood shack standards, including lobster rolls, fried clams, steamers, oyster po’ boys, burgers, and more.

Local chefs will engage in an oyster-shucking contest, and live music will start at 6:00 p.m. The event begins at noon.

Tickets: $25, include a punch card for a dozen oysters, a pint of Oyster Stout, and a commemorative pint glass with Lift Bridge and Oysterfest art.

Seminars: $15 each

VIP pass: $100, include unlimited oysters, all three seminars, the pint of Oyster Stout with souvenir glass, two more beverage tokens, and entry into drawings for a pearl necklace from Landmark Jewelry and a “Champagne and Oyster Reception for Two” at Meritage.

Call 651.222.5670 with questions and to buy tickets (starting Sept 9)

Hoppy Days at the Blue Nile

Attention Hop Heads: The Blue Nile has your ticket to happiness. Stop in soon and pick from a great line up of hoppy beers. Have a pint, have a sampler, have fun.

Starting with our new menu today, we’re shining the light on IPAs, double IPAs, Imperial IPAs, oak-aged, and black IPAs. Or Cascadian Dark Ales, whatever they’re calling them.

On tap: Deschutes Hop in the Dark CDA, Breckenridge 471 Imperial IPA, Rush River Double Bubble Imperial IPA, Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree Double IPA, and 21st Amendment Hop Crisis Oak-aged Imperial IPA.

Add to this some IPAs we already had on tap, like Surly Furious, Fulton Sweet Child of Vine, and Harriet West-Side Belgian-style IPA, these comprise the set from which you can sample.

3 4-ounce pours for $7.

There are three beers waiting in the wings, when one of these runs out: Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA, Great Divide Hercules Imperial IPA, and Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA.

These will continue until they run out…our next event, September 16: 6 beers from the New Belgium Lips of Faith series.

Byggvir’s Big Beer Cup

The 2011 Byggvir’s Big Beer Cup online registration is now open and ready for a massive influx of entries!  Registration deadline is coming quickly on September 12th.  Check out details of the competition and register at www.rennfestbeercup.com.

This is a limited category competition, so check the accepted categories on the website.  We are looking for styles from the British Isles, Belgium, Germany, etc.  We also love meads and ciders!  There is a special category and $50 gift certificate prize for Historic beers: so put one of them in this year!

Drop off sites are at Northern Brewer (St. Paul, MN,) Midwest Homebrew Supplies (St. Louis Park, MN,) and StillH20 (Stillwater, MN.)  This competiton requires 2 brown unlabeled bottles of 12-16 oz.  Print out labels with your entries online and affix with a rubber band to each bottle.  Payment online via Paypal is recommended.
We also need help with judging and stewarding!  If you can help out, please fill out the volunteer section on the website.  We will be judging Saturday Sept 24 and Sunday Sept 25 at the MN Renaissance Festival grounds.

Volunteering ahead of time will get you free entry to the Festival and a sweet shirt.  You may come in costume if you have one, otherwise you need to wear your (Free!) shirt during judging.  There will be some Hariet Brewing beers on tap as well as some homebrews, but lunch is not provided (get yourself a turkey leg!)  There are several great prizes for entrants and for volunteers thanks to our wonderful sponsors.

This year Jack Of All Brews and the Minnesota Homebrewer’s Association are bringing the fun, and want to see you there. Get registered and we’ll see you at the Festival!  Friend us on Facebook too for more pictures and updates.

–Byggvir and his Merry Knaves of Grain

First Friday at Thomas

This Friday is the first Friday of the month, so you know what that means….Thomas Liquors is hosting Fitty’s First Friday, when resident beer geek, er guru, Fitty opens the bar for some samples.

This week, Fitty welcomes Shaun Wolf from Duvel Mortgaat.  Shaun will be be pouring Belgian classics from Duvel, Maredsous, Chouffe and others. Do it!