Congratulations to the 2009 State Fair Homebrew Contest winners!
Winners report is here.
Up next is Byggvir’s Big Beer Cup, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival’s Home Brew Competition, sponsored by the Minnesota Home Brewers Association. There’s still time to get yer brews in, as entries are accepted until this Monday, August 31st.
First off, this post is in no way meant to incite additional ranting between those who enjoy Surly beer and those who do not. Simply it’s to let those of you know who might be interested in a new Surly hat or shirt for yourself or your beer loving friend or family member that some new styles have arrived (Christmas is just 4 months away you know). These styles are not up on their website yet so your best bet is to swing by the brewery in person.
The blue shirt is a girl fitted t-shirt and the red one comes in both mens and womens sizes (click on the pictures if you want to see a larger version).
You may have heard the rumors and while it seems nothing is carved in stone just yet, the Pioneer Press reports on the progress Town Hall is making toward a location in St. Paul.
President Obama has his town halls. Now, St. Paul may get a Town Hall, too, and ours comes with lots of great beer.
It has been a long process, but Peter Rifakes says he’s thisclose to opening a Town Hall Brewery in Minnesota’s capital city. He won’t give the exact location, but says he’s negotiating for a space in downtown St. Paul and that it’s not in Lowertown. Rifakes, who has wanted to open in St. Paul for some time, once considered the Lowertown space now occupied by Barrio.
Just like his Town Hall Brewery on Washington Avenue near the University of Minne-sota, the St. Paul location would feature a large selection of house-made beers and a menu of burgers, fish and chips, pasta and steak.
Rifakes says it will be a couple of weeks before details are final. “Nothing,” he says, “is 100 percent certain in this world.”
Leave it to Al to bring us another special beer drinking session at the Blue Nile! Here’s the 411 straight from the horse’s mouth (no offense, Al, I like horses).
Here’s the quick and dirty facts, folks:
Next weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all Belgian and Belgian-style taps at the Blue Nile, with tasting sets to include samples from our bottles as well. 2 representatives of 6 styles, one Belgian and one American.
Here’s what we’ll have:
Belgian hoppy ale/IPA: Poperings Hommel Bier, Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor (no American contestant in this one.)
Sour Ale: Ommegang Rouge & Two Brothers/Urthel Mouten
Tripel: Flat Earth Bermuda Triangle vs. Val-Dieu
Dubbel: North Coast Brother Thelonious vs. Witkap Dubbel
Saison: Boulevard Tank 7 vs. St. Feullien
Witbier: Avery White Rascal vs. Blance des BruxellesAlso, looking to add some cask to this, for fun, Surly Cynic, for sure, maybe something else.
More details to come.
And…this is only part one! Part two comes the first weekend in October
And, yes, I know it’s Labor Day Weekend, but I haven’t done a beer fest in 3 months, not counting my birthday, and all the other weekends in Sept are conflicted by something else. If you can’t make it due to LD plans, stop in and see what’s left…part two will be new beers, and some new styles, as well!
Town Hall has gotten some new logo pint glasses in, ready to be filled for your drinking pleasure.
The 20 oz “bubble glasses” (aka British Imperial Pint) can be yours for $6 (empty) or $9 (filled).
If you’re wondering what you might put in your glass besides their year round beers, Apricot Wheat has departed but as of last night Coconut Milk Stout and IPA were both available on cask. In addition they had a German style pale, going by the name of Tradition Pale Ale.