Get your week started off on the right foot! At 5:00 tonight (Monday) Town Hall will be releasing their Grand Cru. This Belgian style celebration ale is smooth in flavor, yet still clocks in at over 10% ABV.
If the Cru moves you, growlers of it will also be available for your portable enjoyment.
Many thanks to North Coast in Wayzata and Executive Chef Ryan Aberle for inviting Dawn and I as guests at their Sam Adams beer dinner last night. We were treated to 18 courses paired with 18 beers. Even with small portions and pours, we were still stuffed by the end of the night, but we had the chance to try a lot of beers and a lot of great food and meet some good people (at least half of which were at Winterfest the previous night). Ryan is an engaging host and his passion for beer and food come through in the menu and pairings. Some of my favorites: White Ale with Black Tiger Prawn, Tamarind & Corriander; Boston Ale with Scallop, Farro and Burnt Orange, Boston Lager with Duroc Pork, Lavendar and Passionfruit; Honey Porter with Duck, Brie & Currant and of course Chocolate Bock with Guittard Chocolate, Cayenne & Cream. Really, though, everything was quite good and beer and food pairings were top notch. I’ll heartily recommend that you try to catch one of Ryan’s beer (or wine!) dinners in the future. Well done!
Shame, shame, shame on us for not getting this posted as an event sooner! I shall tar and feather myself. August Schell is hosting their 22nd annual Bock Fest this year on Saturday, 2/21/09 in New Ulm. Admission is $5 at the gate. This event is generally very well attended….very, very well attended. So, if you would actually like to get into the event, I suggest you get in line early. I don’t see an official start time on the Schell’s website, but on Beer Advocate it says that gates crash open at 11 A.M. and you get the firehoses at 4 P.M.
What’s that? Bock me, you say? Well my friend, Bock you too!
Thanks to Sharon for passing this along. The Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine & Cheese Festival, held just across our borders with WI in La Crosse, is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 2 to 6 P.M. They currently have no breweries listed as attending on their site; however, last year MN breweries August Schell, Gluek and Mantorville were in attendance.
Now our legal disclaimer – The listing of previously attending breweries is no indication that said breweries will be in attendance this year.
Now my obligatory statement that will make Dave Berg mad at me : ) Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t stouts made with whatever is left over in the bottom of the brew kettle?
Surly’s Bourbon One! Congrats to Surly and also, thank you for making it. It is a truly fine brew that had to beat out some very stiff competition last night at Winterfest to win. This traveling award will make its way to Surly from Town Hall, who won last year with their Chocolate Raspberry Bourbon Stout.