Tag: Beer

New Bites at Target Field for 2026

By on April 3, 2026in Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Fulton Brewing Co., general beer, Summit Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co.

The Twins are preparing to kick off their 2026 season with a new manager and a relatively new cast of players. Target Field which opened in 2010 is widely considered one of the most beautiful ballparks in the entire MLB, and with that always comes an array of tasty nibbles around the park.

The team strives to entertain a fanbase full of skepticism this year, and hopefully they’ll surprise a lot of people. They won two World Series titles in both 1987 and 1991 after lackluster years in 1986 and 1990. Could this be year?

You’ll have to come down to Target Field to find out. While you’re here, be sure to check out some of these food and beer options.


The Elote at La Madre was a hit. Served on a stick, this comes multiple ways. Cotija, Tajin, árbol, Flaming Hot Cheetos, or blue corn chips. I preferred the Tajin with fresh squeezed lime. Pair this up with a Fulton Chill City and you’ve got yourself a winner.



At both Truly On Deck and Keeper’s Heart Town Ball Tavern, they are serving up Chocolate Fish on a Stick. No, it’s not fish. It’s a fish shaped battered waffle served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. I’m not usually a big sweets person, but this is worth checking out on a summer day at the park. This was created by Chef Matthew Kazama who is opening Izakaya Kazama in the next couple of months. Grab a Bent Paddle Cold Press Black and call it breakfast.

The Mediterranean Bowl at Grand Slam Shawarma is a great lighter option. You know, some actual vegetables in a dish served at a stadium. Consisting of rice, chicken shawarma, diced red onion, tomatoes,
cucumber, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. Summit Twins Pils is the perfect refresher for this dish.

The surprise of the bunch was the Vegan Sriracha Brat from Herbivorous Butcher which will be served at the Market Grill. This tasted freakishly like a real sausage and was even better than some of the sausages I’ve eaten at Target Field over the years. A Surly Furious would be perfect to match with this.

My one skip would be…

No Gluten Way is serving up burgers, hot dogs, cookies, beer and snacks suitable for those with celiac’s disease. For those fortunate enough to have the choice, I’d avoid this one based off the buns having an off-putting texture. It is nice, however to have an option for the many that suffer from celiac’s. Holidaily Golden Ale is their gluten free beer option if you are looking for something in the beer realm, and the ballpark features ciders from Minneapolis Cider Company. Go with the Mango Habanero option to spice things up.



Cheers!

Five Oktoberfest Celebrations Worth Checking Out

By on September 12, 2024in August Schell Brewing Co., beer events, breweries, Fair State Brewing, Fulton Brewing Co., general beer, history, Summit Brewing Co., Utepils

Grab your pretzel necklaces and dust off that lederhosen or dirndl that’s sitting in your closet. Steins will be knocked all over the state of Minnesota in the next month. Minnesota has a huge population of Germans and New Ulm in particular has the highest reported population of German ancestry in the country.

The history of this celebration originated on the 12th of October, 1810 in Munich, Germany to celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

As far as the beer goes, you may have noticed there are a couple varieties. One is a Marzen and the other, Festbier.

Marzen: Brewed in March and lagered until ready, this beer is similar to a Vienna Lager and has a nice malt backbone to it. They generally come in at 5.5-6.5 ABV and boast a beautiful amber hue with a clean and dry finish. Some local examples would be Schell’s Oktoberfest, Summit Oktoberfest, and New Glarus Staghorn.

Festbier: This style tends to showcase German Pilsner Malt and is pale in color. They tend to fall in the same ABV range but are more approachable to the average beer drinker. Some local examples would be Fulton Oktoberfest, Fair State Festbier, and Utepils Receptional Festbier.


As far as the festivals go, you can’t go wrong with any of the following:

Schell’s: There’s no better atmosphere than the backdrop of New Ulm, Minnesota for Oktoberfest. Peacocks, historic architecture, and the home of one of Minnesota’s oldest German breweries. The Marti family is not only a fantastic group of brewers, but a family that knows hospitality. I’ve been in this industry for many years, and Jace and crew are some of the best people around. Without Schell’s there is no history and one stop at the brewery will give you the best representation of what a brewery should be. For the most authentic version of this celebration, this is the trip to make. Hotel reservations are highly recommended.

October 12th from 10:30am-5pm

Admission: $10 general admission. Kids 12 and under are free.


Fulton: This iteration of Oktoberfest was voted by Wall Street Journal as one of the best in the country! This event pours draft beer in steins only and you will need to purchase tokens to grab a fresh pour. There will be traditional German staples served such as brats, Bavarian pretzels, and meterwurst. There will also be live entertainment in the form of music and dance throughout the day.


September 20th from 4:00pm-10:00pm
September 21st from 12:00pm-10:00pm
September 27th from 4:00pm-10:00pm
September 28th from 12:00pm-10:00pm


Admission: Free!


Fair State Co-op: Fair State will be hosting two days of Oktoberfest complete with flash tattoos, food, a stein hoisting competition and music while also celebrating 10 years in business. Members will be able to start an hour earlier which means you should get in on that membership if you haven’t already. Expect some fantastic pretzels from Aki’s Bakery and sausages from Sweet Lou’s and music from bands such as The Hill Top Pines, The Right Here, Lutheran Heat, and Night Jobs.


September 20th 12:00pm-10:00pm (members at 11:00am)
September 21st 12:00pm-10:00pm (members at 11:00am)


Admission: Free!


Surly: Surlyfest is proof that there is no party in town like a party at the Surly Beer Hall. These folks pull out all the stops on the way to a good time. It starts with their Marzen style Oktoberfest which is rich, malty, and finishes dry and pairs well with their stellar food lineup featuring pierogis, stuffed cabbage, chicken spaetzle, pork schnitzel, sauerkraut croquettes, and Rueben frites. Surly is well known for hosting some amazing bands and this year is no different. Lighter Company, Fenixdion, and Rhino will be taking the stage outdoors complete with the gorgeous backdrop of the Beer Garden.


September 21st All Day

Admission: Free!


Utepils: There isn’t another brewery in the Twin Cities that does German beers like Utepils. One visit to the brewery and you’ll know you’re in for fantastic lagers and a good time. Utepils is hosting Oktoberfest for two weekends (beginning tomorrow) and will feature a ceremonial keg tapping and a cribbage tournament. The food highlight is Gerhard’s Brats and Northeast Pretzels. There will also be music, kids activities, and the essential meat raffle. A Minnesota staple. Shuttles will be running back and forth throughout the events from Anwatin Middle School.


September 13th 11:00am-Close
September 14th 11:00am-Close
September 20th 11:00am-Close
September 21st 11:00am-Close

Admission: Free!


Remember to tip your beertenders and to arrange for a ride home.  Don’t be a jerk!

Prosit!!!

The 2024 Target Field Lineup

By on April 3, 2024in food pairing, general beer, Summit Brewing Co.

It’s springtime in Minnesota signaling the start of the season for the Minnesota Twins. The home opener kicks off on Thursday, April 4th at 3:10 pm and once again the food options are growing. Here are some of the things on deck for the season ahead.

Q’BO Latin Food Chicken Tinga Arepas are now on the menu at the Truly On Deck Market out in right field. Chicken tinga, sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo, and the star of the show— pickled red onions which provide an essential zip to this handheld.

Union Hmong Kitchen is dishing up a new take on a ballpark favorite, the brat. Yia Vang’s take on this is a Banh Mi Brat which features sausage, pickled veggies, and caramelized garlic aioli. This was by far the most unique and delicious offering at the event today. Find them at section 127.

Hrbek’s is serving up a Bussin Birria Taco featuring braised and melted cheese in a griddled tortilla with consomme. Nothing too fancy here, just some glorious meat and cheese. Located in section 114.

East Coast BBQ Mac N’ Meat is offering Mac & Cheese topped with your choice of smoked meat. These include chicken, rib tips, or pulled pork. Nothing pairs better with a ball game than smoked meats. They are located at section 131.

Two Mixed Up is smashing burgers over at Keeper’s Heart Town Ball Tavern. This is a double smash burger with the usual suspects. Lettuce, tomato, onion, American cheese, and Two Mixed Up sauce. Grab a few napkins on your way back to your seat. Keeper’s Heart Town Ball Tavern is located out in left field.

Summit Brewing is present throughout the ballpark and their Twins Pils is still the big hit out at Target Field. They also updated the look of the can to match the current Twins branding. This beer pairs well with just about any dish served at the stadium. Crisp, refreshing and perfect for soaking up all that vitamin D.



Cheers!

Best Pilsner in the Midwest

By on May 31, 2018in general beer

Apologies to the Dayton brothers, but I’m calling us the Midwest for this one. I started with an idea, made difficult decisions and, admittedly, stood on the shoulders of others to choose seven beers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Missouri to taste-test and crown one winner.

Why, though? Glad you asked.

In 2016, Paste magazine did a taste test of 62 of the best Pilsners from around the country and my interest was piqued because I could feasibly get my hands on the top two: Summit Keller Pils and Urban Chestnut Stammtisch. 1,2 I wanted to put them to the test myself, and so it began.

 

Beer Selections:

Missouri:
4 Hands Brewing City Wide Pils 
Urban Chestnut Stammtisch

A friend was headed to St. Louis at the right time, so I arranged to get some cans of Stammtisch and, since they were down there, some City Wide Pils from 4 Hands Brewing — a favorite brewery not distributed here.3

Wisconsin:
Ale Asylum 12oz Curl
Door County Clawhammer

I had sampled Ale Asylum’s 12oz Curl this spring and I was impressed. I asked Wisconsin beer authority, Chris Drosner (@WIbeerbaron) for a second opinion and to recommend another for the “competition”. He concurred with my opinion on 12oz Curl and offered-up Clawhammer as another.4

“Both are on the German side of the line,” Drosner told me, “but Claw is a little more robust, Curl a bit more delicate…”

Minnesota:
Fair State Pils
Summit Dakota Soul
Summit Keller Pils

The Growler did the yeoman’s work of sifting through local Pilsners for me.5 Twenty-five local ones were taste-tested and judged by BJCP judges — probably wise to trust them. Their winner was Fair State Pils, also a choice of MNBeer staff who also chose to include Summit Dakota Soul.6,7

Other states were not ignored. Iowa and the Dakotas, it was concluded, don’t offer much in this style and Illinois? Well…that was a pool I simply didn’t want to wade into.

 

Who and How:

All beers we sampled were purchased retail; no freebies in this round.8 Sampling was blind and included four individuals: one BJCP judge, myself, and two beer enthusiast friends.9 The methodology was loosely based on the BJCP scoring guidelines. Loosely, in that we awarded points in their five categories — Aroma, Appearance, Flavor, Mouthfeel and Overall Impression — adding up to 50 possible points. These were not judged to style alone; I’d hoped to get actual impressions of the beer versus focusing technical merit.

 

The Results:

7th: Door County Clawhammer

 

Flavor was there with this one, but our sample lacked carbonation and that ended up being it’s downfall. Unfortunate, because I like Door County. I’d try it again

Notes:
“Too little carbonation. Decent balance…could be much better if the carb was there.”

 

 

 

 

6th: 4 Hands City Wide Pils

 

Another low-carbonation beer. Oxidation possibly present here too.

Notes:
“Light Body, low carbonation”
“Probably would prefer shotgunning over drinking”

 

 

 

 

 

5th: Ale Asylum 12oz Curl

 

This one had the most interesting aroma. Overall, consensus said it was good, but could be better. Perhaps it’s not trying to take over the world, though.

Notes:
“Flowers, honey and spice. Very complex aroma.”
“Nothing really stands out, but very drinkable.”
“Could easily drink 8-10 of these, possibly at a show at the Triple Rock”

 

 

 

4th: Fair State Pils

 

Probably the most widely-varied responses here. Aroma notes ranged from “faint” to “pond water”. Balance seemed to be there, but it seemed to be built for volume consumption.

Notes:
“I want more Pils malt, it’s just too dry and bitter.”
“Less bready and more drinkable”
“Could easily drink 6 on a hot day and probably still ride a motorcycle.”

 

 

 

3rd: Urban Chestnut Stammtisch

 

This one seemed to be the best German Pils of the bunch — Spicy and clean. If you’re a fan of Schell’s Pils, this is likely your next-level beer.

Notes:
“Not enough Pils malt for me. Bitterness & dryness.”
“Bolder than the others and dry. I like it.”
“Baseball game — i.e. the “nice” beer at a 1990s Twins Game”

 

 

 

2nd: Summit Keller Pils

 

All around solid. This one performed about as well as expected; pleased everyone without ruffling any feathers.

Notes:
“Well-built and pleasant to drink.”
“Light, crisp, bready”
“Every feature is calculated and spot-on”

 

 

 

 

1st: Summit Dakota Soul

 

Acknowledging the risk of looking like we’re glad-handing Summit, first by including both their Pilsners and then placing them 1-2…this was indeed the clear winner. Drinkability became the deciding factor here.

Notes:
“Very pleasant and good-drinking. Sign me up for a case.”
“Highly drinkable and flavorful.”
“Yes.”

 

 

 

There you have it! Official opinions from people just like you. There are great Pilsners we did not review, so I encourage you to get out and try them. Pilsners (and lagers in general) have less room to hide imperfections and if someone can brew you a good one, that’s a good sign.  

 

 

 

1Summit’s other Pilsner at the time — aptly named ‘Pilsner’ — is no longer brewed but placed 13th. Surly’s ‘Merica came in at 16.
2The Paste tasting was repeated and more than doubled in size to 134 beers. Staggering. This was published on May 29th, 2018. As I type, that was two days ago, and of course the rankings changed. Both Keller Pils and Stammtisch made the top-tier but not as high as before. It just goes to show, never be surprised or dismayed by the myriad ways the universe will find to laugh at you.
3Considered: 4 Hands City Museum Pilsner – it’s good, but has tangerine in it. Refreshing, yes, but it was so different that we didn’t feel bad leaving it out of the rankings. And Schlafly – ? I really expected them to have made one. Alas…
4Considered: Lakefront Pils, Potosi Czech Style Pilsner
Honorable Mention Because I didn’t try it until after the taste test: 3 Sheeps Pils. This one should really have been included. Furthermore, Fresh Coast from 3 Sheeps — a session IPA — deserves all the attention it can get, but we aren’t discussing IPAs here.
5I still sampled some to be sure, but I’d like to thank all the judges and contributors to the article for saving me the time, money and effort of doing that all myself. Cheers! 
6I had polled the office staff here at MNBeer and considered my own experience of taste testing up to that point. Our recommendations weren’t limited to two, though…we had three. Fair State and Keller Pils, for sure, but the new entrant was Summit’s Dakota Soul — new this year and worthy of a shot. And this is MNBeer, right? Why not have three entrants from the home team? 
7Considered: Bent Paddle Venture Pils, Bauhaus Wonderstuff, Fulton Pils, Indeed B-Side Pils, Lake Monster Calhoun Claw, Schell’s Pils
Not considered because I have to draw the line somewhere, and I can’t both finish a taste-testing and continue to make tweaks every time a new release comes out or an award is earned: Steel Toe Pilsner, Beaver Island Check Pils, any of the other myriad Pilsners that have been released since I started this.
8Which meant there were LOTS of leftovers. I was the Johnny Appleseed of Pilsner beers this Memorial Day weekend.
9One was the friend who’d gotten all the St. Louis beers for me but really doesn’t care for Pilsners, and the other, a friend who will happily sample just about anything and can tell you a great story about Nate Anderson who drove a teal Ranger in high school and once got busted in the parking lot for throwing away his empties from Tommy Swanson’s party in the garbage can outside the school office. 

Review – Tin Whiskers Waveform

By on May 18, 2018in breweries, new beer, Tin Whiskers

Hazy, juicy, funky, fruity, milkshake glitter.

These features don’t often interest me when it comes to beer, but they would make for an interesting My Little Pony. IT seems new releases lately are either riding the trend (who can blame them) or are shifting to lighter, summer-themed styles, so when I saw last week that Tin Whiskers had released Waveform, a West Coast IPA, my interest was piqued.

“Why now?” I thought.

“Why not?” my inner monologue continued. “You like this style, so stop asking questions.”

It seemed a break from the norm. Hazy IPAs are de rigueur [Tin Whiskers actually released their own – Distortion – not too long ago] and while I like Pilsners, Kölschs and hefeweizens, they aren’t my go-to styles. This release seemed to be speaking to me.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I bought a four-pack of Waveform. Here’s my impression:

Tin Whiskers Waveform

West Coast IPA

ABV – 6.3%

IBU – 80

Aroma: Bright and citrusy hops up front. Not heavy, no indication they’ve used spicy or piney hops.

Appearance: Pours clear and light gold – a good sign based solely on my preferences.  

Flavor: Light, citrusy hops for a moment and then you’re hit with a hammer of piney, bitter hops. The Mosaic hops are noticeable but don’t dominate the way they can in other beers. This flavor lingers and you all but forget there was a citrus note at the beginning.

Mouthfeel: Clean and dry. No sweetness hanging around. This is surprisingly drinkable for being as hoppy as it is.

Overall Impression: Really a bold take on the West Coast IPA – which I would expect to be clear, dry and featuring hops with pine notes. This fits the bill and takes the hoppy part to the limit.

This is definitely my favorite IPA from Tin Whiskers, a spot formerly held by the previously mentioned Distortion. They’ve quietly been making some pretty solid new beers, in my opinion. Waveform is in stores and in the taproom right now, so enjoy it while it lasts.