A Warm Welcome for Minnesota’s Newest Brewery: Fulton
| October 28, 2009 | ||
| 7:00 pm |
Fulton, a new Minneapolis beer company, will release their first beer on 10/28 at 7:00 at The Happy Gnome. For more, check out www.fultonbeer.com and twitter.com/fultonbeer, and search for “Fulton Beer” on Facebook.
October 21, 2009, 12:03am :: Posted by ryan in bars, beer events, breweries
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Whatever happened to Brainerd Lakes Brewery? It seems like we’ve gone a while without any news about their launch.
Woot! Pretty soon all the non-MN beer is my fridge is gonna have to be displaced to make room for new MN beers. Welcome to the scene.
Sweet! Looking forward to trying some very soon.
Welcome and congratulations on your launch. Wish all the best. Cheers!
I am really excited to try their Imperial Stout. Yum yum.
Brainerd lakes ran into $$ issues last I heard. That one may not ever happen.
I also think its kinda a odd to call them a MN brewery if they brew all their product in Sconni. Lift Bridge at least brews some of there stuff at FE. I guess if you “base” your business in MN, its a MN brewery?
Who’s behind this?
Fairly standard range of beers. Nothing exciting.
I’d be happier without an autoplay video in the “about us” area of their site.
I’d be happier if they had an original line up of beers. I hope they do well, but there’s nothing there to make me sit up and take notice.
20 years ago the Beer landscape was mostly barren. In fact it was barren. If you wanted a “good” beer your choice was imports and they were even hard to find. I for one welcome any new brewery with open arms, even if their lineup is not “original”. My, how we forget, how good we got it.
Looking forward to more new MN beer. Beerfan give them a break, they haven’t even sold a beer yet.
How easy would it be to brew something truly original or mind-blowing in today’s beer scene, especially when a company is just starting?
While I’d want to brew some crazy shit, it seems it would be almost impossible to gain customers that way.
I’m not talking about crazy shit. I know it would be hard to start a new brewery. I think Lift Bridge, Flat Earth and Surly had the right idea in striking out into different styles or unique takes on styles.
Congratulations to the folks at Fulton Beer!
I’d think that congratulations are also due to Sand Creek for keeping their sometimes-underappreciated operation firmly in the black — thanks to them I’ve been able to enjoy offerings from Furthermore, Lift Bridge, and Lilja, not to mention a couple of old favorites like Oscar’s.
Trav – they’re starting out at Sand Creek but are planning on building a brewery in the Twin Cities. They’re a Minnesota business… their brewery may not be here yet, but I’m sticking with the Minnesota distinction.
Let’s give these guys a chance… it’s disappointing to see people throwing down negativity when you haven’t even tried the beer yet. Give them a chance.
Ryan-
Oh please. We don’t all have to mindlessly cheer.
I’m excited to see this, I think their beers have plenty of potential. I’d like to know some sort of time line and if bottling is a near or far term goal for them?
The Beerfan handle must be a contradiction in terms.
Cecil-
I’m so sorry I can form my own thoughts and have my own tastes.
No, you’re wrong.
(This comment not directed at anyone, I just wanted to be in on the ground floor of the inane argument that is starting to develop)
Marty – I believe they said they’re looking to bottle in the spring.
Eff U, Dave! WTF do you know? You only brew….oh….wait….nevermind….
Like I said, I hope they do well, but I’ll reserve my judgement, give their beer a fair, shake, and express MY OWN opinion and not just brainlessly shake my poms poms and give every local brewer a reacharond just cuz they’re local.
Beerfan (if that is indeed your real name)-
Now you are in fact wrong. I haven’t brewed a beer in years. Heck, I’m not even completely sure where the brewhouse is located….
Here’s a crazy thought, lets everyone put on their big boy pants and stop acting like 6-year-olds. There’s a crazy thought around here.
I wish I could be excited about this, but the little troll inside of my pinky forces me to proclaim that while I havent had any of their beers yet and will reserve judgement, that I think they have an unexciting line of beers and that damn it Im entitled to my inherently negative opinions. When people comfront me I will fein indignance but secretly revel in the heated discourse my superior, and original inteligance has generated.
Duke: best comment yet.
the more beer, the better…as far as I’m concerned. Would love to see Fulton at the Blue Door in St. Paul!
Give their lineup a chance.
I don’t think the Strong Red Ale with Rye is unoriginal. And it would be nice to have a Minnesota Imperial Stout other than Darkness, which is way too exclusive and expensive (but I do love it).
Brian-
Red’s Rye. Or ask any hombrewer, many of whom have made a Rye IPA, quite common.
I will give their beer’s a chance, but the line up doesn’t excite me and I don’t give two flying f*&^% if d-bags like Duke think I’m a troll or negative for saying so.
Wow….not quite the warm welcome Fulton was looking for.
What kind of lineup would excite you beerfan? (Besides one made up of those hairy cheeks you described earlier)
I’m all warm and fuzzy inside !!
Good to know that the variety in this town keeps getting bigger. Congrats! Can’t wait to try it.
BEERFAN –
You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about when calling Duke a slutty cheerleader or a smart girl with glasses. Nobody in their right mind would mistake him for either one. I don’t care how drunk you are.
Clearly a single brewery can’t win with you. And to judge something you’ve NEVER TASTED, well, all credibility… GONE! I’m never responding to anything you say again.
Hey man, I was just like stating my opinion. Where in my comment did I even reference you? I certainly did not stoop to base name calling. Im entitled to my very own slutty views. Like I said, I going to wait until Ive tried Fultons beers until I pass judgement. I mean, why on Earth would I get excited about a new local brewery, especially if they are making such pedestrian styles of beer? Really, all of you would be Fulton fan boys need to stop bleeting the praises of a brewery that has yet to even officially release a product. I just wish everyone could see things as clearly as me.
beerfan – how can you possibly call anyone else a d-bag? Pot kettle black
Anyway, the Strong Red Ale with Rye does not sound like Red’s Rye to me. That is more of an IPA. This, at 44 IBUs and 7.5%, is certainly not an IPA. Think before you post. Wait, first you have to actually think.
hee hee, wonder if this will take some of the fanboy/fanboy-hater pressure off of surly?
That might be tough that hatred runs deep with some people….not with me I think there beer is the bomb.
IF U LIEK FULTON BEER, UR HITLER!!!
There, it’s been Godwin-ed. There’s nowhere to go from here but up.
I am in that “the more, the merrier” camp, and I can’t wait to give their wares a try. I think that there are a few beers in their lineup that are initially intriguing as described, and if they nail or bring something to the table with the so-called standards they endeavor to brew, they’ll be enticing without the need of the “way out there kooky style” hook. If.
I look forward to the opportunity to help prop up another local brewery!
Jason B said: “I look forward to the opportunity to help prop up another local brewery! ”
Believe or not, I do too, but I don’t have to be excited by the lineup.
Call me a troll, a hater or WTF-ever any of you like. Or play it coy like Duke and pretend you’re “just expressing an opinion.”
Gee….that’s what I was doing….
It seems that other beers contracted out of Sand Creek are rated rather low on a certain other site. I wonder if this is due to the brewery itself or perception reguarding a WI brewery esesntially in the middle of nowhere (ie not East or West Coast). I’ve only tried one from BluCreek and it was pretty tasty so I hope Fulton does well and moves here soon. I’m going to keep an open mind and give them a shot.
As for innovative brews, I see beerfans point and it makes me wonder about beers made from other grains. If Rye is becomming more prominant what is the next great brewing grain? Spelt? Quinoa? Wonder how that would taste…
The mentions of gratuitous sexual acts are being deleted. Let’s keep it somewhat civil.
A: There are others that are brewed at Sand Creek that people think fairly highly of. Furthermore is also contract brewed there. Cross Plains Beer Company is also out of Sand Creek and is fairly highly rated. They also do Harbor City Brewing Company and until recently I believe, Half Acre in Chicago. They’re kinda the king of contract brewing in WI.
OK, Beerfan, but I think you’re wrong about the general tenor of “mindless cheer” existing here. I think that people are merely excited about the impending existence of a new brewery and thus a new fount of Minnesota-produced beer (not that that has any relevance to this website), rather than extolling the virtues of beer that hasn’t been tasted or even unfurling a banner saying “Mission ‘complished” with regards to the lineup, perceived shortcommings or no. If people can’t even show a smidge of enthusiam from anticipation, Dismal Doras may we all be.
I get what you’re saying, it’s a lineup that is, to quote Peter Griffin quoting others, “shallow and pedantic”. My take – it’s not all that unambitious a slew of brews, and the primary aspect that makes me take notice is the fact they’re coming from a souce that heretofor has never been available. That’s the hook for me to drink initially; after that, Fulton brews will have to stand on their own merits.
Also, when did opinions become unassailable? You’re apparently outside the bell curve on this one; it’s given you some notoriety at the very least!
So, are the bars that are listed on Fultons website pouring their beer/s now?
Duke – I got the impression that the event on the 28th would be the introduction of the beer to the general public.
I want my last 2 minutes back.
This has to be close to the longest, most inane comment thread on mnbeer. Ever. Those stupid Surly debates didn’t even go this long, did they?(yes I’m adding to it. Gotta problem with it?)
We’ve a long ways to go:
http://mnbeer.com/2007/12/10/darkness-d-day-saturday/
I actually like these threads over the 2-comment “Gosh that sounds A-OK” thread – they remind me of the acrimony on the wunderground tropical weather threads.
Welcome Fulton! Brew what you want because we are thirsty for more. The beauty about brewing beer, even “pedestrian” styles, is that there are limitless ways to interpret and brew each style and ultimately add your own spin to it. Even the most rabid “beerfan” can enjoy a perfectly brewed American blonde and not be an elitist about it. I will wave my pom-poms and cheer loudly for these guys to succeed because they have the balls to lay everything on the line to start their own business to bring us more to the MN beer scene. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, however, no one enjoys listening to a Debbie Downer. Cheers!
This is something different that Fulton is doing as well….”That’s why we established the Ful10 program, which invests 10% of Fulton’s profits in ordinary entrepreneurs”
Ben- thanks, I missed those other brews.
“OK, Beerfan, but I think you’re wrong about the general tenor of “mindless cheer” existing here.”
Really?
I don’t recall seeing much at all in the way of any real informed discussion on anything of real substance here.
Opinions are not unassailable, not in the least. Granted I’ve expressed some of mine rather poorly perhaps and attempts at humor and kidding have fallen flat, but I’ve also been attacked rather heavily for not chiming in with all the me-too-ers with their boring and empty back slaps and sycphantic butt kissing.
Is there room for real opinions or are people really that invested in brand loyalty to such an extent that all they can do is blather inane niceties?
Who gives a crap that I’m not excited by the Fulton line up? What does it matter that I say I’m not excited? Will it affect Fulton sales? Do the Fulton brewers give a crap that one opinionated and slightly jaded beer geek is not excited by another blonde ale, another pale ale, another IPA, another RIS?
I guess it’s a crime against Duke and all of humanity and I should just be a happy camper and drink the Kool Ade like the drones. All MN beer = good! Eff yeah!
Or I could be an informed beer geek.
And to answer the question on what I think would be an exciting line up.
Off the top of my head, under represented beer locally:
-dry stout
-mild (yeah, Surly but only seasonally)
-Scottish 60, 70 or 80
-Belgian strong dark
-Belgian strong golden
-sour beers
-brown porter
-American stout
-American amber
-steam
-lagers in general
-wit
-rauch
“Even the most rabid “beerfan” can enjoy a perfectly brewed American blonde and not be an elitist about it.”
And how often are you going out of your way to get a blonde? I’d bet almost never. It’s not about elitism. It’s about flavor. Blondes are just brewers pandering to non craft beer drinkers. Oh try this. It’s kinda like a lite. Why bother? Does Surly make a pussy beer? Does Stone? Rogue? New Belgium?
No, you’re right with the Debbie Downer comment, but how interesting is it to read one more boring “Woot!” after another dull “Welcome” blah blah blah blah…snooze…BFD.
“Pussy beer?” Wow, nice one.
Anyway….
This is great news. Like any true fan of good beer, I’m excited to see more local folks taking the plunge into commercial brewing. Establishing a consistently clean and tasty lineup of beers is the first step to building customer loyalty and base. That is a common way for breweries to start. Some take a risk by jumping out of the gate with more experimental beers but that approach is not for everyone.
I read the descriptions of their beer and all of them look appealing to me. But then again, I’m merely a fan of well made beer, no matter what the style, as long as it’s done right.
Here’s hoping that is exactly how Fulton will do it.
cheers,
Don O
Be honest.
When have you ever ordered a bland American blonde ale when you could get an IPA or anything that wasn’t a pansy assed attempt to appease non craft beer drinkers?
Me? Many times. I often enjoy Pilsner, Helles, Maibock, wheat beers, or many other lighter beers. I like all styles of beer if they are well made. Often I like stronger styles, but many times Victory Prima Pils or New Belgium Sunshine Wheat or many of the New Glarus Beers or Summit Pilsner or Surly Hell is what I’m wanting.
If Fulton can make good beer, I’m excited.
cheers
don
Beerfan-
Looking over your beer list, I can only come to one conclusion…you want Water Tower to re-open!:^)
A positive suggestion for Beerfan — learn to homebrew. You’ll get just what you want. Everytime.
This thread is insane, by the way.
If beerfan is who I think he is, he’s done his fair share of homebrewing…
Okay, so I think there is a bit of work to do on this yet, but I believe I’ve come up with a list of words and phrases that should be prohibited from MNBeer and any other site discussing craft beer. I’m sure I’ve missed some, but this covers a wide swath.
The Forbidden Lingua:
woot
excited/-ing
tasty
sweet
welcome
congratulations
enjoy
blonde (beers, not gals/guys)
happy
Berg (just for you Dave)
can’t wait
looking forward to
anticipated/-tion
any big word Jason B uses
anything remotely interesting like gratuitous sexual references
cheers
appealing
anal leakage
What have I missed?
Mag-
Can we use sexual references if they are not gratuitous?
This thread has gotten sidetracked a bit, with help from me. But back to the original post. Welcome Fulton. We need more Minnesota breweries.
A lot of the readers of this site have been around craft beer in Minnesota for a long time, while others are new. Here’s a gentle reminder to both: Ambleside, Sherlock’s Home, Water Tower, The Clubhouse, Shannon Kelley’s, The District, Hops, Trader and Trapper, Green Mill, Minnesota Brewing, Bandana, 1st City Brewery, O’Hara’s, O’ Gara’s, The Brew Station, Vine Park (the original brew pub), Glacial Lakes, James Page, Taps. These are the breweries that have closed in our fair state since I showed up in 1997. That’s a lot of breweries, folks. It’s kind of depressing, actually.
I’m not saying to blindly support Minnesota breweries. But I get the feeling that sometimes we blindly dismiss what we have in our own backyard. It seems we don’t care what we have, we care more about what we don’t. That’s a bad position to be in.
So good luck Fulton. I look forward to meeting you guys over a beer.
db
ps. Mag, just so I can beat you to the punch, I closed more of those breweries than anyone else!
Dave-
I thought you did a good job at Water Tower.
Don-
I’m talking American blonde ale in specific. Not light-colored beers in general. I’ve never ever been anywhere when I’ve seen a serious beer geek order an American blonde when presented with a good selection of beers. I mean…why? Maybe to rinse your glass. Or simmer brats. Those are the only two reason I can think of.
Ryan-
I’m a 13-year-old Asian girl in Hong Kong who just likes to cause trouble.
Chip-
Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Nice try. Maybe you haver perfect quality control. They can’t even reproduce Spotted Cow the same on their new system in New Glarus. It sucks cow schlong now.
Dave, thanks for the reminder. Perspective bruthas! I still remember how disappointed I was when I went to Water Tower the first time, only to find I could no longer get a beer. I felt like Clark Griswold at Wally World.
Gratuitous: 1. given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary. 2. being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult. So, if we’re charging you to use the site or justifying our potty-mouths, we should be okay. Let me run this by the MNBeer legal department.
“I’m not saying to blindly support Minnesota breweries. But I get the feeling that sometimes we blindly dismiss what we have in our own backyard. It seems we don’t care what we have, we care more about what we don’t. That’s a bad position to be in.”
Dave-
Every time I go out for a beer I make to point to order at least one local pint. And I don’t take any of the great beer we have for granted. I can recall when there wasn’t much to pick from.
Despite what some self -important, beer-thought-police d-bags might think, I DO NOT hate Surly. I do think there are some pretentious a-holes who think they know more than they do and place a lot more credence in dumb sites like Beer Advocate than those sites deserve.
And, yeah, I know some of you think I’m a prick. I don’t care.
It’s great to have another brewery. And I hope they’re great, but I’ll always tell you exactly what I think of a beer, which is worth exactly nothing.
Finallly, this is a great site. Mostly. I check it daily for beer news, however, I’m not interested in the tired veneeer of dull “Woot” Minnesota Nice.
Gee, Skip, I love beer! Me too, Bif!!! Let’s be beer BFFs 4ever!!!!
Ahhh Ambleside… –
DB, you’s always good at bring back the Amble’ – me thinks it was a bit ahead of the curve (among a few other, uh, “problems”).
This is an interesting thread in that it brings up the Q? for me – what’s a brewery? If you don’t have the hardware, aren’t you just a beer company? What if you have both hardware AND contract brew? And what if you’re a MN Boy but located said brewery in WI – hmmm. (That’s my situation btw – and I just canned my first beer yesterday at Point: “BrewFarm Select” will soon be available. Start bugging Brad…) And get this: it’s a full-flavored all-malt golden lager. In a can. Craft lager in a can. I brewed it JUST for Beerfan… (jk – I brewed it for myself and to share with y’all).
I can almost “hear” the dismissal – but ya gotta try it first. I have a feeling BFS will inhabit fridges around the region as a go-to easy-drinkin’ lager that will appeal to the spectrum of craft geeks and non-geeks alike. It ain’t generic but has broad appeal. I’ll let the beer speak…
I like beerfan’s post from 10/22 11:12, because I think I understand where he’s coming from now. There are styles that are not being made by the current brewers, and adding another brewery whose lineup does not address this market’s style shortcommings amplifies their omission. That the total number of local offerings has increased while not expanding on the local variety of styles could fairly be seen as dissapointing, and I get that. That’s not “Debbie Downer” stuff – that’s beer advocacy.
Some caveats: I don’t think that it is incumbent upon Fulton to initially address the lack of local market presence for these styles, though I can certainly see where it would be advantageous for them or another brewery, existing currently or not, to be innovative in this way. This seems to be more of a general criticism of the local brew scene as a whole in general, though with the advent of Summit’s Unchained series, the Schell’s Snowstorm & Draft series and other local breweries’ enhancing and epanding upon their already-established lineups, that list will hopefully be pared away, one by one.
And, finally, and this is my take only, but I thought the inane “w00t’s” were not so much “Hooray – ALL MN Beer = good” but rather “Hooray – MORE MN Beer = good”.
TO MAG’S STANDARDS:
Beerfan make point – I get now his angle. But Fulton not only beer place to miss beer kinds – all beer making guys should also do. All MN Beer not good, but more MN beer make people more
happynot sad.Woot! Nice post Jason. Congratulations. I’m excited.
David-
People assume a lot about me, 90% of it wrong, from reading my posts here. Why would I dismiss beer in a can? Inhabiting my fridge last week, but not sadly gone: Surly Hell, Bender, Furious, and Coffee Bender. (Hey, Surlybrewer, can the wet!)
What are the specs on BrewFarm Select?
Oh. About Ambleside. Infected beer is not a good thing to serve to potential investors. Just saying.
“I like beerfan’s post from 10/22 11:12, because I think I understand where he’s coming from now. There are styles that are not being made by the current brewers, and adding another brewery whose lineup does not address this market’s style shortcommings amplifies their omission. That the total number of local offerings has increased while not expanding on the local variety of styles could fairly be seen as dissapointing, and I get that. That’s not “Debbie Downer” stuff – that’s beer advocacy.”
Someone finally got it.
“Woot! Nice post Jason. Congratulations. I’m excited.”
Best post ever.
Beerfan – I’d wager we’ve met, ‘specially if you were a potential Amble investor.
As to the infected: I would have never let it out of the building (or in anybody’s mouth for that matter…) – and I’m sure I had some responsibility in the matter, as I was the assistant brewer at Ambleside. I did the heavy lifting, not the decision making… The infection(s) near the “end” were very frustrating. Among many, many other missteps.
BrewFarm Select spec’s: six-row and Briess Caramel 20 malts, Cluster and Perle hops (’bout 25-30 ibu’s), 5.5% abv. Comes across as a “hoppy pils” – medium- to full-bodied, lingering bitterness, hint of malt sweetness but finishes dry. Easily sessionable.
And no, no assumptions. The interweb’s a funny place to try communicate – better over a pint or three of BrewFarm Select!
I guess everyone is aware now that Fulton is a new brewery. If I were starting out and had 70+ comments under my new brewery, I’d be quite happy!
David-
Uh….no I don’t think we’ve met and I didn’t know you had anything to do with Ambleside. I was told about this by someone who was invited to invest. I’m sorry if I offended, which was not my intention as I didn’t know of your former status there.
Can’t beat a good hoppy pils! Hope it does well. I’ll look for it.
And yeah about interweb comment. People often read more into what’s said than what is there, including me.
bf – oh, no problem. No offense taken or implied. Infected beer is what it is (or was…) – the unraveling put blinders on as to what was happening out in the marketplace (and originating in the brewery. I can squarely place the blame on a used plate and frame filter. Soon as that arrived, the beers would start to “grow” out in the field. Not good.) Hopefully you kept you wallet closed…
Perhaps someday we will meet – beer’s a good excuse for that.
OK, I get it now…tactless, inflamitory commets for the greater good. Man my wool coat is gettin itchy, ooh that looks like some tasty grass to eat. Obviously this discourse is way above my pay grade. Duke out…and oh yeah, Big All says dogs cant look up!
I think what some people are missing here is MN breweries as a group cover almost every style out there. Here is a quick list of MNCBG breweries (15 of the members) and by number, beers from beer fans list of things he would like to see. I enjoy a good blond ale on draft when ever I can. Someone once said judge a brewer on his blond ale not his IPA because there’s no where to hide a mistake in a blond ale.
Am Amber (10)
Am Stout (7)
Belgian Strong Dark (5)
Belgian Strong Golden (2)
Brown Porter (2)
Dry Stout (2)
Lagers (11)
Mild (7)
Rauch (6)
Scottish 60, 70 or 80 (6)
Sour (7)
Steam (4)
Wit (7)
Jeff
Secretary MNCBG
I think beerfan smells like new cheese or old meat. I do also agree nearly completely with what he says…nearly.
He is skeptical about the line up and rightly so. One doesn’t need to make crazy styles to stand out. However when one doesn’t have a brewery then something needs to stand out. I always find this list very jaded in that they know actually about beer and whats going on. The regular guy on the street has no idea about such things and whats going to make him buy another pale ale when they have Summit or Sierra Nevada to choose from.
I agree that the beers with the least things in them really show the brewers ability. I will always try local things first. A brewery always gets a shot with me no matter where its brewed. NOW to that point. If a contract brewery makes their own lineup poorly I wont have high hopes for the beers they are contract producing. I’ll still give them a shot though. The point should be made that even the really big contract brewers (Matt etc) don’t do the job that the brewery does. Case in point Brooklyn Brewery…
I love the fact that Minnesotans love locally produced beer and always thirst after new ones. However, I put to you, how ‘local’ is a beer if it is brewed in the middle of Wisconsin? Does local just mean a company owned in a certain location? I’m not talking down about anyone but this seems to be a trend here, and in other parts of the us, that people farm out products and still call them local. More of a philosophical question I guess.
When companies contract beers out I always wonder how much have they contracted out. The brewing, the marketing, the recipe development, etc. I’m really not trying to dis Fulton. I really hope they do well, truly.
One thing that is kinda douchy that I will say is that their beer ‘Sweet child of vine’…the whole ad behind it…its wrong. Hops aren’t vines, they are bines with a ‘B’. Sorry guys.
Jeff – who produces the Scottish light ales you list. I don’t think I’ve ever had a traditional Scottish light ale in Minnesota.
Cheers
Kristen England, Ph.D.
BJCP Continuing Education Director
education_director@bjcp.org