Category: general beer

Hoops Brewing set to Celebrate Two Years

By on June 24, 2019in beer events, general beer, Hoops Brewing, tap rooms

Things were going to be different for Dave Hoops as he set out to start his own brewery after years of concocting beers over at Fitger’s Brewhouse and a year on his own as a consultant. His approach was different from many of his peers. His dream brewery was one that started small and would continue to grow only as he saw fit. Two years later he has few regrets, and is set to celebrate a second anniversary with an event called HoopLa 2 on Saturday, June 29th.

The brewery exists in Canal Park and has a reputation with locals as a place where they can bring their families and check out a hockey game, or as a place to relax after a hard day of work. “We’ve been happy with our beers and the heavy community support. Pop ups are huge right now and were some of the first to do that up here in Duluth. There’s been very little turnover here and we’ve received so much support from this community” Hoops says.

The first two years didn’t come without challenges though. “Limited distribution has been tough. I’ve turned down so many opportunities because we just don’t have the beer. We’re the only independent brewery left in the north and growing slow is a challenge” he says. But slowly he plans to increase their distribution footprint and possibly make their way into 12 oz. cans. Plans for a barrel program are in place, and you may even see some “true” sours coming out of the brewhouse.

Dave had been brewing at Fitger’s Brewhouse for nearly 17 years when decided it was time to leave back in 2015. He knew that there was a big risk in opening his own brewery, especially all the responsibility that comes with it. “The difference is that the brewing part is fun, but owning a brewery consists of putting out fires, stress, bills, and drama. On the plus side, every day is different and I don’t have a boss. My talents are now being used in the front of the house too” he states. Trendy beers are not something he gets excited about despite the rapid growth and popularity of breweries in the northland and across Minnesota. “I don’t like being ridiculed for not making a pop tart sour beer. Let’s make beer that we’re proud of. I think it’s important to support each other” he says.

The Duluth scene has grown quite a bit and Hoops attributes much of this to the community and the fantastic beer festival coming up in late July called All Pints North. He calls it the “center point” of our summer. “It rivals Madison and it’s the most beautiful beer fest in Minnesota. I love hosting all the breweries when they come into town” he says. Just call him what he is, the ambassador for quality beer here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

If you’d like to check either or both of these events. The details can be found below.

HoopLa 2
Free on Saturday, June 29th starting at noon.
Featuring live music from Father Hennepin , food from New Scenic Cafe, games, prizes, raffles, and beer specials throughout the day.

All Pints North
$45 on Saturday, July 27th from 3 pm until 7 pm.
Featuring 2 oz. pours of Minnesota beer, live music, food trucks, and a beautiful view of the water from Bayfront Park. Grab tickets here: https://www.tempotickets.com/AllPintsNorth2019

Cheers!

Updates!

By on January 8, 2019in general beer

Well hello there dear reader… you’re still out there, right? It’s 2019 and if you’ve found your way to this site, there’s a good chance that you’re amped about Minnesota craft beer. We’re right there with you! 11 years ago it was a “challenge” to drink only Minnesota-made beer for the year. Today it’s practically a reality.

In 2019, we plan to keep up our “feverish” schedule of posts. 😉 Right now I’m working on a database to organize the breweries, combining breweries and brewpubs into one listing. For those who care to understand the difference between the two, we promise to add the business model to the database. We’re also planning to bring our brewery map back. …and hopefully keep on top of every brewery opening (and sadly, closing) in Minnesota.

Finally, our hearts go out to Portage Brewing Company in Walker. If you haven’t heard, a fire caused massive damage to their building. Given the time that it takes to build a brewery, one can only guess that they have a long road ahead of them. No doubt there will be options to help support them in the future – if you’d like to get a jump on things, there’s a silent auction and benefit Sunday at Chase on the Lake in Walker.

Be good to each other beer nerds,

Ryan

Review – Surly Frost Pack Newcomers

By on December 9, 2018in general beer, new beer, Surly Brewing Co.

Mention Brut around this time of year and visions of iconic (and I use that term loosely) commercials and thoughts of endcaps full of personal care products bubble up in the brain. Apparently, the holidays are the one time a year people need to be reminded they might smell bad and should probably do something about that.

However, Brut – the green, long-necked bottle of seventh grade – is not what’s on topic here. Nor is Stetson, Preferred Stock or White Diamonds. I’m talking about Brut the style descriptor – usually of champagne/sparkling wine, but more recently used to describe a style of very dry, effervescent IPA. Surly has brewed their own version of this style, as well as (for the very first time) a genuine porter and put them in their winter variety twelve-pack. Please enjoy these tasting notes of warmth and celebration for your holiday season.

 

Surly Mortal Sun

American Porter

ABV – 5.5%

Aroma: Crisp and chocolatey with bitter coffee notes. You can tell it’s going to be dry right from the first whiff.

Appearance: Dark brown to black.   

Flavor: Dark chocolate and coffee. Very toasty body with sustained bitterness from start to finish.

Mouthfeel: Light on the palate and drinkable. This is not Darkness (i.e., heavy and sippable).

Overall Impression: If you don’t know what you’re getting from Surly by now, you haven’t been paying attention; a great representation of the style that is turned up to 11. 

 

Surly Liquid Stardust

Sparkling/Brut IPA

ABV – 7.0%

Aroma: Bitter and citrusy. Complex. 

Appearance: Between yellow and dark yellow. 

Flavor: There’s a lot to unpack here. Lemon peel slaps you in the face right away and the other fruity hop notes play underneath that banner – melon, mango and pineapple all popped out, but that lemon bitterness carried throughout. 

Mouthfeel: Not an understatement when they say incredibly crisp and dry. Very refreshing, but the bitterness makes you pace yourself. 

Overall Impression: I had to do a couple rounds of tasting to get a good impression of this one. This included stopping in the taproom and comparing it to the Brut IPA on tap there. There was a distinct difference between the two and I see why they chose to can this version. The multiple fruit undertones along with the bitterness make it a more interesting and tasty. 

A Wave of Flavor from Indeed Brewing

By on September 17, 2018in general beer, Indeed Brewing Co., new beer

Indeed Brewing has never apologized for their love of hops and for the first time ever they are releasing a year-round IPA called Flavorwave. The can looks straight out of an 80s surfer movie and the contents beg for a day at the beach with palm trees underneath blue skies.

First there was Day Tripper, an IPA disguised as an American Pale Ale and one of two flagship beers (Midnight Ryder being the other) released by the brewery back in 2012. Then came their first IPA (a spring seasonal) called Let it Ride which was a big hit among local beer enthusiasts. Let it Roll followed as a fall seasonal (discontinued) and last year Peach Bum IPA debuted as the summer seasonal.

Flavorwave is a rather aromatic IPA with a moderate bitterness that smells of pineapple, guava, and mandarin oranges. Tropical fruits and citrus peel come through in the flavor and the finish is very crisp and clean compared to many IPAs on the market. This would pair well with spicy coconut shrimp over rice and should be a regular offering in your refrigerator.

Overall it’s a fantastic option, especially in the modern age of Milkshake and NE Style IPAs—which are frankly exhausting at this point.

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.