Lots of little, possibly insignificant changes are in store for MNBeer as we move the site from a Blogger-based setup over to WordPress. I looked over a number of different solutions and finally decided on WordPress after trying a number of blogging/CMS packages. Thanks to a few handy plug-ins, WordPress has all of the functionality we need to bring you a more robust site. And for the nerds, WordPress is standards compliant as well.

I’m currently finalizing the design and converting the necessary pages and hope to relaunch by next weekend. Among other things, we’ll be rolling out a new design, an integrated “events” setup (which will allow us to make our “events” page more robust and usable), a forum and better feeds, among other things.

We’ve also decided to open up MNTaps to include bars that sling good beer. If you’re in the business and want to take part, drop me a line (ryanATmnbeer.com) and we’ll add your bar. There are three main stipulations to this, of course.

1. Your bar must dedicate more than 20% of its taps to micros and non-macro imports. If your beer isn’t any more adventurous than Stella, Beck’s, Boddington’s, Sam Adams and Bud, Miller and Coors, MNBeer won’t list your taps. Additionally, if you don’t have any beer from Minnesota on tap, fuggetaboutit.

2. Someone, preferably from the bar, must be willing to send us tap updates monthly, if not bi-weekly or weekly.

3. Your beer line-up needs to periodically change. It doesn’t necessarily have to be weekly or monthly or whatever, however it does need to change from time to time.

Questions? Just ask.

Friends, Minnesotans, brewers, lend me your ears… I don’t come to bury Caeser, but I do plan to leave my current job and I’m looking to my friends, associates and various other sources for some help in finding a new job. For a variety of reasons, I’ve decided to move on and do something new. So I’m looking to you, dear readers, for suggestions, references and whatever else you might be able to share. Does your company need a friendly, creative and hard-working fellow such as myself? I have a background in design for print and the web with a number of years of experience in the printing industry. I’ve done it all – print design, web design, copywriting, tech work, etc. My resume, portfolio and whatnot can be found over at RyanAnderson.org. Readers, can you help a brother out?

I’m not against exploring options outside of my direct experience. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind sharing Papazian’s sentiment that “Beer is my business, and I’m late for work.” Eh, who knows? Drop me a line at ryan AT mnbeer.com with suggestions, references, hints and well-concealed cash.

We now return you to the world of beer in Minnesota.

Thanks!