Doug Hoverson in Fergus Falls, originally uploaded by MNBeer.

Dawn and I were in Fergus Falls this weekend to celebrate her birthday with family. As luck would have it, the Ottertail County Historical Society was hosting an event with Doug Hoverson that included a talk on the history of brewing in Fergus Falls as well as a tasting of some Minnesota beers. I can’t stress just how much fun we had sampling beer in our hometown, learning about the history of beer in Minnesota and in Fergus Falls and watching the reactions of others.

Thirty-some (?) Fergus Falls residents packed the house at Barringer’s in downtown Fergus Falls and really seemed to enjoy Doug’s talk. Sharing beer probably didn’t hurt anything, either. 🙂 We sampled a number of beers and no doubt introduced some people to some new beers and/or styles. Fergus Falls has two municipal liquor stores and while their selection is better than some, they lack a variety and depth of Minnesota-made beers. Among others, we sampled Surly Furious, Lake Superior Kayak Kolsch, Summit ESB, Barley John’s Wild Brunette, Cold Spring’s Ebony Wheat, Great Water’s Oatmeal Stout and others. Lots of fun… great beer, an engaged crowd and of course a good speaker. Thanks Fergus Falls! Thanks Doug!