Author: Ryan Tuenge

Fading Trend: Black IPA

By on March 5, 2018in general beer, history, Indeed Brewing Co., Steel Toe Brewing

About five years ago there was a beer style that was showing up in taprooms all over the country with the intention of attracting fans of IPAs and Porter alike. They called this style a Black IPA which seemed silly considering the “p” in IPA stands for pale. It would later be re-named a Cascadian Dark Ale or CDA. At any rate, the style became so popular that some of the breweries starting canning their own version (think 21st Amendment’s Back in Black) for sale in liquor stores.

Some characteristics of this style are that the beer should be light bodied, roasty, and use plenty of northwestern US hops which provide flavors such as citrus and pine. Not many local breweries are making Cascadian Dark Ales and the future doesn’t look bright for them as Milkshake IPAs and Hazy New England IPAs continue to soar in popularity.

The only two local examples worth a damn are Steel Toe’s Douglas and Indeed’s Midnight Ryder and with good reason. The recipes and execution are on point unlike some of the others that have been attempted here in Minnesota. Indeed even decided to go with MIdnight Ryder as one of their original two flagships along with Day Tripper which was a bold move at the time. Will we see any local breweries attempt this style with any success again? The answer is most likely no.

Minnesota Beer Industry Loses a Great Friend and Ambassador

By on February 20, 2018in Bad Weather Brewing Co., MN, tap rooms

“What do you think of the beer?” That was a phrase I was used to hearing from one of the biggest supporters of Bad Weather Brewing and the local beer scene in general. This was Greg Carpenter, father of Zac, who is one of the founders of Bad Weather Brewing. His smile was infectious and his passion for all things beer was enormous.

Sadly Greg passed away last Tuesday leaving heavy hearts around the brewery and the industry. There are so many interactions that we’d had that I’ll never forget. One of my favorites was at an arcade event held at the brewery last summer. Bad Weather had just released their first Helles Lager. We talked about this style of beer which we agreed was underrepresented here in the Twin Cities and how brewer Andy Ruhland had done such a great job executing this. He was so proud to talk about the brewery that he helped bring to life from the ground up.

Greg always supported my writing and genuinely cared about what was going on in the beer world. For that, I am forever grateful. I’m proud to have called him a friend and my love and condolences go out to Zac and the Bad Weather Brewing family.

Godspeed. 

Castro’s Reserve to Debut at Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub on Friday

By on May 10, 2017in brewpubs, cooking & food, general beer, misc. mn beer, new beer, Northbound Smokehouse

A cigar smoked beer? Yes, it works. The crew at Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub has a way with smoke, and their latest creation is an Imperial Brown Ale smoked with cigars. Ten of them to be exact. They smoked 20% (100 lbs) of the malt base for five hours and aged the beer in rum barrels. The result is a complex beer with flavors of vanilla, dark cherries, chocolate, and some subtle leather notes. The ABV on this is 8.4% and the IBUs clock in at 32.

Joel Scott is the head brewer at Northbound and the idea came about while he was getting his brewing education at Siebel Institute in Chicago. He had a couple of questions before giving this a go. The first was that he was wondering if he could get the tobacco flavor to come through in the beer. The second was if the beer would taste like an ashtray. The answer to the first question was yes, and no to the second.

The beer will be released on Friday, May 12th at the brewpub. They will use the wood from the barrel to create a Cuban pork special for the release. You’ll wanna get there early though because this beer probably won’t last long. On a side note, they will be making this again at a later date and will be submitting this beer at the Great American Beer Festival this year.

Cheers!

Brew Day at Surly: $pice Boyz Lager Beer Camp Collaboration with Sierra Nevada

By on May 5, 2017in Beer Ingredients, breweries, general beer, new beer, Surly Brewing Co., tap rooms

Last Friday I had a rare opportunity to spend the day at Surly for a brew day with Michael Palmer from Sierra Nevada for their Beer Camp collaboration. The beer is called $pice Boyz, a lager infused with ginger and cayenne—aged on oak, and appearing on tap at the Surly Beer Hall. The Sierra Nevada version was brewed a couple months ago and will be released in the Beer Camp 12 pack. Their version was simply named Ginger Lager.

“All three of us came up with the idea for this beer” says Surly co-head brewer Jerrod Johnson. “We wanted to make a beer that would age well. We figured all the other folks would be making bigger beers, and we wanted to make something more sessionable.”

Ben Smith is the other co-head brewer at Surly and he was excited to work with Sierra Nevada on this project. “Their [Sierra Nevada] hospitality is second to none. Everyone there is a professional, and it was cool to see” says Smith. We wanna be stewards of the industry and it was a great experience.” He reiterated what Jerrod said about wanting to make something that was easy to drink. “We made some assumptions about what the others were going to do. They were doing sippers. Let’s make something simple but unique.” Jerrod and I have always wanted to do a ginger beer.”

How did this all come together? Well, it started when I ran into Michael, Jerrod, Ben, and Josh Lemke (brewer at Surly) at Grumpy’s in Northeast last Thursday evening. They suggested that I come in for a brew day at the Brooklyn Center Brewery. You don’t pass up an opportunity to brew with two of the best breweries out there.

The brew day began with a Red Bull courtesy of Josh. He mashed in while Ben and Jerrod held a meeting in back. Mike joined Josh and I on the brew deck and performed the ceremonial adding of the hops.

Ben and Jerrod joined in while we chatted about brewing and all the fun new beers that Surly has coming. Ben, Michael, and I sampled some of those beers to see how they were coming along.

Then it was back to the brew deck where we checked in on the boil. Josh was busy monitoring the progress of the batch. I chatted with Jerrod before he had to skip over to Surly MSP for a meeting.

Ben and I then bellied up in the old taproom and talked about Sierra Nevada, the collaboration beer, and life in general. He tells me that the Surly version of the beer will be a taproom only release starting in June and that the SN version will be included in the Beer Camp 12 pack, also in June.

Back out in the brewery Josh was manning the kettle and also took some time to change up the music in the brewery. Heavy metal would be the music of choice. Ben joined him on the deck to perform another hop addition while I was “busy” SnapChatting the process.

The crew then broke for lunch and that’s where my day there ended. The experience was fantastic, and the Surly brewing team is group of true professionals that know exactly what they’re doing. It almost seemed too easy. I guess that’s what you’d expect from one of the most respected breweries here in the country.

One thing is certain, you’re gonna want to stop in at the Surly Beer Hall in June for the $pice Boyz release. Just make sure you don’t break out in full Spice Girl mode….That would just be awkward.

Cheers!

Bent Paddle Celebrating 4 Years

By on May 4, 2017in Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

One of Minnesota’s best breweries is celebrating 4 years and they’re hosting Festiversary on Saturday, May 13th at their taproom in Duluth. The brewery has been through a lot in those 4 years. They revitalized a neighborhood, redefined what a coffee beer can be, took a stance in favor of the environment—and have since managed to increase their footprint into the Dakotas and Wisconsin.

Colin and Laura Mullen teamed up with Bryon and Karen Tonnis with the hopes of showcasing what the water of Lake Superior can contribute to beer. The beer now speaks for itself. Brewing everything from an IPA to a Black Coffee Ale—Bent Paddle is now the premiere brewery up on the North Shore.

The Festiversary event runs from 2-8 pm and will feature bands, rare beers, food trucks, and more. Tickets will cost you $15.

Cheers to the folks at Bent Paddle and those who enjoy their fantastic beers!

Here are the full details on the event:

Saturday, May 13, 2017 | 2 – 8 pm
Avoid the lines! Tix available in the Taproom 4/19 – $15

Bent Paddle is turning 4! Join us at the brewery on Saturday, May 13, 2017 from 2 – 8 pm to help us celebrate! We will be taking over our West Michigan Street block + neighborhood parking lots and throwing a “Festiversary” party – an outdoor brewery festival celebrating Bent Paddle Brewing Co.‘s anniversary & you – the Partners & Paddlers that have helped us make it this far! There will be 3 stages of live music, curated food trucks, games & family friendly activities, community connections galore, and of course a whole lot of Bent Paddle beer!
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FEATURING
Live Music & Entertainment with the Take It With You Crew, The Big Wu, Big Wave Dave and the Ripples, Jillian Rae, Black River Revue, Noble Sound System, Ben Weaver & more

Flagship & Specialty Beer on Draft + Multiple Types of Nitro, Infusion & Cask Beers + INTRODUCING A BRAND NEW FLAGSHIP!

BEER BRANDED HUTS

Venture Pils Hut
Venture Pils on Draft & in a Can
Blueberry Venure Pils Infusion

Bent Hop Hut
Bent Hop on Draft & in a Can
Citra Mango Bent Hop Infusion
Idaho 7 Bumped Bent Hop Firkin

14º ESB Hut
14º ESB on Draft & in a Can
Cherry 14º ESB Infusion
Cedar 14º ESB Firkin

Black Hut
Black on Draft & in a Can
Chai Black Infusion
Hot Hot Heat Black Firkin

Cold Press Black Hut
Cold Press Black on Draft & in a Can
Mocha Cold Press Black Infusion
Vanilla Cold Press Black Firkin

Paddle Break Blonde Hut
Paddle Break Blonde on Draft & in a Can
Botanical Paddle Break Blonde Infusion
Lemon Drop Bumped Paddle Break Blonde Firkin

Kanū Hut – indroducing a NEW year-round flagship beer @ Festiversary!
Kanū on Draft & in a Can
Citrus Party Kanū Infusion
Double Dry Hopped Kanū Firkin

BOATS & BLUEGRASS CAN TENT
Venture Pils
Bent Hop
14º ESB
Black
Cold Press Black
Paddle Break Blonde
Kanū

HOP OUTSIDE
+ NITRO POURS in the TAPROOM
Hop Outside Infusion – The Sharpest End – Ventue Pils infused with Juniper & Sage
Nitro Bent Hop
Nitro 14º ESB
Nitro Black
Nitro Cold Press Black
Nitro Kanū
Regular Draft Flagship Pours
Lake Superior Brewing Co. Root Beer

Food Trucks + Treats from OMC Smokehouse, The Duluth Grill, Lake Superior Bakehouse, Chow Haul Mobile Restaurant, All American Club, Log Home Wood Fired Pizza, Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar & more!

Family Activities Area presented by Frost River Trading Co. & The Duluth Art Institute

Community Partnership Booths

Festival Merch for Sale & On-Site T-Shirt Printing with Duluth Screen Printing – Think “Festimals”…
General Revelry!
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COST + INFORMATION
Tickets Available at the Gate + Pre-Sale Tickets Available from the Bent Paddle taproom starting April 19th

$15 Day-of admission gets you a 16oz Festiversary pint glass (while supplies last) & your first beer is free!

$5 Under 21 / $10 Designated Driver (no pint glass) / Kids 12 & under are free

Beer Tokens are $2 (1 for a 5oz sample, 2 for a can (& certain specialty pours), 3 for a full 16oz pint)

21+ to Enjoy Beer / Valid ID Required

Children with Accompanying Adults Allowed

We Love Fido & Socks but No Pets Allowed at Festiversary

Cash Only Festival | ATMs available onsite and at nearby bank/gas stations

Rain or Shine (or Snow!) – Outdoor Event – Please Dress / Layer Accordingly
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LOCATION
Bent Paddle Brewing Co. | 1912 West Michigan Street | Duluth, MN 55806

View full directions to the brewery on the Contact page of our website

Free nearby vehicle parking lots (including the TBI lot located on the corner of West Michigan & 20th Avenue West and the gravel lot located on the corner West Michigan & 18th Avenue West) and street parking available throughout Lincoln Park. Please plan ahead for a sober ride home – paddlers paddling responsibly
Complimentary bicycle parking provided by Continental Ski & Bike

Cheers!