Author: Mag

Great Water’s Website Update

greatwaters.jpgThis may be old news, but it’s still worthy of a mention (hey, it’s new news to me!). Great Water’s website is now being updated with their periodic releases. Check out the link http://www.greatwatersbc.com/beermn.html to see it. The last time I was there (just before New Year’s), they’d already tapped the Winter Solstice Ale. I loved it! And the folks who had a chance to sample the growler of it we brought home also enjoyed it. It’s a bit of an unusual winter release, but it’s famn dabulous.

Rock Bottom Releases

While doing a bit of Sunday MNBeer homework, Kris and I came across a bit of news.  Rock Bottom is offering up the following beer releases on the following bi-weekly release schedule:

January 10 – Oatmeal IPA

January 24 – Altbier

February 7 – Angry Hippie Ale

February 28 – ESB

March 6 – Fire Chief Ale

March 20 – Intoxicator Rauch Doppelbock

*sigh* I can’t believe the lengths we’ll go to…

E.T.B. for All American Grill and Brewhouse

The latest word on All American Grill and Brewhouse’s E.T.B. (Estimated Time for their own Beer being on tap) is 3 to 6 weeks.  Kris and I have been holding off visiting them until they have some of their own brews on tap given the longish drive, so we don’t have much to report on their chow, decor, crowd, etc.  Has anyone else had a chance to visit the joint?

Cellars Tasting

Ran across this on BeerAdvocate…

Big Beer Tasting @ Cellars

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

This week’s theme: Big Beers for the Winter!

Well the vote was in and the winner was big beers. This week no one beer will weigh in under 10%, and all of them will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Rumor has it a homicidal penguin might just fall into a hole void of color in a Kentucky whisky county, and then go on an expedition with a blonde Austrian Santa Claus to kill the angel of death. All right, the first one to tell me the six beers we are sampling after 6:45PM on Wednesday will be rewarded accordingly.

So come on in and bring some friends, because drinking good beer is much better in the company of good people!

The Cellars Wines, Brews & Spirits
FREE – IN STORE Beer Tastings begin at
7 p.m. every Wednesday and no reservations are required.

Please call or email me with any suggestions, questions or special requests.
Also if you would like to be removed from this list please call or email us at your earliest convenience.

Thank you,

Joe Haugen
The Cellars Wines, Brews & Spirits
1149 Larpenteur Ave W
651.489.5050
lexlarp@thecellars.com

MN Breweries & Consumers…Shake With Fear!

I think brewing and beer consumption as we know it in the state of Minnesota will shortly be turned upside down.  I was just informed by confidential, inside sources through a big black box in my living room that Michelob will soon be releasing a pale ale, a porter, and a wheat.  I know that many Minnesota craft beer drinkers only drink the Barley John’s and Surly’s of the world only because it’s convenient and because they like the variety craft brewers provide.  It’s not about quality or flavor.  How can these consumers not be swayed by the tantilizing draw of a big brewery putting out such a fine variety of beer?  Let me provide some very solid evidence to support my point.  Breweries like Miller and Aheuser-Busch constantly tout all the gold medals they win in the American Pilsner category.  Clearly, their brewing superiority and capabilities cannot be surpassed.  They absolutely dominate that category of beer.  Michelob is as equally capable as SABMiller and AB.  If the big guys would only put their minds to brewing Grand-Cru’s or IPA’s, they could quickly and easily douse the embers igniting the craft beer fad.  And now, Michelob has decided to do just that.  I’m gonna miss all the MN breweries and brewpubs.  What the heck am I gonna do with all my growlers?

 Incidentally, I couldn’t find the sarcasm emoticon.  I need a life.