For those of you who are not regular readers of the Star Tribune, here is a link to a story on how craft beer sales are holding up in this shi er, poor economy. What I didn’t read in the story was a heartfelt thank you from anyone interviewed in the story for all the hard work that you and I do in drinking mass amounts of craft beer, all for the purpose of supporting an economic recovery. Ingrates!
I kid, I kid. Enjoy the write-up. Thanks, Strib, for the coverage.
The marketing push for Grain Belt’s new Nordeast has been pretty significant. I’ve seen coverage on many sites, heard Ted Marti on KQRS on Wednesday morning, etc. My liquor store, The Cellars in Eagan, got their first cases of the beer yesterday afternoon and I picked some up. I’m generally not much of a imbiber of lagers, but I did enjoy my Nordeast. Seek it out; it’s worth a try. It should be available in most liquor stores in the metro area currently. If folks know what watering holes around town have it on tap, please add a comment.
Q: What? A: Brewfest. Gitchee Gumee Brewfest, to be exact.
Q: Oh, okay. Cool. Where? A: Wessman Arena, Superior, WI.
Q: Huh? A: Superior, WI…that’s Sconie.
Q: Oh, Sconie, got it. When? A: This Saturday, April 10 from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Q: Damn, you’re a bit late posting this. A: Uh…the recession and global warming caused a delay. That wasn’t a question, by the way.
Q: Oh, sorry. How much is this gonna set me back? A: $40 at the door (limited to 1,200). $75 for VIP ticket. VIP’s get in at 3:30 through a separate entrance, have a separate room from which they can look down upon the riff-raff while eating pizza and peeing in a private bathroom. Oh, designated drivers get in free with someone who has paid for admission. Tickets can be purchased….well, check out the website.
Q: Can I buy tickets on-line, over the phone or do I have to hit Duluth/Superior to buy them. A: *sigh* The site doesn’t say anything about buying them on-line or over the phone; only at the door and at select locations. But it might be worth your time to call the Jaycees. I seem to recall my wife being able to purchase tickets from them in past years.
Q: You’re kind of a dink. A: Again, that wasn’t a question.
Q: Sorry. You’re kind of a dink, aren’t you? A: Thank you. Yes, deal with it.
Q: What Minnesota brews will be available? A: I don’t know. I didn’t plan the goddamn thing. Look, Schell/Grain Belt, Cold Spring, Lake Superior, Mantorville/St. Croix, Summit and Surly are all supposed to be there. Figure it out for yourself.
‘zup yo?! This be a shout-out from our homies at Brau Bruthas. I like edited it a bit you know to save space and to like only like provide distilled content you know. Take note of the mad happenin’s on June 5-6…or should I say hoppenins? Peace!
Looking to put this year’s barley in the ground in the next couple days. We have used quite a bit of last year’s harvest already, and as always, we’re saving a bunch for some 100% estate beers, like Fresh Hop. The hops are up, and I’ve found shoots from each of our eleven varieties. The highest is probably about four to six inches high. If the paths are dry enough, we may start stringing the hopyard as early as tomorrow. It’s always a good feeling when that job is done for the year. I’ll get some hopyard pics this weekend and post them. If you haven’t already visited, make sure to plan a trip out here this summer to see the brewery, hopyard, and barley patch. You really get a sense of where your beer comes from, and what it’s made of.
We shipped our first Old 56 Light Beer to South Dakota last week. So far, the feedback has been terrific, and I’d appreciate any thoughts on the beer. Old 56 is a light beer we brewed for years at the BrauHaus in Lucan for the local crowd. After numerous requests for a package suitable for “export”, we began bottling Old 56 a couple months ago. It is now available in 12 packs at insanely reasonable prices. For the record, it is not a 56 calorie beer. Old 56, The Fire Truck, is safely parked in the brewery’s parking lot, undergoing extensive restoration. It will someday soon become our “tapster on wheels”, available for events. We’re still searching for a talented artist willing to give it a killer custom paint job for beer.
Save the date, June 5-6 is BrauFest in Lucan! Ball tourney, Bean Bag Toss, City-wide street dance, brewery open-house, and most importantly, beer. I’ll send out a flyer as the date gets closer. The Brewery’s Beer Garden is still under construction, so on premise camping and bonfire will probably have to wait a year, however we strongly recommend coming out and drinking some beer with us as well as check out the town.
Also, April 15th, I’ll be in Glencoe for a Brau Bros Beer Dinner at Gert & Erma’s. Dinner starts at 6pm, smart talk starts soon after. If you’re in the area, and never been to a beer dinner, I highly recommend it. They’re great intimate settings for learning about beer and food, and it’s always a laid back affair where you will feel comfortable asking questions.
Congrats to Iowa on their new beer laws! We’re already looking forward to sending RainWater down there next winter. We also have something in the fermenters for later this spring – big, juicy, and dark. Details to follow…
Have you tried a Black Sheep yet? Cream Stout layered on SheepHead. It’s my new favorite thang.
Dustin
Here’s the afore mentioned flyer.
Once again Schell’s brewer and renaissance man, Dave Berg, comes slamming home with the goods for us. Dave kindly sent us three links to a three part series on this history of brewing in South Central Minnesota. KEYC is the Mankato CBS/Fox affiliate. Enjoy! And be sure to thank Dave the next time you see him. All he does is make us look good.
