Author: ryan

Ryan Anderson (that's me!) is the editor & founder of MNBeer. Much has changed since the fall of 2005 and I'm proud to have been a part of it all. Sometime I'll tell you about my grand theory that links craft brewing to punk rock. Just ask.

Surly Eight Release Party Sunday

By on November 6, 2014in bars/restaurants, breweries, Surly Brewing Co.
Surly Eight
Surly Eight
Surly Brewing Company celebrates their 8th anniversary this Sunday with the release of their eighth anniversary beer aptly named EIGHT! From 5-10pm at Dakota Jazz Club (1010 Nicollet Mall) they’ll be pouring EIGHT, an Oat Wine style ale aged in High West Rye Whiskey barrels as well as Todd the Axe Man, The Devil’s Work, Cynic, Hell and Furious. There will also be special menu item to pair with EIGHT, music from Doomtree’s DJ Paper Tiger, and special guests.
Pro tip: make a reservation. Visit http://www.dakotacooks.com/dining-reservations/ or call 612-332-1010. 

Schell’s Equinox Fresh Hop Pilsner

By on November 4, 2014in August Schell Brewing Co.

freshhop-150x480Our friends at August Schell Brewing Co., are really tearing things up as of late. We’re excited to share a little new about another new limited-release offering, a fresh hop pilsner featuring Equinox, a new hop variety recently developed by the Hop Breeding Company and Hopunion. If the name Hop Breeding Company doesn’t sound familiar, just note that they’re the folks that have brought you Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe hops.

“In our Fresh Hop series, we like to explore relatively new hop varieties, such as Citra, Mosaic, and Equinox,” said Schell’s brewmaster, Dave Berg. “It’s a good way for us to evaluate the variety for future use, while introducing consumers to what’s new in the wild world of hops.”

Hop Union describes Equinox as having a pronounced aroma profile with citrus, tropical fruit, floral and herbal characteristics. Specific descriptors include lemon, lime, papaya, apple, and green pepper. “In choosing Equinox, we considered both its aromatic properties and uniqueness. Fresh Hop beer enthusiasts will find Equinox to be a great aroma hop, with a lot of lemon-lime characteristics. It’s really unlike any anything we’ve worked with before.”

Schell’s Fresh Hop Equinox is a German-style pilsner with 45 IBUs and 5 percent ABV.

Friday 5ive: My Five Favorite Live Bands

By on October 31, 2014in Friday 5ive

If you read last week’s 5ive, you’ll know that I’ve seen a ton of live bands over the years… it was practically compulsive in the 90s. In any case, let’s jump right the heck in and delve into the five greatest live acts I’ve ever seen. I have this sinking feeling I’ve forgotten something, but let’s roll with this. Go!


Pegboy – Strong Reaction. I saw this band in crappy warehouse/teen club (?) called the Grape Garage sometime in the mid-90s. Obviously they sounded great live and Larry Damore has an awesome on-stage presence, often flailing out into the crowd or singing face to face with the audience. Here’s a clip of the same tune, live in 1995.


Fishbone – Ma & Pa. Punk/funk/ska. I discovered the Red Hot Chili Peppers in about 1988 and with frequent mentions of Fishbone, I had to check out that band as well. Sometime in the early 90s I caught Fishbone at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I’ve seen plenty of animated singers, but none could compare to Fishbone’s Angelo more. The guy literally scaled the walls at First Avenue, leaping, jumping and diving like no one I’d ever seen before. No one. They’ve never been my favorite band per se, but their live show’s energy is unmatchable.


Fugazi – Shut the Door. I caught Fugazi a time or two in the mid-90s at First Avenue. Live, they’re on fire… tight & composed, but not so overly-rehearsed that it seems contrived. I wish they’d tour again. This video is from Instrument, which itself is a great live dvd & album. Totally worth checking out if you dig Fugazi.


Propagandhi – A Speculative Fiction. I first caught Winnipeg’s Propagandhi in a sweaty basement on College Street in Fargo, ND (across the street from the current location of Fargo Brewing Co.) in about 1994. I had heard a few songs from the band, their live show in cramped quarters was a blast until it ended with the cops coming… There was something very cool about the mix of thrash and melody and the dueling vocals from Chris Hanna and former member John Sampson (Weakerthans). So good.


And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. I’ve only caught Trail of Dead live once, but that evening at the Triple Rock Social Club was pretty awesome. If you’ve watched the previous four videos, no doubt you’ve got a bit of a feel for my musical tastes. Not surprisingly, Trail of Dead fit that descriptor with a serious dose of guitar and a nice interplay between precision and music with a raw edge. Live the band is amazing. I think this video captures that…

Schell’s Snowstorm 2014: Grand Cru

By on October 30, 2014in breweries

Schell's Snowstorm 2014: Grand CruI always look forward to Schell’s annual Snowstorm beer. I love that they change up the style year after year, and as far as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed the offerings. This year, Snowstorm is a Belgian-style Granc Cru. The folks at Schell’s brewed it with 2-Row Pilsner, Red Wheat, Red X, Special Roast, Light Chocolate malt and Tubinado sugar as well as coriander, bitter orange peel, sweet orange peel, and lemon peel. It’s been hopped to 20 IBUs with Opal and Cascade. Schell’s fermented with Forbidden Fruit yeast strain for fermentation. Schell’s Jace Marti says to look for a beer with a deep copper color and off white head and goes on to say, “The aroma is a combination of fruity esters from the yeast complimented by the citrusy notes of coriander, orange, and lemon peel. This beer is deceptively lighter bodied, with a lively carbonation and subtle warmth from the moderate alcohol. Fruity notes from the yeast carry over into the flavor profile with hints of citrus and light chocolate and a lasting dry finish.”
Can’t wait!

Friday 5ive – Five Bands That Blew Me Away Immediately

By on October 24, 2014in general beer

This week it’s time to roll out a Friday 5ive featuring bands that have managed to blow me away upon first listen. I caught each and every one of these bands live at one point or another. When I arrived at the show I didn’t have the foggiest idea as to what any of the bands might sound like and it was only when they plugged and started playing that I found that I not only liked the band, but was blown away for one reason or another.

In the latter part of my high school years and leading into my first years of community college, I ventured to “the big city” of Fargo, North Dakota. While there, I caught bands play at various venues ranging from the old (beautiful) Fargo Elks and Moose Lodge buildings to dingy VFWs, on-campus clubs, bowling alley back rooms, youth orientated venues like Exit 99 and The Grape Garage, and sweaty basements teeming with flannel, t-shirts and raging 15-20-something hormones. One of the first bands I saw from that era was made up of a couple of guys from Fargo. I remember walking into the venue and gazing a cobbled-together drumset and a huge, sketchy-looking bass amp. They plugged in and threw up a wall of sound that to this day I have a hard time describing. Wailing, somewhat melodious noise, lots of distortion and a bass being played more like a lead guitar than anything. My ears, body and brain were floored. Check out godheadSilo.

As a hungry live music fan in the “grunge era,” I was always up for checking out something new. Back in the day we didn’t have the fancy tubes of the GopherTelnetInterWorldWideWeb to use to get a glimpse as to what a band we’d never heard sounded like… so we showed up at the concert, plopped down our $5 and hoped for the best. When I first saw Sunny Day Real Estate, I had no clue what they sounded like, but they were on Sub Pop Records, so surely they might sound something like Mudhoney or Nirvana or Green River, right? Eh, not so much. Do you know what they actually sounded like? The word awesome comes to mind. Dig it. Bonus trivia, a couple of the guys from this band went on to join The Foo Fighers.

Shortly after high school, friends and I started a band. We weren’t particularly good, but we had jobs and a slew of semi-reliable equipment, including a small Kustom PA system (yellow rolled vinyl). Said PA came on handy on occasion… like the time that a Twin Cities’ band, The Totallies, booked a show in our friends’ basement. They were young and a bit sloppy but Karl, Tyson and UV(?) ripped up some Screeching Weasel-inspired pop/punk and when the band finished playing every song they knew, the crowd begged them to play them again.

During the summer of 1995, I caught a last-minute opener at Fargo’s DIY Center. The band opened for some ska band that I’ve since forgotten. At The Drive In, blew everyone in the building out of their socks with so much raw energy, on-stage antics and of course good music. Why weren’t they headlining? None of us were familiar with the band at that point. That changed rather quickly…

Finally, a handful of years ago, I had tickets to see Trail of Dead at the Triple Rock. That night I had contemplated showing up a little late and skipping out on the opening acts. I didn’t. As luck would have it, openers Funeral Party blew me away. Check them out!