Lagunitas Still Sucks! Last year, Lagunitas released “Lagunitas Sucks” as a fill-in for Brown Shugga. Needless to say, it was pretty tasty and Lagunitas seems to agree as they’re bringing it back. On Thursday, you can get your first sips of Sucks at a draft release party at The Lowry starting at 6pm. First thirty suckers get to steal the mason jar. Enjoy.
Borealis Fermentery is holding a Holiday Pointed Gnome Hat Party starting at 8pm at Beaner’s Central in West Duluth.
Music will be provided by Jason Wussow and Friends, Bluegrass band Black River Review, interim music by Borealis’ band – pointed hats on pointed heads.
They’ll be sampling few new brews, too. For the hop lovers among you, check out Homdinger- a Belgian style amberish hoppy ale. Inspired by some of their dear Dutch friends who don’t celebrate Christmas, they’ll be serving up Cinderclaws – a darker holiday brew crafted from maple sugar and star anise. $10 cover.
This was the first Fulton beer I ever tried – in the back room of The Four Firkins, provided to the staff as a sample of a product for a brewery that had yet to launch… fast forward to today and they’re selling beer, expanding distribution and have a killer taproom not far from the Minnesota Twins’ ballpark.
In any case, Fulton will be releasing Worthy Adversary Saturday starting at noon at the brewery (414 6th Ave N, Minneapolis). Bottles should follow starting on 12/17 at liquor stores in 750ml bottles.
Related:
On Wednesday the 12th at Pig & Fiddle, Chef Stephanie will be making stout pudding to pair with Worthy Adversary.
On Friday the 14th, Grumpy’s Northeast will be pouring a firkin of Worthy Adversary aged on macadamia nuts.
The Local is tapping a keg on Thursday 12/20.
Mark your calendars for Monday as Zen Box Izakaya in Minneapolis plays host to this year’s release of Surly Smoke. Things kick off at 5pm with Cynic, Bender and Furious on tap and 12 oz. pours of Smoke starting at 6pm.
Zen Box will also have a limited menu with signature items to pair with Surly beer, as well as a Double Smoked Pork Tsukune special dish made with Smoke.
About Smoke:
Ebony-hued, Smoke wafts out of the bottle and into your senses, borne on the wings of European traditions, wrapped in American innovation. Lager-brewed, like anytrue Baltic Porter, with smoked malts from Bamberg, Germany, the home of Rauchbiers, then mellowed by oak-aging. Black malt flavors mesh with notes of raisins, plums, figs and licorice with the subtle smoke on the side, for a complex and luxurious, yet silky smooth drinking experience. It’s a sipper at Alc. 8.2% by VOL., but everyone knows you can’t have Smoke without fire!
What: Surly Smoke 2012 Release Party
When: Monday, Dec. 10 from 5pm to close
Where: Zen Box Izakaya, 602 South Washington Ave., Minneapolis
About Zen Box… I spoke with Lina last week and she emphasized that Zen Box Izakaya is proud to be a beercentric Japanese restaurant. They serve only Minnesota-made beer and Japanese craft beer, including the Surly offerings mentioned above as well as Hitachino Nest Ginger & White ale on draft as well as Kirin, Sapporo and Asahi, the latter of which is on tap with a special chiller machine from Asahi. They were the first restaurant to bring in this beer on tap, and may well be the only one in the midwest with this chiller.
A new beer-conscious dining option on the East Side of Saint Paul has opened on a street already rich with local history. Ward 6 on Payne Avenue is now open daily for dinner as well as for brunch on the weekend. Proprietors Eric Foster and Bob Parker, both East Side residents, wanted a pub-style atmosphere with quality food and quality drinks and found the perfect spot one block north of Phalen Boulevard and within view of the former Hamm’s Brewery.
Chef Liz Olson’s dining menu highlights real food with real ingredients; sauces are house-made, fries are house-cut, the corned beef is house-cured…the list goes on. Offerings run the gamut from salads to poutine. Features include grass-fed beef burgers, a grilled cheese with camembert, a nightly special and a good-old fish & chips. The actual menu reads with a bit of whimsy so sharpen your wit and enjoy.
The food is reason enough to visit, but Ward 6 is a prime destination for the local craft beer enthusiast. Twenty taps stand at the center of the restored wooden bar. Foster, a beer judge, has crafted a tap list that is discerning rather than voluminous and entirely local with only two exceptions: Hamm’s, which is now brewed in Milwaukee, and one rotating “imported to Minnesota” line currently occupied by Avery’s Old Jubilation.
Minnesota beers offered include selections from Summit, Surly, Steel Toe, Flat Earth, Pour Decisions, Lucid, Badger Hill, Fulton, 3rd Street Brewhouse and Indeed. Pints are five bucks (three for Hamm’s) and happy hour is from 4 to 6; pints are $3 and Hamm’s is $2. Small pours are available for those looking to taste a few styles. The knowledgeable bar staff would be more than happy to help you experience the beers Minnesota has to offer.
Ward 6
858 Payne Ave
Saint Paul, 55130
Hours:
Hours are expanding – Check their Facebook page for the latest
*Vegetarian & GF options – ask your server
