Category: August Schell Brewing Co.

Northern Lights Rare Beer Festival Saturday

By on March 26, 2015in August Schell Brewing Co., beer events, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., breweries, brewpubs, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Steel Toe Brewing

nlrbf-2015_slide-1As of last night, tickets were still available for the Northern Lights Rare Beer Festival. And though the ticket price is decidedly steep, this is a festival that should make every beer nerd get a little giddy. For the uninitiated, this festival features rare, vintage and special one-off beers from 30 select craft breweries from across the country, including 10 form Minnesota. Suffice to say that this event includes food, entertainment and more.

Five beers I’ll really f&#@ing miss because I’m working Saturday:

  • Schell’s 2013 Barrel Aged Snowstorm With Brett
  • Bent Paddle Double Shot Double Black
  • Fitger’s Brewhouse Woodford 1100 Wheatwine
  • Town Hall Nitro Tennessee Dessert
  • Steel Toe Brewing Barrel of the Blood

Download the program here.

Buy your tickets here.

Drink Up: Schell’s Dawn of Aurora

By on January 1, 2015in August Schell Brewing Co.

What was your favorite Minnesota beer series of 2014? Noble Star? Summit’s Union or Unchained Series? Though there were certainly no losers this year, Schell’s Noble Star Series was probably my favorite with a solid set of Berliner Weisse offerings that were all tart, juicy and exceptionally enjoyable. We look forward to more good things from the old-timers at Schell’s in 2015.

Best beer series of 2014? Damn this is good @schellsbeer!

A photo posted by MNBeer.com (Ryan) (@mnbeer) on

Dawn of Aurora is Schell’s take on a “Starkbier” Berliner Weisse. Stark means strong, and at 8%, this isn’t your average Berliner Weisse. Homebrew nerds might like to know that this beer was brewed with a fairly extensive double decoction mash and perhaps as no surprise, an un-boiled wort. They fermented it with a mix of yeast, bacteria and a single strain of brettanomyces before aging the beer in their old cypress lagering tank. Brewmaster Jace Marti describes this beer as having a “fruity flavor profile of lemons, pineapple and pears.”

…and it’s damn good. Available now.

New Life for Minneapolis’ Grain Belt Sign

By on November 13, 2014in August Schell Brewing Co., breweries
Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Yesterday our friends at August Schell Brewing Company announced that they had reached an agreement to purchase the iconic Grain Belt Beer sign on Nicollet Island. Better yet, the brewery is in the process of discussing plans for preservation and relighting of the historic sign with the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. In connection with the purchase, the brewery is in the process of discussing plans for preservation and relighting of the historic riverside sign with the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. Wouldn’t it be cool to see the sign lit up again? From what I gather, it’s been dark since 1996.
“As the stewards to a 154-year old brewery and family business, we understand the importance of preserving heritage. We are honored to have this opportunity to protect and restore such a beloved part of the Minneapolis landscape,” said Schell’s Ted Marti. “Working in concert with the community, our goal is to preserve and relight this important remnant of the city’s industrial and commercial past.”

For more information on the history of the sign, be sure to check out https://historicminneapolissigns.wordpress.com/signs/grain-belt-beer/

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.