Category: breweries

All Pints North Suggestions

By on July 28, 2017in beer education, beer events, beer travels, breweries

all pints north

All Pints North is Saturday! It’s one of our very favorite festivals for a number of reasons, some of which don’t even involve beer. For me, Duluth holds some amazing memories. My grandpa was a salesman (Glad bags, Old Spice, Del Monte, Air Wick, etc.) who worked with grocery stores in Duluth and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In any case, a few times a year my family would roll up to Duluth and we’d explore the city and the surrounding area. I love Lake Superior, the city’s rich history and the fact that it’s just a unique place in Minnesota.

If you don’t have tickets for All Pints North on Saturday, you’re too late as it’s sold out. If you’re going, you’re in for a treat – a great festival on the edge of the largest lake in the world. Kick back at Bayfront Festival Park from 3-7pm, partake in some beer education, enjoy some tunes from Viva Knievel and Private Oates, have a bite (I’m partial to The Rambler and of course Natedogs) and have a good time. With over 120 breweries present, you’re sure to find a beer or fifty to enjoy as well.

If you’d like to check out all of the beers available for the festival, download the All Pints North app for IOS or Android. We’ve perused the list and here are just a few that we’s suggest you try. Let us know what you think!

August Schell/Starkeller Framboise du Nord
It’s back! This is a phenomenal beer that we’re glad to see return to All Pints North. Our friends at August Schell have the Berliner Weiss variants dialed in and this will no doubt be a tart and refreshing punch of raspberry bliss. Also try: Tidal Disruption (blackberry Berliner Weiss), Electrik Empress (plum Berliner Weiss).

Bemidji Brewing Honeyberry Sour
Quickly. Guess what’s in this beer… If you guessed “honey” and “berries” you’re wrong. Don’t feel bad, I was too. As luck would have it, honeyberries are blueberry-like fruit from honeysuckle. Make sense right? Bemidji Brewing added locally-grown honeyberries to their barrel-aged golden sour. It’s quite tasty.

Bent Paddle Citrus Party Kanū
I had the pleasure of enjoying this a couple of weeks ago at Rare Beer Picnic. To no one’s surprise, I really enjoy Kanū, Bent Paddle’s Session Pale Ale. I’m a sucker for Citra and Idaho 7 hops. Citrus Party ads citrus (go figure) zest to the mix. The result? Everything I love about Kanū and more. 

Dangerous Man Vic’s Secret Single Hop IPA
Vic’s Secret is an Australian hop that has nothing to do with lacy undergarments. It’s been on my list of hops that need to find their way into my beer for about a year. Dangerous Man suggests juicy melon notes with a citrusy, balanced finish. BSG suggests that the hop has a “clean and bright tropical character (passionfruit, pineapple) with supporting notes of fresh herbs and pine needles.” Sold!

Fair State Barrel-Fermented du Pounde
So I really like blueberries… and beer. This particular beer is a sour version of Fair State’s Saison du Pounde, refermented on blueberries. Fair State is quite making some of the best sour beers around and no doubt this will not be an exception. Cheers!

Hoops Brewing #5050 Hefeweizen
My summer has been a bit short on Hefeweizens. Whether it was my relocation or market availability, I just haven’t enjoyed enough Hefeweizens this summer. So you, dear reader, have been tasked with enjoying some in my stead. The folks at Hoops Brewing know their way around this style, and I can’t think of anything better to enjoy on a warm summer day.

Indeed Wooden Soul #5, Saison de la Pomme
This beer was another standout from Rare Beer Picnic. This is a wood-aged, sour Saison fermented with fresh-pressed Winesap apple juice from Milk and Honey Ciders. Tart, fruity and damned tasty.

Junkyard “Jelly the Nut” Peanut Butter and Jelly Stout
Peanut butter beers aren’t really my thing. I’ll drink a short pour, but usually that’s enough. Much like my dislike for Mosaic hops, it’s a personal preference more than anything. As is the case, I never really order them. So when I had a beer a couple of weeks ago with Joe and Will from Lift Bridge, I begrudgingly tried Will’s beer. I enjoyed it. Suffice to say that if you dig peanut butter porters or stouts, this offering from my new neighborhood watering hole is totally worth trying. Junkyard adds raspberry puree to their take on a peanut stout and it’s nothing short of a peanut butter sandwich gone mad. Dig it.

Minneapolis Town Hall Manhattan Reserve
When you see this on the menu, you shut up and drink it. This is Town Hall’s excellent Grand Cru aged on tart cherries…and in bourbon barrels. It’s really nothing short of amazing and not always easy to come by. Just do it.

Utepils Ewald the Superior
Drink Hefeweizen (see above). This particular Hefeweizen is dry-hopped and created especially for All Pints North. Utepils has making some extremely tasty german-style beers and this should be no exception.

Enjoy All Pints North! Be sure to browse our Beer Festival Survival Guide to help you make the most out of the event!

 

Summit Unchained 25, Vienna Lager

By on June 21, 2017in Summit Brewing Co.

Summit brewer Tom Mondor.

Summit has announce the release of another Unchained Series beer today. The 25th beer in the series will be a Vienna-Style lager, conceived by brewer Tom Mondor who also devised the 17th beer in the series, Fresh Harvest IPA. Three years later, Mondor is up to bat again with a beer said to be inspired by his travels through Germany. When is the last time you had a Vienna Lager? Aside from Schell’s Firebrick and Fair State’s Vienna Lager, I’m having a difficult time thinking of many other local offerings aside from an occasional appearance at The Herkimer back in the day.

Anyway, we haven’t yet tried this beer, but if the words from our friends at Summit are on par, this beer will feature herbal notes thanks to Hallertau Mittlefruh and German Perle hops and no doubt some fine toasty/biscuity/caramely notes thanks to Weyermann’s expertly crafted Barke Vienna and CaraFoam malts. German malts and hops, Austrian beer. Okay.

Mondor explains that he simply wanted to have a great Vienna-Style Lager to enjoy, noting that “the Vienna-Style Lagers still brewed in Mexico today aren’t terribly representative of the original, as many are made with adjuncts like corn or rice. My goal was to use good ingredients, good processes, and good quality assurance to make a good beer.” Fair enough.

If you want first pour on this beer, be sure to hit up the Summit Beer Hall next Thursday, June 29th. The release will feature Nails and Ales presented by the Germanic-American Institute, concertina music from Josh Eidsor and German food from the Black Forest Inn.

Look for the beer on draft and in 6-packs in early July.

Nerdy Details:

ABV: 5.1%
IBU: 23
Color: Copper (12 L)
Malts: Weyermann Barke Vienna, CaraFoam
Hops: German Perle and Hallertau Mittlefruh
Yeast: Munich lager yeast

A (Short) Tale of Two Taprooms – Pryes and Unmapped

By on June 15, 2017in Bad Weather Brewing Co., Badger Hill Brewing, general beer, Pryes Brewing Co., Unmapped Brewing Co.

Two new taprooms Saturday?

Pryes Brewing Co. made their debut in the Twin Cities nearly three years ago. Brewer/owner Jeremy Pryes started with just one beer, Miraculum, which he first brewed professionally at the old Lucid (North Loop BrewCo) facility in Minnetonka under an alternating proprietorship model. You nerds playing along at home may recall that both Badger Hill and Bad Weather Brewing got their start there as well. This Saturday, you’ll be able to enjoy Pryes Brewing beers at their Near-North neighborhood brewery at 1401 West. River Road in Minneapolis. As others have espoused, they have “plenty of parking,” but if you ask this bike dork, it just seems right to bike to the brewery. Bonus (big bonus, really), there should be some excellent food coming out of the kitchen at Pryes Brewing as well… according to our friend Dara, they’ve built a full-on commercial kitchen with Red Wagon at the helm for the first three months. Things are looking good. Congrats Pryes!

Pryes Brewing Taproom Grand Opening
Saturday, June 17th, 11am – midnight
Regular taproom hours: Thursdays 4-11pm,  Fridays 3-midnight, Saturdays 11-midnight
1401 West River Road N, Minneapolis, MN 55411

 

 

Unmapped Brewing Company will also have a soft opening on Saturday. Unmapped has quietly been building out a brewery in place of the century-old Kraemer’s TrueValue Hardware in Minnetonka. Minnetonka’s first taproom is located near the intersection of Excelsior Blvd. and Eden Prairie Road, not far from Gold Nugget. Husband and wife team JD and Megan Park are Minnetonka natives and aim to offer a “year-round lineup of flagship ‘Belgian & Stateside Ales'” as well as a variety of other special and limited-release beers.

At the helm of the brewery is our old friend Derek Allmendinger (@lutherhaus) who was an old-school Minnesota beer blogger and homebrewer.  Derek went to brewing school and then jumped into professional brewing, cutting his teeth at Summit Brewing, Schell’s, Surly and Excelsior Brewing. Derek brings a wealth of experience to this new brewery and we’re excited to see what he cranks out at Unmapped!

Unmapped Brewing Company
Opens Saturday, June 17th, noon-11pm, Sunday noon-8pm.
Regular taproom hours starting June 20th: 3-10pm Monday-Thursday, noon-11pm Friday and Saturday, noon-8pm Sunday
14625 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka 55345

Brew Day at Surly: $pice Boyz Lager Beer Camp Collaboration with Sierra Nevada

By on May 5, 2017in Beer Ingredients, breweries, general beer, new beer, Surly Brewing Co., tap rooms

Last Friday I had a rare opportunity to spend the day at Surly for a brew day with Michael Palmer from Sierra Nevada for their Beer Camp collaboration. The beer is called $pice Boyz, a lager infused with ginger and cayenne—aged on oak, and appearing on tap at the Surly Beer Hall. The Sierra Nevada version was brewed a couple months ago and will be released in the Beer Camp 12 pack. Their version was simply named Ginger Lager.

“All three of us came up with the idea for this beer” says Surly co-head brewer Jerrod Johnson. “We wanted to make a beer that would age well. We figured all the other folks would be making bigger beers, and we wanted to make something more sessionable.”

Ben Smith is the other co-head brewer at Surly and he was excited to work with Sierra Nevada on this project. “Their [Sierra Nevada] hospitality is second to none. Everyone there is a professional, and it was cool to see” says Smith. We wanna be stewards of the industry and it was a great experience.” He reiterated what Jerrod said about wanting to make something that was easy to drink. “We made some assumptions about what the others were going to do. They were doing sippers. Let’s make something simple but unique.” Jerrod and I have always wanted to do a ginger beer.”

How did this all come together? Well, it started when I ran into Michael, Jerrod, Ben, and Josh Lemke (brewer at Surly) at Grumpy’s in Northeast last Thursday evening. They suggested that I come in for a brew day at the Brooklyn Center Brewery. You don’t pass up an opportunity to brew with two of the best breweries out there.

The brew day began with a Red Bull courtesy of Josh. He mashed in while Ben and Jerrod held a meeting in back. Mike joined Josh and I on the brew deck and performed the ceremonial adding of the hops.

Ben and Jerrod joined in while we chatted about brewing and all the fun new beers that Surly has coming. Ben, Michael, and I sampled some of those beers to see how they were coming along.

Then it was back to the brew deck where we checked in on the boil. Josh was busy monitoring the progress of the batch. I chatted with Jerrod before he had to skip over to Surly MSP for a meeting.

Ben and I then bellied up in the old taproom and talked about Sierra Nevada, the collaboration beer, and life in general. He tells me that the Surly version of the beer will be a taproom only release starting in June and that the SN version will be included in the Beer Camp 12 pack, also in June.

Back out in the brewery Josh was manning the kettle and also took some time to change up the music in the brewery. Heavy metal would be the music of choice. Ben joined him on the deck to perform another hop addition while I was “busy” SnapChatting the process.

The crew then broke for lunch and that’s where my day there ended. The experience was fantastic, and the Surly brewing team is group of true professionals that know exactly what they’re doing. It almost seemed too easy. I guess that’s what you’d expect from one of the most respected breweries here in the country.

One thing is certain, you’re gonna want to stop in at the Surly Beer Hall in June for the $pice Boyz release. Just make sure you don’t break out in full Spice Girl mode….That would just be awkward.

Cheers!

Bent Paddle Celebrating 4 Years

By on May 4, 2017in Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

One of Minnesota’s best breweries is celebrating 4 years and they’re hosting Festiversary on Saturday, May 13th at their taproom in Duluth. The brewery has been through a lot in those 4 years. They revitalized a neighborhood, redefined what a coffee beer can be, took a stance in favor of the environment—and have since managed to increase their footprint into the Dakotas and Wisconsin.

Colin and Laura Mullen teamed up with Bryon and Karen Tonnis with the hopes of showcasing what the water of Lake Superior can contribute to beer. The beer now speaks for itself. Brewing everything from an IPA to a Black Coffee Ale—Bent Paddle is now the premiere brewery up on the North Shore.

The Festiversary event runs from 2-8 pm and will feature bands, rare beers, food trucks, and more. Tickets will cost you $15.

Cheers to the folks at Bent Paddle and those who enjoy their fantastic beers!

Here are the full details on the event:

Saturday, May 13, 2017 | 2 – 8 pm
Avoid the lines! Tix available in the Taproom 4/19 – $15

Bent Paddle is turning 4! Join us at the brewery on Saturday, May 13, 2017 from 2 – 8 pm to help us celebrate! We will be taking over our West Michigan Street block + neighborhood parking lots and throwing a “Festiversary” party – an outdoor brewery festival celebrating Bent Paddle Brewing Co.‘s anniversary & you – the Partners & Paddlers that have helped us make it this far! There will be 3 stages of live music, curated food trucks, games & family friendly activities, community connections galore, and of course a whole lot of Bent Paddle beer!
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FEATURING
Live Music & Entertainment with the Take It With You Crew, The Big Wu, Big Wave Dave and the Ripples, Jillian Rae, Black River Revue, Noble Sound System, Ben Weaver & more

Flagship & Specialty Beer on Draft + Multiple Types of Nitro, Infusion & Cask Beers + INTRODUCING A BRAND NEW FLAGSHIP!

BEER BRANDED HUTS

Venture Pils Hut
Venture Pils on Draft & in a Can
Blueberry Venure Pils Infusion

Bent Hop Hut
Bent Hop on Draft & in a Can
Citra Mango Bent Hop Infusion
Idaho 7 Bumped Bent Hop Firkin

14º ESB Hut
14º ESB on Draft & in a Can
Cherry 14º ESB Infusion
Cedar 14º ESB Firkin

Black Hut
Black on Draft & in a Can
Chai Black Infusion
Hot Hot Heat Black Firkin

Cold Press Black Hut
Cold Press Black on Draft & in a Can
Mocha Cold Press Black Infusion
Vanilla Cold Press Black Firkin

Paddle Break Blonde Hut
Paddle Break Blonde on Draft & in a Can
Botanical Paddle Break Blonde Infusion
Lemon Drop Bumped Paddle Break Blonde Firkin

Kanū Hut – indroducing a NEW year-round flagship beer @ Festiversary!
Kanū on Draft & in a Can
Citrus Party Kanū Infusion
Double Dry Hopped Kanū Firkin

BOATS & BLUEGRASS CAN TENT
Venture Pils
Bent Hop
14º ESB
Black
Cold Press Black
Paddle Break Blonde
Kanū

HOP OUTSIDE
+ NITRO POURS in the TAPROOM
Hop Outside Infusion – The Sharpest End – Ventue Pils infused with Juniper & Sage
Nitro Bent Hop
Nitro 14º ESB
Nitro Black
Nitro Cold Press Black
Nitro Kanū
Regular Draft Flagship Pours
Lake Superior Brewing Co. Root Beer

Food Trucks + Treats from OMC Smokehouse, The Duluth Grill, Lake Superior Bakehouse, Chow Haul Mobile Restaurant, All American Club, Log Home Wood Fired Pizza, Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar & more!

Family Activities Area presented by Frost River Trading Co. & The Duluth Art Institute

Community Partnership Booths

Festival Merch for Sale & On-Site T-Shirt Printing with Duluth Screen Printing – Think “Festimals”…
General Revelry!
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COST + INFORMATION
Tickets Available at the Gate + Pre-Sale Tickets Available from the Bent Paddle taproom starting April 19th

$15 Day-of admission gets you a 16oz Festiversary pint glass (while supplies last) & your first beer is free!

$5 Under 21 / $10 Designated Driver (no pint glass) / Kids 12 & under are free

Beer Tokens are $2 (1 for a 5oz sample, 2 for a can (& certain specialty pours), 3 for a full 16oz pint)

21+ to Enjoy Beer / Valid ID Required

Children with Accompanying Adults Allowed

We Love Fido & Socks but No Pets Allowed at Festiversary

Cash Only Festival | ATMs available onsite and at nearby bank/gas stations

Rain or Shine (or Snow!) – Outdoor Event – Please Dress / Layer Accordingly
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LOCATION
Bent Paddle Brewing Co. | 1912 West Michigan Street | Duluth, MN 55806

View full directions to the brewery on the Contact page of our website

Free nearby vehicle parking lots (including the TBI lot located on the corner of West Michigan & 20th Avenue West and the gravel lot located on the corner West Michigan & 18th Avenue West) and street parking available throughout Lincoln Park. Please plan ahead for a sober ride home – paddlers paddling responsibly
Complimentary bicycle parking provided by Continental Ski & Bike

Cheers!