Category: breweries

Now Brewing: Tin Whiskers Brewing Co., Saint Paul

By on April 24, 2014in breweries, general beer, tap rooms

I mean that quite literally, they just started brewing last Friday.

Before then the trio of Jake Johnson, Jeff Moriarty and George Kellerman have been brewing in a state of flux, longing for the day when they wouldn’t have to call Jeff’s basement “home”.

(Note: Jake and George never actually said they lived in Jeff’s basement, but they never said they didn’t, so…)

Electrical engineers by trade and homebrewers by choice, they decided to quit fooling themselves and make a living doing what they truly enjoyed – making and sharing beer.  Their search for a home led them to the Rossmoor Commons in Saint Paul where they could A) take advantage of the same water chemistry they had used to develop their recipes and B) join an already-popular cast of commercial tenants in their building Robert Street, between 9th and 10th, including Sawatdee, Keys Cafe and Black Sheep Coal-Fired Pizza.

It was January, when they secured their spot and after a few months’ hard work they’re almost ready to open. The first beer out of the gate will be a Kölsch to be joined by others, including a sweet stout, an IPA and the most intriguing one to me – a honey-chamomile wheat.  I say that style is begging for a sleepytime-themed name, but that would probably angrily awaken the Celestial Seasonings bear, and we should all know better than to mess with a well-heeled bear that is fiercely protective of its copyrights.

The transformation into brewers has occurred, but it’s easy to see they haven’t lost their engineering roots entirely. Their brand images are laden with circuitry and even their name ‘Tin Whiskers’ refers to an anomaly on a circuit board resulting from a soldering failure that will in turn cause a short circuit…or two.

So the whole business is ready to come to life, even their robot logo, in a sense. The mural as you enter their taproom is complete and robot has now been given a face. It has no name but is not short on personality; everyone seems to find elements of robots they love within its features.

If you’d like to see the building, come by during the Saint Paul Art Crawl this Saturday the 26th from 2:00 to 5:00, The beers aren’t ready yet, but the guys will welcome you with a beer-themed art exhibit and give you a peek at their new space.

Stay tuned for an announcement of their official opening.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Co., 125 E. 9th Street, Ste. 127., St. Paul, MN 55101

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Fulton Maitrise IFA Launch Saturday

By on April 23, 2014in breweries

Funnamed(5)ulton is releasing another Garage Series beer in their taproom on Saturday at noon. You’ll also find this limited release on draft at various locations.

Maitrise (“May-treese”; translates from French as “expertise” or “mastery”) is a “new world imperial farmhouse ale” created from a blend of American and German wheat and barley malts,  Nelson Sauvin hops and French saison yeast. The beer weighs in at a surprising 9.5% ABV and 80 IBU. “Brilliant with tropical fruit, yet balanced with a tart palate that finishes soft and dry.”

Taproom launch Saturday at noon – $5/12 oz pour; $18 growlers. As with all Garage Series releases, it will only be around for a short time.

MACCD Daddy: Summit & Karben4 Collaboration Project

By on April 23, 2014in breweries, video

maccccc.daddyyyy

Our friends at Summit embarked on their first collaborative journey earlier this month. They joined Karben4 Brewing in Madison, WI to brew a hoppy red session ale specifically for Madison Craft Beer Week. Should you find yourself in Madision on May 4th, it will be released at at Merchant restraurant and bar with a 90s themed dance party!

You’ll also find MACCC Daddy at several other bars that week: The Up North Bar, Coopers’ Tavern, Brasserie V, The Free House Pub, Brickhouse BBQ, Gates & Brovi, The Malt House, Dexter’s Pub, The Red Zone, Tipsy Cow, Star Bar, Natt Spil, Mickey’s, 1885 Saloon & Grill, Graze, D Lux, Maduro, Brocah Irish Pub Monroe St.

Here’s a video with Mike Lundell from Summit and Ryan Koga from Karben4 sharing details on MACCC Daddy’s inspiration and process.

All Pints North Tickets on Sale Monday

By on April 11, 2014in breweries, brewpubs
all pints north

allpintssmAll Pints North tickets go on sale on Monday at Noon. In case you’re unfamiliar with the festival, this festival is put on by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild in Duluth. And to be honest, it’s my favorite Guild festival. There’s something about the enthusiasm in the air – though very different, it reminds me a bit of Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison.

Now in its 3rd year, All Pints North promises to be another fun time on the edge of Lake Superior.Last year the event sold out, so you may want to get tickets and book a hotel today!

Tempotickets.com/apn

all pints north