Category: breweries

Duluth’s Bent Paddle Brewing Co. is building a new taproom

By on December 5, 2017in Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

Cool news out of Duluth today – our friend at Bent Paddle Brewing Company have announced plans to relocate their taproom to a larger historic space adjacent to their main production brewery and current taproom. Bent Paddle expects the new taproom to open in early 2018. In addition to the larger space, the taproom will also feature a 7bbl pilot brewing system, an event space, bar games, fireplace gathering area, performance area, retail shop, kids’ nook area, and pet-friendly patio.

 

Construction began in November 2017 and will continue into early 2018 with an official opening date of the new taproom to be announced in early 2018. We can’t wait!

Lift Bridge Commander Barleywine Release Party Saturday

By on November 9, 2017in beer events, Lift Bridge
Our Friends at Lift Bridge are having a party this Saturday from noon to 10pm. Their seasonal Barleywine, Commander, makes its appearance at the brewery this weekend along with food, prizes and other merriment.
– Commander Mustache Contest and Hairy Chest Contest at 5:45 w/ prizes from Man Cave Precision Hair
– Live Music
– Giant Turkey Legs and other tasty items available for purchase from Big Guy’s BBQ
-Lift Bridge Beer (and root beer)
-Event tickets are $7 and include a beer tooken or 2 root beer tickets.
Commander Barleywine is an English-Style Barleywine ale brewed a ton of malt and a little bit of cardamom, then aged in  bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky. At 12.5% ABV, you may want to kick back and savor this beer. Maybe. 
Bottles of Commander Barleywine can be pre-ordered right here (limit of 6 per person). You can also use the link to pre-order tickets and/or buy a 5 year vertical (2012-2016) of Commander Barleywine (!). I’d suggest you do it now. Bottles are $18 each after November 10th.

Music Lineup: 
1:30-3:15 Buster Phelan

3:45-5:30 Thick & Tasty
6:00-7:30 Apollo Cobra
8:00-9:30 Candy Shop

*Note that the event is all-ages until 7pm.

Lift Bridge Brewery, 1900 Tower Drive, Stillwater, MN

Apparently Summit is Doing Something

By on October 3, 2017in breweries

Notice the cap on the beer? It’s okay. We’re sure this photo is for illustrative purposes and not a blatant disregard for safety.

We’re told that there is indeed a giant hole in the ground outside of the brewery as well as some noisy equipment outside and things are happening… legally… and on an unspecified timeline. Kick back for a few paragraphs of PR that would fit nicely on the pages of McSweeneys and ponder just what is happening at Summit Brewing Co.

Recent visitors to the Summit Beer Hall & Patio may have noticed a giant hole in the ground outside our brewery, as well as a Komatsu PC35 Mini Excavator parked beside a large pile of dirt. This is because we have begun remodeling our brewery’s public spaces. As more changes take place in the coming weeks, rest assured the construction activity is temporary, beer production will not be affected, and we have obtained all necessary permits from the City of St. Paul.

Because we intend to remain open during renovations, we have taken a variety of precautions to keep the Beer Hall & Patio areas safe for our guests. We’ve installed a sturdy fence around the abyss, for starters, and we’ve strung up some bright yellow CAUTION tape, too. Respect these boundaries and everything will be fine.

Although we don’t want to divulge any specific details at this time — anticipation is the height of joy, as they say — we can confirm that we have enlisted David Heide Design Studio of Minneapolis to oversee the whole deal. Construction Results Corporation of Plymouth, Minnesota, is literally doing a bang-up job, too. Together they’ll guide us through the remodel, including a substantial facelift inside the Beer Hall itself.

Since construction was completed in 1998, Summit Brewing Company’s Beer Hall, also known as the Ratskeller, has served as a meeting space for community organizations and non-profit groups, free of charge; it’s still used in this capacity multiple evenings every week. In recent years, however, public interest in taprooms has increased. “The original design was meant to accommodate the community and public tours, and give staff somewhere to eat their lunch,” says Summit Brewing Co. Founder and President Mark Stutrud. “Now it’s time to upgrade the experience for beer drinkers when they come visit.”

For more information about the progress of our remodel and any updates regarding construction, altered hours of operation, or beer, please visit http://www.summitbrewing.com/summit-beer-hall.

Autumn Brew Review Recap 2017

By on September 19, 2017in 10k Brewing, August Schell Brewing Co., Badger Hill Brewing, Barrel Theory, breweries, Foxhole

An oldie but a goodie. Abr 2006.

By now, everyone who attended the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Autumn Brew Review should be feeling (more or less) completely recovered. But if not, we can’t blame you. As with every year at ABR, a nearly endless treasure trove of must-have beers were on display, and you could be forgiven for trying to sample just a few too many of the best brews the state has to offer.

There’s something a little strange about writing up the ABR experience, as I’ve done many years in a row for various outlets. I’ve never had anything short of a great time at the Guild’s flagship event, and this year was no different. However, veterans of ABR may have noticed a few differences this year. The layout was different, with Minnesota breweries claiming the outer ring of the event space at the historic Grain Belt brewery, and the national brands more tightly clustered together in the center rows. This was the reverse of the historical layout, and illustrated how large the local brewing scene has grown. The ratio of local to national brands has definitely tipped in favor of the hometown breweries, with many previous national exhibitors nowhere to be seen this year. And finally, perhaps because of a slightly expanded space, or perhaps because there are more beer festivals than ever, the event didn’t seem as completely packed as year’s past. Once an event that reliably sold out in minutes, there were tickets for ABR still available the day before the event.

Of course, the turnout was still very strong, and many of the most popular booths still had impressively long lines for their timed releases. I chose to wait in few of those lines, and still had no trouble sampling impressive beers from all around the event grounds. A few of my standouts:

  • August Schell Lunar Interference: I’m a sucker for the Schell’s Berliner Weiss series, and this was one of the richest, most layered releases yet. Rich, chocolatey, fruity, and complex. The best beer I tried at the event, and I can’t wait to grab a bottle.
  • Badger Hill Tripel Abbey Ale: Belgians are typically not my jam, but this one really worked for me. Smooth, rich, and drinkable. Badger Hill always zigs when you expect them to zag.
  • Barrel Theory DDH Rain Drops: I haven’t tried the standard version of Rain Drops yet, but this double dry hopped version was the best NE IPA I had at ABR, easily.
  • Foxhole Old Snaggletooth: A lovely, drinkable old ale. This was the first beer I’ve tried from Foxhole, and it suggested that a road trip to Willmar may be in order.

I did not have a chance to check out 10K Brewing, who took home the audience choices for both Best Brewery and Best Beer with Loonar Uprising. I guess I’ll have to make a point to check them out next year, when they return as reigning champions. I’m already looking forward to it.

National Brett Day Celebration at Surly

By on September 18, 2017in Surly Brewing Co.

There’s a National ______ Day for everything, now, isn’t there? Today is no exception – our friends at Surly Brewing Co. are going Brett-wild (look what I did there) in celebration with a very limited special food and beer menu.

The brewery and kitchen teams have gone all-out for some serious Brett-a-mania today in the Beer Hall. Stop in and check out a variety of food and drinks spiked with Brettanomyces including:

  • Brett Poppers
  • Brett Cracklins’
  • Responsibly-Raised Freshwater Brett Filets
  • Bretteast IPA
  • Beef Brettskit
  • Firkins of Brett-Aged Brett Fermented on Brett
  • A variety of meats and cheeses slathered in our house-made, small-batch Brett Sauce

“We love brett and want to marry it,” says Surly Head Brewer Jerrod Johnson. “But apparently you can’t marry a yeast strain. I thought this was America. I guess I was wrong.”

In addition to the Beer Hall, charitable coordinator Mary Brettske has launced a special one-day project: Surly Gives a Brett, a charitable arm focused entirely on raising brett awareness. Events include:

  • Brettanomyces 5K/Fun Run
  • Brett ‘n Bikes Trail Ride
  • Mississippi Headwaters Cleanup (with Brett)
  • Let’s Throw Some Brett in a Lake Just to See What Happens
  • Can You Build a House with Brett? Let’s Find Out Together Without the Cops.

Festivities conclude with tonight’s Lighting of the Brett in the Beer Garden.

“At sundown, we invite everyone on social media and various internet forums who has celebrated Surly’s use of brett to gather with us by the Brett Pit as we consecrate the spent Brettanomyces with a cleansing fire and somber ceremony. We’ll also do some fireworks and shit.”

For more details, please visit http://surlybrewing.com/news/surly-celebrates-national-brett-day/

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