Category: general beer

Community Keg House Set to Open in Northeast on 1/15

By on January 6, 2016in August Schell Brewing Co., Bauhaus Brewlabs, Fair State Brewing, general beer, grand opening, Indeed Brewing Co., misc. mn beer, MN, NorthGate Brewing, Summit Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co., tap rooms

Community Keg House

Here is a Q & A session I conducted with Nate Field from Community Keg House which is set to open on Friday, January 15th. This “beer room” is located in the Grain Belt Brewing Keg House and it provides a different experience than the other taprooms in town.

When was the idea for Community Keg House born?

I came up with the idea around 6 years ago. This was before the taproom boom. I wanted to create a space where beer enthusiasts could get closer to the experience of enjoying and understanding beer. I liked the experience I’d had at some wine bars and I modeled much of it on that form/vibe.

How did you secure that location?

My real estate broker found the space for us. We knew we wanted a location in NE where I live. When we found the space in the Grain Belt Keg House it felt right. We liked the idea that we would be celebrating the history of Minnesota beer while showcasing the next generation of what we are brewing.

How does the system work?

A patron walks up to our bar. Rather than order a specific beer they order a glass (either 16 or 10 oz size).

They enter a self-contained room we refer to as the “pour room.” Within the pour room is a 17-foot long table with 16 taps on it. Each tap is a different Minnesota brewery. Located and monitoring the tap table are “taptenders.” The taptender is there to help you. You can talk with them about beer, get a sample or directions on how to pour the perfect pint.

When you decide which beer you would like to drink, you POUR YOUR OWN PINT!

Now, beer in hand, you exit the pour room. You return to one of our seating areas. When you want another beer you return to the bar and get a new glass. The cashiers at the bar (bar control) can cut you off if you’re drunk). And the system repeats.

How will you make sure that people are pouring their beers correctly in regards to proper sanitation?
Well, each time you go back to the table you have to get a new glass. We will have some signage on proper pouring and the taptenders are there to advise.

Will you have options for people who don’t like beer?

Yes. We have two ciders on tap at all times. Also, there are NA drinks in the kitchen.

 

Which local beers will be available?

Belgian

Boom Island Witness
Insight Sunken City
Harriet Dark Abbey
Schell’s Snowstorm 2015

Winter

Northgate Stronghold
Summit Winter Ale
Bauhaus Tallander
Indeed Stir Crazy

Hoppy

Surly Furious
Fair State Pomp Le Moose
56 Brewing Polonaise APA
Able Seedhouse & Brewery First Light

Alternative

Grain Belt Nordeast
Bent Brewstillery Maroon & Bold
Four Daughters Loon Juice
Sociable Cider Werks Freewheeler

Community Keg House
34 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Hours:
Monday 4 pm to 12 am
Tues-Wed Closed
Thursday 4 pm to 12 am
Friday 4 pm to 12 am
Saturday 1 pm to 12am
Sunday 1pm to 10 pm

Cheers!

MN Beer Notebook: News From Around Town

By on December 28, 2015in August Schell Brewing Co., Bad Weather Brewing Co., breweries, brewpubs, general beer, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, new beer, Steel Toe Brewing, Surly Brewing Co.

Dangerous Man

Here are some tidbits from around town as the holidays wind down.
Dangerous Man has just released their SMASH IPA and it’s fantastic. Citra lovers will rejoice over this one as it’s composed of 100% Citra hops and Simpson’s Golden Promise malt. It’s available on tap and in the growler room. Also on tap is Sour Delores #2. This kettle sour was brewed with raspberries and it is also available both on tap, and in the growler room.

The Belgian Pale Ale I helped brew over at Bad Weather Brewing is now on at their St. Paul taproom. I’ve yet to try it but I’m hearing good things. This means I may not have messed it up after all.

Surly canned more Abrasive recently and it should be available in stores throughout January 2016. Now if they’d only can Todd the Axe Man all year long….

Buffalo Trace is on the Barrel Reserve line at Town Hall Brewery. The brewery recently decided to dedicate a draft line to their spectacular barrel aged program. They’ll even have some 750 ml bottles for sale starting today at the brewery.

The popular Double IPA they call Size 11 is making a return mid-January at Steel Toe Brewing. They also have 750 ml bottles of Wee Heavy ($10) and Lunker ($20) for sale in bottles at the taproom. I’m hearing whispers that the supply of Lunker is getting pretty low, so you’d better act quickly if you’re looking to get some.

Schell’s is releasing a Bock sampler pack that is available now here in the Twin Cities. It consists of a pre-prohibition style, heirloom wheat, a 90s version, and their current variety.

Cheers!

Looking Ahead: Predicting 2016

By on December 18, 2015in beer events, Fair State Brewing, general beer, Indeed Brewing Co., Lake Monster, Lakes and Legends, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Republic, Steel Toe Brewing, Surly Brewing Co., tap rooms

Predictions

This was another great year for our local beer scene where we saw breweries such as Able Seedhouse, Lake Monster, Lakes and Legends and many more open their doors for business. We saw Dangerous Man introduce their barrel aging program, Fair State and Indeed brought forth their sour programs, and Bad Weather got themselves a new home in St. Paul. With 2016 right around the corner, I decided to look ahead and forecast what we might see happen in the next 12 months.

1. Local collaborations: We haven’t seen a ton of this in previous years, but I think we’ve come to a point where we will see some breweries putting their best foot forward in unison to bring us some lively brews. Our friends over at the Growler have been hard at work putting together “In Cahoots” which is an event that they host every summer encouraging which encourages local breweries to collaborate on brews that people can enjoy at the event itself. Can you imagine the Hoops brothers collaborating on one? Now that would be one tasty beverage.

2. Special beer verticals in taprooms: Now that some of these breweries have been in operation for a couple years, I think we will begin to see “mini-events” that feature verticals of vintage specialty beers. Take Steel Toe for instance. They held an event back in November called “A Barrel-Aged Trifecta” which featured 2015 Barrel-Aged Dissent, 2012 Barrel-Aged Lunker, and 2014 Barrel-Aged Lunker available as a flight or on their own. I could see breweries like Surly or Indeed doing something similar with Rum King or Darkness, and the turnout would be huge.

3. Locally made cocktails on tap lines at notable bars around town: Technically this is already happening at Republic Seven Corners right now where Tattersall has a couple different “pre-mixed” cocktails available on tap. This is certainly a way for local distilleries to get their products into popular bars around town and showcase some of the flavors, all while maintaining the consistency by eliminating poorly made drinks. I could see this gaining momentum as the popularity of locally made spirits seems to be on the rise.

4. The rise of the Lager: Lagers have a bad reputation over the years thanks to large breweries that are more interested in volume than flavor. This is a big misconception in that you can make some damn tasty Lagers without sacrificing quality or flavor. Expect to see a rise in Lagers (such as Pilsners, California Common, Amber Lagers, etc) being brewed around town and maybe with a little twist—especially at smaller breweries (think Town Hall) where they have more freedom to change up their beer menus frequently.

5. The “death” of struggling breweries: No one wants to think this will happen, but it is inevitable that at some point some of these breweries will not make it. I honestly don’t think there will be a lot of this going on at this point, I just feel that this might be the year we see one or two turn off the lights. This should also serve as a reminder to support your local brewery and give them honest feedback so that they can fix any issues with their beer, service etc. Trust me, they’d rather hear that than close up shop.

Cheers!

Bauhaus and Fair State Set to Release New Beers This Week

By on December 16, 2015in Bauhaus Brewlabs, beer stores, Fair State Brewing, general beer, new beer, tap rooms

Scottish Ale

When you think of a Scottish-Style Ale you tend to think of a peaty beer backed with a boozy punch. Bauhaus broke down some of those walls with their brand new Scottish-Style Dark Ale named Tallander. First of all, the name (in Bauhaus fashion) is a nod to the 1986 movie “Highlander” that we all know and love. The beer itself is different in that it’s very drinkable at 6 % ABV and has some of those nice caramel notes typical of Scottish malts while teasing the palate with a tiny bit of smokiness. While sampling this one I couldn’t help but think of standing around a backyard fire pit with a Tallander in hand.
This brew can be found in 4 packs of 16 oz. cans at your local bottle shop, and on tap at the “Haus” in Northeast Minneapolis. Growlers will also be available.

Fair State’s first bottle release went so well that they decided to do it again. This time they are bringing Saison Drei to market which is a Brettanomyces Aged Saison. Expect some funky characters from the Brett that will mature over time—which means you can sit this one down in your cellar for a while. Brewer Niko Tonks had this to say about their latest release. “We modeled this beer after some of the beers we enjoy drinking the most. We hope you will enjoy it this holiday season, and down the road as well.”

This 5.7 % ABV will be on sale in the taproom ($11 per bottle) on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 4:00 PM on Thursday, December 17th in 750 ml bottles. I’m told that they will have more bottles for sale this time around and that the brew will also be on tap that day.

Cheers!

Indeed’s Sour Program on Display at Republic’s Sour Social this Saturday

By on December 8, 2015in beer dinners, beer education, cooking & food, education, general beer, Indeed Brewing Co., Republic

Indeed Sour

Sour beers are huge right now and Indeed Brewing has one of the better programs around. The Wooden Soul Series is run by Adam Theis and is coming up on one year now. Adam was first introduced to sours at Town Hall Brewery where he brewed under Mike Hoops. “We got La Folie there [a sour beer from New Belgium] and I was like oh my god” says Theis. “It was really intriguing to me.”

He left Town Hall and went up to Third Street for a little while until he was contacted by Tom Whisenand and Josh Bischoff from Indeed. The Northeast brewery really wanted to start up a sour program and since they had worked with him previously at Town Hall, the move made sense. “I was a fan of sour beer, and I couldn’t pass that up” he says.

The Wooden Soul beers start out just like the others in that they are brewed and fermented at the regular brewery prior to making their way over to Adam’s house of funk which is just down Broadway. So far there have been five entries in the series, a set that rivals any being brewed here in the state.

Wooden Soul #1 Saison
Wooden Soul #2 Sour Blonde Ale
Wooden Soul #3 Sour Blonde Ale aged on cherries
Wooden Soul #4 Sour Blonde Ale aged on grapefruit
Wooden Soul #5 Saison fermented with apple juice

The most popular one around town seems to be #3 which was a Sour Blonde Ale aged on cherries. This is not Adam’s favorite though so far. “A lot of people liked #3, but it wasn’t my favorite. I really like citrus fruit so I’d probably go with the grapefruit [Wooden Soul #4] one as my favorite” he says.

There is one that hasn’t been released yet that he’s very excited about. It’s a Red and Brown Ale mix which is aged on cherries in a very unique barrel. One that Adam states is working really well right now. This brew will make an appearance at Sour Social which is a beer dinner being hosted by Republic on Saturday. The event itself will pair six dishes with sour beers from both breweries (New Belgium and Indeed) in a casual environment.

Overall the sour program has been a successful operation and should only grow from here. “We’ve experimented with everything and we are always trying out new techniques. These beers are just a slow evolution that plays out right in front of us” says Adam.

If you are looking for tickets to the event Saturday, you can purchase them here for $50 plus fees.

Cheers!