Category: general beer

D4th of July & Surly #’Merica

By on July 2, 2015in general beer
merifuckinkaBefore craft beer entered my life, there was punk rock. And one fine day in central Minnesota twenty (?!?!) years ago, Dillinger 4 entered my life. D4 played my hometown of Fergus Falls to a mixed crowd. By and large, none of us really knew what to expect of this young band from the Twin Cities, but by the end of the night we were fans and couldn’t wait for the next show.
Saturday, Dillinger 4 celebrates 21 years with the biggest D4th of July ever at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. In addition to punk rock greats like Scared of Chaka, Off With their Heads, Toys that Kill and Against Me! (and a bunch of other bands) ,our friends at Surly Brewing Co. will debut their new beer, #Merica! in celebration of the D4th (and the 4th) of July.
The folks from Surly call #MERICA! “a true ‘Merican beer.” This beer is a pre–Prohibition American lager with brewed with flaked corn and soft hop aromatics weighing in at 6% ABV. This is a summer beer perfect for the 4th (and D4th) of July.
WHAT: D4’th of July: D4 Turns 21!!
WHEN: Saturday, July 4th, 1pm
WHERE: Triple Rock Social Club, 629 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454
WHO: Dillinger Four; Against Me!; Scared of Chaka; Toys That Kill; Off With Their Heads; Tim Barry; Pink Mink; Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band; United Teachers of Music and SURPRISE Special Guests
TICKETS: Still available, +21, $50, http://ticketf.ly/1NwmcJA

Opens Friday 5/22 – The Brewer’s Table at Surly Brewing Co.

By on May 20, 2015in bars/restaurants, breweries, general beer, Surly Brewing Co.
Tea Egg

Tea Egg at The Brewer’s Table (Photo: DD)

Located in the upper level of the brewery, The Brewer’s Table, Surly’s fine-dining sibling to the Beer Hall & Restaurant, opens this Friday and offers patrons a more ambitious menu and more intimate setting than what is found downstairs.

Creating the fine dining experience at a brewery has been a welcome challenge for both Executive Chef Jorge Guzman and Head Brewer Todd Haug; each of them masters of their craft, now tasked with innovating while also keeping the pairing of food and beer in the back of their minds.

The results of that collaboration are outstanding and belie the modest price point.  Entrees on the menu will be changed regularly and range in price from $10 to $25.  The most intriguing option, in my opinion is the $15 Beer and  Bump, where the diner has no clue what they’re getting other than is is a food paired with a beer.  I’m a sucker for a surprise.

A five-course food and beer pairing can be had for $75. You could combine your own, but you’ll be well-served to leave it to the experts. The pairing of Pentagram with beets & foie gras was an exercise in perfectly contrasting flavors. The tea egg paired with Cynic was a piece of art – a soft-boiled egg, steeped in black tea and a charcoal mixture to give a marbled appearance – and showed just how versatile that stalwart of Surly’s lineup is.

Octopus

Octopus & Chorizo @ The Brewer’s Table (Photo: DD)

While the butter-soft pork jowl is a must-have, I will go out of my way to have the octopus and chorizo again.  Spicy and smoky with a perfect texture one would not expect from a cephalopod, it was perfectly complemented by an Overrated West Coast IPA.

A different experience in different parts of the building – to paraphrase Surly Hospitality Director Linda Haug – is what Surly is offering patrons with their tours, Event Center, Beer Hall & Restaurant, and The Brewer’s Table. With the opening of the latter, the Surly vision is complete and ready to be had.

 

 

 

The Brewer's Table at Surly Brewing

(Photo: DD)

 

The Brewer’s Table

520 Malcolm Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Reservations via OpenTable can be made here.

Hours:

Wednesday & Thursday: 5-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 5-11 p.m.

Phone: 763-999-6526
Email: brewers.table@surlybrewing.com

 

 

Short Pour: Beer News Bites

By on April 9, 2015in general beer

WCCO reports that Lakes & Legends Brewery is coming to Loring Park this summer.

MPR reports that the Minnesota Dept of Public Safety predicts that the number of breweries in Minnesota will top 110 in 2015. In 2005, they reported just 5 breweries. Can you name them all?

The Journal reports that Dangerous Man is expanding. No surprise there!

Michael Agnew talks about beer glass shapes in the Star Tribune.

Firkin Fest recap at APerfectPint.net

News from St. Cloud – Beaver Island Brewing Co. and Granite City

By on February 20, 2015in general beer

beaverlogoThe Good:

New St. Cloud brewery, Beaver Island Brewing Co. is opening their taproom to the public this Saturday at 2pm. Beaver Island Brewing Co. was founded by a couple of St. Cloud homebrewers, Nick Barth and Matt Studer. Though the two certainly were not strangers to the industry, the made a wise choice in hiring Chris Laumb as brewmaster. Chris has been a longtime friend of MNBeer and we’ve watched him transition from O’Hara’s to McCann’s to Third Street Brewhouse. He makes a mean dubbel, too.

I spent a short stint of my life in St. Cloud. After leaving the Fargo/Moorhead area, I followed a girl to St. Cloud State University in 1997. During my time in the Granite City I sampled far too many single bottles of beer from Westside, dabbled in wine nerdery and discovered the house-made beers at O’Hara’s. It was something special… not necessarily a craft beer epiphany (that had already happened), but still something special. I could go on, but I won’t. Suffice to say that I’m excited for Chris and the folks from Beaver Island Brewing.

Bonus, they occupy the former Bo Diddley’s sandwich shop location in downtown St. Cloud. Cant wait to check them out.

Road trip to St. Cloud anyone?

The Bad:

granitecity12Bring Me the News reports that Granite City is up for sale or merger. Granite City is a place that is often panned by craft beer newbies. Short of former brewery operations wizard Bob MacKenzie’s Batch 1000, you won’t fine a ton of hops in any of their beers or offbeat seasonal offerings. Regardless, it’s sad to see an early craft beer operation falter. I still remember rolling out to their first location in St. Cloud in 1999 and being wowed by great food, huge portions and a rotating variety of beers. St. Cloud had (has?) its own small scale brewery and at the time, it felt pretty special. We wish them the best. We also wish they’d bring back their Belgian strong golden ale recipe from a few years ago.

 

MNCBG Season Four Pack Tickets on Sale Today

By on January 5, 2015in general beer

winterfest-2015-web-buttonToday at noon is your first chance to get your hands on 2015 Winterfest, All Pints North and Autumn Brew Review tickets. All of these festivals sell out, but as you know Winterfest and Autumn Brew Review tickets disappear at a blinding pace. $200 gets you a ticket to both nights of Winterfest (Feb. 27 and 28), All Pints North (July 25) and Autumn Brew Review (September 19th). Point your browser here and have at it: www.tempotickets.com/mcbg

Your next chance for Winterfest tickets will be next Monday, January 12th at noon. On the 12th, you’ll have a chance to buy tickets for both nights of Winterfest for $135. Single tickets will go on Sale on Friday, January 16th at noon. Mark your calendars. Tickets are $75.

In case you haven’t heard, the Guild is changing up Winterfest a bit this year. To accommodate all of the breweries and beer fans, the festival will be spread out over the course of two nights – February 27th and 28th. The festival will remain at Union Depot and will run from 7-10pm each night. As per usual, this event will feature beers brewed in Minnesota by current Minnesota Draft Brewers Guild members. They’ll also offer up food, beer education, entertainment and music. Each night will feature a different set of breweries, with a few “best of the fest” winners that will appear both nights. Details about which breweries will be appearing each night are forthcoming.