Category: history

Last Minute Gift Ideas for Local Beer Enthusiasts

Holiday shopping can be a daunting task, especially when you don’t know what to get someone. The good news is we’ve got some ideas here at MNBeer.com for the beer loving folks in your life. Here are some ideas for you to ponder as the time winds down.

Fulton Gift Pack
Fulton Beer, Red Table Meats, and The Lone Grazer Creamery have teamed up to bring you some fantastic snacks and beer to go, just in time for the holidays. For those of you who haven’t tried anything from either Red Table or The Lone Grazer, you are missing out. The set includes two Fulton pint glasses, a growler of beer, salami, and a wheel of cheese.
If you really want to impress someone, go with Worthy Adversary for your growler fill and they will love you forever. If that’s not your thing, you can’t go wrong with the Lonely Blonde. This took home Bronze at the Great American Beer Festival and should be in your fridge on the regular. Pick this set up at the Fulton taproom before they sell out. $50

Fair State Membership
Fair State Brewing is the Minneapolis cooperative brewery that has been making waves since they opened up shop just over a year ago. Now’s the time to get someone in on the fun by gifting them a membership. This gift will go a long way in that they will receive voting rights, happy hours, a free anniversary pint, and the biggest benefit….priority access to special releases. Their special bottle releases have really been a hit and as you probably know, they sell out fast. At the very least this would give your special friend or family member an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy a tasty local brew. Lifetime membership $200

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Have a friend who has tried about every beer you can think of? Ha! There’s no way they have, and to prove it you should get them tickets to Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest coming up on March 12th at the Minnesota History Center. Here they will find the some of the rarest brews from some of the most respected breweries around the country. Here is the lineup from last year to give you a taste. $100

Land of Amber Waters
Got a history buff in your circle? Doug Hoverson’s Land of Amber Waters is the best record of the history of brewing here in Minnesota. This is still the best reference manual about the local suds that have been brewed over the years first published in 2007. One of the most impressive things about this written record are the illustrations of breweriana (yes, that’s a word) from around the state. This is one gift that should be on the coffee table of any Minnesota beer aficionado. $40

Lift Bridge Gift

If you are looking for a simple gift idea for a reasonable price, you might want to go with this gift pack from Lift Bridge Brewing. It includes a koozie, an empty growler, a key chain bottle opener, and a $15 gift card which is to be used to fill the growler with the beer of their choice. Pick this gift set up at their brewery which is located in Stillwater. $35
Also please remember to shop local whenever possible. There are many local merchants out there trying to feed their families.

Cheers!

A Few New Chop & Brew

We’ve fallen a bit behind on posting new Chop & Brew episodes — so here’s a quick update for the homebrewers out there!

Episode 28 “AHA Wort Rally Beer Tasting Notes” features a taste panel on four very different beers made from the same Double Black IPA wort donated to homebrewers by Lucid Brewing Company at this year’s AHA Wort Rally. See how much impact the changes in dry hopping and yeast made to the beers.

Episode 29 “Bad Ass Barrelfied Imperial Porter” finds the krewe of Chop & Brew homebrewing a wicked Imperial Porter and conditioning half of the batch in a recently-emptied Woodinville Whiskey Company rye whiskey barrel. Tasting notes and discussion includes advice on barrel-aging in second-use barrels.

Episode 30 “Rhubarb Saison” features a homebrewed saison that includes four pounds of rhubarb throughout the brewing and fermentation stages for a dry, tart saison.

Chop & Brew #26: 2014 BJCP Style Guidelines

Chop & Brew coming through with some breaking news that affects all homebrewers, beer judges, competition organizers, and other beer-related hobbyists/professions. This C&B video features Gordon Strong, president of the Beer Judge Certification Program, updating the 2014 BJCP Style Guidelines last weekend at the 2014 National Homebrewers Conference in Grand Rapids, MI. Public feedback will be taken on the new proposed guidelines when they are released at the BJCP website and forum. What are your thoughts on these new ideas?

Chop & Brew #24: Basement Stout Fest

Three dudes, two stouts, one Saint Paul basement. This is not the exposition for a horror movie, it’s the latest episode of Chop & Brew. Chip Walton, Chris Paynes and Michael Dawson enjoy two very different homebrewed stouts – Beamishish and Imperial Irish Cream Coffee Stout – both made with the fairly new high-extract MCI Stout malt. Join the crew as they discuss some tips and techniques involved in brewing these stouts. And if you miss your pints of Beamish, check out the recipe at the official episode page and brew your own.

Chop & Brew #23: Music City Brew Off

Chop & Brew takes a roadtrip from the Twin Cities to Nashville, TN for the Music City Brew Off homebrew competition. In this episode, we get an inside look at the inner-workings of the homebrew competition hosted by the Music City Brewers homebrew club. MCB president John Malone shares his experiences and gives some advice to other clubs that may be interested in coordinating a competition of their own. C&B is also hoping to get involved in the MN State Fair homebrew competition and next winter’s Upper Mississippi Mash Out as well.