Category: misc. mn 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!

Friday 5ive: The Thin White Flu, Instead

By on December 26, 2014in Friday 5ive, misc. mn beer

I had grand plans of seeing the David Bowie Is exhibit in Chicago this week before it closes January 4th, but life got in the way and I was stuck home with the flu. Here’s some Bowie covers to make up for my loss:

 

Golden Smog – Starman

They put it on an album, but luckily somebody recorded this portion of a live version at the Cedar.

 

Dandy Warhols – The Jean Genie

Something they’ve done live, but it’s more fun to listen to them stumble through this album version.

 

Nine Inch Nails – I’m Afraid of Americans

A perfect combination for me: “Earthling” Bowie is one of my favorite phases of his, and I listened to NIN every time I mowed the lawn at age 14.

 

M-Ward – Let’s Dance

Doesn’t have to be bigger to be better (or equal, in this case)

 

Beck – Sound and Vision

And now for something completely different.

Friday 5ive: Winter’s Coming

By on December 19, 2014in Friday 5ive, general beer, misc. mn beer

The cold is settling in. Winterblot is at the Triple Rock on Saturday and Surly’s new facility opens today, so it would feel out of place today to feature anything but heavy metal from northern climates. Conveniently, Scandinavia is full of metal bands past and present, as illustrated by this map that made the internet rounds a couple years ago. With so many bands spread across many nuanced styles of metal, choosing just five was a tall task. I realize I’m only scratching the surface. Here are some of my faves:

Candlemass (Sweden) – Bewitched
My favorite unintentionally hilarious video. Ridiculous by today’s standards, but about what you’d expect from a limited budget in 1987.

Highlight: guitar “solo” while wearing a cast

 

Bathory (Sweden) – Home of Once Brave
From the album “Hammerheart” which, if you weren’t already aware, is the namesake of Lino Lakes’ own HammerHeart Brewing. Pretty much epitomizes epic, poetic viking metal.

 

At The Gates (Sweden) – Slaughter of the Soul
Man, this sound was 90’s metal. Listening to stuff like this I’m instantly whisked away to age twelve in my friend’s basement, playing Sega Genesis and acting like I knew what all three buttons did.

 

Amon Amarth (Sweden) – Twilight of the God of Thunder
Crisp, calculated shredding with a savvy frontman who seamlessly jumps between self-aware banter and a menacing death growl; it’s easy to understand why these guys are so popular.

 

Finintroll (Finland) – Under Bergets Rot
Self-described “trollish hoedown metal”? Sold.

Friday 5ive: Karaoke Gone Bad

By on December 12, 2014in Friday 5ive, misc. mn beer

I associate karaoke with this time of year. It’s the holidays – you’re gathering with family and friends but it’s dark, cold and you can only spend so much time with them before you need a break. This is where karaoke at your hometown bar seems like an tinsel-wrapped oasis in the holiday wasteland. So let down your guard and sing like no one’s listening. Beware, though, I’ve made poor choices in the past and here here are five of them.  Avoid these potential pitfalls to when picking your song.

 

The Too Quiet Song: Waylon Jennings – Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way?

Simple, stately and so minimal that as soon as the DJ hits play, a black hole appears and voids the room of all sound and spirit. Congratulations, you’ve killed the vibe.
 
This may be the greatest backdrop in the history of backdrops

 

Too Fast to Keep Up: Busta Rhymes – Gimmie Some More
 
There’s a reason you and I aren’t doing what Busta does.

 

Should’ve Checked the Lyrics First: Led Zeppelin – Hey, Hey, What Can I Do?
 
I got a woman, wanna ball all day

I got a woman, she won’t be true, no no

I got a woman, stay drunk all the time

I said I got a little woman and she won’t be true
 
A song about falling for a prostitute and I sang it with my wife. Insult to injury, in the last few measures (album version) Robert Plant drops the phrase “keep ballin” no less than fifteen times.
 

Packers! (0:54)

 

There is a Mic, You Don’t Need to Yell: Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills
 
I can’t fly a plane or hold a tune…much less scream one. So here I sit in some stage of grief, admitting to myself that I’m not Bruce Dickinson.

 

Impossible Vocals: Queen – Somebody To Love

Unpredictable pacing, a range covering octaves and a significant need for backup singers; songs like this are best left to the icons who made them famous.
 
How good was Freddie Mercury? This good – playing a piano scattered with Heinekens AND singing flawlessly.

 

Great Books: Local Craft Beer in Print

By on February 11, 2014in misc. mn beer

Little confession here… I like to read. Give me a comfortable chair and something from an author like London, Kerouac, Palahniuk or Eggers and I’m a happy camper. I also have a slight addiction to beer books, especially of the homebrewing persuasion. It it’s a halfway decent book, there’s a good chance I’ve either skimmed it, read it entirely or own it.

Here are three books that touch on the Minnesota beer scene in one way, shape or form. Check them out! By the time you read this, all three should be available for your purchasing pleasure.

Locally Brewed: Portraits of Craft Breweries from America’s Heartland, Anna Blessing
localThis book is a fun, fast read profiling a variety of breweries that call the middle-west their home. Blessing profiles three Minnesota breweries (Schell’s, Surly and Steel Toe) and an array of other breweries form the heartland – some you’ve heard of and others that probably aren’t even on your radar. The writing is approachable and honest, and when I put down the book, I felt like I had a good sense of the breweries featured without a lot of help from the brewery PR departments. The photography is good as well the “Brewer’s Playlist” is a nice touch. Midwest brewers seem to have (mostly) good taste in music (in my book anyway), but Two Brothers wins the award for most eclectic, with selections ranging from GG Allin & RKL to Rusted Root and Amy Winehouse.

Craft Beer for the Homebrewer, Michael Agnew
craftbeerHey, I know that guy! Michael Agnew, Minnesota’s first certified glass-carboy juggler Cicerone brings us a new book that is one part homebrew recipes, one part brewery profiles and another part awesome. Michael and his band of merry beer writers profile a variety of brewers from around the country and squeeze homebrew recipes out of said brewers. Minnesotans will be happy to see both Surly and Schell’s represented, with homebrew recipes for Furious and Smoke from Surly and Snowstorm (2009, Baltic Porter) and Pils from Schell’s as well as recipes form the likes of The Bruery, Funkwerks, Odell, Rogue, Lagunitas and more. I’ve yet to brew any of the recipes from the book, but perhaps it’s time to fire up the kettles. It’s now clear that my attempt to clone Lagunitas’ Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ was WAY off. 🙂

The American Craft Beer Cookbook, John Holl
cbbThis book features a ton of recipes from a variety of breweries across the country. The book touches on every course and to be honest, a lot of the recipes in here look pretty damn tasty. One, in particular, deserves our attention. The lone Minnesota representative in this book comes from Surly Brewing Co. in the form of a recipe for Ginger-Garlic Chicken Stir Fry that begs to be enjoyed with a Saison (Cynic perhaps?). I’ve yet to try said recipe, but I’m pretty damn sure it’ll be good. Now if they could have only tracked down Barley John’s pizza recipes…