Tag: northern lights rare beer fest

Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest Announces Breweries and Ticket Sales

By on November 21, 2016in beer events, breweries, Brewers Supply Group, general beer, misc. mn beer, MN, mnbeer.com

Mark Opdahl and Juno Choi of Chop Liver Inc. decided four years ago that the Twin Cities needed a rare beer festival. Something similar to the Firestone Walker Invitational, Denver Rare Beer Fest, and the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers. Their solution was a rare beer festival held at the beautiful Minnesota Historical Society called Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest. “We wanted to take those ideas, hand select the breweries, and give the beer community what they want” says Opdahl.

Olympus OMD EM1

The breweries (30 in total) are a mix of local and national, which provide a nice variety of beers that are hard for Minnesotans to get their hands on. “We’re pretty lucky too” says Opdahl. “It’s a testament that they want to have some of their beers up against the best in the country. It really shows that they appreciate what we do the rest of the year with Chop Liver Inc. events.” This event is also rare in that food is included in the cost of the ticket ($100 with a portion of the proceeds going to Pints for Prostates) and is often better than you’ll find at other beer events around town. “It’s not just deli sandwiches and potato chips” he says laughing. For example, last year they served pork belly sliders, beer cheese soup, along with all sorts of snacks.

Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest

Another thing that sets this event apart from others is the venue. The Minnesota Historical Society hosted Winterfest for years before they outgrew the space with so many new local breweries. “The venue is really what makes this event what it is” he proclaims. “Marble top to bottom, and a view of the capitol from the 3rd floor. We only sell 750 of these tickets so it’s easy to get around. If you spend this kind of money, you should be able to move around.” So how do they get so many of these breweries on board? Experience. They had been running beer events for 6 years before the first Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest giving them the opportunity to meet representatives from many of these breweries. The other co-founder Juno Choi has been working at Brewers Supply Group for years where he’s built relationships with some of the most notable people in the industry.

Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest

This year’s event will take place on March 11th with tickets going on sale this Friday at 10 AM, just in time for the holidays. The festival provides attendees the chance to try a lot of these beers without committing to full bottles and long lines outside of liquor stores. “Its a great opportunity to try unique beers that are often not found in stores. If you go into a normal bar and pay for a single flight, you’re already at $15” states Opdahl.

 

All in all this is one of the best beer festivals held here in Minnesota, and a ticket to this event is a great gift idea for those who seek out hard to find beers.

So which breweries are gonna be there? We at MNBeer.com are proud to announce the brewery lineup which can be found below:

unnamedAugust Schell Brewing Company (2015 winner)
Avery Brewing Company
Ballast Point Brewing Company
Bells Brewery
Bemidji Brewing Company
Bent Paddle Brewing Company
Boulevard Brewing Company
Central Waters Brewing Company
Dark Horse Brewing Company
Deschutes Brewery
Elysian Brewing Company
Fargo Brewing Company
Fitgers Brewhouse (2016 winner)
Forager Brewing Company
Fulton Brewery
Goose Island Beer Company
Grand Teton Brewing Company (2014 winner)
Great Divide Brewing Company
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Indeed Brewing Company
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Left Hand Brewing Company
Lift Bridge Brewing Company
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
Oskar Blues Brewery
Steel Toe Brewing Company
Stone Brewing Company
Surly Brewing Company
The Bruery
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company

Cheers!

Last Minute Gift Ideas for Local Beer Enthusiasts

By on December 14, 2015in beer education, Fair State Brewing, Fulton Brewing Co., history, MN

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!

Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest Tickets on Sale Today at Noon!

By on February 7, 2014in beer events, breweries, brewpubs

northernlightsToday at noon you can buy tickets for the newest beer festival from the folks from Chop Liver, the people who have brought you the St. Paul Summer Beer Festival as well as other festivals in Rochester and Mankato. Needless to say these fellas are well-practiced, so the Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest should be something special.

The event promises to showcase a selection of rare, vintage and specialty one-off beers. A select group of ~30 brewers and owners were invited to share unique offerings in an event that also raises money for Pints for Prostates.

“This is the first year for the Northern Lights fest,” said organizers Juno Choi and Mark Opdahl [in unison, no doubt], “and we’re very excited because it will be unlike any other beer event in the area. It will be a great chance to try some really unique, maybe even once in a lifetime, beers.”

“These aren’t beers you’re going to be able to go out and buy off the shelf or on tap at a pub,” according to Choi. “These are limited-availability, vintage bottles from a past release, and in some cases brewed specifically for the fest.”

Besides rare beers and the opportunity to rub shoulders with the beer geek elite, ticketholders will also enjoy complimentary food catered in by top area chefs and live music.

Northern Lights Rare Beer Fest
March 29th, 2014
Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul
7-10pm
$100

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 7th at noon online and at participating retailers. For more information, including a list of participating breweries, are available at the event’s website: http://northernlightsrarebeerfest.com/