All posts by Andy

Beer is way too good to be kept a secret, so I love to share my experiences with as many heads as possible in hopes someone out there will get turned on to something new. At the very least, I'm on a mission to verbally smack the micro out of the hands of those that like to drink beer.
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Hop City Brewing – Barking Squirrel

By Andy Giesen

First of all, I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of lagers that ever existed.  It probably has something to do with reminding me of the nasty macros I used to pound down in my younger days, but it’s most definitely a style I find myself shying away from.  I can’t say I hate it, but it’s something that isn’t at the top of my list of favorite kinds of beer.

That said, it’s incredibly easy to get comfortable within a loose boundary and forget about challenges to our norms, so stepping outside that go-to trap always proves to be interesting.  Similarly, the interesting approach Hop City takes to their signature lager doesn’t just step outside the expected parameters of a lager, it flips what an expected lager should be.

For starters, any beer from Canada during this craft beer renaissance tends to arouse interest because we don’t see too many around here.  Considering our northern neighbors are known more for their poutine, hockey, and the Trailer Park Boys than they are for crafting a world class brew, it’s time they step it up and show us what they can do.  Enter Hop City, out of Brampton, Ontario.  Yes, Canada.

Hop City is new to Minnesota within the past few weeks, and their Barking Squirrel is the beer to dip its toe into the growing lake of beer choices.  When poured, the thick caramel head fell slowly into the light copper body and threw off a strong floral aroma alongside the distinct sugar and fruity lager tones.  As it warmed, it became slightly biscuity and spicy.

But the important part: the taste.  Expecting some type of lager with a mouthful of hops, I was surprised by the slight hoppy bitterness take hold before quickly letting the bready character come through.  There is a lingering hop undertone, but it just chills in the background, staying there after the bready flavors disappeared.  Another interesting aspect of the Barking Squirrel is that a touch of caramel and toffee notes poke out as it warms.

Overall, this slightly hoppy lager comes off a bit aggressive, but is undeniably refreshing.  Had I known this is what a lager could be back in my younger days, my love of beer would have blossomed sooner.  It also taught me that, every once in a while, it could be a really healthy thing to try something that would normally be overlooked.

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Minnesota Beer & Baseball with St. Paul Saints

Written By Andrew Giesen
Photos By Yaisha Neiderhiser

On a beautiful, cloudless Saturday afternoon, scores of local craft beer enthusiasts braved the sweltering heat and seemingly endless road construction to celebrate local beer shortly before the St. Paul Saints game. For the first annual Craft Beer and Baseball Festival, 12 breweries (Mantorville/St. Croix Brewing, Finnegan’s, Lucid Brewing, Schell’s Brewery, Mankato Brewery, Lift Bridge Brewery, Brau Brothers Brewing, Granite City Food & Brewery, Vine Park Brewing, Summit Brewery, Flat Earth Brewing, and Boom Island Brewery) offered up 35 beers for sampling.

Brewers and representatives were on hand to discuss details of their offerings, and star of movies “Super Troopers” and “Beerfest” (and Minneapolis native) Erik Stolhanske made an appearance to greet people and throw out the first pitch. Minnesota’s brand new beer-centric publication The Growler had a booth with a healthy amount of copies of their debut issue for the taking.

Some of the more interesting highlights included hearing loose plans from Tod Fyten of St. Croix Brewing and Mantorville Brewing about setting up a brewery and the Smoked Rye Whiskey Ale on deck for next weekend’s St. Paul Beer Festival. Another bit of intriguing information came from Lift Bridge, who will be bottling Hop Dish later this summer. They also mentioned that their taproom hours have expanded, Tu-Th 5-8p and Fr & Sa 12-5p.

Lucid had an ironic leak in the Air tap line, which ended up getting taken care of after someone ran back to the brewery for a replacement barrel and parts. After a very brief hiatus, the golden blonde ale joined Cammo (a dangerously smooth 9% double IPA) and Dyno (a light bodied pale ale perfect for patio consumption) as options.

Speaking of patio beers, the Zommerfest from Schell’s was an incredibly crisp, light, and refreshing Kölsch. It struck me as the type of gateway beer that I’d offer up to someone partial to macros, and it was one that I’ll be coming back to over the next few months.

I was curious to try Vine Park and Granite City, as I’m familiar with both places, but had yet to try anything from either. Mankato was a welcome participant, whose beer was made available only around the beginning of the year, and until recently, was previously distributed primarily in the Mankato area. They had Stickum (an Alt) and Original (a Kölsh) available for tasting.

The marriage of local breweries and baseball proved to be a good one, and it has a lot of potential to grow into a really fun yearly event to return to. Since baseball is “America’s Pastime,” and it’s arguably difficult to enjoy it without a delicious hopped beverage, it only makes sense that they come together for a lively day of sun, suds, and Saints.