All posts by Chef Dan Parker

Dan Parker is a beer chef, beer writer, homebrewer, and all around beer guy. He spends his time with his family, food, and fermentations. Dan can be contacted via Email or on Twitter at @ChefDanParker.
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Second Annual Beermuda Triangle Charity Event

Beermuda Triangle

The second installment of the “Beermuda Triangle” event is planned for June 22, 2013. The event, which includes participation by The Four Firkins, Midwest Supplies and Steel Toe Brewing, benefits the St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP).

STEP is a charitable organization whose mission is to “identify, address and respond to the critical and emergency needs” of the St. Louis Park community. They provide food, transportation, and other services to those in need. 87 cents out of every dollar donated to STEP goes back to help in the community making their 13% ratio one of the best. However, recently they have experienced a drop in their buying power due to rising costs and increased need, so it is imperative that they are able to increase donations to meet these challenges.

The “Beermuda Triangle” as it has been dubbed has stepped up to help STEP raise money. In addition to special deals and giveaways during the event, there will also be something going on at each location including:

  • FREE BEER tastings at the Four FirkinsSTEP-logo-485u-black
  • A silent auction at Midwest Supplies
  • One complimentary pint (with the purchase of a ticket) at Steel Toe Brewing
  • Food trucks including Melch’s Meat Wagon, Marie Antoinette Crepes, and Scratch Food Truck

Tickets are available for purchase through Midwest Supplies at . The $30 ticket price includes a Beermuda Triangle t-shirt,participation in the events at each location, and a free beer at Steel Toe. In addition to revenues raised from ticket sales, 25% of all taproom sales at Steel Toe for the day will go to benefit STEP.

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Brooklyn MASH coming to Twin Cities

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The Brooklyn Brewery has officially announced that the Brooklyn MASH will be coming to the Twin Cities June 17th-23rd. The MASH is a festival celebrating food, books, film, culture, and of course….BEER!
Local events will take place all over the metro and will include beer dinners, cultural events, pairing menus, and the release of some really rare and unique Brooklyn Brewery beers.
The official press release is below:
BROOKLYN BREWERY ANNOUNCES

 

“THE BROOKLYN BREWERY MASH:

 

ADVENTURES IN FOOD, FILM, MUSIC, BOOKS & BEER”

 

Twin Cities: June 17–23

 

 

 

MAY 23, 2013, BROOKLYN, NY – Brooklyn Brewery is taking its neighborhood on the road. Collaborating with friends old and new, the Brewery has bundled up some of its favorite events into The Brooklyn Brewery Mash. Including the Twin Cities from June 17–23, The Mash will drop in 11 cities during 2013 and roll out a roster of parties, comedy, concerts, pop-up supperclubs and readings, all featuring humanity’s favorite beverage.

 

Watch the trailer here.

 “The Mash is an expression of Brooklyn art, music, food and the cultural links we see with many cities around the world,” says Brooklyn Brewery President & Co-founder Steve Hindy. “There is a revolution happening in the world of food and the world of beer, and we are happy to celebrate this revolution with our friends around the US.”NYC food and art organizations have been closely linked to Brooklyn Brewery from the beginning. Be it a beer dinner, cook-off, concert or film festival, the ethos of these happenings has consistently mirrored the consideration and creativity behind the making of The Brewery’s beer. Paired with the flavor and flair of Brooklyn, classic nightlife is re-imagined as a more interactive experience. During The Mash, participants will enjoy an array of perennial and rare Brooklyn beers.Helping color in The Mash,

NBNY, the organizers of Brooklyn’s Bring to Light festival, will create their immersive installations of light and projection art throughout the tour. Continuing Brooklyn Brewery’s long tradition of giving back, proceeds from every ticket sold will go to The Land Stewardship Project, a nonprofit dedicated to creating transformational change in our food and farming system by fostering an ethic of stewardship for farmland, promoting sustainable agriculture and developing sustainable communities.

 

 

 


Mash HQ

 

Tue, June 18–Fri, June 21, 5-7pm; The Happy Gnome; 498 Selby Ave, St. Paul, MN
Brooklyn beer specials, new and special offerings, cheese pairings, giveaways and info on all things Mash.

 

Togather Books & Beer with Christian DeBenedetti & Joseph Alton

 

Wed, June 19, 10pm; The Amsterdam; 6th & Wabasha; Saint Paul, MN – $5
Togather and Brooklyn Brewery present a conversation on craft beer featuring Christian DeBenedetti, author of The Great American Ale Trail and Twin Cities’ own Joseph Alton, editor of The Growler. Performances to follow by The Ericksons and Bora York.

 

 

 

Local 2 Ways

 

Wed, June 19, 7pm; Haute Dish; 119 Washington Ave, N Minneapolis, MN – $85
Multi-course beer dinner celebrating local cuisine, interpreted 2 ways: by Chef Landon Schoenefeld of Haute Dish and Brooklyn Brewery House Chef Andrew Gerson.

 

Found Footage Festival: Best of The Midwest
Thu, June 20, 8pm; Heights Theater; 3951 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN – $12
A hilarious show that features footage from videos that were found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters across the country. The “Best of The Midwest” edition will feature footage found exclusively in MN, WI, MI and IL. Special guests from videos harvested in the Twin Cities will appear live at the show.

 

 

 

NY Night Train Soul Clap & Dance-Off with DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin
Thu, June 20, 11pm; Turf Club; 1601 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN – $7
Compete for a trip to New York for the Dance-Off championship at Brooklyn Bowl and $100 cash prize after getting warmed up with the exquisite 1960s soul 45s of world famous Brooklyn DJ Jonathan Toubin. Must be 21 years of age to win.

 

 

 

Farmers Market Workshop

 

Sun, June 23, 10:30am; 312 East Lyndale Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55405
The Brooklyn Brewery House Chef will be cooking up some of his favorite finds from the market. Stop by for cooking and beer pairing tips.

 

 

Chaos Cooking

 

Sun, June 23, 4pm; for location details, go to ChaosCooking.com – Free
A stalwart citizen opens their kitchen for a dinner party where all the guests are cooks. Each attendee brings the ingredients and everyone cooks together. Dishes are passed around, and there’s plenty of Brooklyn beer to enjoy.

 

Slow Supper with Chef Jamie Malone at Soap Factory
Sun, June 23, 8pm; Soap Factory; 514 2nd St. SE, Minneapolis, MN – $100
Guests will feast on a meal prepared in collaboration by Brooklyn Brewery House Chef Andrew Gerson and Chef Jamie Malone of Sea Change. Co-produced by Dinner on the Farm. Custom art installations by Brooklyn’s NBNY. All proceeds benefit The Land Stewardship Project.

 

 

 

Mash Specials

 

Throughout the week we’ll be featuring specials, pairings or fixed menus at the following locations: Bryant Lake Bowl, Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room, Stout’s Pub, Tiffany Sports Lounge.

 


 

 

Every installment of The Mash is custom tailored to the cities it visits.

 

Go to BrooklynBreweryMash.com for info on the rest of the tour.

 


AUSTIN, TX: March 5 – 10
NEW ORLEANS, LA: March 12 – 16*
NASHVILLE, TN: April 11 – 14
BALTIMORE, MD: April 30 – May 5
TWIN CITIES, MN: June 17 – 23
BOSTON, MA: July 9 – 14
WASHINGTON, D.C.: September 19 – 22
CHICAGO, IL: October 1 – 6*
PITTSBURGH, PA: October 22 – 27
PHILADELPHIA, PA:  November 5 – 10
MIAMI, FL: December 10 – 15* with Vendy Awards

 

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Surly Officially Announces Distribution Partnership

Surly LogoSurly Brewing Company has officially announced that have partnered with Artisan Beer Company to be their new distribution partner. Artisan Beer Company is a subsidiary of Johnson Brothers, a family-owned distributor of liquor, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages with headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Surly has self-distributed its beer to retailers since its launch. Rapid growth, the planned expansion of their brewing capacity, as well as the plans for a “destination brewery” have forced Surly to seek some help in distribution. The change is going to take effect as of Monday, May 20th,Artisan Beer Company 2013. Both Artisan and Surly anticipate being able to continue supplying their customers without major interruptions during the transition.

“While our goal is to be perfect, there are always unexpected bumps in the road in any business transition like this. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding if we happen to mess something up… Rest assured, we will do everything we can to correct it as quickly as possible and keep the beer flowing!” says Omar Ansari, founder of Surly Brewing Company.

Does this mean that more delicious Surly beer will be available around town? At this point the answer is “no”. But with this distribution partnership Surly hopes to be able to focus on building their new brewery which will in turn allow for more Surly to reach the hands of eager consumers.

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Bent Paddle Ready To Stir The Waters In Duluth

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“The fermenters are full – let’s drink some beer!”

Bent Paddle Brewing Company is soon to be the newest addition to the Minnesota craft beer scene but it has been a long time coming for its founders. “This opening symbolizes over two years of planning of our craft production brewery,” says Laura Mullen, “my partners and I are so excited to have people come into the taproom, view the brewery, and enjoy the beers we have been dreaming about for so long.” The philosophy behind Bent Paddle’s beers will be to “brew in traditional styles, just a little bent,” says Laura, one of Bent Paddle’s four co-founders. Laura and her husband Colin Mullen along with fellow husband and wife team of Bryon and Karen Tonnis, are ready to make a splash in a Duluth craft beer scene that they see as growing and strong.

 The team has strong brewing credibility with Bryon having a degree from the Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy along with 12 years professional brewing experience, most recently at Rock Bottom Brewery in Minneapolis. Colin also brings 8 years of professional experience including his last position as Head of Brewing Operations at Barley John’s Brewpub in New Brighton.

Bent Paddle is 50% female owned. Karen brings 12 years of distribution and operations management experience and  Laura  has run an accomplished event design company since 2004 which produced craft beer festivals for her largest client, the Minnesota Craft Brewer’s Guild.  Each of the co-founders brings unique strengths to Bent Paddle with the common goal of producing unique, quality craft beer bent towards their philosophy and lifestyle.

taproom_4_smallMany have followed the chronicles of the brewery via the company’s The Daily Mash blog, watching the progress and waiting eagerly for the time when they could enjoy Bent Paddle’s brews. Now, the wait is nearly over. Thursday, May 16th marks the official grand opening of the Bent Paddle taproom. The public will finally get its first taste of BPBC’s brews as well as sneak peek tours of their 30 barrel production brewery all weekend long (reservations required, check their website beginning May 13th.) Other festivities include door prizes and beer specials.

As for the beer, the launch will include two of the four planned flagship beers– the Bent Paddle Black, which Colin says is “an oat infused black ale that drinks like a porter but looks like a stout” and the Bent Hop which Bryon describes as “an India Pale Ale that is golden in color with a bright floral citrus hop aroma and supporting malt profile”. The brewery will follow later this summer with their 14º ESB and Venture Pils.

Choosing Duluth as the location for their brewery seemed natural for the couples whose ties to the area and the high quality waters of Lake Superior lend themselves to the mission of Bent Paddle to “brew craft beer with a concentration on sustainability for our business, employees, the environment and the greater community – all while “Bending the Traditions” that we encounter, for a more unique and interesting craft beer experience.

brewerytanks_2_smallFollowing the grand opening, Bent Paddle will self-distribute their beers around the Duluth area, all over Minnesota, and beyond. Select area bars and restaurants will begin to offer Bent Paddle on draft as early as late May. Six-pack cans (another nod to the outdoors lifestyle embraced by Bent Paddle’s founders) will be available at select retail locations beginning in June.

Further information on the Bent Paddle Brewing Company grand opening, taproom, beers, and founders visit their website at