All posts by Andrew Schmitt

Andrew is just a guy that likes beer. You can usually find him on the twitters or spending time with his family.
Legislative Events, Newsfeed

House Rep Mark Anderson to introduce Minnesota growler swapping legislation

3 Comments

How many growlers do you own? Should Minnesota beer consumers be required to purchase a growler (or several) from every local brewery they choose to support? In my basement right now is a wide and varied collection of 64oz jugs from across the state.

canal park growlersWe are constantly being asked by brewers and consumers if there is a solution to their growing growler problems. Nobody wants to have 2 or 3 growlers from every brewery sitting in their basement. Like many other liquor issues Minnesota is behind the times.

“I’ve had a number of people stop by the taproom with growlers from other breweries wanting to get them filled. People traveling from other states that allow filling of any growlers are accustomed to this, said Patrick Sundberg of Jack Pine Brewery”

In Oregon a growler is defined as a refillable, securely-covered container, of two gallons or less. And many establishments, both on-sale and off-sale, can fill them for you. You might ask which brewer has their branding on all these growlers? Good question, but nobody in Oregon cares about the original branding as long as the growler meets TTB requirements. These requirements are commonly met with stickers bearing the requisite information.

What is the mandatory label information?
You must label your beer with this information:

Brewer name or trade name

Place of production – the place of production is the city, and, if necessary for identification, the state. The place of production must appear in direct conjunction with your name or trade name. If you operate more than one brewery you must choose one of these options:

Show all brewery locations on the label
Show the place of production on the label
Show your principal place of business on the label
In the event that you select to show all your locations or your principal place of business, rather than the place of production, you must also mark your label with a code to show which location actually produces the beer.

Net contents – show net contents as ½ gallon. You may use “64 ounces” in addition to but not in place of “½ gallon.”

Do not make a statement as to payment of internal revenue taxes.

Government warning label – use the guidelines above (see 27 CFR Part 16).

Can Minnesota do this with our growlers? We most likely already can. There is nothing Minnesota law saying brewers can’t reuse growlers as long as they comply with TTB regulations. However, always wanting to operate within the law, Minnesota brewers are understandably hesitant to just begin reinterpreting the law and start slapping stickers on jugs. And let’s be honest, some brewers may not want to fill growlers from other brewers.

Representative Mark Anderson (R-9A) has drafted legislation that would give Minnesota some much needed clarity in the area of refilling growlers.

(b) A brewer may, but is not required to refill a Container or bottle with malt liquor for off-sale the request of a Customer. A brewer refilling a container or bottle must do so at its licensed premises and the Container of bottle must be filled at the tap at the time of sale. A bottle or container refilled under this paragraph must be sealed and labeled in the manner described in paragraph (a).

No slouch when it comes to beer, Representative Anderson plans to open his own brewery near Gull Lake some time in the not too distant future. However, Anderson says his growler bill is purely constituent based. He had never thought about the growler problem until he was asked to address it.

The growler swapping bill makes a lot of sense for everyone involved. Lower cost to brewers on glass and storage, increased access for consumers, and increased environmental responsibility.

“Growlers are one of the lowest waste package(s) on the market.  Opening up the option for Minnesota breweries to fill ANY growler, as is possible in other states, further increases the sustainability of this package.”
– Patrick Sundberg, Jack Pine Brewery

The same old state requirements are still in play, of course. But if the Anderson’s growler legislation passes, it would be possible to see growlers with a MN Craft Brewers Guild logo on one side and a brewer’s sticker on the other side. A universal growler. Crazy, right? Not if you ask Oregon.

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

St. Patrick’s Day Rally for Sunday Liquor Sales at First Avenue Featuring Romantica, White Iron Band, Silverback Colony and More!

Consumer rights advocacy group MN Beer Activists are proud to announce its inaugural St. Patrick’s Day Rally for Sunday liquor sales at the First Avenue mainroom at 7 pm on March 17, 2014. Featuring music from Romantica, White Iron Band, Silverback Colony and Mark Andrew, the event will raise money for the Minnesota Beer Activists’ efforts to legalize Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages in Minnesota.

“The mission of the MN Beer Activists is to raise awareness of alcohol-related issues that are outdated or harmful to consumers,” said MN Beer Activists director Andrew Schmitt. “The biggest of these is the prohibition on Sunday Sales, which literally sends money over our borders every single week. This concert is the highest-profile event we’ve ever done, and it should also be the most fun!”

St Patricks Day Rally for Sunday liquor Sales in MinnesotaThe St. Patrick’s Day concert event will feature performances by NBC’s The Voice contestant Mark Andrew, Silverback Colony, White Iron Band and Romantica and be hosted by Ian Rans of Drinking With Ian. The event will also feature opportunities to sign the MN Beer Activists’ Sunday Sales petition at SundaySalesMN.org, purchase MN Beer Activists merchandise and several other surprises.

Tickets for Rally for Sunday Sales are available now for $10 and will be $15 at the door.

Proceeds from the concert benefit the MN Beer Activists. For more information, visit SundaySalesMN.org or mnbeeractivists.com

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Sunday liquor sales, a call to action

MN Beer Activists are putting out a call to action for beer lovers across the state of Minnesota to help finally legalize the sale of liquor, wine, and beer on Sundays.

38 states allow Sunday liquor sales, including every state that surrounds Minnesota. It is time to give Minnesota consumers and retailers the choice. Let’s stop sending our hard earned money over the borders. Politicians can stop pretending they are worried about the impact on “Mom & Pop liquor stores.” The fact is there plenty of small independent stores in states where Sunday liquor sales are legal. Just follow one of the hundreds of MN license plates over to Superior, or Hudson, and take a look. Mom & Pop are going to be just fine.

“Commerce is well enough established as seven days and nights a week now, ” Dayton said. “For us to say it doesn’t apply to this or doesn’t apply to that really doesn’t make much sense. There are an increasing number of Minnesotans for which Sunday isn’t a religious holiday.”

Opponents and prohibitionists will stand by old arguments, claiming that Sundays won’t add any more sales, or that stores will be forced to open. In reality, Sunday is the second busiest shopping day of the week, and any store that doesn’t want to open won’t have to. Plenty of banks and barbers make these choices every week without a government mandate. When Colorado passed Sunday beer sales the increased revenue was credited with bringing liquor stores through tough economic conditions. How’s that for 6 days of sales across 7 days?


For probably the first time ever Sunday liquor sales has a real chance of passing this year. Governor Dayton has said he will sign a Sunday sales bill, and House leaders Thissen & Daudt have said 2014 could be the year. However, with all the bipartisan support the Sunday sales bill still faces opposition from leadership. The Sunday liquor bill will need to be heard and passed in the House and Senate Commerce Committees. Committee Chairs Representative Joe Atkins (D) and Senator Jim Metzen (D) are may not give the bill fair committee hearings without receiving a large amount of public pressure. This is how you can help.

Visit SundaySalesMN.Org 30 seconds and 1-click is all it takes. Then, share it with your friends and social media using the hashtag #SundaySalesMN


The most effective thing you can do is call!
Find your own legislators here, but be sure to call and email these leaders below.

Senate Majority Leader Thomas M. Bakk (03, DFL) 651-296-8881
Email: Use Mail Form

Senate Minority Leader David W. Hann (48, R) 651-296-1749
Email: Use Mail Form

Senate Commerce Chair James P. Metzen (52, DFL) 651-296-4370
Email: sen.jim.metzen@senate.mn

Speaker of the House Paul Thissen (DFL, 61B) 651-296-5375
Email: rep.paul.thissen@house.mn

House Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL, 64A) 651-296-8799
Email: rep.erin.murphy@house.mn

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R, 31A) 651-296-5364
Email: rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn

House Deputy Minority Leader Jenifer Loon (R, 48B) 651-296-7449
Email: rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn

House Commerce Chair Joe Atkins (D, 52B) 651-296-4192
Email: Use Mail Form

sunday liquor sales minnesota #sundaysalesmn

Newsfeed

Surly Brewing to co-release collaboration beer, BLAKKR

3 Comments

BLAAKR, an imperial black ale brewed in collaboration by metal brewing friends Three Floyds Brewing in Indiana, Real Ale Brewing in Texas, and Surly Brewing in Minnesota, will have a limited release in bars, restaurants and liquor stores in Minnesota starting Monday, February 24.
blakkr brewers surly real ale 3 floyds
BLAKKR (an old Norse word for ‘dark’ or ‘black’) was brewed at all three breweries, and will be distributed in all three breweries’ home markets. Real Ale’s BLAKKR will be available in four packs of 12oz cans, Three Floyds will be packaging the beer in bombers and Surly will be releasing BLAKKR in 16oz cans.

“The most metal Brew Masters felt compelled to learn about each other’s brewery processes, drink beer, listen to metal and brew the most metal beer ever. Black as the sky on a moonless night, BLAKKR has flavors of black licorice and bitter sweet hops with strong hop aromas of pineapple.”
– Todd Haug, head brewer at Surly Brewing

Surly Brewing will host a BLAKKR release party will be held at Grumpy’s Downtown Minneapolis on Monday, February 24 at 6pm. There’ll be BLAKKR on tap, as well as various other Surly specials on tap and live music.

BLAKKR DETAILS:
Style: Imperial Black Ale
Malts: Pale Malt, Carafa Special, Oats
Sugar: Brewers Crystals
Hops: Bittering – Warrior, Aroma- Simcoe, Centennial
Yeast: English Ale
OG: 22 P
FG: 4.5 P
ABV: 9.99 %
IBU: 85

Surly always does a great job with the art surrounding their beer, BLAKKR is no different. Surly’s Michael Berglund, was inspired by Medieval engravings of monsters and chimeras. (I had to look up chimeras, too.) He said: “The idea came from having to please three metal brewers—a three headed beast.” He said the symbols are from Medieval alchemy, and are, in order from left to right: water, alcohol, eternal darkness, fermentation, fire, flavor, pint, grain, trinity, boil, union (collab), carbon dioxide, metal, and wizard. Berglund added: “It’s up to the viewer to decide if the souls in the fire are burning, worshiping, partying, or just asking for a beer.” See if you can spot Berglund’s initials in the artwork after you’ve poured that bad boy into a clean glass.

BLAKKR

Newsfeed

The Current Announces Partnership with Schell’s to Offer Listeners the Perfect Summer Craft Beer

Schell’s The Current Beer, available in May, features downloadable tracks from local artists

The Current has announced that it is partnering with Schell’s, the oldest family-owned brewery in Minnesota and maker of German Craft beer, to introduce a co-labeled Schell’s The Current beer, available in May.

A cold summer brew that pairs deliciously with hot summer tunes, Schell’s The Current beer is a limited edition of Schell’s seasonal Zommerfest®, a smooth, light Kölsch-style ale. It will be available in 16 ounce cans at bars and liquor stores throughout Minnesota wherever Schell’s products can be found.

Schell’s The Current Beer
(MPR Graphic / Tracy Kompelien)

“We know that many of our fans love craft beer, and we look at any partnership or promotion through the lens of our audience,” said Jim McGuinn, program director for The Current. “We know our listeners and this is a natural fit.”

In addition to increasing brand awareness of The Current, the station also hopes to introduce listeners to local bands, whose songs will be available in May at thecurrent.org/beer. A list of participating bands and songs will be announced closer to the launch of the beer.

“Local bands and local beer are a great match,” McGuinn said. “We love that we can bring the two together. Through the downloads available at thecurrent.org and upcoming shows featuring these artists, we hope to continue to support our local music scene.”

“Beer drinkers are looking to quench their thirst with a brew that has a good story behind it,” said Ted Marti, President of Schell’s, and a fifth generation member of the brewing family. “We’ve got that covered with 154 years of German heritage, and The Current has that covered with the fantastic local music it supports. It’s a win-win.”

Any revenue generated from the sales of Schell’s The Current beer will go back to The Current and the work it does to support local music.

Newsfeed

Will you beer my valentine?

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Make sure you include your true love, beer, on this special day. Here are a few ideas in case you need romantic inspiration.

At The Heart Of Winter- A Beer & Metal Love Story

Our friends at Nomad World Pub are big on music & big on craft beer, the two forces collide on a regular basis at Nomad, but it is a little more special this week. This heavy metal event features limited release beers, Into The Void DJ’s spinning records, give-aways and more. The event starts at 7pm.

Get down in Uptown

Start your romantic day at Herkimer Brewery and Pub with a few drams from the cask of ruby red infused red ale, or grab a cocktail from their special Valentine’s Day drink menu. Then, wander down to Muddy Waters, Bryant-Lake Bowl, and end your evening with steak and lobster at Uptown Tavern & Rooftop (call for reservations).

Pairing as a pair

One of the best ways to spend a romantic evening is sipping and sampling with your mate. Stop into a nice liquor store and ask for a few different beers to combine with classic treats like chocolates and strawberries. Or, take a few guesses on some flavor combinations you think you’ll both enjoy. One of my favorite things to do is grab an assortment of cured meats and cheeses and see what items pair best with a favorite beer. If you get some good beer and good snacks there is no way to mess this up. The best part of pairing with a partner is comparing flavors and discussing the experience while you indulge yourselves.

Newsfeed

ENKI Brewing is hiring

Enki Brewing

ENKI TapRoom Friendmaker

ENKI Brewing is a 20BBL craft brewery operating in Victoria’s historic creamery building along the shores of Steiger Lake in downtown Victoria, MN.   Comfortable and inviting, the ENKI TapRoom and Beer Garden offer a cozy ‘lived in’ feel with a great view of the beautiful lake and our shiny new brewhouse. The ENKI TapRoom is a great setting for making new friends, two beers at a time.  Whether our guests, drive up or peddle out to the ENKI TapRoom we strive to make their experience one that leads to a lasting friendship.

As the centerpiece of our business, the ENKI TapRoom is often the first place that people experience ENKI Brewing Company and our beers.  Because of this, we truly believe that the experience must be fantastic — from the service they receive, the beers they drink, to the space they drink it in and the people they meet. The ENKI TapRoom Friendmaker is crucial to our goal of making friends with every person who visits the brewery.

The TapRoom Friendmaker’s responsibility is assuring TapRoom operations run smoothly and effectively.  In addition, the TapRoom Friendmaker will be filling the role as our primary server day to day.

Day to day activities include:

  • Ensuring all of our customers have the best possible experience in the TapRoom

  • Knowledgably serving beers to our guests and engaging them in friendly conversation

    • Greet and engage taproom customers

    • Offer assistance and suggestions on beer selection as needed

    • Serve beer over the bar and fill growlers to go during normal business hours

    • Bus tables and remove used, empty glassware from bar to be washed

    • Wash glassware and ensure it is always “beer clean” when serving

  • Maintaining the TapRoom staffing schedule

  • Opening up and closing out many days of the week

  • Maintaining and advancing the general appearance of the tap room and beer garden

  • Assist in organizing brewery events in the tap room and beer garden

  • Assist with merchandise organization, inventory and sales

  • Assist with draught line cleaning and maintenance

  • Assist with brewery tours as needed

  • Working with the co-founders to promote the brewery experience

  • Additional day to day activities necessary to keep the tap room running.

The tap room manager will report to the founders of ENKI Brewing.

Skills required:

  • Excellent personal communication skills

  • Attention to detail

  • An appreciation and experience in using  the web and other technology for developing and maintaining customer relationships through social media promotions

  • Working knowledge of craft beer styles and appreciation for how beer is created and served.

  • The ability to lift 60 pounds (1/6 BBL keg) and move 165 pounds (1/2 BBL keg)

  • The ability to transport kegs with a dolly

  • Ability to stand for long periods of time

  • Flexibility to work non-standard work hours and alternate locations for events as necessary

  • Previous bar experience

The right person will be in at the ground level of ENKI Brewing.  We all have an important voice in shaping the business.  We share special values of loyalty, trust and integrity.  And, we share a common bond in our enthusiasm for making friends through the experiences of making and serving quality, distinctive craft beers.  While each of us has our roles in the brewery, we are team.  We’re looking for a team player who is excited about the opportunity of helping to build a successful business and is ready to chip in wherever needed.

Compensation will be based on experience.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned this job. They are not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions associated with the position.

 

If you’re interested in applying, please email resume and cover letter HERE

 

̴   Unfriendly people need not apply     ̴

ENKI Brewing Company is an equal opportunity employer.

ENKI Brewing

7929 Victoria Drive

Victoria, MN 55386

 

Newsfeed

Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub debuts Polar Vortex Eisbock

Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub has announced the release of Polar Vortex, the first Eisbock released in Minnesota in several years.

Allegedly, Eisbock is a style of beer that was an accidental discovery in Germany in 1890. The Reichelbräu Brewery in Kulmbach, Germany left some casks of their Bockbier outside on a bitterly cold night and the casks froze leaving behind only a small amount of liquid. Upon drinking the beer they realized that the liquid had a high concentration of alcohol because the water froze out.

Since then breweries around the world have made Eisbock beers during the freezing cold of winter. Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub decided to take advantage of the Polar Vortex this year and create an Eisbock from their Doppelbock. They froze concentrated their 8.3% Doppelbock to a 10.4% Eisbock.

“I wanted to do something unique that no one else in Minnesota was doing. With all the great new breweries opening there are not a lot of styles that haven’t been brewed locally,” said head brewer Jamie Robinson.

Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub will be releasing Polar Vortex Eisbock at 3pm on Monday February 10th. There is a very limited amount of this beer available, so get there early on Monday if you want to try it.

“We hope that our customers are as excited about this beer as we are”, said Robinson. “It’s about the only good thing that you can get from the Polar Vortex.”