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.
Newsfeed

Northern Brewer / Midwest Supplies Acquired by AB InBev?

Beverage Business Insights is reporting that Minnesota-based homebrewing company Northern Brewer / Midwest Supplies seems to have been acquired by ZX Ventures, a global incubator and venture capital arm of AB InBev.

A media request to Northern Brewer earlier this week did not yield much insight into the situation other than a reply saying that “…they are always looking to explore ways to grow Northern Brewer and the homebrew supply market…:

ZX Ventures is a little less mum about their deal with one of the largest homebrewing retailers in the country.

The group “is pleased to share we have partnered with Northern Brewer. The team there shares our passion for brewing and commitment to the best ingredients,” ZX’s Global VP of Homebrewing Cassiano Hissnauer said in a statement to Craft Brew News. “ZX Ventures is excited to enter the homebrew space to help Northern Brewer to grow,” he added, as the 20-yr old homebrewing supply retailer “has built an extraordinary network and community of homebrewers.”

UPDATE:
Northern Brewer founder, Chris Farley, posted on their blog regarding the rumors of acquisition or partnership with ZX Ventures. Farley states the deal is about providing growth and opportunities, and making sure they give “consumers with exceptional beer experiences, anytime, anywhere.”

Many of you have seen the news that we’ve closed a deal to be acquired by ZX Ventures, the global Disruptive Growth Unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev.

I’ll admit, we didn’t share this with you the way we should and for that, I apologize. I think this is a really important moment in our company’s history and an important moment in our shared passion for brewing great beer. Let me tell you what that means.

First, nothing will fundamentally change as the result of this deal. Our entire leadership team will remain intact and our company will continue to be independent. Our staff of dedicated employees will continue to serve our customers and help our industry innovate. Our culture will remain as it is today: vibrant, energetic, fair and dedicated to our mission and to you.

The full post can be read here:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/farleys-feature-brewing-exciting-future/

Would your shopping habits change if your local homebrew shop was owned by AB InBev? What do you think of the merger? Let us know in the comments section.

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

St. Paul Extends Off-sale Liquor Hours for Stores and Breweries

St. Paul City Council member Chris Tolbert led the charge in making shopping hours a little more reasonable for busy shoppers in the capitol city.

The measure to extend the hours of operation to 10pm Mon-Sat was passed by the City Council with a vote of 5-0.
Liquor store closing times St. Paul
Of course, there were some naysayers. Jim Thomas, of Thomas Liquors, was opposed, as were owners of Park Liquor, and 1st Grand Liquor. But, owners of Selby Wine and Spirits, Christine Liquors, and MGM Liquors were all in support of the change.

The proposal met with opposition from a handful of mom-and-pop retailers, worried about the additional expense of adding night staffing.

But an overwhelming number of letters and emails to city offices, however, supported the change.
Pioneer Press – October 12, 2016

Several Saint Paul brewers supported the extension in business hours. Wabasha Brewing gathered a petition with an impressive number of signatures. After the law goes into effect (30-days from October 12th) Saint Paul brewers will be able to sell growlers of fresh locally made craft beer until 10pm.

Of course, neither brewers or liquor stores will be forced to stay open later, but now they have the option.

Featured, Newsfeed

Minnesota Breweries Win Medals at 2016 Great American Beer Festival

Five Minnesota Craft Breweries Earn Medals at Great American Beer Festival

Five Minnesota craft breweries were recently honored at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in Denver — the nation’s premier beer festival and competition. These hometown heavy hitters held their own against 7,227 beer entries from 1,752 breweries nationwide.

Fan favorites and cornerstones of Minnesota beer culture, Summit Brewing and Surly Brewing brought home gold medals this year. Bemidji Brewing, Jack Pine Brewery, and first-year entrant Roundhouse Brewery took home bronze medals for their yeoman’s efforts.

Minnesota breweries earning gold medals

• Summit Brewing Co. (St. Paul), “Extra Pale Ale” — Classic English-Style Pale Ale (38 entries)

summit-brewing-2016-gabf
Photo © 2016 Jason E. Kaplan

• Surly Brewing Co. (Brooklyn Center / Mpls), “Barrel-Aged Darkness” — Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout (131 entries)

surly-brewing-2016-gabf
Photo © 2016 Jason E. Kaplan

Minnesota breweries earning bronze medals

• Bemidji Brewing Co. (Bemidji), “German Blonde Ale” — Golden or Blonde Ale (115 Entries)
• Jack Pine Brewery (Baxter), “Vengeance! Jalapeno Cream Ale” — Chili Beer (112 entries)
• Roundhouse Brewery (Brainerd), “Runaround Rye Ale” — Rye Beer (81 entries)

“It has become a tradition for Minnesota breweries to be honored at this prestigious competition,” says Tom Whisenand, President of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “This recognition reinforces that Minnesota is a great state for beer. Minnesotans can be proud of these local businesses that are representing their communities.”

Other Recent Minnesota GABF winners

Minnesota 2015 GABF Medalists:
August Schell Brewing Co. (New Ulm), Bemidji Bewing Company (Bemidji), Bent Paddle Brewing Co. (Duluth), Fitger’s Brewhouse (Duluth), Fulton Brewng (Minneapolis), Mankato Brewery (Mankato), Steel Toe Brewing (St. Louis Park).

Minnesota 2014 GABF Medalists:
Badger Hill Brewing (Shakopee), Bent Paddle Brewing Co. (Duluth), Indeed Brewing (Minneapolis), Steel Toe Brewing (St. Louis Park), Summit Brewing Co. (St. Paul) and Town Hall Brewery (Minneapolis).

A full list of Great American Beer Festival winners can be found here: https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/

Related: Minnesota BeerCast talks with Pete Rifakes from Town Hall Brewery and Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild.

http://minnesotabeercast.com/episodes/live-minnesota-state-fair/

Newsfeed

Fulton Brewing Launches New Brand: Standard Lager

Fulton Brewing Looks to Set Standard With a New Lager

Fulton Brewing is launching a new brand: Standard Lager. Standard Lager is genuine all-malt beer, made from 2-row barley malt, American hops, and Pilsner yeast. We sat down with Ben Flattum, Fulton Brewing’s Twin Cities Market Manager to learn more.

Standard Lager

MN Beer Activists: What is Standard Lager?
Ben Flattum: Standard is our new year-round lager, it’s not just a beer for “beer people”, it’s a beer for PEOPLE. Period.

MNBA: Why a Lager?
Ben: When we looked at making a crushable affordable alternative to a lot of beers out there, a lager made perfect sense. It’s a familiar term for most folks and it leaves the cleanest finish possible. We have so much respect for brewers that can execute a clean lager, something that takes a lot of skill and consistency in a brewery. We’ve been wanting to make one forever, but with our additional tank space we have at our NE Mpls production spot, it finally made sense for us.


MNBA: But aren’t all lagers just fizzy yellow water?
Ben: The perception is obviously out there, but given that it’s just a yeast variety there are so many opportunities for more flavor than what the big guys have defined as a “lager” for most people. Given our 100% malt bill, with no adjuncts, and a solid American hop profile, this beer will stand out as flavor filled and drinkable as any beer you can get.

MNBA: A new brand under the Fulton flag? Similar to Sam Adams under Boston Beer Co?
Ben: More of an extension of Fulton than a new brand. We wanted to represent how approachable the beer was, without scaring folks off that are leery of trying Craft Beer. The branding is clean and straightforward, much like the beer itself. Firestone Walker has it figured out with their “805 Beer” brand extension and we are following in their footsteps.

MNBA: Couldn’t you just release Fulton Lager?
Ben: We absolutely could, and the beer is definitely everything Fulton represents. It’s a great representation of the style, clean and balanced. But we want to branch out beyond the current group of amazing Fulton loyalists, and this was a great way to do it.
standard-lager

MNBA: Can we expect more brands from Fulton?
Ben: Maybe something focused on sour or wild beer? — Fun fact, we actually have been working on our Mixed Culture Fermentation project at our downtown location for over a year. There are two different beers, almost ready to go. The other one, Tanager, is a 100% Barrel Fermented Brett IPA. We use some amazing strains of Brett, and it has an insane tropical flavor all around. It’s a year-round beer in our taproom and we hope to build on it some more. Definitely worth the trip.

MNBA: What is the concept behind the “standard” branding?
Ben: We wanted a classic look to a beer meant for everyone. In our mind, this beer is the “Standard” for what an easy drinking lager tastes like, and didn’t want to muddle it with an overly-complicated logo. The simplicity and clean nature of that logo is what makes it stand out, much like the beer itself. The tagline fits it so well, “Extraordinarily Uncomplicated” and the logo flies along that line.

MNBA: When is the beer coming out?
Ben: Draft starting September 9th, Tallboy Cans and 12 Pack Bottles in early October.

To learn more about Standard Lager visit: http://www.standardlager.com/

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Should Saint Paul Allow Liquor Stores and Brewers to Sell Until 10pm?

Some Saint Paul City Council members are exploring the idea of modernizing the city’s liquor code to match surrounding communities and eliminate consumer confusion.

Right now the City of Saint Paul requires off-sale liquor purchases to end at 8:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Nearly every other municipality sharing a border with Saint Paul is consistent with a 10:00 p.m. closing time Monday-Saturday.

Saint Paul City Council Member Chris Tolbert had this to say in a recent Ward 3 update:

One reason to consider changing the ordinance is because Saint Paul has a burgeoning brewery culture. Right now, with the exception of Sundays’, breweries can only sell growlers during legal hours for off-sale. So while most breweries are open until 10:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday they cannot sell take-home brews for the last two hours of business, meaning lost revenue for the breweries and frustration and confusion for customers.

The Saint Paul City Council will take public commentary on the issue through September 1st. Send your thoughts to Libby Kantner at libby.kantner@ci.stpaul.mn.us. The Council will compile all received comments for public review.

Newsfeed

Lost Falls Distillery is for Sale

Want to buy a distillery?

Lost Falls Distillery is having a fire sale. Lost Falls Distillery Co-founder Nils Collins contacted us to let us know that the whole shebang is up for sale on craigslist.

Nils said Lost Falls wasn’t able to raise enough money without selling part of the business, which the partners never agreed to do. Sadly, their loss can be your gain. Anyone looking to start a distilling operation will need to go through the considerable process of getting federal, state, and local approval. But having the right equipment would be a nice first step.

Check out the listing here: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/for/5703713460.html

Lost Falls Distillery on Craigslist
Still standing, for now.
Newsfeed

Autumn Brew Review Tickets Are Now On Sale

Tickets for the 16th annual Autumn Brew Review on September 17, went on sale yesterday. Craft beer fans can purchase the $45 tickets online: http://www.tempotickets.com/abr2016. Tickets historically sell out fast for this event.

Get ‘Em While They Last

Autumn Brew Review is held on the grounds of the Historic Grain Belt Brewery and is one of Minnesota’s oldest and largest craft beer festivals. The event is presented and produced by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild.

Hayes Public House Autumn Brew Review

This 21+ outdoor event will feature unlimited beer from more than 130+ participating breweries, as well as non-alcoholic samples, a commemorative tasting glass, live music, food vendors, beer educational sessions and an opportunity to vote for the best beer of the festival.

Jace Schells Autumn Brew Review

Autumn Brew Review is the last of the Guild’s series of 2016 craft beer festivals that includes February’s Winterfest in St. Paul and last weekend’s All Pints North in Duluth. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild will also bring flights of hundreds of Minnesota craft beers to the Minnesota State Fair at the Land of 10,000 Beers Craft Beer Hall in the Agriculture/Horticulture Building.

WHAT:
16th annual Autumn Brew Review presented by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild

WHEN:
1­–5 p.m., Saturday, September 17

WHERE:
Historic Grain Belt Brewery
19 13th Avenue NE, northeast Minneapolis

TICKETS:
On sale at noon, Tuesday, July 26 — $45
Purchase tickets online: http://www.tempotickets.com/abr2016.