Summer is mere days behind us, but that isn’t stopping August Schell Brewing from getting started on their annual Snowstorm brew. Every year snowstorm is a different recipe, or style. This year it look like we will be treated to a spiced Belgian-Style Golden Ale. No word on the release date, but look for it sometime in the not too distant future.
Zac and Joe from Bad Weather Brewing give us a few minutes to talk about their new Firefly Rye Pale Ale, the release party at Rye Deli, and coming 6-packs.
Firefly Rye Pale Ale
Who is Pryes Brewing?
Pryes (pronounced: “Prize”) brewing is the creation of a group of long time friends and beer lovers who aim to raise the bar on how great craft brewing can be. We are a team of very talented individuals bringing our respective specialties together to produce the beers and experiences that make enjoying our beer fun.
What kind of beer will Pryes Brew?
Pryes Brewing has acquired and developed the unique knowledge of many different kinds of brews. It is amazing just how many things are out there that can be made into a craft beverage, everything from ciders and mead to beers from around the world. We like to think we take a little inspiration from everything to create something innovative, unique and very drinkable.
Production Brewery/brewpub?
Since brews are our soul, we want to be able to concentrate on beer and other similar mediums. In addition to beer, we plan on releasing other brews which we believe will be surprising and exciting to drink. It will definitely shape us as a production brewery with many other things only offered in our planned taproom. We are quite excited to bring our vision to the area.
Where will Pryes be located?
We have some spots that would work wonders, but it all comes down to capitalization. Ideally, we would like to open up in the vibrant craft beer scene of Minneapolis. However, if our target capitalization is not met within a reasonable amount of time, then our plan B is to find a place we can contract brew our beer like other local breweries have successfully done to get our beer in customers’ hands as soon as possible.
What is the Future of Pryes?
When we become fully capitalized, we will open a 20BBL brew house and host a number of special brews in our taproom. We feel the taproom will allow us to involve the public’s ideas and be a part of the innovation we plan to bring to the market.
How big is the system? Capacity? Distribution?
1st year output? We anticipate our initial output to be in the 2,000 bbl/yr range, with planned phase 2 expansion essentially doubling capacity. We plan to self-distribute to some of the best restaurants, bars and liquor stores in the region.
When will you open?
We’re ready to go once our target capitalization is achieved. We would anticipate a 3-4 month lead time for equipment delivery and facility construction work to be completed.
Are you worried about getting lost in the shuffle?
Not at all. In fact we are excited to add a different and unique flavor to the mix. It’s time to show the rest of the country why Minnesota’s craft scene is one of the fastest growing markets in the US.
What sets Pryes apart?
We are a team. We stick together. We plan everything as a team. Everyone involved in the company brings a different quality that affects the things we do and plan on doing. There have been many times when I’ve thought to myself, how incredible it is to have such a talented team together. Everything from the beer, to the brand, to the business operations are handled by leaders in their respective fields.
Minneapolis Councilperson Meg Tuthill was very critical of your brewery plans. How did that impact your business plans?
Whenever your embarking on an endeavor like starting a company and building a brand, it is all too common to hit bumps in the road. In fact, facing those road bumps strengthens you as it challenges you to ensure you are headed down the right path and building the right plan. We believe that everything happens for a reason, and the silver lining is that we were contacted by many people that supported our vision and consequently brought more people to be a part of the investor family.
What has been the hardest part of starting a brewery in Minnesota?
Building a brewery is a capital-intensive undertaking and everyone is aware that finding capital is the hardest thing about starting any brand. What they might not understand is the degree to which it is difficult. Bank and SBA loans are available, provided you are willing to guarantee the debt with personal assets, and that can dissuade potential investors as well as exceed your own entrepreneurial risk tolerances. Good investors that see your vision understand that something like this takes time to build – everything from getting fully capitalized to recipe development and brand creation takes time. Our company was formed in early 2012 and we’ve been meeting with investors ever since. As much as they interview you, you are also interviewing them to make sure you all share the same passion for the craft and the business.
What has been the biggest surprise?
I am most surprised at how much support we have received from other breweries. Everyone is very supportive and understands the difficulty in opening a brewery. It takes a lot of time, energy, patience and love to make this happen.
How can people learn more about Pryes Brewing?
I would encourage people to visit our website at http://www.pryesbrewing.com. The site is a simple version for now; the full site will go up once we are fully funded and we can show more of our plans and secrets. We also have a Facebook and Twitter presence and you can always send us an email at beer@pryesbrewing.com.
As a result of the progress made during the last legislative session, Indeed Brewing is selling growlers. Indeed never intended to sell growlers because they planned on meeting the 3,500 bbl limited very early early on in their production plans.
Thanks to the Save the Growler movement effort organized by the Minnesota Brewer’s Association, the 3,500 bbls limit has been upped to 20,000 bbls. Matt Schwandt covered the issue here in Minnesota Growlers Saved For Some, For Now.
Now, If we could fix the universal branding issue, we can leave the growler rules alone for a while.
Fulton recently announced that they are expanding their brewing capacity with an additional brewery in NE Minneapolis. The new brewing facility will allow the North Loop neighborhood brewers to finally have their beer produced out of their own facilities. The new brewery will not have a taproom, as it is illegal under current Minnesota laws. Production is scheduled to begin the new brewery in late 2014, and it will give the Minnesota brewers the ability to push their distribution beyond its current Twin Cities metro limitations.
Checkout the Fulton website for full details.
This Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7 is the 4th Annual Kramarczuk’s Sausage Co Kielbasa Fest (http://kramarczuk.com/entertainment/events/). This year, Kramarczuk’s will receive a proclamation from the City of Minneapolis proclaiming the day, “Kielbasa Day,” in Minneapolis.
In addition, Surly Brewing Co has created a special new beer to be served at Kielbasa Fest Friday and Saturday—Dampfbier, a German style steam beer that’s traditional to the region that the Kramarczuk’s food and family hails from. This is the first time the beer will be tapped! It will pour both days at Kielbasa Fest:
Surly Dampfbier
A lesser known style of German ale once popular and brewed on the Germany/Czech border.
Brewed with 100% malted barley and fermented (warm) with a traditional Bavarian (wheat) Hefe-Weizen yeast, this is the German equivalent of a “Steam” beer.
Hazy yellow in color and medium bodied with flavors of toasted bread, cloves and banana’s.
ABV 5.3%
SRM 4.5
IBU 12
Location
Parking lot at Kramarczuk Sausage Company
215 East Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
General Information
4th Annual Kramarczuk’s Kielbasa Festival 2013
Presented by Kramarczuk Sausage Co.
“Meat Us In Nordeast”
Live Music & Family Entertainment
Kramarczuk’s Street Food
Local & European Beers on Tap
| Friday, September 6 | 5 – 10 p.m. |
| Saturday, September 7 | 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. |
The 3rd Annual Nordeast Big River Brew Fest will be on Saturday October 19th, 1:00-4:00pm at the Grain Belt Bottling House on 79 13th Avenue NE, MPLS. The festival will be indoors this year, so rain will not be an issue. General information and online tickets can be found here. If the internet isn’t your thing, you can also buy tickets at North Loop Liquor downtown MPLS. Tickets are a steal at $25 in advance, and $30 at the door. The brewery list currently in the works, and an in-progress list can be found online. All proceeds from the Fest benefit the East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS).
The brainchild of Matt Zanetti, Matt Lange, and Jeremy Maynor, Lake Monster Brewing is a new brewing company based in Minneapolis.
The guys all met about a year and a half ago when Lange was introduced by a mutual friend. Zanetti and Maynor had been working on brewery plans for about 6 months when a friend mentioned that he knew a guy that brews beer. Lange he was introduced to the pair, and they turned out to be a good match and fast friends. The men love beer, of course, but they also had the same values and similar goals. Lange had just put his plans to open a distillery on hold, and he was looking for a new adventure. The guys went to work developing a business plan.
After months of planning, inspections, licensing, and just plain old hard work the Lake Monster Brewing is ready for launch. The have built a brand that feels very Minnesotan. The logos are done in pen and ink with watercolor by local artist, Jeff Nelson. So far, each label has a nautical theme that ties into the brand quite well. With 10,000 lakes in Minnesota a beer brand named after a mythical lake monster makes sense and is just fun.
Marketing and clever branding alone can’t sell beer though. Well, maybe it can, but it shouldn’t. Regardless, the guys at Lake Monster are sure the beer will stand on its own as a quality product. For the time being the beer is being brewing in Black River Falls, WI under Lange’s supervision. Lange earned his brewing stripes working as an assistant brewer at Ale Asylum, in Madison Wisconsin. He will be using his knowledge to make sure his creations come out exacting standards. He is in the brewhouse frequently, doing everything from checking the quality of ingredients to tossing in hops.
Lake Monster will start out self distributing their first beers, a Czech Pils, and an IPA across the metro. They already have a few draft locations secured, and they are hoping to get their beer into customers glasses by the middle of September. Bottles will likely make their way into stores in a few months. If their wildest dreams come true, they are hoping to sell 1,500 bbls during the next year while they build out their new brewery.
Lake Monster Brewing
CORRECTION: Lange was introduced to Maynor and Zanetti by a mutual friend. Lange was not introduced to the company by Maynor, as was previously stated.
