The fresh hops for Surly Brewing’s “Wet” are on the way to Minnesota!
Every autumn, Surly brews their annual wet hopped ale with the freshest hops they can lay their hands on. This year the hops are Centennials coming from Hop Head Farms in Hickory, MI. Jump on the twitters and watch @HopHeadBon to follow the trip and let the countdown to Surly Wet begin!
This is the Minnesota State Fair. We normally don’t mind writing about any beer, but this is all about local beer at the Minnesota State Fair. If you are looking for info on a beer that isn’t made in MN you will have to look elsewhere. We are keeping it local this time. If you go to the great Minnesota get together, and don’t drink Minnesota beer we will seriously doubt your local roots!
MN Craft Brewer’s Guild Beer Hall
Look for nearly every craft brewer in Minnesota to have their beer rotate through here at some point during the fair. (Except brewpubs. Want to talk about brewpub distribution, anyone?)
Michael Agnew of A Perfect Pint will speak about food & beer pairing on 8/29 at 3pm.
2013 State Fair Homebrew Awards Ceremony on 8/24 at noon on the MN Craft Brewer’s Guild Stage.
For full details as they become available check the guild website.
Lift bridge / Ball Park Cafe
Lift Bridge is releasing a Mini Donut Ale just for the Minnesota State Fair. This malty monster will be on tap at the Ball Park Cafe along with several other local craft brews from the likes of Indeed Brewing, and Badger Hill Brewing. The Ball Park Cafe is a must hit for any craft beer fan, especially with their new craft beer battered onion rings made with Day Tripper Pale Ale and served with beer mustard!
Schell’s:
Below is a map of where you can find Schell’s at the Minnesota State Fair.
Pro-tip: Hang out in front of the Heritage Square stage and drink Schell’s Pils in the late summer sun while rocking out.
Summit:
Summit is available in several spots around the fair, but every day at 1pm Summit will tap a special Minnesota sourced IPA from brewer Jeff Williamson at the International Bazaar. This one of a kind brew should not be missed.
Fulton Beer:
Fulton Beer is available at 7 different spots around the Minnesota State Fair. A big favorite is Cafe Caribe. Check the map below for all locations or the Fulton Beer website.
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.
Last autumn, Schell’s released Fresh Hop Citra Pils as part of its massively successful Stag Series. The beer was received with so much success they’ve decided to brew a fresh hop beer every fall. A new annual tradition we can all look forward to!
The Schell’s Fresh Hop Pilsner Series will be brewed each year during the pinnacle of the hop harvesting season. Fresh hops contribute aromatic oils and resins that add a unique flavor to the beer. The fresh hopped beers will be brewed in very limited amounts, only 100 barrels will be produced.
This year’s Fresh Hop beer will be a pilsner that is single hopped with Mosaic hops. The Mosaic hop gives a variety of flavors and aromas to the beer, hence the name Mosaic. A fairly new hop variety, Mosaic hops are the love child of Simcoe and Nugget hops. The hop variety can be described as complex blend of floral, tropical, fruity, and earthy flavors.
Look for the Schell’s Fresh Hopped Mosaic Pilsner in kegs and 6-packs. Keep ’em cold and drink ’em fast. This beer is all about the freshness.
Patio season in Minnesota started a few months ago, but this Friday at 3pm Fulton Beer Co gets in on the action. They have been working for the past few months on a patio expansion. The space is decked out with landscaping from Tangletown Gardens and expanded bicycle parking.
If you have ever stopped into the Fulton taproom at peak hours you know things can be a little tight. This patio expansion should give you a little more elbow room when you swing by this North Loop landmark. As if you needed an excuse drop by!
To celebrate the patio opening they will have all their beers available (excluding collaborations and taproom one-offs). The patio party will take place in conjunction with neighborhood events North Loop fest & Crayfest. Sounds like a good time!
Every Tuesday, North Loop Wine & Spirits cracks open a few bottles for customers to sample. Nice, eh?
Free beer you say? Yup! But, they are taking the average beer tasting to the next level by organizing the beer by style. Each Tuesday, from 4-8, they will explore a different category of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). North Loop will run through each category from Light Lagers to Ciders, covering the entire spectrum of fermented beverages. They’ll talk aroma, appearance, mouthfeel, and flavor of each beer you’ll taste. If you are unfamiliar with BJCP program you can head http://www.bjcp.org/ and get to learning! After all, how are you going to appreciate your beer if you don’t know if it’s a good example of the style?
This week the style will be Category 7 — Amber Hybrid Beer So you can look forward to tasting
7A. Northern German Altbier
7B. California Common Beer
7C. Düsseldorf Altbier
North Loop Wine and Spirits
218 Washington Ave N, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
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The long wait is finally over. It seems like it was forever ago that we first heard of HammerHeart Brewing. In reality, the guys behind the brewery have made their dreams a reality in only a short time frame. Maybe it just seems like it has taken a while because they are bit behind schedule. Who can blame them for taking the time to make sure things are done correctly?
HammerHeart made their debut at All Pints North earlier in the month to rave reviews. The guys brought their A-game to the fest and brought brewing buddy Andreas Riis (whom head brewer Austin Lundr interned under), formerly the head brewer at Haand Bryggerriet in Norway.
The beers will mostly be handcrafted “extreme” ales. They’ll tend to be higher in ABV with large flavor profiles, many focusing the use of smoked grains. I haven’t had a chance to try all of the HammerHeart beers, but I’ve really enjoyed the ones I’ve had. Surtr’s Flame (a smoked IPA) was one of my 5 to try at All Pints, and I think I made the right call. There was nothing else like it at the fest, and there no local breweries filling that niche’. If local beer lovers can get over our rather tame “Minnesota palate,” HammerHeart Brewing Co. will successfully fill a nice sized hole in the Minnesota craft beer market.
HammerHeart Brewing opens Friday, August 2nd, at 4pm. When entering the taproom you can expect to be surrounded by wood and ornate Nordic carvings. These guys take their Viking heritage and history seriously. During a tour I asked if they were considering making drinking horns part their marketing, or drink-ware for sale or use in the tap room. I may have insulted the guys, I had no idea that drinking horns are really more about ceremony and special occasions. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that if you are a fan of metal (not the building material, the music) you might be right at home in the HammerHeart taproom. Pretty much every update to their facebook page has included a metal song. In any case, be it the beer or the music, prepare for a taproom that rocks.
HammerHeart Brewing Company
7785 Lake Dr. Lino Lakes, MN 55014
HammerHeart Brewing Co. on Facebook
HammerHeart Brewing Co. Website
Northbound Smokehouse, in South Minneapolis, has plans to donate a Beer4Life membership, worth $2,500, to raise money for two yet to be named charities. The public gets vote for their favorite nonprofit by texting BEER4GOOD to 75309 (Msg. & data rates may apply) and entering the charity name by August 9th at midnight. All nominated organizations must be a 501c3 nonprofit and based in the 55406, 55407 and 55417 zip codes.
Nearly a year ago, the restaurant owners publically offered Beer4Life memberships for $1,000 to successfully raise startup capital for the brewpub. The program allows members, of which there are currently 80, to drink any of Northbound’s house beer for free for the rest of their life, or the life of the restaurant.
“The bankers thought we were crazy when we offered the membership,” said Jamie Robinson, the head brewer and co-founder of Northbound. “Our first year has been amazing. We’re thankful for our community that supported us. This is our way of supporting the charities that support our community.”
“Several of my friends considered purchasing a membership initially, but ultimately didn’t” said Beer4Life member Zach Zins. “In hindsight, they wish they had. I’d bet my own money they’ll now be foaming at the mouth for another chance to put free foam in their mouth. And what a great idea by Northbound to give back a bit to the community that’s been supporting them.”
The top two charities nominated will set up raffles that will be sold at the brewpub and other locations in the area. The winner will be picked at random at a special event on Sunday, September 22nd at Northbound.
“We expect that once word spreads, there will be a lot of nonprofits pressing their supporters to vote,” said Amy Johnson, co-founder of Northbound. “They’re welcome to. We’ll be covering the raffle costs for the two charities to ensure that 100% of the funds raised go to them.”
