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.
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8 Holiday Gifts for the Craft Beer Lover

Trying to find a gift for that one person in your family that is hard to shop for? We have you covered. Here are a few great holiday gifts for everyone who enjoys craft beer:

  1. SmartPhone Case Bottle Opener:
    This iPhone case has a retractable bottle opener attached to make sure that you are never without the means to open a drink!
    http://www.openacase.com/

  2. Pub pass – $25 for 25 beers:
    PubPass is a small book that gets you a free pint of craft beer at 25 pubs for just 25 bucks. And it’s good for the entire year so you can explore at your own pace.
    http://www.getpubpass.com/

  3. Northern Brewer Homebrewing Starter Kit:
    A Brewery in a Box, the Essential Brewing Starter Kit combines a simplified brewing process with easy-to-use equipment, plus your choice of three great beer recipe kits and a FREE copy of Getting Started in Homebrewing DVD.
    http://www.northernbrewer.com/essential-brewing-starter-kit

  4. VIPer Utepils Brewing MemBEERship
    By joining the Utepils community of craft beer lovers, you not only receive access to exclusive perks unavailable to the general public, you are key to bringing a brewery to the edge of Theodore Wirth Park and the Byrn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis.
    Best of all, your Host of Privileges (HOPs) entitle the holder to the such as free beer for 99 Years, free growler fills, special access to events & limited release beers.
    http://utepilsbrewing.com/join-the-viper-program/

  5. Beer Cap Map of MN:
    State beer cap maps are just what you need to keep track of your local or out of state breweries. . These maps are available for every state in the U.S.! All maps measure 16″ to 22″ across, holding anywhere between 33 and 99 bottle caps.
    http://www.homewetbar.com/beer-cap-map-states-p-4631.html

  6. Bottle cutter makes glasses from bottles:
    Create your own keepsake with these bottle-cutters! Make glasses out of beer bottles to enjoy your favorite beverages anytime!
    http://www.bottlecutting.com/

  7. Spiegelau Craft Beer Tasting Kit – Set of 3 Beer Glasses:
    This set of three beer glasses offers the premium hallmarks of pure Spiegelau quality. Inside the box, you’ll find an IPA glass, a Stout glass, and an American Witbier glass. Each glass is carefully crafted from non-leaded crystal and rigorously engineered to provide a superior taste profile that truly unleashes the full flavor and aroma of your chosen style of beer.
    http://www.kegworks.com/spiegelau-craft-beer-glass-tasting-kit-set-of-3-beer-glasses
    Spiegelau Craft Beer Tasting Kit - Set of 3 Beer Glasses

  8. 2016 Craft Beer Festivals Package
    Check out the Minnesota Craft Brewer Guild’s Craft Beer Festival ticket packages, which give the beer fan access to Winterfest, All Pints North, the Autumn Brew Review, and even Land of 10,000 Beers Craft Beer Hall at the Minnesota State Fair! Some packages also include free craft beer merchandise.
    http://mnbeeractivists.com/newsfeed/minnesota-craft-brewers-guild-announces-2016-festival-line-up-and-ticket-packages
    All Pints North 2015

    Did we miss anything? Leave you suggestion in the comments below! It’s what Santa would want.

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Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Announces 2016 Festival Line Up and Ticket Packages

Online Ticket Sales Start Noon, Tuesday, December 1

At noon, Tuesday, December 1, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild will release online ticket sales for packages to its 2016 craft beer festivals at http://www.tempotickets.com/mcbg. The ticket packages deliver 10 percent discounts over purchasing tickets individually.

2016 Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Festivals

Winterfest — A two-night event at St. Paul’s Union Depot: 7 p.m., Friday, February 26, and 7 p.m., Saturday February 27.

The Guild’s 90 brewery members will break out their specialty beers, delivering a fresh rotation of breweries and brewpubs each night, plus a roster of “Brewers Choice” breweries pouring both nights. Event includes upscale, catered food menu, beer education and music.
Winterfest Barley Johns

 

All Pints North — 3 p.m., Saturday, July 23, Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth.

Sample hundreds of beers from a roster of Minnesota and national craft brewers, set to the backdrop of Lake Superior and live music.

Land of 10,000 Beers Craft Beer Hall at the Minnesota State Fair — August 25–September 5, Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

Get together with Minnesota craft beer at the 5th year of the Land of 10,000 Beers Craft Beer Hall for flights of fantastic Minnesota craft beer.
All Pints North 2015

 

Autumn Brew Review — 1 p.m., Saturday, September 17, Historic Grain Belt Brewery, Minneapolis.

Returning for its 16th year, the Autumn Brew Review is one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest craft beer festivals, pouring hundreds of Minnesota and national craft beers from 130-plus breweries under the shadows of the Historic Grain Belt Brewery.
Autumn brew review 2015 jace marti schells

 

Ticket Packages

Purchase tickets at http://www.tempotickets.com/mcbg:

Seasonal Six Pack: $300 — online sale at noon, Tuesday, December 1.

  • Winterfest: two tickets for either the February 26 or February 27 event.
  • All Pints North: two tickets.
  • Autumn Brew Review: two tickets.

Superfan Pack: $450 — online sale at noon, Tuesday, December 1.

  • Winterfest: two tickets for both the February 26 and February 27 events.
  • All Pints North: two tickets.
  • Autumn Brew Review: two tickets.
  • State Fair: two beer flight tickets at the Land of 10,000 Beers Craft Beer Hall.
  • Two Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild “Brewed in Minnesota” t-shirts.

Two-Day Winterfest Pack: $135 — online sale at noon, Tuesday, December 8.

  • Winterfest: one ticket for both the February 26 and February 27 events.

Winterfest: $75 — online sale at noon, Tuesday, December 16.

  • General online ticket sales for both the February 26 and February 27 events.
Featured, Newsfeed

Utepils Brewing® Announces Eric Harper as Head Brewer

Press Release – 

Minneapolis, Minn.: Utepils Brewing® today put an end to the suspense surrounding the identity of its head brewer and announced that Eric Harper will be assuming the role. Harper comes to Utepils Brewing® from Summit Brewing Company and is well-known in craft beer circles, winning acclaim and World Beer Cup Gold and Silver medals as part of the Summit Brewing team. Prior to that, the University of Wisconsin graduate was the Brewhouse Team Leader at Wisconsin’s New Glarus Brewing Company, home of Spotted Cow.

Dan Justesen, founder and President of Utepils Brewing®, said keeping Harper’s identity under wraps was both fun and challenging during the equity raise. Justesen said, “I promised investors that our head brewer, whom we were referring to as code name “Ewald”, had the perfect skill set and resume’ to brew the award-winning European-style craft beers that we aspire to create. For Eric, that style of brewing helped convince him to come over to us.”

Harper agreed. “The plan to brew styles I personally enjoy and the European feel to the brewery were big factors for me. When I imagine creating a brewery from the ground up for myself, Utepils Brewing is that place.”

Still, leaving an established and successful brewery like Summit wasn’t an easy decision, said Harper. “I love where I work and the people at Summit are awesome. Utepils was offering an opportunity to have a lot of creative control. One of the things that helped in my decision was Dan’s recognition of the importance of quality. He understood the need to include a sophisticated brewery lab in his plan, in addition to quality equipment and ingredients, in order to make great beers. I think the Utepils team that he’s built is the ultimate reflection of that. The strength of the team is really what gives me confidence in our future success.”

Harper completed his bachelor’s degree in German Culture at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is also a graduate of the Master Brewers Program at University of California – Davis and has a Diploma in Brewing from London’s Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

For the past five years he has served on the board of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas St. Paul – Minneapolis District, holding roles of secretary, treasurer, and currently Vice President.

Below is a comprehensive list of awards Harper won as part of brewing teams at Summit and New Glarus:

World Beer Cup:

Summit
2014 Silver Extra Pale Ale
2012 Silver Extra Pale Ale
2010 Gold Extra Pale Ale

Great American Beer Festival (GABF):

Summit
2014 Bronze Extra Pale Ale
2013 Silver True Brit IPA
2012 Silver Pilsener
2010 Bronze Extra Pale Ale

New Glarus
2007 Bronze Raspberry Tart
2006 Gold Belgian Red
2006 Gold Cherry Stout
2006 Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year
2005 Gold Belgian Red
2005 Gold Cherry Stout
2005 Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year

Last week, Utepils Brewing® officially changed its name from Bryn Mawr Brewing. Utepils was the name of the holding company. The word “utepils” is Norwegian for the first beer enjoyed outdoors in the sunshine after a long, dark winter. The word “ute” means outside and “pils” means beer. The “utepils moment” is widely-anticipated and celebrated every Spring by Norwegian beer drinkers.

Utepils Brewing® is steeped in the traditions of European brew masters, but will soon be available close to home in Minneapolis, with plans to distribute regionally and nationally. Construction is now underway for the full-production brewery and taproom being built at the site of the former Glenwood Bottling plant. Utepils Brewing® is set to open in early 2016 and will specialize in classic European beer styles and also offer select, special edition seasonal brews.

Special Holiday Offer for VIPER MEMBEERSHIPS®

Just in time for the gift-giving season and to celebrate the new brand, Utepils Brewing® is offering holiday cheer MEMBEERSHIPS® with free beer for 99 years. The exclusive VIPER Program “Very Important Patron, Enthusiast and Recruiter” gives patrons access to the coolest (and only transferable) beer club in town.

Single MEMBEERSHIPs® are $1000, but Utepils Brewing® has a special holiday offer for the first 100 Couple MEMBEERSHIPS ® of $1848 per couple, reduced from $1900. 1848 is the founding date of the German brewery that was the original home of the signature copper kettle
that will be displayed in our taproom.

Offer is limited to first 100 couple MEMBEERSHIPS® and expires December 23, 2015. To reserve your VIPER, email MEMBEERSHIP@utepilsbrewing.com.

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Dangerous Man Brewing Limited Bottle Release & Growler Shop Soft Opening

Dangerous Man Brewing will open up their new Growler Shop to the public this Sunday October 25th, from 11am-6pm, with a barrel-aged bottle release. They will be selling 750ml bottles of Imperial Kristallweizen aged in Tequila Barrels for $20. Limit 2 per customer.

Dangerous Man Brewing Imperial Kristallweizen

Dangerous Man will also be offering on-site fills for growlers, pre-filled growlers, 750ml bombers and 750ml Crowlers® of their many varieties of craft beer.

“We are beyond excited to offer a sneak peak of our Growler Shop this Sunday. It has been a labor of love for the last 6 months and we finally get to share it with our amazing community of patrons, neighbors, volunteers and friends. It is like reaching the peak after scaling K2.” –Sarah Bonvallet

Dangerous Man’s expansion into the 1600 square foot space adjacent to the current taproom, has allowed the brewery to add 6 additional fermenters. This will allow the brewery 300% more production to grow into. They will still brew on the same 10-barrel brewhouse, maintaining the small-batch beers that Rob and his brewer’s find so rewarding to create.

Dangerous Man Brewing Growler Shop

“This allows us to have unlimited growlers of our fan-favorites like Peanut Butter Porter and Chocolate Milk Stout, as well as opportunities to experiment with new styles and recipes. We just tapped our first sour and next we will be brewing some lagers.” –Rob Miller

Without distributing, Dangerous Man’s Growler Shop will enable customers to purchase beer to go. Operating within the confines of strict Minnesota law, Dangerous Man is figuring out ways to offer their customers a variety of packaging. From cans to glass, from refillable to recyclable, customers can choose what beer container is right for them.

“This business represents so much to Rob and I. It is about what we can create together and separately all at the same time. We have dealt with our production woes for almost three years and this expansion allows us to address those issues for ourselves and our customers. Our fans have been so patient and I feel this space is as much a testament to them.” –Sarah Bonvallet

Sunday will be a soft opening and celebration with the bottle release. The Growler Shop will officially open in early November and starting Nov 1st, the taproom will be open on Sundays at noon.

Related

Listen to Rob & Sarah talk about the growler shop expansion on the Minnesota BeerCast.

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS | Subscribe-iTunes-Android

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Minnesota Craft Brewers Win Medals at Great American Beer Festival

Photo © Brewers Association

Several Minnesota Craft Brewers took part in the largest American craft beer competition last weekend in Denver, CO. Local brewers did well with 6 medals coming home to Minnesota. Great American Beer Festival awards are coveted by beer makers across the country. There was more than 1,500 breweries competing for prizes. Over 6,500 beers were judges across 92 distinct categories.

“These honors reinforce that Minnesota brewers create exceptional craft beers,” says Dan Schwarz, President of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “We are proud of our Guild members for representing the strong state of craft beer in Minnesota at this prestigious competition.”

 

Medal Beer Name Brewery City State Category Year
Silver Double Porter Bemidji Brewing Co. Bemidji MN Baltic-Style Porter 2015
Bronze Lonely Blonde Fulton Beer Minneapolis MN English-Style Summer Ale 2015
Silver 14° ESB Bent Paddle Brewing Co. Duluth MN Extra Special Bitter 2015
Silver Procrastinator Doppelbock Fitger’s Brewhouse Duluth MN German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock 2015
Silver Pumpkin Grinder Mankato Brewery Mankato MN Pumpkin Beer 2015
Silver Size 4 Steel Toe Brewing St. Louis Park MN Session India Pale Ale 2015
Bronze Firebrick August Schell Brewing Co. New Ulm MN Vienna-Style Lager 2015

A photo posted by Brian Hoffman (@bmhoffman14) on

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Surly Brewing Barrel-Aged Darkness

The crew at Surly Brewing is in for a busy few weeks. SurlyFest is on shelves and their annual Oktoberfest party is happening this weekend for the first time at the Mpls brewery. Wet with Simcoe is in the tanks and should appear sometime soon. Nein will debut September 28th, at Black Forest Inn. But, there is only beer that Surly fans camp out overnight to get their hands on. That’s right, Surly Darkness. And, an interesting new Darkness label just made an appearance.


 
Surly works with a local artist to create a terrifying label for each release of the Russian Imperial Stout. Label art for the 2015 version of Darkness comes courtesy of Brandon Holt. The new golden version of the 2015 Surly Darkness label pictured below confirms that there will indeed be two versions of the beer. There will be a classic version and a rye whiskey barrel-aged version. No word on the amount produced of either variety or any difference in pricing.

Surly Brewing Darkness 2015
Our 2015 vintage bottling of Darkness features a screeching bat-nightmare by local artist Brandon Holt.

No creature is more adept at navigating in the Darkness than a bat. Emerging from a deep and ancient cave, this year’s twisted nocturnal creature has evolved a set of adaptations well suited to detecting and devouring uncommon nourishment.

Notes of chocolate, coffee, dried tart cherries, and raisins emanate from his lair. If you can evade the talons and teeth, the thick body of this Russian Imperial Stout finishes sweet, with a piney resinous hop character.

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Bad Weather Brewing Announces St. Paul Grand Opening

Bad Weather Brewing Company is announcing the Grand Opening of their St. Paul taproom and production facility at 414 7th St. W., St. Paul, MN. A welcome addition to Little Bohemia neighborhood, the 1200 sqft. brewing operation is just a few blocks away from the Xcel Energy Center.

The newest addition to the growing St. Paul beer scene is scheduled to open October 9th, at 3pm.


Bad Weather Brewing Company was launched by co-founders Zac Carpenter and Joe Giambruno in March 2013 as an alternating proprietorship with Lucid Brewing. Lucid’s alternating proprietorship arrangement allowed Bad Weather Brewing, and several other brewers, to enter the Minnesota beer market. Two years and many beers later, Bad Weather is expanding their brand and opening their own brewery and taproom.

Bad Weather Brewing Tank InstallBad Weather Brewing Company had some shiny goods delivered and installed in their new St. Paul space yesterday.

Posted by MNBeerActivists on Thursday, June 25, 2015

Making the transition from Lucid Brewing to the new facility is Andy Ruhland. After years of earning his stripes in the brewing industry, Andy will take on the title of Head Brewer at Bad Weather Brewing. Andy is an award winning brewer and has a degree in Intensive Brewing Science and Engineering from the American Brewers Guild.

“A lot of talk is going on right now on the booming brewery growth in Minneapolis,” says Ruhland. “I think St. Paul is an untouched gem. A relaxed, easy going city that is yearning for more breweries/taprooms. The overall reception here has been fantastic. So many people stopping by, I can’t wait for us to open our doors. Not to mention the fantastic water quality!”

The new St. Paul facility will allow Bad Weather to expand production capabilities to meet increasing demand. The taproom will provide an exciting place for craft beer lovers to enjoy a rotating list of unique offerings, in addition to Bad Weather flagship WINDVANE and seasonal favorites OMINOUS, FIREFLY RYE and MIGRATION. Four new beers will be available on opening day to compliment the current lineup.

“Our new space gives us the opportunity to really introduce drinkers to our brewery in a way that has not been possible to this point.” says Carpenter. “Increased flexibility in brewing out of our own space, and serving directly to the taproom will allow us to play with many more varieties of beer while keeping complete control of the process. We look forward to sharing our creativity with the community”

Bad Weather Brewing Grand Opening

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Rochester to Expand Off-sale Hours for Liquor Stores and Craft Brewers

Rochester liquor stores and brewers will soon have the option to offer off-sale services until 10pm, Monday through Saturday. Of course, Sundays are still off limits for liquor store owners. But, several Minnesota municipalities, including Rochester, have passed local ordinances to allow brewers to sell growlers on Sundays (if they are small enough to qualify).

The saga to help Rochester catch up with much of the larger cities in Minnesota began a few weeks ago when the City Council tried to appease all off-sale operators, brewers and store alike. The idea was to allow brewers to stay open later while still mandating an earlier closing time for stores. Unfortunately, despite the fact that they are different types of businesses, Minnesota law requires that permitted brewer off-sale hours must be the same as local liquor stores.

“Things have been working for very many years,” said Ari Kolas, owner of Apollo Liquor, which has six locations in Rochester. “Why change it now? There’s no benefit to any of the liquor stores …”
Valley News Live – Sep 19, 2015

City leaders took steps to correct the oversight at the September 21, meeting of the Rochester City Council. The council voted 6-1 to expand off-sale retail hours. The action should be finalized next week after the change jumps through a few more procedural hoops.

Council President Randy Staver was the only dissenting vote on the issue of expanding off-sale hours. Staver seem to have changed his mind on the issue in the last few days. Staver was talking about consumer rights and overwhelming support for the change last week.

Council President Randy Staver said that so far, the feedback he’s gotten through social media is “overwhelmingly in support of extending the hours” and is rooted in the idea of not restricting consumer rights. “I find that kind of an interesting argument,” Staver said. “I’m not asking this for me; it’s for the rights.”
Valley News Live – Sep 19, 2015

But, by the time the issue was back before the council Staver decided consumer rights are no longer a compelling argument.

“Largely I just didn’t feel that folks made a compelling argument to change the hours. I hadn’t heard that anyone had been truly adversely affected by the hours that we had in place,” Staver explains.
KIMT – September 21, 2015

Staver is the lone voice of dissent on the council. Other Rochester City Council members think the change is good.

I respect our new Rochester brewing businesses and don’t want to see them hurt by unnecessary regulation,” said Council Member Michael Wojcik. “Today’s vote represents a win for Rochester’s people and brewers who wanted the same rights as nearly every other community in the state.”

Much like the most of the city council, Rochester brewers are happy the city is updating the code.

“[We are] Excited to be on par with the other cities in Minnesota,” Grand Rounds brewer Steve Finnie tells MN Beer Activists. “Rochester is a great town!! It’s my home, and I’m excited to continue to make craft beer for the craft beer lovers out there. This change helps a lot!”

Not everyone is so excited, liquor stores least of all.

“At the Legislature, craft breweries “manipulated the political system … under the guise of being small businesses,” said Kolas, the owner of Apollo Liquor, a family-owned company that’s 50 years old. “We’re all small business.”
Valley News Live – Sep 19, 2015

However, just as when it comes to Sunday sales arguments, liquor stores could remain closed when they choose not to operate. This is how most businesses operate.

Perhaps it is time to quit pinning the off-sale together. Minnesota brewers are not asking to be able to sell wine or spirits to go. If everything really needs to be equal under the law, perhaps they they should start making that push. Instead of pitting mismatched license holders against each other, Minnesota lawmakers could start looking at what states like North Carolina are doing to attract craft brewers and start taking consumer rights seriously. That is, if consumer rights are a compelling argument.