Category Archives: Newsfeed

MN Beer Activists feed of news, events, education, legislation related to beer, wine, and spirits in Minnesota.

Newsfeed

Time Warp….Again

Been watching HBO on Sunday nights lately? Curious about how Steve Buscemi was able to run an empire from the boardwalk in Atlantic City? Now is your chance to enjoy an in person experience with America’s most fascinating and misguided era, Prohibition. Minnesota residents should be especially aware of this lapse in judgment as it was a congressman from district 7 of our state, Andrew Volstead that authored this law. From November 9th to March 16th the Minnesota Historical Society is giving us the chance during our longest season, winter, to warm our spirits with, well, spirits. Starting today the History Center will be featuring American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition presented by the National Constitution Center.

The exhibit kicks off tonight with the Bootlegger’s Ball when the History Center will hop in a Delorian and set the dial back 90 years to take us back to what it describes as a “swanky speakeasy”. The event will feature great ways to experience the era which ironically include legal alcohol. Appropriately Schells, the only remaining Minnesota brewery to survive Prohibition will be sampling beers, along with Summit and Lucid. Rae Katherine Eighmey (author of “Soda Shop Salvation”) and Nick Kosevich of Bittercube Bitters will be there to educate on and serve some great cocktails because the mixed drink was born in Prohibition to cover that flavor of questionably distilled booze. There will be live Dixieland jazz featuring the Southside Aces and period dance lessons so everyone can swing in style. Last but not least this is the first opportunity to wander through this exhibit with the right level of sobriety or more accurately, a lack thereof.

Andrew VolsteadOver the course of the next few months the History Center will be featuring different events highlighting some of the impacts of results of the Prohibition Era. One of these events that I will definitely been attending is the Speakeasy Saturdays reflecting the revival of local brewing and distilling. This event will feature Summit Brewing, Great Waters Brewing, and Dashfire Bitters on Saturdays from December through February. Other events during this exhibit will include a musical performance called A Toast to Prohibition: Songs of Temperance and Temptation, an ongoing series called History Lounge featuring discussions with historians, and Bootleg Valentine: Dining, dancing, and romancing in Prohibition Era Twin Cities.

All of this seems as if we have turned a blind eye to the existing remnants of Prohibition that exist in Minnesota to deny us rights to beer that other states enjoy. This is not true. Rather this exhibit should provide all of us with the opportunity to see that denying us our beer or liquor will move that potential revenue to the wrong place, not just Wisconsin. This exhibit should show us not just the rise of jazz and the cocktail, but also organized crime and the blatant destruction of an industry supporting thousands of jobs that we are beginning to recover. So, for the next few months let’s all bring out our inner historian and do the time warp again to keep Prohibition history.

American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition
Minnesota History Center
ON VIEW NOV 9, 2013 – MARCH 16, 2014

Newsfeed

Surly Brewing Company Re-Enters Chicago Market

Surly DarknessOnce upon a time Surly Brewing had a much bigger distribution footprint than it currently does. Way back then (3 years ago) the brewery was considerably smaller than it is now, and had to pull back to meet local demand. With expanded production, increased staff, and giant brewery on the way, Surly is beginning what is likely to be a long steady increase in growth and availability.

Beginning Monday, November 12th, Surly beer will begin to be available at Hopleaf, Map Room, and several other well known Chicago beer bars. The beer will be moved via Windy City Distributing, purveyors of many fine beers such as Port/Lost Abbey Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewery, and The Bruery.

The additional distribution makes a lot of sense, the Minnesota brewery is clearly focused on growth. My only question is how much of their specialty/seasonal beers will find their way out of the local market. Surly Brewing Co. has already cut back on volume of the special stuff. If there are bottles of Darkness sitting on the shelf at Binny’s and none to be found locally, the consumers that helped put Surly on the map won’t be happy.

Newsfeed

Northbound Brewpub & Indeed Brewing Make National Television Debut

beer geeks tvMinnesota breweries Northbound Brewpub and Indeed Brewing Company make their national television debut on beer Geeks TV late Saturday night.

If the name Beer Geeks TV sounds familiar, it should. The syndicated television show has its roots right here in Minnesota. In fact, in its first incarnation the show focused almost entirely on Minnesota breweries and restaurants. The newest version of the show travels the country instead of the state, and replaces local talent with master brewer Michael Ferguson as the jovial host. The format remains mostly the same, but the shows is now produced by David Page, of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives fame.

The only Minnesota-centric episode centers on Hot Box, an Imperial Smoked Porter that Northbound brewed in collaboration with Indeed Brewing Company.

“We’re thrilled to be one of the first Minnesota breweries featured on Beer Geeks TV,” said Northbound Smokehouse Co-Owner and General Manager Amy Johnson. “Having recently celebrated our first birthday, it’s quite an honor to receive national attention. We’re also thrilled to share the spotlight with our good friends at Indeed Brewing.

The episode will be broadcast live at 12:30 am on Nov. 10 on WFTC/MyFox 29. Northbound Smokehouse is inviting the public to watch the episode at the restaurant. They are extending their late night Saturday happy hour with $3 house beers from 10 pm to 2 am. To honor the collaboration with Indeed Brewing, Northbound Smokehouse will also offer a partial “tap takeover” with several special Indeed Brewing beers along with Northbound’s house offerings.

For those unable to attend the late-night screening, Northbound Smokehouse will host two additional screenings on Nov. 10 at 11:00 am and again at 7:00 pm.

http://beergeeks.tv/episode-guide/season-1/episode-10/

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Minneapolis Election Day: November 5, 2013

Minneapolis election day is November 5, 2013. Minneapolis residents will have some tough choices to make. We don’t pretend that the stance a candidate takes on modernizing Minnesota liquor law should a decide if they get your vote, but it can give you some insight to their political philosophy and how they might handle future issues.

The City of Lakes will be saying goodbye to Mayor R.T. Rybak and looking for a new mayor. During his time in office Mayor Rybak, ushered in several changes that have made many Minneapolis beer drinkers grateful.

One key change came when Rybak approved an initiative by Minneapolis City Council Member Gary Schiff to lift the prohibition on breweries within 300 feet of churches. This ordinance change alone made it possible for Dangerous Man Brewing Co. to open in NE Minneapolis, while opening up the city for more commerce.

Rybak also pushed for a change to state level beer law. He successfully pushed for breweries to have the ability to sell their own pints of beer on site in taprooms. The success of modernized liquor code has led to taprooms and breweries being built all over Minneapolis, and the rest of the state, including a massive forthcoming “destination brewery” from Surly Brewing Co.

So, as Minneapolis looks to a elect its next leader, keep in mind that while being pro beer isn’t everything, Mayor Rybak’s pro-beer stance has lead to a lot of entrepreneurship and brewing industry growth in Minneapolis. As the beer culture continues to grow in Minnesota, it is important to remember that modernizing liquor regulations play a big part in fostering that expansion.

The leading Minneapolis mayoral candidates don’t often get asked about beer and liquor laws, but it comes up from time to time in public forums. Here is a list of what we have been able to track down. If you have updated information, or find something we didn’t, please comment below and will we update this piece.

Minnesota Mayoral Candidates on Liquor / Beer
Allowing Sunday Sales Allowing Brewpub Distribution Allowing Distillery Taprooms Eliminating 60/40 Food/Alcohol Sales
Betsy Hodges Undecided Undecided Supports Supports
Mark Andrew Against Undecided Supports Supports
Don Samuels Supports Undecided Supports Supports
Cam Winton Supports Supports Supports Supports
Stephanie Woodruff Supports Supports Supports Supports
Jackie Cherryhomes Against Undecided Supports Supports

It is worth noting that according to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Mark Andrew tried to get a $1,000 donation from the Minnesota Beer Wholesalers Association PAC, but walked away with $500, the legal limit on contributions. Minnesota Beer Wholesalers Association has opposed recent beer reforms, including retail sales at brewpubs and Sunday sales.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/92858129″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

In addition to mayoral candidates, there is also a proposal to amend the Minneapolis city charter liquor-licensing provisions on the ballot. The proposed amendment would essentially “clean up” the language in the Minneapolis City Charter (i.e., the city constitution). The charter was written long ago, it uses language like “doth” instead of “do” and even references parts of the city government that no longer exist. The new language wouldn’t change any rules or regulations, it would make the existing regulations easier to for residents to understand.

2) “Shall the Minneapolis City Charter provisions relating to the sale of liquor and wine be amended by reorganizing and rewriting in plain modern language?”
Yes __________
No ___________

Existing Charter
Plain Language Charter and cover correspondence to City Council
Side-by-Side Comparisons
FAQs

As with any election, make sure you are registered, you know your polling location, and you’ve educated yourself on issues and candidates.

Special thanks to Jeremy Zoss and The Growler for doing a lot of leg work on this issue.

Newsfeed

Surly Brewing Company Breaks Ground on New “Destination Brewery”

Surly Brewing Co. broke ground today on its new $20-plus million “Destination Brewery.”

The development will allow Surly Brewing to expand beer production to 100,000 barrels of Minnesota craft beer every year. The brewery will also have a 300-person beer hall and beer garden, and feature a full-service restaurant and events center.

To kick things off, Omar Ansari, founder and president of Surly Brewing and his team invited local politicians, including Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and project stakeholders to speak about what the project means to the community.

“Today is an opportunity to thank our fans, the Twin Cities, the state, and all of our partners for their support,” said Ansari. “We’ve worked hard for the last two-and-a-half years to ensure that this brewery truly is a destination for all craft beer fans, and it’s placed perfectly in the center of the Metro right between Minneapolis and St. Paul. We’re looking forward to creating something really special that everyone will be able to enjoy by the end of next year.”


The new facility has been made possible by the support of craft beer lovers across the state, with the support of local politicians on every level.

“I’ve said it before and I’m happy to say it again, Minnesota Nice is about to get Surly. The City of Minneapolis and Surly Brewing have been great partners over the years,” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. “We rallied the voices of activists across the state together to pass the bill that allowed this project to move forward, then worked together to transform this formerly blighted site into a Destination Brewery and the next Minneapolis beer hot spot. Our partnership is a great example of small business and government working together to create good jobs in manufacturing, hospitality and tourism — and, let’s not forget, a really delicious local product.”

Once the speaking, thanking, and hand shaking was done and out of the way, local dignitaries joined Omar for the first of many pints in the new location.

Look for the the 8.3 acres of land at 520 Malcolm Avenue SE in Minneapolis to be finished around late 2014. It is close to major roads, bicycle routes and two stations on the Central Corridor light rail line. As a St. Paul resident, I’m glad to have their facility a little more centrally located, and near public transit. I’ll be crossing my fingers, hoping for Darkness Day at the new brewery.


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Dan Jensen Memorial Fund and Beer Release at Dangerous Man

If you have been involved in any aspect of the Minnesota beer culture you probably ran across Dan Jensen’s smiling face at some point. He was a bright guy and genuine joy to be around. Dan made this world a better place just by being in it. His countless hours of volunteering speaks volumes to his personality and character. We were lucky enough to have Dan help out on our website, and he was a relentless supporter of MN Beer Activists.
Dan Jensens Memorial Fund
The great people at Dangerous Man Brewing Company are tapping a beer in his memory this Friday and donating a portion of the sales to a memorial fund that will cover some of his end of life expenses. The beer will be on for a few week. If you are unable to make it to Dangerous Man, you may donate to the fund on the Dangerous Man site, or by clicking the link below.

Memorial Service: Sat. Nov. 9th. Canterbury Race Track Chapel. 1:00. Shakopee, MN

You left us way too soon. We love you and miss you, Dan.

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Newsfeed

Creating a Pumpkin Beer Tap

This post is probably a little late. Like most seasonal beers, pumpkin beer is being released earlier every year. It is a sad state of affairs, but I’m going soldier on and pretend that all is right in the world and Pumpkin beers have only just been released in the past few weeks.

Creating a pumpkin beer tap is a fun way to drink beer with friends, experiment with flavors, and be a hit at your next Halloween party.

Pumpkin Selection

Creating a Pumpkin Beer Tap1
Get a medium sized pumpkin that taller with a good flat bottom. A large gourd requires too much beer,  and the walls can be too thick. A small or lopsided pumpkin will move around when you try to open the tap, not ideal. If you can’t get your pumpkin to sit without tipping over, grab a knife and go to town on the bottom. Shave bits off the bottom until it is stable.

Carving

Creating a Pumpkin Beer Tap 2
This isn’t rocket science. Just make sure to get all the guts out. Nobody wants any of that shit in their beer. Scrape the sides really well.
Start your hole from INSIDE the pumpkin. Lay a small paring knife on the floor of pumpkin. Carefully, push it it through the side, and mark the out side where it comes out. Once you have your spot marked you can carve a small triangle from the outside. Give your knife a few spins in the triangle to round it out, making sure that your hole is smaller that the tap you will be using.

Tapping Your Pumpkin

Creating a Pumpkin Beer Tap 3
Screw your shank into the little hole you just created. You can tighten it from the inside with the nut, but if you carved the hole correctly you won’t have to. Your spigot doesn’t have to be a fancy chrome jobber. I have seen spouts from homebrew bottling buckets work perfectly as well. Just make sure it fits snugly.
I probably went a little overboard by screwing a small gourd on the top of the faucet. It looked great, but it didn’t function all that well. Oh well, if you are going over the top, you might as well go the all the way.

Drink


Throw the whole setup in your fridge for a few hours, let it get nice and cold. Grab the beer of your choice and fill’er up! I’ve used a few different brands/styles of pumpkin beer and found the stronger imperial/double beers seem to pull more of the pumpkin flavor from the fresh pumpkin. In any case, let the beer and pumpkin get to know each other for a good half hour before enjoying, let those flavors mingle. Once everyone is acquainted, pull the handle and immerse yourself in the fall flavors.
Creating a Pumpkin Beer Tap

Happy Halloween!