2012 has been a banner year for new breweries and expansion in Minnesota. Here’s a look at just a few of the new brewhouses that have popped up across the state and will be on parade at the Autumn Brew Review.

Badger Hill Brewing Company – Minnetonka, MN –  No. 25

While it was named through a rough translation of two brothers’ names in Old English, the first thing I think of when I hear the name “Badger Hill” is Brian Jacques’ Redwall series.

Anyone?

Given that it was one of my favorite series to read growing up, I’m hoping that the beers of Badger Hill will become fast favorites, as well. Based out of Minnetonka, MN, Badger Hill is wasting no time in bringing some of its favorite flavors to life. What will be pouring for us… an MSB (Minnesota Special Bitter) that is in the English Special Bitters style. This has a 5.7% ABV and a 47 IBU. It is also available in cask. It’s followed by Three Tree American Rye which is an American Rye with 5.2% ABV and 48 IBU.

Brainerd Lakes Brewing – Brainerd Lakes, MN – No. 12

I actually got to have my first Brainerd Lakes sample care of Zorbaz Crozz Lake in August. It’s one I’ll probably remember for a long while because when I asked about the First Pull IPA tap (I didn’t recognize it), a 40-year-old in a cream-colored sweater turned around and said, “It’s an IPA – that means India Pale Ale.”

Seriously, thank you for that educational tidbit sweater man.

And for those members of the group who missed it, all together now: IPA = India Pale Ale.

What will be pouring…First Pull IPA, which is styled as an American IPA with 6.75% ABV and 45 IBU; as well as One-Eyed Pike which is an American Wheat with 5.75% ABV and 18 IBU.

Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub – Minneapolis, MN – No. 6

According to the website, Northbound will be opening its physical location in the next week or so. That being said, get out your eatin’ pants because if there is one thing that beer drinkers love more than putting back a pint, it’s tearing into a platter of meat.

Just call it the modern-day version of the Paleo Diet.

While it won’t have any savories on offer (it’s cool, we can start a support group, I would be so simpatico with a meat tasting), Northbound is bringing us Big Jim IPA, which is an American IPA weighing in at 7.2% ABV and 92 IBU, as well as Wild Rice Amber, which tips the scale at 6.6% ABV and 43 IBU. Does this mean that Barley John’s Wild Brunette has some friendly competition? Maybe.

Pour Decisions Brewing Co. – Roseville, MN – No. 2

With the most Minnesotan of all debuts at the State Fair, those of us who did not get a chance to make it to the Land of 10,000 beers now have a chance to get in on the action as Pour Decisions will be joining us for the Autumn Brew Review this year!

Pour Decisions will be serving its inaugural brew, Pubstitute, with a 2.9% ABV and 12 IBU as well as its Patersbier which is modeled after a Monk’s Daily Ale with a 5.7% ABV and 41 IBU.

Glewwe’s Castle Brewery – Prior Lake, MN – No. 51

One of the things that always drives me bats about beer festivals is that sober participants have to pay. Does that mean I live in fear of the day I become pregnant and thus a designated driver? Absolutely.

But back to the sober participants. Yes, they pay a reduced cost with the understanding that they will not have the variety that non-sober participants do. But, I mean, come on! Can anyone over the age of 10 really drink Root Beer for four hours straight? Absolutely not. Unless you plan on ending up in some sort of diabetic coma. So, I think it’s really inappropriate to expect these folks to.

Glewwe’s Castle Brewery to the rescue!

To cut the heaviness of the classic Root Beer, it will be offering great sippers, including Mushtown Cream Soda, Mary Ann’s Ginger Ale and Swamp Angel Voodoo Black Cherry.  And if, somehow, you haven’t gotten your fill of Root Beer, its classic Spring Lake Root Beer will be on offer, as well.

Like I’ve said before, if you’re at the ABR and see me, let’s grab a taster and do a proper cheers! I’d love to meet as many of you as possible.

Cheers, and see y’all tomorrow!

Kat Magy has spent a lifetime in Minnesota with a love for beer, traveling Up North, sprinkles and running marathons. She also blogs at Tenaciously Yours, and you can follow her on Twitter @kljwm.

I remember my first Autumn Brew Review five years ago. What I really mean is that it was my first exposure to beer, that outside of some very basic better-than-average beer, was not Milwaukee’s Best. Beer that was not served on a piece of plywood covering a pool table, in a red solo cup or in a bro-filled bar.

I want you to close your eyes and imagine that.

Because it’s the beer drinker’s equivalent of being able to see in color for the first time. There were beers brewed with fruits and beers that tasted like coffee and beers that were sweet. Sour beers, session beers, beers that were the color of sunshine and beers the color of pumpernickel bread.

How far we have come since then.

I can comfortably say that at this year’s brew review, I don’t want to drink anything that I’ve consumed before. Not because I’m some sort of special snowflake, but precisely because the Twin Cities beer community has reached a point where we do have so many options. We don’t have to go far to drink good beer and we do not suffer for lack of variety.

So, for my Top 5 tasting choices (trying to narrow the number of beers on showcase at the Autumn Brew Review is somewhat of a joke), I decided to go with an all out-of-state lineup. We have an entire winter review dedicated to Minnesota breweries and their beers.

All beer descriptions are taken directly from the 2012 Autumn Brew Review Program.

Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY – Biere D’Hougoumont

Our limited edition Biere’d’Hougoumont is brewed with traditional French ale yeast, eight malts, French Strisselspalt hops and aged on white oak and hard maple wooden staves.
ABV: 7.3% IBU: 20 Style: Biere de Garde Serving Type: Draft

If I had to choose a favorite beer of the summer, it would have to be Ommegang’s Gnomegang. Partially because the keg at Devil’s Advocate blew immediately after we tasted it and came to the realization that we could drink no other, and partially because when we finally did find it at Grumpy’s it was served to us in pint glasses. Glory be. All of that talk about another beer aside, I’m never disappointed by Ommegang’s beers. Ever. And truly, I’ve never heard of Strisselspalt hops (my job here is not The Expert), so I definitely want in on that party. Plus, I’m a fan of oak. In wine, in beer, period.

Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, CO – Reverend

This beer is strong-willed, assertive, and pure of heart, a heart of candy sugar. It contains as many authentic imported Belgian specialty malts as the brewers could cram into our mash tun, and lots of Belgian dark candy sugar stirred into the brew kettle. A divinely complex and beautifully layered beer with hints of dark cherries, currants, and molasses, complemented by an underlying spiciness.
ABV: 10% IBU:– Style:– Serving Type: Draft

I want to say that my first introduction to Avery was a bottle of its White Rascal earlier this spring. Opposites attract, so Reverent was a logical second date. After running over the description, I’m not sure whether or not this is going to be a big-boned Belgian-arrangement or something so sweet that it will make me want to answer the phone saying, Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color? Truly, I can’t wait to take a whiff of this.

Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI

Le Pianiste
The second in a three-part series of jazz-inspired interpretations on the French Biere de Garde style, Le Pianiste starts as a malt forward beer, combining biscuity, breadcrust notes with a light caramel flavor. Noticeably dry, the finish is crisp with a lively, refreshing acidity.
ABV: 5.8% IBU: 20 Style: Biere de Garde Serving Type: Draft

Black Note
One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell’s history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso & dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at stout and bourbon afficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.  Will be tapped at 3 PM.
ABV: 11.5% IBU: — Style: Stout aged in bbls Serving Type: Draft

I know. I KNOW. I cheated! But here’s the reality: while Black Note is the beer I want to taste probably the most of all, it’s being tapped at…3:00 PM. While it is my intention to be mentally present and able to behave myself at 3:00 PM, we all know that it’s best not to make promises we may or may not actually be able to keep. Thus, I solemnly swear to you all that if I taste Black Note at the Autumn Brew Review (or at the Uptown Bulldog’s tap takeover), I will give you the rundown.

In the meantime, Le Pianiste. We’ll call this a lovely intermission because it’s only hitting 5.8% on the ABV scale, which relative to the rest of my top picks, is extremely light in comparison. Hell, after going through the rest of the program, it’s lighter than a significant number of the beers on offer. And I thought it would be nice to be able to contrast two beers in the Biere de Garde Style (the other being Ommegang’s Biere’d’Hougoumont). Sign me up. I could use a little bit of “refreshing acidity” in my life to cut through the other beers we’ll be sampling.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Portland, OR – Old Embalmer ‘12

Old Embalmer Barleywine is great upon release, but true to its name, will have a perfect place in the cellar. Brewed with copious amounts of malts, this year’s version features Bravo hops that lend earthy and floral qualities for a brilliant balance & velvety finish.
ABV: 10.2% IBU: 75 Style: Barleywine Serving Type: Draft

Barleywine. Oh, barleywine. Can I confess for a moment? Barleywine had never passed my lips until last autumn. Now, we have a basement stash of it. Was it in the 90s this week? Yes. Does barleywine make me wish for winter? Also, yes. None of this matters, really. And for something that has nothing to do with the actual beer, it’s called Old Embalmer. I rarely pick beers for their names, but this is just too spooky not to.

Tallgrass Brewing Company, Manhattan, KS – Velvet Rooster

Our take on a Belgian-style Tripel. Clean and crisp, with subtle fruit notes and a touch of candy like sweetness. The beer has a Champagne-like effervescent that provides a crisp offset to its sweet finish.
ABV: 8.5% IBU: 33 Style: Belgian-Style Tripel Serving Type: Cans

Dear Surly, thank you for teaching us that good things can come out of cans. Fact: that I chose a can of something when I could choose a keg of something else may rank amongst my best decisions of the day, or the worst. The jury is still out, but I’m hoping that Tallgrass’ Canifesto (seriously) holds. From a general beverage perspective, I will openly confess that I have a deep and abiding love for champagne and club soda. I also love a good Tripel. So this just sounds like a treat.

Like I’ve said before, if you’re at ABR and see me, let’s grab a taster and do a proper cheers!
I’d love to meet as many of you as possible.

And until then, cheers!

Kat Magy has spent a lifetime in Minnesota with a love for beer, traveling Up North, sprinkles and running marathons. She also blogs at Tenaciously Yours, and you can follow her on Twitter @kljwm.

In the spirit of Nation Celiac Awareness Day, here is a chat with Widmer Brothers Co-Founder, Rob Widmer, about one of its beers, a gluten free brew named Omission.

Veiled in a cloak of mystery and ambiguity, the new beer from Minnetonka’s Lucid Brewing, Foto, is a big beer not for the faint of heart. At first glance, it looks and smells like an unassuming, juicy IPA, but that’s where Lucid throws us all a head-fake and starts playing with us.

When poured, Foto leaves a finger-thick head that falls quickly into a golden amber body. The aroma is very citrusy over a bright hop overtone, but also very sweet with a touch of caramel. It’s clean, barely allowing a slight touch of pine to poke through.

Once tasted, the fun begins.

The first impression is a bit of an anomaly; it starts off incredibly bitter, but quickly gives way to a rich sweetness that fades into the malt backbone. From there, it balances and finishes off remarkably clean, leaving an interesting aftertaste of spice and grapefruit tones interacting.

The interesting part is the moutheel, as Foto is so thick and syrupy that it almost comes off as a really big IPA, but it clocks in at a moderate 6.5% ABV. Its overall taste is so big and busy that you would swear it’s stronger, but it’s not. Chalk it up to the generous flavoring of cascade, centennial, and zythos hops.

Foto is a beer that commands respect, one that borders confrontational. It is an IPA with way more going on than would be expected, and isn’t nearly as strong as the taste would suggest. It looks and smells incredibly sweet and innocent, yet tastes bitter and bold. The best part is that none of these things are at all a bad thing – they just speak to the fun irony embodied by Foto.

For those attending this year’s Autumn Brew Review, be sure to stop by the Lucid Brewing booth. They’ll have Foto and a few other anniversary beers available for sampling, which will be three kegs of its Belgian Saison; one made with Pinot Noir wine must, one with a Gewurztraminer must, and one with Zinfandel must.

We had a chance to interview Tim Nelson, co-owner of Fitger’s Brewhouse in Duluth.  Be sure to

stop by the Fitger’s booth at Autumn Brew Review on Saturday.  They will be sampling several amazing craft beers:

Just like I promised last week, Minnesota Beer Month starts now!

Which is actually kind of fitting, I think, because on Saturday we will be observing Christmas in September aka The Autumn Brew Review. Can you believe it? Because I can’t. I feel like it was just yesterday that we were queuing up in the virtual version of a charge scene from Braveheart.  Or Best Buy on The Day After Thanksgiving. Your call.

Sidenote: If you see me at the brew review, please come say, “Hi,” and let’s have a cheers, okay?

For this week’s tasting, Marcus and I are joined by Jillian, who is a forever friend.

I figured it would be nice to get another lady’s perspective, right? Right.

Today, we’re travelling across the state to Lift Bridge Brewery in Stillwater, Finnegans in Minneapolis and Brau Brothers Brewing Co in Lucan.

Can I just beg you all this once to ignore the amount of head going on here?  Let’s just say that it was a MAJOR flashback to the Kat Can’t Pour Beer College Days Of Old.

Lift Bridge Farm Girl Saison

Lift Bridge highlights the beer’s dry malt finish and spiciness that only Belgian yeasts can create.  Smooth and well-rounded…

Kat: I’m looking at a golden honey color and a really warm scent. Inviting. On first taste, there’s a lingering effervescence. A honey flavor carries throughout. I get more of a warmth from this beer than one would expect for something that goes for a citrus fruit taste with the orange peel. More orange stuffed with cloves at Christmas time and less morning glass of juice.

Marcus: This beer has a nice golden color, and smells very fruity. When I taste it, I get a little banana. I don’t think that the aftertaste really lingers. Sometimes, I want a little bit more at the end, but in this case, it makes me want to drink more of it. Very good for warm days.

Jillian: On first glance it has a wheat/honey tone. I think the scent is light and almost honey-ish as well. This Saison isn’t very heavy to drink, not that any of them are. The carbonation hits you right away. Very present. I think the texture and mouthfeel of the beer almost adds to the spiciness of it.

Finnegans Irish Amber

Finnegans writes that this brew is a fully-flavored, medium-bodied ale with a creamy, malty finish.

Kat: What to say…It’s an amber beer that comes off as light chestnut-colored. I practically have to stick my nose into the beer to get a real whiff of anything. We’ll call that…neutral. It’s really easy to drink and hits directly on the middle of my palate. I almost want to describe it as being a little bit chewy.  

Marcus: Light amber. It smells musty to me. You get a hit of maltiness after the initial sip. The taste really sticks to the top of my mouth instead of rolling to the sides of my tongue. I can’t say that about most beers.

Jillian: This is definitely amber. I’d even go so far as to say that you could describe the coloring as tangerine. The straight ale flavor developed over time for me, which is good because I didn’t find the nose to be especially pleasing. It’s much more full-bodied than I was expecting. Very Irish.

Brau Brothers The Ring Neck Braun Ale

Brau Brothers describes its creation as “biscuity, toasty, awesome-y malt goodness.” It then goes on to give a sip-by-sip flavor profile, so, if you want to know more than the first sip (or our opinions), you should head on over to the website.

Kat: This looks thick to me, like molasses. I say this in comparison to the other beers we tasted today and not in comparison to a line-up of, say, other darker beers. There’s a  definite coffee/chocolate smell. The taste is very true to scent, and I get that sort of acrid, dark burnt-caramel taste throughout. I find there are more bubbles to this than I would expect for a beer with this flavor profile. It really lightens the beer up in an unexpected way.

Marcus: You can tell from the bottom of the glass that it’s a brown beer, not black or anything near that. I think it has a sweet, malty smell that almost reads as caramel. It tastes much lighter to me than it smells or looks. The malty taste lingers and definitely builds progressively.

Jillian: It looks dark to me and smells dark to me so I’m not surprised when it has a really warm malt flavor right away. The most overwhelming flavor in this beer is a sort-of bitter caramel. It’s not overpowering by any means. If I was a big dark beer drinker (on the whole I enjoy lighter beers more), I could drink this in a more regular rotation. It goes down too easily for what I was expecting when I first picked up the glass.

Our Preferences…

Marcus and Jillian

1. Lift Bridge Farm Girl Saison

2. Brau Brothers The Ring Neck Braun Ale

3. Finnegans Irish Amber

Kat

1. Brau Brothers The Ring Neck Braun Ale

2. Lift Bridge Farm Girl Saison

3. Finnegans Irish Amber

Kat Magy has spent a lifetime in Minnesota with a love for beer, traveling Up North, sprinkles and running marathons. She also blogs at Tenaciously Yours, and you can follow her on Twitter @kljwm.

Windward Farm has fresh hops picking!

All the hops you pick for $3 per 5 quart pail, which dries down to just over an ounce

Want a quantity? They will make a deal! 

All the hops on Windward Farm are naturally fertilized with manure from some of the finest horses in the country.

Picking is by appointment – Call 612-616-5043 to schedule your appointment

Windward Farm Hops 

Lucid Brewing, LLC has signed a distribution agreement with Original Gravity, a network of locally-

 owned craft distributors to bring their beer portfolio to the Twin Cities and surrounding suburban market. On & off premise retailers in the state of Minnesota are now able to order and serve Lucid Brewing Company’s draft & bottled beer selections.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Original Gravity for distribution,” said co-owner Jon Messier. “Together, we’re ready to grow the Minnesota craft beer scene and to continue to create new options for beer lovers in and around the Twin Cities.”

“We have had a lot of interest in Lucid Brewing and so have our customers,” says Original Gravity’s Hans Hanszee” Lofgren. “We are extremely happy to be adding a local brand to our craft beer portfolio!”

Distribution which began this spring with Thorpe Distributors has grown significantly with the signing of the additional Original Gravity distribution group members, Capitol Beverage, C&L Distributors, and College City Distribution. The total coverage for distribution now extends from St. Cloud and Brainerd Lakes, to Stillwater and as far south as Owatonna.