Surly Brewing Company’s longtime Head of Brewing Operations, Todd Haug, has resigned his position at the iconic Minnesota brewery.
“I’d like to thank our family, friends, and fans – Surly Nation – for always believing in our vision. It never gets old to hear people tell you how much they enjoy your beer. Omar and I set out with the modest goal to build a brewery so we could create a different kind of craft beer – the kind we wanted to drink – and I think we achieved that.”
Todd has a great reputation in the brewing industry. During his time at Surly he collaborated on beers with several other brewers, won numerous awards, kept true to his style-bending way of brewing. Not to mention the fact that he scaled up Surly’s brewing operations from a small facility in Brooklyn Center to the behemoth “Destination Brewery” that now exists in Minneapolis.
Omar Ansari, Founder and President of Surly Brewing says, “Todd has been an incredibly influential part of Surly since the beginning and was instrumental in building the brewery from the ground up, often with his own two hands; brewing, welding, making connections and forming collaborations to establish the irreverent brand it is today. His talent is undeniable, and he will always be a huge part of who we are. He will be missed.”
According to a release from Surly Brewery, Todd is stepping down from his role to pursue other opportunities in the brewing industry. However, he feels the brewery is very capable hands.
“I leave my brewhouses in the extremely capable hands of our co-lead brewers and the innovative brewing team we’ve mentored together. I eagerly look forward to seeing what the next generation of Surly brewers will create,” says Haug. “This is an opportunity for them to take the torch and continue the legacy we’ve been building for 10 years now.”
The anticipation of getting on a plane to Denver, Colorado, to pour four beers we brewed in Rochester, Minnesota, was substantial. Three GRBC staff members and two volunteers left the day before the festival began. We hit the ground running in Denver. First order of business – picking up festival badges for the team. The GABF volunteers emphasized again that the badges are not replaceable (at all – lose them and you don’t get back in). That’s a lot of pressure for an event with 3 days of unlimited samples of some of the best beer in the country. But we did it!
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The Great American Beer Festival hosted the brewer’s gathering the night before the event begins at Hard Rock Café – a blocked-off VIP area with nibbles and beer flowing and rock stars of the beer world in all their hoodies and bearded glory.
Photo courtesy of Grand Rounds Brewing Co
Thursday morning, our crew headed to Snooze in the Union Station for breakfast, but so did everyone else, and a 1.5 wait time led us to Mercantile – no wait, coffee, bloody marys, bahn mi sandwiches. Great way to start the day. We headed to the convention center to get our bearings and check out our booth in the Brewpub Pavilion. Impressive to see the number of volunteers and organizers – 3600 in all.Have to say, it does feel very rock-staresque walking past the queue with your brewer’s pass.
If you tasted 2 new beers 365 days/yr, it would take ~10 YEARS for you to try all the beers entered at #GABF#gabf2016
The Brewpub Pavilion was made up of 24 brewpubs from across the country, including our friends from Town Hall Brewery in Minneapolis. You find out you’ve won the lottery to pour at the fest in the summer, and in early September, they ship you empty kegs from Microstar. You fill the kegs, and the Minnesota Brewer’s Guild coordinates a cold storage truck to drive all the Minnesota beer to Colorado. Surly Brewing was nice enough to coordinate pickup and storage – cheers! Each keg is carefully labeled, and you find out later how this helps keep things running smoothly. The Brewpub Pavilion is smack dab in the center of the action – great location with high visibility and plenty of traffic. Behind the scenes, there are multiple five-gallon buckets and a series of PVC pipes supporting taps and gas lines (with quick disconnects that are linked in series to the “mothership” CO2 tank for the Brewpub pavilion).Everyone has the exact same set up. It’s an intricate, finely tuned system of buckets, PVC and hoses. By the time we return at 4:30, the kegs were in the buckets full of ice. It’s almost too good to be true – no jockey boxes, no kegs to lug around, no lines to clean. Slick.
Photo courtesy of Grand Rounds Brewing Co
All five of us were milling around behind the counter prior to the flood gates opening. Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head, casually walks by. Legend. It’s too exciting to stand around, so a couple stay behind to take the first shift at the booth and everyone else tries to get the lay of the land and see where our favorites are. The taps absolutely do not get turned on until 5:30, but there were a couple of shops that were pouring from bottles that had lines forming and no one slapping their wrists. (Rare Barrel, Lost Abbey, and a few other top notch samples were had pre-game). There were already lines forming made up of industry people and volunteers, and it’s not difficult to see why breweries like Funky Buddha had poured their limit by 7:30 (event ended at 10:30).
Photo courtesy of Grand Rounds Brewing Co
The next two days were more of the same. We did get to visit a few Denver breweries – Hogshead Brewery which specializes in cask-conditioned beer, with t-shirts that read F@#K CO2. The beer was not only great but for us brewing folks it was free! – thanks to our friends at Five Star that were sponsoring this “work “event. At Hogshead we bumped into our friends at Fair State Brewing Coop also busy “working”. We also visited Call to Arms Brewing – fantastic beer, great beer names, and taproom. But alas we felt the calling from the convention center and had to head back to downtown Denver to do what we came to do: pour beer (and drink a little!).
Photo courtesy of Grand Rounds Brewing Co
The final day of the Great American beer Fest culminates in the amazing three-hour ceremony and presentation of medals for the ultimate beer competition in the United States. This is the Oscars of the beer world, where the Brewers and brewing staff are recognized for their efforts and get to jump up on stage and celebrate with not only a medal around their necks but a fist pump from the beer god and originator of the Great American beer Fest – Charlie Papazian. It’s an amazing spectacle.
It’s not quite as straightforward as you would think. Entering beers in this particular competition, with almost 100 categories of beer, you better make sure you know where your beer belongs and is it true to the style guidelines. We submitted four of our own beers, and although we didn’t win a medal we are looking forward to getting some constructive feedback and we’re very excited for our fellow Minnesota breweries who did win medals and made our state proud.
A video posted by Minnesota Beer Activists (@mnbeeractivists) on
I love brewing beer . Brewing beer is hard work. Three days at GABF makes it all worth it. Brewing is not a glamorous job. Manual labor and long hours, a lot of time spent cleaning in a hot brew house and cold room. You’re sweaty, you’re dirty, you’re tired. Having people taste the beer you make and smile makes you keep going. The three days at GABF are about as glamorous as the beer world gets. You can take all your beer books and have them signed by the authors who penned their expertise on brewing, yeast, hops, water etc ! You can chat with and get your picture taken with the rock stars of the beer world! You get a backstage pass to an event that 60,000 people rush online to get tickets for, travel from all over the country for, and stand in queues for lengths of time to get in for. Having a line in front of our booth and actually running out of 2 of our beers at all sessions was a pretty amazing feeling.
Another consistent feeling throughout all of the festival is one of amazing camaraderie amongst brewers and brewery staff. There is an intense love for this craft, which is making beer. Everyone is willing to share information and help each other out. It’s an amazing feeling and it truly is an amazing beer festival. I hope to make it back next year, and the year after, and the year after….
An East Coast favorite will soon be available in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Massachusetts-based Harpoon Brewery is partnering with J.J. Taylor Distributing Company, bringing the New England-brewed beer to the Twin Cities.
Known for its Harpoon IPA, Minnesota is the first new state in eight years for Harpoon Brewery to expand to.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled about bringing our beer to Minnesota,” said Harpoon CEO and co-founder Dan Kenary. “There’s a fantastic craft beer scene here, and we’re excited to add some New England flavor to it. Drinking beer in the Twin Cities and the north woods over the years, I’ve seen that there are many like-minded beer drinkers out here, who love beer and love life like we do.”
Harpoon Winter Warmer and a new year-round golden ale, called Harpoon Sweet Spot, are also expected to enter the market, according to the company. The brewery will also kick winter into high gear with its seasonal ‘Tis the Seasonal Winter Mix, which includes the aforementioned beers and its Vanilla Bean Porter.
J.J. Taylor is happy to add to its offerings.
“We are excited to expand our outstanding portfolio with the world class beers from Harpoon Brewery,” stated Chris Morton, President of J.J. Taylor Distributing Company of MN, Inc. “We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”
Beverage Business Insights is reporting that Minnesota-based homebrewing company Northern Brewer / Midwest Supplies seems to have been acquired by ZX Ventures, a global incubator and venture capital arm of AB InBev.
A media request to Northern Brewer earlier this week did not yield much insight into the situation other than a reply saying that “…they are always looking to explore ways to grow Northern Brewer and the homebrew supply market…:
ZX Ventures is a little less mum about their deal with one of the largest homebrewing retailers in the country.
The group “is pleased to share we have partnered with Northern Brewer. The team there shares our passion for brewing and commitment to the best ingredients,” ZX’s Global VP of Homebrewing Cassiano Hissnauer said in a statement to Craft Brew News. “ZX Ventures is excited to enter the homebrew space to help Northern Brewer to grow,” he added, as the 20-yr old homebrewing supply retailer “has built an extraordinary network and community of homebrewers.”
UPDATE:
Northern Brewer founder, Chris Farley, posted on their blog regarding the rumors of acquisition or partnership with ZX Ventures. Farley states the deal is about providing growth and opportunities, and making sure they give “consumers with exceptional beer experiences, anytime, anywhere.”
Many of you have seen the news that we’ve closed a deal to be acquired by ZX Ventures, the global Disruptive Growth Unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev.
I’ll admit, we didn’t share this with you the way we should and for that, I apologize. I think this is a really important moment in our company’s history and an important moment in our shared passion for brewing great beer. Let me tell you what that means.
First, nothing will fundamentally change as the result of this deal. Our entire leadership team will remain intact and our company will continue to be independent. Our staff of dedicated employees will continue to serve our customers and help our industry innovate. Our culture will remain as it is today: vibrant, energetic, fair and dedicated to our mission and to you.
Would your shopping habits change if your local homebrew shop was owned by AB InBev? What do you think of the merger? Let us know in the comments section.
The measure to extend the hours of operation to 10pm Mon-Sat was passed by the City Council with a vote of 5-0.
Of course, there were some naysayers. Jim Thomas, of Thomas Liquors, was opposed, as were owners of Park Liquor, and 1st Grand Liquor. But, owners of Selby Wine and Spirits, Christine Liquors, and MGM Liquors were all in support of the change.
The proposal met with opposition from a handful of mom-and-pop retailers, worried about the additional expense of adding night staffing.
But an overwhelming number of letters and emails to city offices, however, supported the change. Pioneer Press – October 12, 2016
Several Saint Paul brewers supported the extension in business hours. Wabasha Brewing gathered a petition with an impressive number of signatures. After the law goes into effect (30-days from October 12th) Saint Paul brewers will be able to sell growlers of fresh locally made craft beer until 10pm.
Of course, neither brewers or liquor stores will be forced to stay open later, but now they have the option.
Five Minnesota Craft Breweries Earn Medals at Great American Beer Festival
Five Minnesota craft breweries were recently honored at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in Denver — the nation’s premier beer festival and competition. These hometown heavy hitters held their own against 7,227 beer entries from 1,752 breweries nationwide.
Fan favorites and cornerstones of Minnesota beer culture, Summit Brewing and Surly Brewing brought home gold medals this year. Bemidji Brewing, Jack Pine Brewery, and first-year entrant Roundhouse Brewery took home bronze medals for their yeoman’s efforts.
Minnesota breweries earning gold medals
• Summit Brewing Co. (St. Paul), “Extra Pale Ale” — Classic English-Style Pale Ale (38 entries)
• Bemidji Brewing Co. (Bemidji), “German Blonde Ale” — Golden or Blonde Ale (115 Entries)
• Jack Pine Brewery (Baxter), “Vengeance! Jalapeno Cream Ale” — Chili Beer (112 entries)
• Roundhouse Brewery (Brainerd), “Runaround Rye Ale” — Rye Beer (81 entries)
“It has become a tradition for Minnesota breweries to be honored at this prestigious competition,” says Tom Whisenand, President of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “This recognition reinforces that Minnesota is a great state for beer. Minnesotans can be proud of these local businesses that are representing their communities.”
Other Recent Minnesota GABF winners
Minnesota 2015 GABF Medalists:
August Schell Brewing Co. (New Ulm), Bemidji Bewing Company (Bemidji), Bent Paddle Brewing Co. (Duluth), Fitger’s Brewhouse (Duluth), Fulton Brewng (Minneapolis), Mankato Brewery (Mankato), Steel Toe Brewing (St. Louis Park).
Minnesota 2014 GABF Medalists:
Badger Hill Brewing (Shakopee), Bent Paddle Brewing Co. (Duluth), Indeed Brewing (Minneapolis), Steel Toe Brewing (St. Louis Park), Summit Brewing Co. (St. Paul) and Town Hall Brewery (Minneapolis).
This month, Lake Monster Brewing begins selling it’s beer in 12 oz cans in stores around the Twin Cities. The St. Paul brewery was using 12 oz glass bottles to distribute their mythically inspired brews Empty Rowboat IPA and Calhoun Claw Pilsener. To celebrate, they’re adding two more taproom favorites to their year-round lineup; those being the Last Fathom Dark Lager and Buddy Check Session IPA. The move also brings all the production of both Lake Monster’s packaged and draft product to their St. Paul facility in the fast-growing brewery scene on the Minneapolis/St. Paul area around the Green Line.
Image provided by Lake Monster Brewing
Following not only a local but national trend to start canning, Lake Monster joins the ranks of a growing movement to take back the idea that only mass-produced, low-quality beers can be found in cans. “It has been in our plans since the beginning to start canning beer here in St. Paul,” says Lake Monster Founder and Brewmaster Matt Lange. “I’m very excited to add the Session IPA and Dark Lager to our packaged product line and get these beers that have been popular in the taproom out to consumers across the Twin Cities.”
“It has been in our plans since the beginning to start canning beer here in St. Paul,” says Lake Monster Brewing Founder and Brewmaster Matt Lange
Last Fathom Dark Lager is based on a traditional Munich-Style Dunkel with a Minnesota twist; Wild Rice is added to the grain bill to add an earthy, nutty flavor to the malt forward beer. Buddy Check Session IPA is a lower alcohol version of the popular hop-forward American Ale. Brewed with bold Chinook and Amarillo hops but clocking in at only 4.5% abv, Buddy Check has all the flavor of an IPA in a smaller package. These new beers will join the flagship Empty Rowboat IPA and Calhoun Claw Pilsener as Lake Monster’s year-round canned beer offerings. You can find all these beers in their taproom in St. Paul right now and on shelves this month in cans.
In an effort to create even more buzz and knowledge around one of the hottest beers in the country this year Surly is hosting Paint the Town Black. The rolling release event will build up to the release of Surly Darkness in bars all across Surly’s 7 state distribution area. Leading up to the release of Darkness are two other Surly beers; Furious Black, and Damien. Yes, if you hadn’t already guessed, they are black. The beers will come to market as a rolling release during the month of October. Appearances of some other dark favorites including Four, Nein, Ten, and Pentagram have been promised as well. Find your nearest location here.
Furious Black
This is the first time to catch Furious Black, first introduced at Darkness Day last year, and Damien outside of going to Darkness Day which will behold as the Brooklyn Center brewery on October 15th. Although in the same place as all previous Darkness Days this one is a week earlier on the calendar.
Furious Black’s name came by way of Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black, the misunderstood wizard always on the run. There’s nothing to be confused with this brew. Brewer Jerrod Johnson states that this is 95% Furious. The only addition being the roasted malts to add the black color and roasted, slightly chocolate quality.
Photo Credit: Aaron Konigsmark
Damien – Child of Darkness
Following Furious Black is the release of Damien. Always a crowd favorite at Darkness Day consumers will not only be able to find it on draft but bottles are hitting all markets starting on October 3rd in 750 ML bottles. This child of Darkness is a “small beer” created in the Parti-Gyle style of brewing. Damien comes to life as the second runnings all the rich malts that made Darkness. The addition of dry hopping makes this American Black Ale a refreshing palette cleanser when compared to its parentage.
The star of the rolling release is, of course, Darkness. This Russian Imperial Stout has all its usual characteristic notes, raisins, chocolate, slightly boozy rum taste all finished off with some hop heat to bring warmth to us all. The folks that chase rare beers (aka whales, or white whales) might be happy to know that 2016’s version of Surly’s wet hopped IPA beauty Wet was sacrificed on the altar of Darkness to make space on the brewing schedule and bring more Darkness to us all. 750 ML bottles will start hitting distribution starting Oct 17th. But you should be able to find it on draft at bars hosting the Paint the Town Black event after the 17th.
