Bartley Blume, owner and operator of Bent Brewstillery talks about the upcoming launch parties at Grumpy’s and Stout’s, the beers, the booze, and the future of Bent Brewstillery.
Ward 6 Anniversary Week
It seems like it was just yesterday when Dave was writing about Ward 6 as the newest craft beer bar in town. Now, nearly a year later Ward 6 is still going strong.
A lone craft beer outpost on St. Paul’s rockin’ east side, Ward 6 proves that a pub focusing craft beer and hand made food can fit in just about anywhere, even Payne Avenue. I’m actually a really big fan of breakfast at Ward 6. There is no better way to start the day than by downing a healthy portion of savory bread pudding and chasing with a caffè latte. That’s right, fancy coffee. And, if you are heading heading to Ward 6 for lunch the charcuterie simply can’t missed.
To celebrate a year of successful operations Ward 6 is throwing down all week. They will host a special beer event each day this week, and an anniversary party on Saturday. The party will be attended by Mayor Coleman and Mark Stutrud from Summit Brewing. Beer will include a Summit firkin, Summit Rebellion Stout. There will be live music, free food, a bonfire outback, and more. There will be drawings and giveaways on Saturday, just swing by and get a passport, the more stamps on your passport the more chances you will have to win.
Congratulations on a great first year!
Chop and Brew Launches Online Superstore
Former news guy, former Northern Brewer guy, current Summit Brewing guy Chip Walton’s latest project, Chop and Brew, is picking up steam. For almost a year Chip has been taking the format he pioneered at Brewing TV and expanding it, making it better.
The Chop and Brew web show is focused on cooking and home brewing. With a rotating cast of friends Chip has covered some great topics, from makin’ bacon to washing yeast. The show is only going to get better, too. In an upcoming episode Chip travels to Austin, TX to film home brewing die-hard, P. Berry, brew his 1000th batch.
As a way to include fans of the show, and help fund further adventures like the P. Berry saga, Chip is launching the Chop and Brew Superstore. Ok, it only has t-shirts so far, but he has plans to expand it in the future with stickers, and possibly some brewing and chopping swag.
Below: A video we shot a while back when Chop and Brew was just getting off the ground.
Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Seasonal Six Pack Returns
The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Seasonal Six Pack Returns! The MN Craft brewers Guild is offering Minnesota craft beer fans a Seasonal Six Pack, a pair of tickets to all three Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild events throughout 2014: Winterfest, All Pints North and Autumn Brew Review. For $300 (+ticketing fees), you score a pair of tickets to each of the Guild’s extremely popular annual beer events before they even go on sale. Seasonal Six Packs go on sale Monday, December 2 at noon CT.
(Ticket purchase link will be available on the guild website – www.mncraftbrew.org) or by clicking the banner above.
The benefits of this pack: no need for multiple ticket site log-ins, no waiting, no fear of missing out on tickets that often sell out in seconds during the general on-sale. There are only a limited amount of these ticket packs, so act fast on December 2. You can plan ahead, line up your entire year of 2014 Guild beer festivals, then sit back and relax. And the Seasonal Six Pack makes a great holiday gift.
If the entire six pack is just too much for your paycheck to handle you can still buy your MN Craft Brewers Guild festival tickets à la carte. You first chance to buy individual tickets will be for Winterfest, on Monday, December 16, at noon. In its 13th year, this Minnesota member breweries-only, upscale event sets the tone for the year. This festival is arguably the best festival in the state of Minnesota. It allows local craft beer lovers to warm up with winter styles and meet the brewers who brew them. Ticket purchase link will be available on the Guild Website.
Winterfest
This annual festival is solely devoted to guild member breweries and brewpubs, it does not include contract brewers. The upscale event showcases the great beers brewed in this state, and a classy crowd mixed with brewer conversations and hearty food balances the seasonal beers that are hallmarks of Winterfest. The crème de la crème festival is changing venues in 2014. Minnesota craft brewers have simply outgrown their old space at the History Center. Winterfest’s new home will be at Union Depot, in St. Paul, MN. The new venue will allow for a better fest experience with everyone still able to rub elbows, but allow for a bit of breathing room. The event will have the intimate setting everyone enjoys, but with more brewers.
Date: Friday, January 31, 2014
Time: 7 – 10 pm
All Pints North
Join the brewers of Minnesota and some of their favorite out of state breweries by the sunny shores of Lake Superior at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth for this growing festival and celebrate craft beer 2 oz at a time! All Pints North Summer Brew Fest will feature beer from breweries around the region, live music and tasty food in an iconic setting. This festival is quickly growing and probably the best location for any beer festival, ever.
Date: Saturday, July 26, 2014
Time: 3 – 7 pm
Autumn Brew Review
This annual outdoor fall festival is one of the biggest beer festivals in the state, with 100+ breweries from all over the U.S. entertaining and educating 3,000 attendees on the great craft beer brewed in this state and beyond. ABR also has live music and food trucks to enhance the lively atmosphere brought by attendees at this Minneapolis favorite.
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2014
Time: 1 – 5 pm
**All times subject to change**
Reviewbicle: Thanksgiving Special
Beer Reviewbicle: Thanksgiving Special
November 2013
Dan Belfry and Jon Buck
Well it is that time of year when leaves start to turn colors, the air gets cooler, ugly sweater party invites start to materialize, and also when the elusive Turduckin appears from the woods and ends up on your dining room table. To celebrate such a festive season without beer would be unheard of. We’d like to pull together a list of beers that we think will add to your family’s celebration, your enjoyment of your family, and the seasonal meal we hope you all share together.
Knowing that everyone has their own unique culinary traditions we have stuck to some very traditional and stereotypical offerings to make our suggestions. Hopefully you can use these as a starting point and apply as needed to fit in your own celebration of thanks. We’ve also tried to keep this list as local as possible, to show support of our awesome MN craft beer scene.
APPETIZERS:
Can range from cheese and crackers, to meatballs, to egg rolls. This pairing, having such a wide degree of accompanying foods, we think would be best to pair according to flexibility and neutrality. We wanted to suggest some things that are, easy drinking, and have a well-rounded character that would go with any and all of the apps out on your table. Plus you’ve got a whole day of eating and drinking ahead of you at this point. Think marathon.
Schell’s Pils – Crisp and grassy, tastes of biscuit, and hints of lemon citrus. Serves as a great back-drop and palette cleanser for a wide variety of pre-meal treats
Lift Bridge Farm Girl – Heavier on the grassy – grainy flavors, and citrus notes but still a good sharp cleanliness and healthy dose of refreshing. This is a versatile Saison as it is not too aggressive in its’ funk or yeast flavors.
FIRST COURSE:
Assuming a salad of some variety, perhaps some mixed greens with some candied nuts and strong cheese such as a bleu or goat. Maybe arugula topped with prosciutto and parmesan. Perhaps something with fruit, strawberries or raspberries and a vinaigrette. All sound lovely and offer different pairing opportunities to kick things off while sitting around the table.
For the nutty/cheese salad:
Odell 90 Shilling – This scotch ale offers a sweet and malty character with a lot of depth and the rich flavor would hold up well to a strong cheese.
Surly Furious – The resinous and fruity character of the hops and bready malts will do wonders with the strong cheese and will stand-up to the all nuttiness this salad can throw at it. Plus it’s a hometown favorite, how can you go wrong?
For the Fruity tart salad:
Indeed Day Tripper – The crisp clean character and friendly presence of hops will balance with acidity and complement the fruits. It will also hold its’ own with some milder cheeses.
MAIN COURSE:
Ah here we are! The main course, likely a smorgasbord of Turkey, gravy, cranberries, mashed potatoes, au gratin potatoes, stuffing, and the infamous green bean casserole. Plus many others, the common element here is most of these things are savory and/or salty in character. They are rich and strong flavors plus you’ve made it to the main event so time to indulge in some stronger and layered beers to match the food before you.
Summit Biere de Garde – With a strong malt profile, amazing biscuit flavors, hints of caramel and faint inklings of cherries this is a well-rounded and wonderful pairing to your main course. Plus at 8.5% packs a decent punch and will get your digestion working on that bird.
Dangerous Man Belgian Golden Strong – Hopefully this is available leading up to the big day, get yourself a growler fill. Then watch as this deliciously complex blend of yeast, hops and alcohol meld in a heavenly manner with the heavy and rich foods on your table.
Stone Arrogant or Double or Oaked Bastard – Dark ruby color, high ABV and a complexity of dark fruit, hops and caramel/toffee make this one another fine choice to wash down that turducken. See if Uncle Eddy isn’t face-down in his mashed potatoes after this beer.
DESSERT
Let’s assume some of our favorites are being served; Apple pie, Pumpkin pie, and French Silk pie (we like pie). Each present a different opportunity.
Apple Pie:
Trappistes Rochefort 10: Let this strong Belgian beauty make friends with your apple pie. The dark fruits will complement that tart apple and if served alamode the cream will graciously carry away the alcohol to the delight of your taste buds.
Backwoods Bastard: Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and bourbon, our work here is done.
Pumpkin Pie:
Southern Tier Pumking – The quintessential pumpkin beer to accompany the quintessential Thanksgiving desert.
French Silk Pie:
Founders Porter – More chocolaty/sweet and less roasty than most of its Porter counterparts means it will really play up the rich and thick nature of the pie. It will also layer a nice coffee flavor in the mix. Why isn’t there Coffee French Silk pie?
Bent Paddle Brewing Begins Twin Cities Distribution
After only 6 months of brewing, Duluth’s Bent Paddle Brewing Co. has begun distributing to the thirsty Twin Cities craft beer market. The beer will initially be limited to just five liquor stores: The Wine Thief & Ale Jail (St. Paul), Elevated Beer + Wine + Spirits (South Minneapolis), North Loop Wine & Spirits (Downtown Minneapolis), Stinson Wine, Beer & Spirits (NE Minneapolis) and The Four Firkins (St. Louis Park).
The beer is available in 12oz can 6-packs, including the current flagship beers: Venture Pils, Bent Hop and Black Ale. Bent Paddle plans to increase production capacity along with the number of liquor store and draft accounts throughout the upcoming year.
You may also be able to find Black Ale at Zipp’s Liquor as part of the VITA.MN Six-Pack. I also recommended a special version of their Black Ale as a “must try” at the most recent Autumn Brew Review. Many of your must have agreed, as Black Ale won “Best Beer” at ABR. Twin Cities, you are in for a treat.
VENTURE PILS – Pilsener Lager
This craft lager harmonizes noble hops and premium malts found in North America and Europe. We did the traveling to save you the paddling. Brewed with pristine Lake Superior water, this straw colored pilsener takes on characteristics of Bohemia, Northern Germany with a touch of American inventiveness. Refreshingly crisp with a gentle floral hop aroma.
ABV: 5.0% | IBU: 38 | Style: Pilsener Style Lager | Availability: Year-Round | Packaging: Draft / 12oz Cans Malts: Pilsener, 2-Row, Carafoam | Hops: Sterling, Saaz, Saphir | Yeast: House Lager Strain
Bent Hop – Golden IPA
An unexpected visual bend to an American India Pale Ale, this style is one that stands out in a crowd, or if you’re more like us – enjoyed at a campsite…with no crowd. This non-traditional IPA is golden in color with an enormous floral/citrus hop aroma and a supporting malt profile.
ABV: 6.2% | IBU: 68 | Style: Golden India Pale Ale | Availability: Year-Round | Packaging: Draft / 12oz Cans
Malts: 2-Row, Pilsenser, C-10, C-20, Carafoam | Hops: CTZ, Centennial, Sovereign, Cascade, El Dorado, Glacier | Yeast: House Ale Strain
Black Ale – Stout / Porter
Brewed to be smooth, chocolatey, semi-roasted ale that bridges the islands of porter and stout. And if you aren’t a fan of bridges, there’s always the canoe. This Black Ale drinks like a porter but is opaque like a stout. Brewed with a generous amount of oats to round out the flavor.
ABV: 6.0% | IBU: 34 | Style: Black Ale | Availability: Year-Round | Packaging: Draft / 12oz Cans
Malts: Pale, 2-Row, Golden Promise, De-husked Black, Flaked + Malted Oats, Golden Naked Oats, C-165, C-20 | Hops: CTZ, Willamette
Yeast: House Ale Strain
Lost Falls Distillery Begins Kickstarter Funding Drive
Nils Collins & Brian Nackerud are starting a craft distillery in Minneapolis, and they need your help to fund it. The new Lost Falls Distillery is planned to go into CityFoodStudio, a shared space on Chicago Ave, in south Minneapolis.
The duo has bunch of recipes planned, including a dark cherry rum, but they can’t get started without the necessary equipment. In return for funding the project the guys are offering a bunch of handmade, union, and USA-made incentives based on the level of giving. The giving incentives range from stickers and tumblers, and go all the way up to a handmade liquor cabinets, and more. Sadly, you can’t get any of their forthcoming spirits. Giving alcohol as a funding reward is against kickstarter’s rules.
Watch the video below and consider funding the project. It is time Minnesota had some craft distillers to go along with our craft brewers.
Lost Falls Distillery Kickstarter
Lost Falls Distillery website
Lost Falls Distillery on facebook
Lost Falls Distillery on twitter
A Day for Jeff – Northbound Brewpub
Northbound Sous Chef, Jeff Robinson, was recently diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain tumor, after he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at work.
On Monday, November 18th, Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub is donating 100% of their profits to Jeff and his wife, Marti, to help cover expenses.
Come have a plate & a few beers.
2716 East 38th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406
