Tag Archives: Stillwater

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Maple Island Brewing is now open in Stillwater

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Minnesota welcomes another small brewer to the metro area in the form Maple Island Brewing. The brewery doors are open in Stillwater, MN near the St. Croix River, just off the nearly constructed Brown’s Creek State Trail.

View of the St. Croix River from Maple Island Brewing
(photo via Kickstarter)

The 3,700 square foot brewery runs a 7-barrel brewhouse. Maple Island projects they’ll produce approximately 350 barrels in their first year. Owners and operators Frank Fabio and Nick Brau will feature an Oatmeal Stout, Kolsch, and American IPA. Filling in the gaps will be a variety of other brews including a coffee, wheat, and a wit.

No Minnesota brewery is complete without a taproom, right? The taproom will follow the typical Minnesota model of working with foodtrucks and local restaurants to satisfy any hungry patrons. Very, very conveniently situated next to Northern Vineyards Winery, Maple Island Brewing taproom hours are: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays from 5-10 p.m., and Friday, Saturday and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m.
Maple Island Brewing Looking South West
Maple Island BrewingCurrently on tap:
Mosaic Wheat – IBU 29
This cloudy piece of art is made with an ample amount of white wheat giving it that great dirty blonde look. It is also given a nice size dose of those mosaic hops everybody loves.

Burlesque Kolsch – IBU 19
This super easy drinking Kolsch has a bit of Canadian honey malt and low bitterness to it so have another my brother from another mother and my sister from another mister.

Bearded Lady IPA – IBU 56
This crazy IPA has it all with pale and crystal malts, flaked maize and Belgian Candi sugar. It is nicely hopped with Simcoe hops giving it unique passionfruit, pine, earth, and citrus characteristics.

Dragons Breath Kolsch – IBU 30
Yes we love our Kolsch beer! This one has a special blend of 3 German hops. It is also has extra flavor from the addition of Munich malt and Caramel Wheat malts. Fire it up Dragon Slayer.

Cup of Joe Freak Show – IBU 12
Invented by the Head Brewer Nic Brau and his son Joe Brau (9 years old at the time) also named by his son Joe. This coffee oatmeal stout has it all! Chug it anytime of day or night with its creaminess of oats, smooth cold pressed coffee and a hint of vanilla.

Peel Me Wit – IBU 12
Ahhhhhh, time to bring back summer with this super fresh wheat beer that collided with crazy flavors of orange, lemon, and coriander.

Follow Maple Island Brewing on Facebook for more details.

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Joseph Wolf Brewing Company Returns

Wolf Brewing Release

Well last night after a 93 year hiatus, the Wolf beer brand was reintroduced into the Minnesota beer scene. You may be saying to yourself, Wolf?

Well back in 1868 Joseph Wolf and his business partner Joseph Tanner started a small brewery in Stillwater Minnesota and in turn became everyone’s best friends. Some setbacks happened early on like a fire that destroyed most of the brewery and two workers were also lost in the fire.

By the early 1900’s the brewery was gaining steam, Literally because the brewery happened to be the state’s first “state of the art” steam powered brewery, and as Wolf beer became the big name in Stillwater. Unfortunately Prohibition struck and that was the beginning of the end for the Wolf brewery. Like many other breweries of the time they had to switch from producing beer to another source of income and that was soda pop. Sadly this did not pan out too well and later Joseph died and the family decided to sell the brewery.

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Fast forward to today! Wolf’s great-grandchildren have stepped up to continue Joseph’s legacy in Stillwater. Two new beers have been released and those are a Berlin Style Weisse and a Golden Belgian Style Ale. I was surprised by the choice to do a Belgiam style beer and not a straight German style Pilsner but that’s just me I’m not running the brewery haha.

I was assured that the theme for most of the future beers to come out will have a German “something” to them like a Hefeweizen and a Dunkel. I forgot to ask whatever happen to the original recipe if it was lost in time or if they have it locked away somewhere.

So about the beers on hand, I have tried them both and I will say they both have a sour theme to them. The Berlin Style Weisse which is (4.3% ABV) is great for a hot day like it was yesterday and it goes down very easy. This one is for most people that like a surprise at the end of their beer. Nothing scary just a sweet sour to please the pallet. Next the Golden Belgian Style Ale which was a (8.4% ABV) but I didn’t feel it like you would think you would from a beer with a higher ABV. This had a classic Belgian flavor to it but with a mix of something more that sets it apart. I couldn’t put my finger on it since I was drinking it and it would’ve looked odd sticking my finger in my mouth while I was drinking.

Joseph Wolf Brewing Co

Currently the beer is contract brewed in Duluth by Dubrue, but as things move along the family wants to move production back to Stillwater, mainly into the old brewhouse. Currently there are other business in the former brewery building right now but there may be talks to “work things out”. Personally I think that would be really cool if the beer would make it’s way back to the site of the original brewery.

As for the Wolf family, they are very friendly and very enthusiastic about the release of the beers. I would’ve stayed longer and talked to them more but they had a bunch of people to welcome in and try the free samples if I might add so I wandered around for a bit and slipped out.

The beer is available right now at the Four Firkins and Mad Capper in Stillwater. Look for the beautiful 750 ml bottles with a cork cap that gives it that classy look.

Joseph Wolf Brewing Company Website
Joseph Wolf Brewing Company on Facebook

 

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Lift Bridge Brewing Expands

Lift BridgeStillwater’s Lift Bridge Brewery has just added some new tanks to their ever expanding facility. They welcomed 3 new fermenters and 1 new bright tank to their new home yesterday.Newlands

The additional tanks will increase the brewery capacity about 35%, raising the annual output to around 5,000 barrels.

The tanks were manufactured by Newlands Systems Inc., a Canadian brewing equipment supplier.

There is still a bunch of work to do like cleaning and passivating the stainless steel. However, it shouldn’t be long before the new vessels are full of Hop Dish IPA. Mmmm, Hop Dish…..