Arbeiter Brewing Co. | Hoop Jump Cold IPA

Have you ever had a “Cold IPA?” No, we are not talking about the one that you just pulled from the refrigerator. The history of a Cold IPA is relatively new, but the development is credited to Wayfinder Beer out of Portland, Ore. Cold IPAs are a thing of beauty and smell the part too. On one side, you have that smell of the hoppiness from an IPA. On the other, you have that clean, crisp style of a lager. Do not mistake these as IPLs, which seems to be a common thread. Read More

Back Channel Brewing Co. | Titles (New England IPA)

The folks of the North start to rejoice this time of year because it means warmer days ahead and the start of the baseball season. It also means we’ve made it out of the brutal winter and into beers of the warmer seasons. The thick and dark beers are still around. But, we are starting to see a seasonal change to juicer beers that one can enjoy on patios or sitting in the stadium of your favorite baseball team — Back Channel Brewing Titles is the ideal beer for that. Read More

FINNEGANS Brew Co. | Rescue + Recharge American Lager

For many, the holidays are about giving back. It’s a time to support those less fortunate or to further a charitable cause. The holidays are also about connecting with your family and sharing your favorite beer. So, what if you could do both? What if you could drink an amazing craft beer and give back? Rescue + Recharge American Lager, a limited release for the holiday season, is this perfect kind of synergy — a partnership between FINNEGANS Brew Co. and Firefighters for Healing to create a great beer and support a wonderful cause.
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Blackstack Brewing | Patent Pending

Innovation is all around us, and there is so much innovation that goes into making great craft beer. Innovation can be the equipment at each brewery, or the hand-selected ingredients by the brewers, or those trendy new labels on each can. You find yourself wondering, how the heck did they do that, or what made them think of that? Doing a Google search for “beer patents” returns 603 patents just in the brewing process alone. If you keep digging down that rabbit hole, you will start to find other patents related to craft beer, items as genius as the Beerbrella. The beauty of craft beer, it will always innovate.

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Surly Brewing Company Beer Hall Closes Indefinitely

It’s been a tumultuous couple of days for Minneapolis’ Surly Brewing Company as the brewery announced the indefinite closure of its destination beer hall on November 2. In a statement, Surly said:

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Inbound BrewCo | Laser Loon Kolsch

Summer is lake season in Minnesota. While pursuing one of the state’s 11,842 lakes, one might be lucky enough to catch a view of Minnesota’s state bird — the loon. Inspired by the loon, Laser Loon Kolsch from Minneapolis’ Inbound BrewCo represents an ideal beer to pair with a lakeshore visit, pontoon or any Minnesota summer experience.

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Able Seedhouse & Brewery | Laser Blade DDH Sour IPA

Located in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis’ Art District, Able Seedhouse & Brewery constantly uses their surroundings, and onsite seedhouse, to brew and brand stimulating beer. This summer, one of Able’s latest creations comes in the form of Laser Blade, a DDH Sour IPA.

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Humble Forager Brewery | Elevated Perspective

I first wrote about Forager Brewery’s plan to launch Humble Forager Brewery in November 2019. Forager’s new brand and distribution brewery, Humble Forager, was a necessary move by co-owners Austin Jevne and Annie Henderson to begin distributing their beers to Minnesota, Wisconsin and select locations in the Southeast beginning this year.

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Northbound Smokehouse and Brewpub | Big Jim IPA

There’s a lot to love about Northbound Smokehouse and Brewpub. Their wings are voted one of the best in the Twin Cities, their fried chicken sandwich is Food Network famous and their patio is one of the best places to bring your four-legged friend in Minnesota’s treasured patio months.

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Twin Cities Craft To-Go | Part One

The fabric of our world is changing by the hour. As the structure around us shifts, one can sometimes feel helpless seeing friends, family and businesses that they love face significant uncertainty. While self-isolating and staying inside, one of the largest roles that many of us can help fill is supporting local business.

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HeadFlyer Brewing | Vanilla Bean Porter

HeadFlyer Brewing holds a special place in my heart. When it opened in April 2017 in my then neighborhood of Northeast (Nordeast) Minneapolis, the brewery instantly became one of my go-to watering holes for happy hours, celebrations and just the everyday beer. It’s one of my happy places.

Things are a lot different now than they were in 2017 in a whole host of ways. However, as they approach their third anniversary, the high quality, thoughtful and flavorful craft brew coming out of HeadFlyer remains steadfast.

So, as we face uncertainty and discomfort, I used this opportunity to turn to a beer that provides me solace — HeadFlyer’s Vanilla Bean Porter.

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Wooden Hill Brewing Co. | Code 3 Juicy IPA

We hear and see them every day. Maybe you’re on your way home from work, and they come into your rearview mirror. Perhaps you’re lying in bed at night, and you hear their faint sound in the distance.

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An Ode To Label Art | Fair State Brewing Cooperative

It’s no secret on this site that I’m a fan of Fair State Brewing Cooperative. Whether classic styles like their Pils or Hefeweizen, their famous Roselle kettle sour or their beautiful hazy creations like Spirit Foul and Mirror Universe, the Minneapolis cooperative cranks out some of the best in the area.

But as much as I appreciate the beer coming out of Fair State, I always admire what’s outside the can. To celebrate Beer Can Appreciation Day, let’s take a deeper dive into Fair State’s label art.

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Wild Mind Artisan Ales | Electric Factory

One of the Twin Cities’ best-kept craft beer secrets sits in the middle of a South Minneapolis industrial district. Where I-35 meets Highway 62, amid concrete contractors and industrial steel fabricators, you’ll come across Wild Mind Artisan Ales.

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Hammerheart | Herbstklagen Smoked Märzen

Minnesota’s Hammerheart Brewing Company is devoted in every facet of their existence to the holy trinity of Vikings, heavy metal and beer. These are all passions I share, so when I first caught a glimpse of a row of their … Read More

Indeed Brewing Company’s New Taproom Now Open In Milwaukee

Indeed Brewing Company, home to Northeast Minneapolis’ original taproom, has officially completed its expansion farther east with the opening of its Milwaukee brewery and taproom.

On August 23, the brewery announced via social media the official soft opening for the new location on 530 S. 2nd St. in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood would take place on September 6. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. to celebrate the opening.

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Minnesota Legislature Stems Future Growler Sales for Breweries

The ability to sell growlers in the future looks bleak for some Minnesota breweries as a critical piece of legislation failed to move forward in the Minnesota Senate this year.

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Minnesota’s Lupulin Brewing Company Acquires Hydra Beer Company

Lupulin Brewing Company out of Big Lake, Minnesota announced on Thursday the acquisition of Hydra Beer Company in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The move will create a second Lupulin taproom in the former Hydra space in Sioux Falls, right across the Minnesota border.

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An Authentic German Beer Fest in Minnesota: How Schell’s Bock Fest Came to Be

August Schell Brewing Company, now named Schell’s Brewery, is the second oldest family-owned brewery in the nation. Founded in 1860 by German immigrant August Schell, the brewery is rich in German tradition. Stationed in the historic town of New Ulm, MN, Schell’s has weathered the storms of Prohibition and today’s ever-changing craft beer market thanks to staples like Grain Belt Premium. But it’s one of its seasonals that often gets the most attention due to the festival that celebrates it. First started in 1987, Schell’s Bock Fest celebration is an event as rich in tradition as the brewery itself. Here’s what you need to know about the event, which takes place on March 2, 2019 from 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Schell’s Brewing Company.

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2 Days, 2 Nights | Twin Cities Craft Beer Scene

When the snow melts, Minnesota springs into life. As a Minnesota native, I’m partial to the great Land of 10,000 Lakes for many reasons. If you can get past the prolonged winters and man-eating mosquitoes, Minnesota really does have a lot to offer to the outdoor enthusiast, family man, beer aficionado, sports fan and everyone in between. Oh, and the beer scene in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is absolutely kickass.

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