Beer

The state of Minnesota beer

Drinking in the new local breweries sprouting up around town

Dangerous Man Brewing: The face of a business

Rob Miller had been homebrewing for 10 years. He'd long dreamt of a running a neighborhood brewery -- not one that pumps out case after case and is then shipped away via distributor, but one that held the comforts of a corner bar. However, the law wasn't on his side. Instead, he took another job, wa ... More >>

Get cheap tickets for the 2013 City Pages Beer Festival!

Celebrate one of the defining markers of summer with us by hanging outside with old friends and new acquaintances, listening to live music with a brew in hand at the City Pages Beer Festival. Join us in raising a glass to the 21st year of the festival on Saturday, June 1, on the cheap. Find out how ... More >>

Lift Bridge talks expansion and the birth of Farm Girl saison

Forebears of Minnesota's young craft brewing class, Lift Bridge Beer Company are already celebrating their fifth year. The growing brewery in Stillwater has room to grow, and they continue to do so, having just purchased three fermentors that will allow up to a 30 percent increase in production on t ... More >>

10,000 Minutes of Minnesota Craft Beer 2013: Weekend Events

Finally, it's Friday, it's the start of Art-A-Whirl, and it's time to celebrate the end of Craft Beer Week with a cold brew or two... or more. With dozens of events, tappings, and releases going on all weekend, we picked a handful of events that are sure to be filled to the brim with fun and hops.

10,000 Minutes of Minnesota Craft Beer 2013: Wednesday Events

You've made it over the mid-week uphill battle, and it's time to go treat yourself to something ice-cold, refreshing, and definitely full o' hops. Since it's Craft Beer Week, this is the week to go out and indulge in some new craft beers and meet the brewing geniuses behind the beer. We've compile ... More >>

10,000 Minutes of Minnesota Craft Beer 2013: Monday Events

From ales and porters to stouts and lagers, we're crazy about craft beer. And this week, we're especially excited because it's American Craft Beer Week. To celebrate this week-long festival of tasty libations in our neck of the woods, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild are presenting 10,000 Minutes o ... More >>

Second-annual Spring Ale Fest this weekend

As the craft beer boom continues to widen the availability of premium suds, the festivals continue to grown and change. Beer geeks can find plenty to get excited about at this weekend's second annual Spring Ale Fest, held at Uppercut Gym in northeast Minneapolis. We spoke with event organizer Connor ... More >>

Great Waters brewpub: "It's never a straight path"

The current craft brewing growth isn't Minnesota's first brewery boom. The mid 1990s also saw an uptick in production of local brews, one that can teach the new startups some lessons--at least from those who survived. Great Waters Brewing Company in downtown St. Paul has seen a lot in its 17 years, ... More >>

Brau Brothers getting ready for move to Marshall

Brau Brothers Brewing Company is clear about its origins, proudly printing "population 220" for all to see on its original logo. However, as the brewery grows, obstacles have risen, and relocation is afoot for the 15-year-old company, now based in tiny Lucan, Minnesota. Brau Brothers started in 1998 ... More >>

Beer maker Nathan Berndt: Brewing "the Indeed way" in Northeast

There's no doubt about it, the Minnesota brew scene is booming. Indeed Brewing Company, which first opened its doors last winter, was the first brewery in northeast Minneapolis. Now there are three. The Hot Dish caught up with co-owner Nathan Berndt to talk about the company he helped found with lon ... More >>

Fulton's Brian Hoffman says brewery is already at capacity

Over the past few years new breweries, brewpubs, and contract brews seem to spring up monthly. As so many new companies start up, the market share continues to show room for growth. The Hot Dish sat down with Fulton Brewery's co-owner Brian Hoffman and two pints of the Ringer to talk about Minneso ... More >>

Schell's: brewing German-style beer for 152 years

August-Schell Brewery is Minnesota's oldest operating brewery and the second-oldest family-run brewery in the United States (Yuengling in Pennsylvania is first). The New Ulm-based brewery has seen a lot of hard times, surviving the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, Prohibition, and a number of other historic ... More >>

Beer fests abound in and around the Twin Cities

The proliferation of beer fests in and around the Twin Cities is getting intense. You can't turn around anymore without tripping over at least one celebration of suds. They are getting so thick that most weekends offer more than one to choose from. I've spent the last three Saturdays imbibing at som ... More >>

Smokehouse Brewpub opens Thursday

See Also:Smokehouse Brewpub offers free beer for lifeTop 5 brewpubs in the Twin CitiesLast year, before their beer was even brewing, the owners of the soon-to-open Smokehouse Brewpub made waves with their "free beer for life" offer to any investor who made a donation of $1,000 or more. After nearly ... More >>

Summit at 26 years: 'We're very true to ourselves'

See also: Summit Backyard Bash is Saturday Minnesota has seen a recent boom in local brewers, with startups ranging from Fulton to Harriet to the upcoming openings of Pour Decisions and HammerHeart Brewery. As the local scene gets ever more crowded, City Pages is taking the time to hear what local ... More >>

Minnesota-brewed beer is big at this year's State Fair

Last year around this time I reported with great fanfare that one vendor at the State Fair had decided to put a selection of craft beers on tap. Among them were brews from several Minnesota beer makers. Minnesota beer would finally get a bigger presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. It was bi ... More >>

Twin Cities Beer Fest this Saturday at the MOA

In the mood for a beer fest this weekend? Of course you are. If you missed out on tickets to the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin, there is a fest you can hit right here at home. Last summer's Minneapolis Beer Fest is making a comeback with a new name and a new location. Now sporting ... More >>

Celebrate IPA Day today with free pints at Woolley's

See also:Tonka Beer: Saving Minnesota lakes one beer at a timeSince way back in 2011, this day, August 2, has been nationally recognized as IPA Day. This holiday is a very special time when craft beer drinkers come together and celebrate this brightly bitter, iconic ale. If you'd like to pay yo ... More >>

Minneapolis among top 10 cities for drinking craft beer

Falling under the category of "things we already could have guessed without conducting a market research study", a new market research study from Scarborough Research shows that Minneapolis is one of the top 10 cities in America for drinking microbrews, particularly those that are locally made, repo ... More >>

Republic to add 25 new taps by May

If you're already a fan of their happy hour specials, fish tacos, and garlic confit burger, you'll be pleased to learn that Republic at Seven Corners plans to add another 25 taps to its already wide selection of draft beers by May.

Winterfest ticket giveaway

Winterfest is THE hot ticket of the Twin Cities beer-fest year. A showcase for members of the Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild, it is open only to Minnesota breweries. They are all trying to out-do each other in a friendly competition for bragging rights to the best beer in the state, so ever brewer b ... More >>

Top 5 brewpubs in the Twin Cities

The Twin Cities have a great and growing beer scene. I've spent the last year traveling the upper Midwest visiting breweries and tasting brews. I've been to about 130 and can say with some authority that the beers brewed in the Twin Cities are among the best in the region. We've got some great brewp ... More >>

Top 5 local Oktoberfest beers

Sure, we're a state full of Scandinavians, but that doesn't mean we can't party like the beer-swigging Germans when October rolls around. Which beers should be filling your stein this time of year? Five local breweries offer the Oktoberfest experience for a limited time, and we're ready to weigh in.

Autumn Brew Review

Clearwater Beer Festival in Altoona, Wisconsin: An easy beer road trip

Clearwater Beer Festival offers an alternative to sold-out local fests​Didn't get tickets to tomorrow's Surlyfest? Missed out on Summit's silver anniversary tickets too? Maybe you're just looking to get out of town. Well, beer fans, don't despair. Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has a beer festival opp ... More >>

September is beer fest month in the Twin Cities

Mark RobertsBeer fests abound this month in the Twin Cities​Grab your goblets and get a good protein base in your gut. It's going to be a marathon month for beer fans in the Twin Cities. Every weekend holds something big, including two Saturdays with two events each. This Saturday kicks it off ... More >>

This year's Autumn Brew Review will be twice the fun

Tickets go on sale July 15th​This is the 11th year for Autumn Brew Review, the big fall beer festival sponsored by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild and held in September on the grounds of the old Grain Belt Brewery in Northeast. Each year the Brew Review features the best that Minnesota brewe ... More >>

Get hoppy about Minnesota Craft Beer Week this week in food

Frosty​This week in food is awash in lagers, IPAs, and stouts thanks to Minnesota Craft Beer Week and the Stillwater Brewer's Bazaar. If you're a beer lover, this is the perfect week to call in sick to work.

Minnesota Craft Beer Week is May 13-21

Here's what's in store for next week's festivities:​The second annual Minnesota Craft Beer Week will take place May 13-21 with all sorts of brew-related festivities. More than 40 events are on this year's Craft Beer Week calendar, taking place all over the metro. Participants pay $5 for a Cr ... More >>

Summit Unchained #6: An interview with brewer Damian McConn

Mark RobertsBrewer Damian McConn and his Gold Sovereign Ale​Earlier this month Summit Brewing Company released the sixth beer in its Unchained Series. Gold Sovereign Ale is an English IPA brewed according to a 19th-century recipe but using modern ingredients and brewing processes. In crafting ... More >>

Surly asks fans for help changing laws

Surly asks for help to get dream brewery approval​When Surly Brewing Company announced plans for a new $20-million brewery complex last week the Twin Cities beer world exploded with excitement. This wasn't going to be just any brewery; this was going to be a "destination brewery" complete with ... More >>

Winterfest 2011 reveals trends for Minnesota beer

Mark RobertsBeer fans savor MN suds at Winterfest​The 2011 Winterfest beer festival sponsored by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild took place last Friday night at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. As beer festivals go, Winterfest is an intimate and elegant affair, if you can call 800 p ... More >>

Winterfest showcases the best of the best of Minnesota-brewed beer

The best of Minnesota beer at Winterfest​Winterfest, the annual celebration of home-grown craft beer, returns to the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul on February 4. Sponsored by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild and open only to breweries that are current guild members, Winterfest showcases th ... More >>

Harriet Brewing Co., Minneapolis's newest brewery, gets ready to launch

Harriet Brewing Company Harriet Brewing Company opening in Minneapolis​isn't just the latest entry into the burgeoning Minnesota beer scene, it's also the first new non-brewpub brewery in the city of Minneapolis since the Grain Belt Brewery closed in 1975. The brand-new brewery is housed in a ... More >>

612 Brew, Fulton Beer, Surly, and the craft beer renaissance

Raise a pint to local breweries

Stub & Herb's is going loco for local beer

​In a move that may ruffle some feathers, Stub & Herb's has announced that they are choosing to abandon many of their popular out-of-state beers, and instead shift to a hardcore focus on local brews. News broke from the horse's mouth on the message boards over at beeradvocate.com:

Beer Dabbler is on tap Saturday at Highland Fest

For the very best Dabbler​With the rise in popularity of beer festivals, Twin Citians have one more reason to revel in our summers. This week, as part of Highland Fest, the second annual Beer Dabbler Showcase will bring more than 40  craft and microbreweries together for you to sample, and th ... More >>

Beer Dabbler Showcase

St. Paul Summer Beer Fest is Sunday

​On Sunday, celebrate all things beer at the second annual St. Paul Summer Beer Fest. The event is now the largest craft beer festival in the state, with 78 breweries participating, including Louisiana's Abita, Oregon's Widmer, Vermont's Magic Hat, Kansas's Tall Grass, an ... More >>

Minnesota Craft Beer Week

Odell Brewing enters the Twin Cities market

​The liquid libations created by Odell Brewing are making a big splash this week as they launch in the Twin Cities market. Starting today, the Colorado-based brewery's founder, Doug Odell, and head brewer, Joe Mohrfeld, will be attending a whopping *30* different beer-related tastings/dinners/ ... More >>

Town Hall Brewery's Annual Blessing of the Maibock

​Annual Blessing of the MaibockTown Hall Brewery1430 Washington Ave. S., Mpls.612.339.8696Saturday May 1st, 5pm This weekend, those crazy beer-meisters at Town Hall Brewery unleash a fresh creation on the eagerly awaiting masses. The Annual Blessing of the Maibock celebrates the German-style ... More >>

Summit takes home the gold at World Beer Cup

​They call it the Olympics of Beer--the biggest commercial beer contest in the world. The biannual Brewer's Association World Beer Cup, held last week in Boulder, featured 3,308 entries and was judged by 179 experts from 26 countries.St. Paul's Summit Brewing Company took first place in the Classi ... More >>

Home brewers rejoice... er, not so much

New basement brewing law turns out to be a big ol' "PSYCH!" on home brewers.

Firkin Fest

Save the Date: National Homebrewers Conference

More than a thousand homebrewers will descend on Minneapolis next summer. Will you be one of them?

Saint Paul Summer Beer Fest

Brau Brothers, Flat Earth, and Lift Bridge present new school of microbrews

Three young microbreweries try their hand at estate beers, fruit-infused concoctions, and...the "Facemeltör"?

Minnesota's craft beer renaissance

Surly, Summit, Brau Brothers among the intoxicating additions to Minnesota culture