Last week I finally had some free time to check out
someplace on my brewery list, someplace I’ve been eagerly waiting to have a
beer at. A free night from chores and work, out at the newest brewery in St. Paul? Add in the historical aspect of this being the
first women owned and brewed microbrewery in Minnesota and my interest is peaked. After work I headed right over to Urban Growler
without delay to get a look at this highly talked about brewery for myself.
First impressions are one of the most important pieces of
any first meeting, even when that meeting is between you and a new brewery. I
like a taproom where I feel comfortable, where I can sit and have beer with a
friend or on my own while working. I want to be treated like I’m welcome and walking
into Urban Growler felt like I was being welcomed into a friends home. Not
only was Urban Growler clean and comfortably lit, but its exposed brick walls
and local photography gave the taproom a cozy feel. I found a seat and settled
in when something caught my eye. On a chalkboard, near the center of the room,
boasted a message. ‘Kill the keg’ it begged of me. If I could kill the keg of
Rhubarb Wit I could be the proud winner of a pint glass. I knew then what my first beer would be.
It was only moments before my server came by to take my
order and I almost fell off my chair when he handed me a food menu. Dear Gods
of beer, thank you for the tap rooms with food. As someone who regularly
suffers from the dreaded drunken munchies (there was that time the hubby had to
step in and abort my after festival Dominoes order before it reached the triple
digits), I am grateful for even a frozen pizza. But a full, fresh, hot menu of
options? For not the first time in my life I regretted that snack before
leaving work. Believe me though when I tell you, that I caught myself staring
at my fellow patrons, perhaps somewhat creepily, as they devoured delicious
looking food. Next time food menu, I will come for you.
But I did have the beer (poor review this would be if I didn’t).
I did start with the Rhubarb Wit and if they have any left (spoiler alert: I
did not kill the keg. I tried.) you should make it a priority to try before we
are fully in the grasp of fall. Summery and fresh, the rhubarb was not
overpowering, more of a sweet tangy after taste. I was pleasantly surprised to
taste that the coriander in the beer wasn’t overdone, but just right. I don’t
mind spices in my beer but often times I find that they are overpowering to the
other flavors and my palate. The balance in this was perfect. I had two.
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| Rhubarb Wit (left) and Blueberry Wheat (right) |
Next up was the Blueberry Wheat, the menu boasting that this
was the second in their Plow to Pint™ series. Plow to Pint™…my farm girl roots
were intrigued. What Urban Growler is doing is partnering with local farms for
some of their ingredients, literally from the farm plow to the pint in your
hand. As I continued reading I found that the Rhubarb Wit was the first beer in
this series. I love the fact that the brewery is sourcing local ingredients and
supporting their farm community. The concept isn’t new to the restaurant world
but this is the first time I’ve noticed a brewery taking up the model. Genius. And
it shows in the beer. The Blueberry Wheat, also fresh and fruity, yet not
overly sweet. I find most wheat beers to be very drinkable and this beer was
right on in that aspect. Hopefully this
one stays around a little into the fall so I can give it a second go around.
For my next beer (don’t worry, I wasn’t driving) I went for
the Cowbell Cream Ale. For my ‘quantity’ drinking I like a good cream ale and
this is a good cream ale. Trust me, you’ll like it if you’re a fan of cream
ales. Light and fresh, it’ll quench your thirst a couple times over without
knocking you on your butt. I wish I’d gotten a growler.
I probably should have left after that one, but since I wasn’t
driving, I decided to have one more…a little one though! Yes, ladies and gentlemen,
at Urban Growler you can get a half pint! I love it! Sometimes, I want a little
less beer. Usually because in the long run I’d like to drink a little more
beer, but different beers. There’s nothing worse than staring at a lovely beer
menu, knowing that with that slightly full feeling, you’ll have to cut your
sampling short. But the half pint gave
me room to explore! Which I did with the Amber Skyline, a gorgeous amber ale.
This was perhaps my favorite of the night, which surprised me. While I like ambers,
they aren’t usually my first selection. I will be going back for this one
though. It was a smooth, caramel beer with that wonderful sweet maltiness to
it. This one will have its place in my fall beer rotation.
With work coming early in the morning I had to bring the
night to a close. I thanked my servers, who were beyond friendly and fun. On
the way out I checked out the beer garden and was a little sad that it had been
too blustery out, and I too summerly dressed, to have enjoyed a beer outdoors. It
was beautiful though and as soon as the weather permits, I plan going back to
enjoy it with my pup. It’s always a plus to sit enjoy a great beer with your
best friend. Even if next time I’ll have to drive because, well, he’s a dog.
There will be a next time though, and a time after that. So check out Urban Growler
if you haven’t already. I for one can’t wait to see what they have in store for
St. Paul.
The Fresh Hop IPA is medium amber in is very clean and clear. There is not a lot of head on this beer. The beer smells amazingly earthy and floral. At the time of the review, I was one of several people at our table enjoying this beer and we all agreed that the aroma is what makes this beer a great selection. I have had several other fresh hop beers and they are all very clean and aromatic. This is a great beer style for someone who is intimidated by the bitterness of IPAs because this beer is the definition of approachable. The 80 IBUs might also cause one to pause at ordering this beer, but fear not, the hops are not going to split your tongue in half. 
This beer pairs very well with the smoked buffalo wings that I ordered. The logic behind that pairing is that the smoked wings highlight the flavor of the smoked meat because they are not swimming in sauce. The Fresh Hop IPA has clean hop flavors front and center and I wanted to see how it would hold up the the smoke and spice of the wings. I was very pleased with the combination. Northbound also had a very limited supply of Fresh Hop IPA infused with Tangelos, a hybrid of citrus fruit made of tangerine, mandarin orange and grapefruit. This was a very refreshing taste and combination. So, if you are lucky enough to find the Fresh Hop IPA with Tangelos on tap, order a pint because it won't be around long! The Fresh Hop IPA is a great beer to enjoy on Northbound's patio as Minnesotans soak up the sun and hold on tight to the last few nice days of fall. 
