Valentine's Day Lovin' - Get a Taproom!

Once again February has come around, and with it Valentine’s Day. And unfortunately, for some, this can cause a bit of distress. What should we do, where should we go to celebrate? Should we celebrate? What if I buy someone a gift and they don’t like it? What if my gift is totally inappropriate for what we have going on? Oh God, what do we have going on? Do we classify it, quantify it, or just have a little fun? Should I have gotten reservations? I can’t make reservations because everyone booked a table last year! How was I supposed to know I’d meet someone and actually have a dinner companion? I can’t predict that! I’m used to eating alone damn it! And what would we do after dinner? Oh God, if there’s an after. I’ve probably already blown it and won’t even be able to get a date for coffee! Slow down lover pants, and let me help you out for 2015. I did a little bit of research again this year and I’ve got a few suggestions for a great day or night out for you and a special friend (or friends, I don’t judge). It doesn’t involve reservations, messy foods, or rude overworked waiters. Take it easy, take some notes, and let me show you how you can impress your love with some local chocolates and a trip out to some great twin cities tap rooms.

If beer pairings aren’t new to you, you already know how well chocolates and beers can go together. If you are new to beer pairings, you probably think I’ve lost it. Yes, everyone knows that you can make a chocolate stout cake, and that’s great. But chocolate, like beer, comes in such great variety that you really should take a chance and explore pairing your sweets with your beers, especially chocolate. Play around with the flavors and in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, do some experimenting. Surprise yourselves a little and step outside your box. The worst that can happen is you find something you won’t want to try again. The best thing that could happen? You’ll enjoy something new with your partner. Besides, experimenting is fun, isn’t it?

If you’re looking for a taproom with a little more of a romantic feel, I suggest hitting up Steel Toe Brewing. You’ll find that their tap room can be pretty romantic! Its lighting is on the low side, perfect for setting a close and personal mood. I like to sit at the bar on the back wall, and with my back to the rest of the room, create my own privacy to enjoy my company.  On your way stop off at The Drooling Moose and grab some of their Malted Milk Boulders. The Drooling Moose makes their version of malted milk balls in super-sized form. These are huge, roughly the size of a quarter, and covered in ¼ inch of sweet milk chocolate. Order yourselves a couple pints of Steel Toe’s Dissent and enjoy how the malty sweetness of the beer melts the malted center of the chocolates in your mouth. The milk chocolate in turn enhances the smooth, creamy mouth feel you’ll get from the beer. If there’s a downside to these chocolates it’s only that they’ll ruin whoppers for you forever. If you really enjoy yourselves, make sure to grab some growlers to go, and continue your party in an even more intimate setting.

I next headed over to Big Wood Brewery for a glass of the tried and true Morning Wood Coffee Stout. This stout has an incredible kick of coffee flavor with sweet chocolaty notes. My pick for a great compliment chocolate is one of my favorites, milk chocolate toffee. I stopped off in Arden Hills at a place new to me, Sweet Chocolat. You will absolutely love how their toffee breaks apart into crunchy, buttery chunks in your mouth. It pairs perfectly with the Morning Wood, the other enhancing the best parts of its companion. Isn’t that what is perfect about so many great relationships throughout time? We should all be so lucky to fine someone who bring out the best in us, yet still showcases just how awesome they are in their own right. The tap room at Big Wood works great for new and more established couples as well. There’s plenty of intimate seating off the sides of the room if you’re looking to spend some quieter time together. Not sure if you can handle that level of closeness? Enjoy your treats at the larger tables in the middle of the room, or at the centralized bar area. And if toffee isn’t your bag, check out the incredible selection of molded chocolate shapes Sweet Chocolat has to offer. Their Valentine’s Day selection blew me away, with everything from traditional hearts to anatomically correct hearts. One of my favorite offerings was the anatomical lungs packaged with the following – ‘You take my breath away’. How can you not love that sense of loving humor? Or for the more adventurous, try the chocolate hand cuffs on for size. See how much fun you can have with your Morning Wood and chocolate this Valentine’s Day.

But what if you’re feeling really adventurous? Then I suggest you and your date go get ‘funked up’ at Bent Brewstillery. Bent is quickly making a name for themselves with their funked up series of sour beers, each a little different, each an incredible way to try a new beer profile that you might not be familiar with. I myself love sour beers and I’m always curious to see what Bent has been up to with this series. Right now they have their Belgian Berlin Ur-Bock on tap and I highly recommend it. This is a beer reminiscent of a Berliner Weisse so if you like a slightly more wine like beer, give it a try. You might think that finding a chocolate pairing for this would be hard, but if you’ve had this style beer before you’ll know that it pairs quite well with fruity flavors. I actually found a great one for you to try at the nearby Roseville Mall in the Godiva store. Pick yourselves up a tin (or bag) of their Strawberry Cheesecake Truffles and prepare to have your mind blown away. The strawberry will help to pull the fruitiness out of the beer while the cheesecake layer tempers it with a slightly creaminess to counteract the sour in just the slightest way. Yes darling, opposites can and do attract and will make for some of the best experiences of your life. You’ll have a blast in their gorgeous tap room with plenty of seating to hide away in a corner. Or make sure to head over on a night when they have a local band playing and do some dancing! Their knowledgeable and friendly beertenders will make sure you have everything you need so you can concentrate on making sure your date has everything they need. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Also, they will be releasing a new beer on Valentine's Day at the taproom. Uber Lupin Shwarz IPA. You could experience something brand new with your date!

So when you’re making plans for Valentine’s Day remember to think outside the standard chocolate boxes and wine that every store is offering. Hit up your local tap rooms and chocolate shops for some new and fun ideas to show your date. Experiment a little bit and try some new things this year. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be stressful, especially when you have so many great options to choose from! Your date with love it, and if you’re lucky and buy enough chocolate they’ll probably love you before the night is over. Send them home with their own growler, you just might get a proposal out of the deal.


www.steeltoebrewing.com
www.droolinmoose.com
www.bigwoodbrewery.com
www.mysweetchocolat.com
www.bentbrewstillery.com
www.godiva.com

Brews and Reviews: Schells Brewing Company's Arminius

Arminius, known to many of the citizens of New Ulm as Hermann the German, was a Germanic chieftain who united many other tribes to hold back Roman forces in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.  While eventually defeated by the Romans, his legacy and symbolism lead to the unification of many Germanic tribes, and his enduring spirit would go on to become a symbol of Germanic nationality.

His name and likeness, as depicted on the statue that lies in the hometown of the Schells Brewery, also adorn the cans of Shell's latest beer, Arminius.  This beer uses a unique blend of American hops, as well as French and German, assumably from regions near where Hermann the German carved his name into history.

This beer also symbolizes a rather unique shift in the mindset of Shells Brewery.  The New Ulm staple, until recently, has not been known for hoppy beers.  Rather, they've been more likely to stick with the typical German inspired beers, such as Pilsners, Goses, Bocks, Hefes and others.  However, a recent change in marketing, most likely influenced by the surge of hoppy beers in Minnesota, coupled with the national popularity of more experimental beers, has Schells living up to its slogan of "We are German Craft Beer". Arminius now being their hoppiest staple beer, will be brewed year round according to its website.

The can says right on it "Hoppy Pale Lager", which immediately scares off some consumers. Minnesotan Craft Beer fanatics will instantly think of beers in the Surly line, for example, which usually scream of hops, becoming something that is vastly popular, but only among select crowds. With Arminius, Schell's has found a way to create a hoppy beer, without it ransacking your mouth with that overwhelming "perfume" taste.

Arminius has a little bit of everything -  hints of floral and citrus flavors, a level amount of carbonation translating into a mouthfeel suitable for most beer drinkers,  and a crisp and clean flavor that still contains just the right amount of hops that even consumers on the fence could enjoy.  Truly, Arminius is a remarkable beer made for everyone.

Photo courtesy of Schell's Brewing Company

The fact that Arminius has a high 70 IBUs and bears  the inscription of "Hoppy Pale Lager" it would be easy to cast this beer off as just another over-the-top overly-hoppy brew. However, though Schell's is a traditional German craft beer maker, with Arminius, they've proven they can think outside of the box. In fact, they may have beaten the hop head breweries at their own game.  Hoppy Pale Lager is probably a terrible way to describe this beer -- it has a clean and crisp taste, without the intense off-putting sensation that comes with many hoppy brews. Call it what you will, but this brew should become a staple in any self respecting beer fan’s rotation.

Brews and Reviews: James Page Brewing Company's Yabba Dhaba Chai Tea Porter

Any "beer snob" worth his or her weight in hops is always on a never ending quest to seek out new beers they haven't tried before. A combination of curiosity of that of a feline and the Untappd app, has me on a constant mission to discover new brews, like some sort of barley pop obsessed Indiana Jones.

This particular brew struck me for a couple of reasons. First, I found it interesting that the pairing of a catchphrase from The Flintstones and a typical 20's safari explorer were used to denote the Chai Tea flavoring. The second reason was that this was from James Page Brewery (now owned and operated by Stevens Point Brewery), a former staple of NorthEast Minneapolis' Warehouse area.  Anyone who has journeyed over to Uppercut Gym, probably for one of the beer expos hosted over there, may find themselves passing the brewery's former location, their entrance still adorned with vines of hops.

Photo courtesy of javaprop.com

The Chai Tea Porter is a delightful explosion of taste for the right person. It is packed full of the Chai Tea aroma and taste you'd expect if you were to order one of these trendy beverages from your local coffee establishment.  The mouth-feel of this beer even tricks your senses into believing the consistency of this brew is much thicker than it actually is, due to the flavor.  Heck, even the smell of this beer gives an illusion of sitting in a coffee house, rather than on my couch.

However, as wonderful as this beer tastes, it may not be a brew for everyone. For one, it struggles to truly taste of feel like a Porter. It's body is a bit thin to be considered a Porter, instead being more consistent with a lager. When drinking this beer, without prior knowledge, you'd never associate this brew with having any hint of the typical british style of beer, instead mistaking it for something more of a typical Adjunct. 

The full line of James Page branded beers

This beverage also has a powerful taste with flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as other spices synonymous with infamous teas of India. This taste may be overwhelming to some folks, especially those who may appreciate more subtle tastes found in other flavored craft beers. It's not quite a "punch you in the mouth with flavor" found in most soft drinks, but it is certainly more than the average beer geek will more than likely enjoy.

Yabba Dhaba isn't a bad beer at all; it's quite enjoyable in fact.  But this is a beer best suited for a stormy spring day, and not likely something the regular beer consumer will want to drink more than one or two of.  If nothing else, Yabba Dhaba is an interesting experimental brew great for giving a try, but not something that will become a staple in any aficionado's beer cellar. Point Brewery has presented us with a good beer for tasting, but not necessarily a good beer for drinking.

Brews and Reviews: Dangerous Man Brewing Company's Chocolate Milk Stout

Trying to figure out my first post for Beelploma.com came with a little bit of anxiety and help from an expert source.  A good friend and former colleague of mine and I had got to talking about this endeavor and based on where I live and what I usually dig. He suggested I tackle Dangerous Man Brewing Co. and their flagship brew; the Chocolate Milk Stout.

Photo courtesy of Dangerous Man Brewing Company

I grabbed a pint of the infamous beer of 13th and 2nd in NE Minneapolis, right there at the taproom (one of the only two ways you can grab their beers. The other being via growler) with my wife and her aunt and uncle who were up from Kansas City. Everyone but my wife, who doesn't drink much anyway, ended up ordering a pint to accompany some much needed catching up and good conversation.

This beer looks intimidating and intense, as some craft stouts tend to do, just based on its extremely dark tone and deep copper hues on the head.  Often times, these stouts' tough appearance is matched with a heavy taste, overwhelming mouth feel and strong overall taste. However, the Chocolate Milk Stout from Dangerous Man suffers from none of those. One's senses are greeted with a very smooth beer that is tickled with a great classic stout taste accompanied with hints of chocolate and coffee.  The brewer perfectly balances the aroma and flavors of the product, while creating a beverage that isn't too over-the-top, but isn't whimpering as it enters your mouth. Even on a warm Minnesota afternoon, this beer was refreshing and delicious.

The Chocolate Milk Stout is also, surprisingly, a great beer for any occasion. This variation on the classic high gravity beer is like that of John Bender; tough looking exterior, but once you get to the core of it, a really sweet and enticing product that everyone either wants or wants to be.

Rise of the Beer Baron Pt 5: A Homebrewer Is You!

It's been a while since I blogged about the beginnings of my love for craft beer.  So when we last left off I had just gotten my first homebrew kit.

 







This was my introduction to how beer was made.  Even with the first batch I learned A LOT about the mechanics of brewing.  Here is a quick list of lessons that I learned:

1. Brewing the beer is easy, it's the pre-cleaning, post-cleaning, and bottling is hard.
2. You will learn to clean EVERYTHING.
3. Repeat step 2 in case you missed it.
4. No really, read step 2 again, it's important.
5. Having and empty plastic jug on hand for water is a nice to have
6. Don't even bother with the plastic bottles that comes with the kits.  Move right into glass
7. If you start with Mr. Beer and love it, you will quickly want to invest in a more mature kit
8. You will want to watch your beer every day, note, I didn't say need to.  You will just want to to make sure it is okay.
9. In the end, you're entire job is to make yeast cells happy.

In the end I was very happy with my first beer.  It was a style I had never had at this point (a Vienna style ale), well carbonated, and wasn't too bad.  But I know I could do better.  I quickly moved to the next step kit from Midwest Homebrew Supplies.

I did a lot of beers with honey during this phase.  I even got creative with a batch of beer, using my Mr. Beer kit to experiment.  Here is the recipe that I used:

2 Cans of Stickey Wicket Stout (from Mr. Beer)

2 Packets of Brewers Yeast

1 pouch of booster

14 oz of coconut in the fermentor

3oz. of chai tea per 22oz bottle during bottling.

Yeah.  I know it sounds a little strange, but it was one of the best beers I ever brewed.  Not enough beers utilize coconut....

So now the fire was lit.  I was beginning to understand the basics of brewing, beer styles, and proper beer handling.  It was time to see how the big boys play, it was time to start meeting the great brewers of Minnesota!

Chocolate and Beer – A Love Story

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, you may feel overwhelmed by red and white decorations, flower ads, and expectations of how you should demonstrate your love. It can be hard to navigate through the landscape of pink hearts and fluffy bears, but here at Beerploma we’ve done the hard work for you. This year we’re helping you break out of the box of chocolates! Instead, check out an underrated pairing – chocolate and beer! Wine and chocolate are out for 2014, but beer and chocolate? Now that’s a love story! Along with my husband, I’ve crossed the Twin Cities for samplings from local chocolate shops and great liquor stores to bring you some pairings you’ll want to try yourself. We invited a couple friends along for a tasting and I’m sure we’ll inspire you to track down some special treats for your love as well!

We started the night out with a Berlin Style Weisse from local Joseph Wolf Brewing, Co. and champagne truffles from Candyland in Stillwater, MN. While we were familiar with some of the local breweries in the area, we weren’t as sure where to find a great craft beer in the local liquor stores. Doing a little research we found Stillwater Liquor. I was intrigued by what I saw on their website – locally owned, operated, and giving to charity? All great things I could support. Although the craft beer selection was a little small, the customer service was great and they seemed eager to grow in the craft beer area. We selected the sour wheat ale by the Stillwater brewery and headed over to Candyland in downtown Stillwater. With their homemade truffles, fresh popcorn, and old fashioned candies, this shop (with 3 Twin Cities locations) is a favorite of many locals and for good reason.

 

If you’re looking for a pairing to match closely to traditional bubbly, this is the pairing for you. The sour wheat ale brings to mind the effervescence of champagne as it tickles the back of your throat. The brewery is currently being operated by the great granddaughters of original proprietor Joseph Wolf in collaboration with Dubrue of Duluth, MN.  The label states that they are working on a series of artisanal beers and I for one can’t wait to see what else they have to bring to the table. The beer brought out the sweetness of the champagne in the chocolate, with the chocolate in turn mellowing the sourness of the beer. The flavors complimented each other and left a sweet bubbly feel on your palate. This pairing ended up being the favorite of our friend Elise and was a bargain at under $15. (Alternate Pairing: add raspberry syrup to this beer and pair it with a raspberry truffle.)

For our second pairing of the evening we hopped over the river to Hudson, WI. For this stop we hit up historic Casanova Liquors and Knoke’s Chocolates, both located downtown. If you haven’t been to Casanova’s in a while, you might be surprised by their growing selection of craft beers. The back area if filled with craft brews to the point of almost being claustrophobic, and while their selection isn’t as big as some, it’s has more than enough offerings for any beer lover. They also fill growlers! Further into downtown Hudson you’ll find Knoke’s Chocolates and you’ll never want to leave. Knoke’s is known in the area for the quality of their chocolates and it’s easy to see why. Not only do these candies taste great, they are gorgeous. Your Valentine will be thrilled to receive a box of truffles from this downtown staple.

 

 

We decided on a bottle of Serendipity from New Glarus. The brewery created this fruit ale after a drought left them short on cherries for their cherry sour. Thinking outside of the box, the brewers gathered what cherries they could get and combined them with apples and cranberries to create this ale, and it’s been a hit ever since. We decided on dark chocolate merlot truffles to pair with this deep red ale. The result worked better than we could have imagined. The deep, dry merlot flavor of the truffle made the sweet fruit flavors in the beer pop. The fruit flavors came out crisp and clean and in turn tamed the bitterness of the dark chocolate. Coming in around $18 for 4 truffles and the bottle, this pairing did not disappoint my palate or wallet. It’s easy to see why this was our friend Mark’s favorite. (Alternate Pairing: try a milk chocolate option or the blueberry balsamic truffle from Knoke’s.)

Coming back across the river we headed out to Minneapolis for our third selection of the night. I love the selection and people at South Lyndale Liquors so that’s where we headed!  If you haven’t stepped into this south side staple you’re missing out. South Lyndale Liquors has a wide selection of craft beers at great prices, although I would like to see a greater offering of MN beers on their shelves. We decided on the Genghis Pecan from Clown Shoes of Ipswich, MA.  This 2013 pecan pie porter uses real brown sugar and roasted pecans in the brew – which would be perfect with a nut cluster! (Big thanks to Al at South Lyndale for this suggestion!) So off we headed to the Candy Jar, a Minneapolis candy and gift shop. At the Candy Jar you’ll find friendly staff and a great selection of treats and gifts sure to thrill any Valentine on your list. They even have a variety of sugar free chocolates in their case, so be sure to check them out if you have someone in your life that can’t have sugar, or is watching their intake. We selected 4 pecan clusters, which were a steal for a dollar!

 

 

I won’t lie to you – this pairing was spot on. The nuts and chocolate in the candy amplified the roasted pecan flavor in the beer and brought the brown sugar flavor to the forefront. My biggest regret of this pairing was that we didn’t buy more pecan clusters. I could have honestly spent all night enjoying this combo. This pairing would please anyone and everyone who is a nut fan. This was also our cheapest pick of the night coming in around $9 for the candy and beer. (Alternate Pairing: a turtle or any nut caramel cluster.)

Our final pairing of the evening was from St. Paul. We stopped first at Just Truffles on Grand to check out their offerings. If you haven’t stopped into this local shop you’re missing out. We were greeted right away and offered a sample – how can you not love that customer service!  These candies are free of waxes and preservatives so you’ll want to make sure to keep them refrigerated. I was surprised by the price of $4/truffle, but these are huge truffles! At any other candy shop this amount would make 2-3 standard size truffles easily, so the pricing really does balance out. We decided on café au lait truffles and went on our way to the Ale Jail where the friendly and knowledgeable staff was waiting to assist us in both the Ale Jail and the connected Wine Thief.  You won’t find your mass produced beers here – no Budweiser or Miller on these shelves. Instead you’ll find many local offerings and craft brews from around the country. Here we selected an Espresso Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide Brewing Co. out of Denver Co.

 

 

Both Andy and I picked this pairing as our favorite of the evening. The Yeti is an imperial stout aged on oak chips with coffee added, which served as the perfect mate to our café au lait truffles. Both the beer and truffles worked together and enhanced the overall coffee flavor that they each brought. If you’re looking for the perfect end to a great Valentine’s Day dinner, this pairing is worth every penny. It was the best of everything an after dinner cocktail or dessert should be. Our St. Paul stop was the steepest cost of the evening at $29 but trust me, these two were worth the price. And if you really want to pull out the stops next Friday, this duo is sure to impress. (Alternative Pairing: we’ve got nothing! None of us had any reason to switch this team up!)

So next weekend, check out these local shops and see what pairings you’ll come up with. And let us know in the comments if you’ve checked out any of our suggestions, or have some of your own! Chocolate and beer…who knew they loved each other as much as you love your sweetheart!


http://www.stillwaterliquor.com/
http://www.candylandstore.com/
http://thenovaofhudson.com/
http://knokeschocolates.com/
http://www.southlyndale.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Candy-Jar/100294666696745
http://winethief.net/#/the-ale-jail
http://www.justtruffles.com/
 

Minnesota, Land of Ten Thousand Beers... Or is it 4?

I was reading an article on Vita.mn that had "Beer Experts" pick a MN 6 pack of fame. I have a bone to pick with these "Beer Experts."

 

Every week there seems to be another list like this. The silly part is that they are all the same! Sometimes I wonder if these "experts" are going to the same bars and beer stores in MN that I am.

 

MN has so many great craft breweries and beers. We have such an awesome diversity of beers. MN as a state is at the forefront of the craft beer movement, but yet these types of lists never change.

 

We have a Surly beer, check! We have a Summit beer, check! We have a Schells beer, check! Throw on Grainbelt for the hipsters, Check! And throw on maybe one lesser known MN beer to make it seem like we have cred, Check!

 

I LOVE beer! Heck, even more I LOVE MN beer! I drink a fair amount of it weekly.... let's just call it blog research...He-he!... But I haven't had a Surly or Summit in a long time. I tried Schell's Star of the North and Goose Town, but other than that haven't had Schell's in forever.

 

Grainbelt? Uhhh.... couldn't tell you the last time I had one of those... Probably a night when I had already had a few good beers at a friends house and maybe accidentally grabbed the wrong bottle out of the fridge or something.

 

I do want to be clear, I am not trying to bash any of the breweries, or their beers, on these types of lists. More what I am doing is questioning why these "Beer Experts" can't get off a kick that started many years ago, and for most of us ended years ago too. 

 

Surly and Summit are not the only game in town anymore. They haven't been for a while now. By only making readers aware (again and again and again and again) of these few beers the "Beer Experts" are selling our craft beer scene short. It takes something that is really awesome about our area and makes it seem so small, dull, and old.

 

So, I am going to make a pledge. This weekend I am going to drink nothing but MN beers. I am going to open my eyes to some new MN beers and I am NOT going to drink a Surly, a Summit, a Schell's, or a Grainbelt... although I wasn't going to be hitting up that last one anyways.... All I want to know is, who's coming with me, man?

 

 

(Here is the article if you want to take a look:  http://www.vita.mn/best-of/230914481.html)

$ol Bock Revival

Saturday I went to the Sol Bock Revival event at Harriet Brewing. It was a beautiful day to be out and about. My friend and I drove to Minneapolis with the windows down. I finally could wear a t-shirt and I had my shades on. I was feeling great that after a long cold winter I could sit out in the sun and enjoy a good beer.

 

When I got to the brewery and hit the beer vending area I was disappointed, again, in a brewery event. $6.00 a beer! Now, in fairness, you could buy 4 for 20 bucks. But still, why the heck are they charging just as much, if not more, than a bar would charge for a beer they produced 20 feet away?

 

I am not an overly cheap dude. I am not asking for anything for free. But come on, man! There isn’t any middle man like a bar or a store trying to make a profit. There isn’t a distributor trying to get his money too. Heck, the guy checking IDs at the door even said the people pouring the beers were working just for tips, so no overhead there either. It is purely the brewery selling the product they made right at the place they are selling it. So why at brewery events do breweries feel like they need to charge beer prices that are starting to approach the prices for beer at major sporting events? I can’t answer that.

 

I always thought these types of events were great for the community, the brewery, and the beer consumer. The community gets some extra business in the area for the day. The brewery gets to spotlight their products and sell some beer. And of course the consumer gets to try some great beers at a brewery, which is always kind of cool. But if I can get the same beer for the same price or cheaper at a nice bar with a beautiful patio complete with plenty of chairs, a summery acoustic musician, and a server who will bring them to me, why would I bother standing in a hot parking lot with next to no places to sit and stand through TWO lines (one to buy the beer tickets and one ten feet away to actually obtain your beer) to purchase one beer for six bucks?

 

All in all it was a fun event. They had some cool art. The empanadas from the MidNord Empanada truck were spectacular. Dan Israel rocked the house with the perfect sunny Saturday afternoon music. And I will give it to Harriet Brewing that the Sol Bock was a great beer. I am sure the brewery would have wanted my last thought be “Man, great beer! I think I am going to have to get Harriet Brewing beers more often!” But as we walked back to my buddy’s truck my last thought was “Six bucks, really?!?”



Rise of the Beer Baron Pt 2: The First Taste!

For those of you familiar with the Boy Scout of America, I am an Eagle Scout.  Scouting was my "after school" activity.  But I wasn't just any old Scout, I was a super-Scout.  Very active n the Order of the Arrow (at one point holding one of the highest youth positions in the Twin Cities area called Lodge Chief).  I was highly decorated, and loved the travels and adventures it brought.  Now some of you might be asking about what this has to do with beer.  Well I took my duties pretty seriously, and while many people might expect to hear some wild tales of underage binges, those who know me know that I am still a "Boy Scout" at heart (as far as being a goody-goody, there are plenty of current BSA policies that I completely disagree with).  Yes, my first sip of "non-parently supervised" alcohol happened shortly after my 21st birthday and a friends Halloween party.  It was some sort of fruity punch thing.  I followed it up with a beer, nothing special, in fact it was pretty awful.  I don't exactly recall which national brand light beer it was, but I wasn't impressed.  So I started out my drinking days with "fruity crushed ice" type drinks.

My next taste of beer came on a hot/muggy summer day.  I was meeting some family at the local BW3 (a place known for their chicken wings and mediocre beer selection).  I wanted something a little different so I went with a Labatt's Blue, and for about a month that became "my beer".  Compared to the other national brands I had beforehand this was hand over fist better then what I had sampled, but it was still no something I wanted regularly.

Then one of my good high school friends had a Birthday, and was given a gift from out of state.....

To Be Continued....

 

Rise of The Beer Baron Pt. 1: Where we are going!

 
First off who is the Beer Baron?  Well the answer to that is easy.  It is no one, but it is who I strive to become.  I want to be in the middle of the Beer Revolution that has sprung up all around us in the Great Midwest.  I want to be a teacher, a mentor, a resource, I want to be YOUR buddy who hands you a cold one.  Yes, I want to be THAT Beer Baron.

Part of that is why I started this blog.  I knew I wanted Beer Reviews, Homebrew News, Beer Studies, but I felt there was something missing.  So I thought about the blogs that I read.  One of them is called Making Magic.  Its a weekly post by Mark Rosewater, Lead Designer for the game Magic: The Gathering, a game I haven't played in over three years.  But I keep going back to read this article.  He puts a great personal twist about how is personal life helped to shape the game, and how the game shapes his personal life.  He tells these great stories that suck you in, and helps explore human psychology.  He identifies and recognizes the mistakes he makes (both personal, and in his job).  I am mesmerized by how this man writes about everyday things. I realized this is what our blog needs to go from good to great.

So here is my introduction to that personal twist.  In these articles we will talk about how I became involved with beer, why I drink it, and I might even share some of my personnel favorites and failures.  So kick back and enjoy a cold one, because it is time for the Rise of the Beer Baron!

Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing back from you!

Will

Big Time Branding Terms Debunked pt 1:

Ask any head of a multibillion dollar corporation about how to keep their customers coming back, and you will most likely be starting a conversation about brand.  Branding is the image that a company portrays to the public using symbols, terms, or methods that are unique to their company.  Multibillion dollar beer companies spend millions of dollars every year creating a brand around the beers, most often to cover up the fact that there really is not difference behind their equally shoddy product.

So when you think about big beer commercials what is probably the most common theme you will see?  Take a look:

Silver, cold, ice.  Yes all the major companies at one time or another promise a refreshing beer served ice cold, the colder the better.  In my humblest opinion this serves two purposes for their brands.  The first to cover up that they all taste the same, and second to cover up the fact their beer tastes
"funky" (dare I say like crap).  No a good craft beer can hold up to temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees, but try drinking a Coors at that temperature...

Don't Fruit Your Beer:  Do you remember Miller's "Man Law" commercials.  Here is one of my favorites:

It's funny how this commercial and mindset vanished from Miller's bag of tricks.  It might have something to do with the fact they now own majorty stake in the following beers that out right break this rule:

1. Miller Chill (Lime)
2. Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss (Mixed Berries)
3. Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss (often served with Lemon)
4. Blue Moon (often served with an orange)

Those are just a few that I was able to find at a glance.  So much for not fruiting your beers!We of the craft brew persuasion have been fruiting our beers for year, heck the most ancient beers (sour beers) were most probably fruited!  Here are some great Midwest "fruited" beers:

1. Lift Bridge Brewery:  Spring Fling (Bitter Orange)
2. Flat Earth Brewing :Cygnus X1 Porter (Various flavors)
3. Raspberry Tart:  New Glarus Brewing (Raspberry)

Again, these are just the ones I could find off the top of my head.  If you like this article leave a comment an let us know!  We'll write another!

Tis The Season: Your Guide to Great Holiday Beers!

Looking for the perfect Holiday Gift for that Beer Geek in your life?  Or are you the Beer Geek looking for a little gift to put for yourself under the tree?  Here are some great ideas for the Holidays with links for your convenience.

Local:

• A Growler of Porter Fest from Flat Earth:  There was a point in my life where I only drank to gold stuff.  Then I found a brewery in St. Paul called Flat Earth and all that changed.  Thy are the masters of the Porter making it a blank canvas for over 20 different flavors from hot peppers to S'mores.  Available in Growlers only at the Brewery they release three flavors per week up through the holiday season.  

• Mankato Brewery Sampler Pack:  New on the shelves grab from one of my favorite new breweries of Minnesota.  This pack includes their standards Mankato Original and Stickum Alt as well as their first two Center Street Series, and IPA and Red Ale.

• Happy Holiday Ale Home Brew Kit from Midwest Supplies:  For the home brewer in your life!

 

National:

• 2012 Anchor Christmas Ale:  Every year  Anchor brews this ale but the Tree on the label and the recipe change every year.  I have know had this beer in 2010 and 2011 and each year it is further proof that Anchor has discovered how to bottle Christmas!

• He'Brew Holiday Gift Pack:  I got to give props to this Brewery for this great idea.  You get eight of the He'Brew line of beer, but that's not all!  Save the bottles as you drink them because this pack also comes with candles to turn your empties into a Menorah!  Also comes with a collector's glass to boot.

For more Holiday Beers I recommend that you check out the Four Firkins!

Stay tuned for more great holiday gift ideas for the Beer Geek in your life!

Welcome To The Dark Side...Of Lagers

Last week August Schell's Brewing Company was kind enough to share with us their upcoming new beer:

Now I know for a fact that some of my readers are already "Wow, that's a dark beer, I'm not really interested".  But hold on, this one is different, and maybe you should think about giving this one a try!  For starters most dark beers you have probably had before are Ales, meaning it was brewed with top fermenting yeast and brewed at warmer temps.  This here is a Lager brewed at colder temps with a bottom fermenting yeast.  

Still not interested, wait there is more…

As a lager it will carry a nice robust taste, but won’t leave you with that heavy feeling you would get from a stout. And according to The Oxford Companion To Beer dark lagers can sometime lean towards a coffee or chocolate flavor more often than not they have a clean matiness to them with hints of caramel or toffee (Oliver, 2012).  Also the hops are going to be more moderate and forward in this beer then with others.  This will make this beer more familiar to those who like beers like Newcastle.  A lot of stouts and porters like to push past the 6% ABV barrier.  Not so with Dark Lagers which tend to be down around the 5% ABV, the Chimney Sweep above carries a 5.2% ABV.  This make Dark Lagers less heavy to consume and you can enjoy a couple without feeling the effects as much (but still, make sure you are drinking responsibly and not driving!)  These things combined make a beer, like Chimney Sweep, more in line with a pilsner then with a stout.  So if you are one of those out there seeking to increase their beer horizon and start adding darker beer, then this is my recommendation of a place to start!

Can’t find Chimney Sweep in your area? Then try one of these other great Dark Lagers:

Midwest:

• Chimney Sweep –August Schell’s Brewing Co. (Seasonal)
• Black Bavarian –Sprecher Brewery
• Dark Helmet Schwartzbier –Titletown Brewing Co.

National:

•  Black Lager –Boston Brewing Co.

Bibliography

Oliver, G. (2012). The Oxfor Companion To Beer. New York: Oxford University Press.