A Beerploma Taproom Tour: Fair State Brewing Cooperative

There are plenty of places in the city to and get a beer.  However, in the last five years, the focus has turned from places to get a beer to places where you really want to go to get a beer.  The drinking options in the midst of the Twin Cities taproom explosion have increased in a staggering way.  As places continue to open, it becomes more and more about providing drinkers with great beer to drink, but also an atmosphere that is conducive to enjoying the company of others as they drink craft beer.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative has been open for just about six months and provides craft beer drinkers with unique and delicious beers.  Fair State also fosters a wonderful craft beer drinking community with a co-op membership that is over 600 strong and growing.

Lets start with the look of the taproom.  The exposed brick and long, beautiful bar give the taproom a very comfortable feel.  The bar was made of the reclaimed wood from the original building.  The uniqueness and high quality of the bar allow for plenty of seating, as it stretches far down at least half the length of the taproom.  The layout is perfect for meeting people and having great conversation.  There are windows that allow you to see into the brewhouse.  The bathroom is down a hallway and on the wall of that corridor the words, "Drink like you own the place" are painted.  That statement speaks volumes about the experience that the founders of the brewery want their patrons to have.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative was founded by three college friends, Evan Sallee, Niko Tonks and Matthew Hauck, who all have shared an interest in beer dating back to 2002 when they met in college.  The cooperative nature of the business stems from a desire to connect good people with good beer.  The state of MN has a very high number of cooperative businesses ranging from farm shares to places to shop for groceries, so a cooperative brewery seemed like something that would work well.  As of 2-19-15, Fair State had over 600 members, a number that has far exceeded what they initially projected.  The membership benefits include, but are not limited to voting on different beer styles every couple of months.  Members also enjoy Happy Hour prices ($1.00 off pints and $.50 off half-pints) all day on Monday and Wednesday-Friday from 4-7pm.  Recently, a Fair State Brewing Cooperative-themed Members Only jacket became a perk for signing up!

Fair State's beers are the deft and nuanced concoctions of Head Brewer, Nico Tonks.  Nico started at Jester King Brewing and Live Oak Brewing in Austin, TX, where he learned the art of brewing continental lagers and wheat beers.  The availability of local ingredients often dictates what is brewed.  Although, Pilsner is the favorite style of the taproom and their version is on-point.  In addition to lagers, they also brew ales and will usually have a nice selection of each on tap.  One of the things I was especially impressed with was their sour beer, Lactobac 1.  Their barrel aging program is expanding and in the future, there will be more and more delicious barrel aged selections to enjoy.

Groucho Marx once said, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."  Fair State Brewing Cooperative's passion for beer combined with the amazing community being fostered there might cause him to rethink his prolific statement.  The options for drinking good beer in the Twin Cities and beyond are great, but finding a place with this type of inviting atmosphere is not as easy.  Fair State has hit all the marks, so get there and try the amazing drinking experience for yourself.  Prost!

Brews and Reviews: Tin Whiskers Brewing Company

Since becoming an avid craft beer drinker in 2005, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for a brewery with a unique concept and brand.  I am drawn to creative names for beers and eye-catching tap handles.  There is something comforting and familiar about being able to pick a favorite beer brand out of a lineup of a myriad of taps at a bar.  From the names of their beer all the way to their robot logo and tap handles, Tin Whiskers is a recognizable brand that will only continue to grow, and it is in large part to the approachability of their beer.

The Tin Whiskers taproom is in the Rossmor Building downtown St. Paul.   The vibe of the taproom evoked memories of the taprooms in Colorado.   The abundance of windows and exposed brick provide a very industrial and clean feel which fits very well with their engineering-themed brewery.  The bright lights and long communal tables make this a natural space to gather and meet people.  They also have a nice long bar that you can belly up to and enjoy some nice conversation with other patrons, or the knowledgeable beertenders.  If you are hungry, the brewery shares the same building as Black Sheep Pizza, Sawatdee and Key’s Cafe.  If takeout or delivery is not your thing, then they encourage you to bring a picnic if you crave something to nosh while you imbibe.  The name, Tin Whisker, comes from an electrical engineering term for a soldering failure on a circuit board.  However, let me assure you, there are no failures when it comes to their portfolio of approachable beers on tap.  The lineup of beers at Tin Whiskers have several things going for them: approachability, depth,  and drinkability.  There is truly something here for everyone.  

If you are into hoppy beers, the Flipswitch IPA comes in at 6.2 ABV and 63 IBU and has plenty of hop presence.  Chinook, Citra, Warrior and Centennial hops are used in the boil and then the beer is dry-hopped with Citra and Warrior hops.  This beer is big on earthy, citrus and floral aromas and has a nice malty presence to make it a very drinkable and balanced American IPA.  The hop bitterness is not heavy-handed for this beer and I tend to prefer that when it comes to American IPAs.  

If you are into something refreshing, the Wheatstone Bridge American Style Wheat ale is something that is perfect for those Minnesota summer days.  What separates this from other wheat beers is the use of honey and chamomile which give it a very pleasant and complex flavor and aroma.  This beer is orange in color and is slightly cloudy.  The beer is light and effervescent and at 5.4 ABV and 20 IBU, it will appeal to a wide range of beer drinkers.  

If you are in the mood for a pilsner, the Parity Pilsner is a nice option.  This is a very balanced beer with a slight sweetness and just enough hop bite to give it a great flavor.  The slightly sulfuric yeast character, which I find incredibly pleasing in this style, is present and accounted for.  The beer drinks crisp and bright and is a nice addition. This beer is 5.8 ABV and 29 IBU, making it very drinkable and approachable.

Moving towards their malty selections we have the Ampere Amber.  I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of amber beers, so I was not expecting a whole lot from this offering.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that instead of the overbearing malty sweetness that I have come to dislike in amber beers, the Ampere Amber has a distinctly roasted malt character which makes the beer crisp and gives it an edge.  This beer, like most of their others, is very drinkable 5.3 ABV and 48 IBU and perfect for fall.

The Boolean Brown is one of my favorites from Tin Whiskers.  It has a roasted malt aroma that is so rich and inviting.  The flavor has a very nice biscuity and melanoidin flavor which balances out the sweetness from the malt.  The mouth feel is a little dry and the roasted malt gives it a nice bite that makes you want to enjoy another pint of this delicious beer.  

As we are entering fall, nothing says warm me up like a nice and flavorful stout.  In my opinion, the Short Circuit Stout (5.3 ABV and 31 IBU) embodies everything right about this style.  It is robust and roasty.  It is velvety and slightly sweet from the chocolate and lactose.  This is what I will definitely come back and have several pints of because it hits on all cylinders from flavor to mouthfeel.  If that wasn't enough to get you to put the coordinates in your smartphone and head on down there; Short Circuit is also available on Nitro!  Yes, imagine all the velvety goodness I described and add in the cascading smoothness of my second favorite gas.  Well, I don’t need to tell you that you know what you are going to do when the weekend hits.  

You can also order a Short Bridge, which is a half and half pour of the Short Bridge Wheat and the Short Circuit Stout.  Believe it or not, the chocolate from the stout and the sweetness from the wheat beer play very well together.

As a St. Paul resident myself, I cannot say enough about how excited I am to see Tin Whiskers putting out the beer that they do.  Whether you are a beer connoisseur or are just dipping your toes in the craft beer pool for the first time, you will find something to enjoy at Tin Whiskers
The atmosphere of the taproom is a great place to eat, drink and be merry.  

Brews and Reviews: Drinking the In-Laws

It's that time of year again.  My father in law is in town!  The good news is that we didn't have to buy one case of Bud, it's all Schell's from here an out!  That being said he has undertaken redoing our entire deck.  This of course has led me to drink more then a fare share of new beers.  So to kill two beers with one gulp I decided to post about my sanity saving friends....

I don't know if this is the first year that Summit has made this beer, but I hope it is not the last [Summit contacted me after posting this and say that it was first introduced in 2012].  In a world filled with Summer Lagers this beer is a great edition to anyone's lawn mower beer line up.  This hazy straw gold beer gives off a clean white grape aroma.  It has a nice gentle biscuity malt taste, with mild hop bittering.  Almost like a lingering pilsner.  It has a very thin mouthfeel, it actually feels lighter then water.  I really enjoyed this beer and good easily take down a few of these after a hard day's work in the yard.  Rating:  "Good"

This is not the first year Third Street brought out Hunny Do, but last year it sold out so fast I am not even sure if it made it to the cities.  But luckily they made it a second year!  this hazy pale gold pours with a tight foamy head.  It has an ample floral bouquet in the aroma.  Soft mouthfeel, ample Saaz like bitterness.  It has a dry finish.  Another beer to enjoy after the yard work is done!  Just make sure your Hunny Do list is done as well before cracking into this summer delight.  Rating:  "Good".

 I am a sucker for a good pilsner, so when the make of one of my favorite stouts had a pilsner offering on the shelf of my local liquor establishment, I had to partake.  Left Handed Polestar pilsner is a great offering, again pair well with the muggy days of the Minnesota Craft Beer drinking season.  This pale straw yellow poured with a short white head.  It had a soft hops presence, and gave of hints of cinnamon in the aroma.  The pilsner was softer then they strong German pilsners I am used to, but I think that might make it easier for your average American drinker, so I am overlooking that for this rating.  It has a harp bitter aftertaste reminding me of the noble hops.  It has a very mellow biscuity malt taste with a nuttiness to it, which was my favorite part.  Rating:  "Good"

So there you have three solid beers to try for this summer season.  What are your favorite "lawnmower beers".  Leave us a comment!