In late November we were settling into winter and trying to prepare for the months ahead. When our friends Megan and Mitch asked if we wanted to visit the newly opened Bald Man Brewing we jumped at the chance. After all, we needed another stamp for our Northern Ale Guide and our list was quickly dwindling.
Continue Reading…Mankato Brewery
March 2, 2017
In early November we decided to visit my wife’s brother in Mankato for some dinner and drinks. We’ve been nudging him towards beer, but it’d been hard to get him to drop his REDD’s Apple Ale. With an upcoming tripped planned to Munich we officially had a good enough reason to get him to take the dive once and for all. So on a Monday evening we grabbed a quick bite and jumped over to Mankato Brewery.
Continue Reading…Wenonah Brewing Company
February 25, 2017
After a night of drinking, a rare opportunity to sleep in, and a breakfast of french toast we hit the road. Because our next taproom wasn’t open until the afternoon we needed to kill some time. We made a day of it by visiting a couple of apple orchards (tasty hot cider and crispy donuts), ate lunch at the historic Hubbell House, got a very informative tour and beer samples from Tod Fyten at nearby Mantorville Brewery, and took in Winona from the Garvin Heights overlook. After a full morning working up a thirst we finally arrived at our destination: Wenonah Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…LTS Brewing
February 24, 2017
After filling our stomachs at Forager Brewery and saying goodbye to my brother and his family, we braved the unseasonably cold weather and made the short trip to our second and final destination of the night. When we arrived and I climbed out of the car I took note of the vast difference between this and our last stop. While it didn’t appear as polished, LTS Brewing promised good beer and we were going to take them up on the offer.
Continue Reading…Forager Brewery
February 22, 2017
During our effort last year to complete our Northern Ale Guide we knew we’d have to make a trip or two to knock a bunch off the list. We set aside a weekend with our friends Megan and Mitch to hit the southeastern Minnesota breweries. So on an early October evening we started our journey at Rochester’s Forager Brewery.
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We’re experiencing a renaissance of craft beer across the country and in 2016 Minnesota really hit its stride. With a new brewery opening weekly there were a glut of new breweries to visit and a many others establishing themselves within the community. Since it was my first full year blogging and after visiting over fifty breweries, I figured it would be worthwhile to do a recap of my year in Minnesota craft beer and hand out some awards for my own personal favorites. Read on to see the winners!
Continue Reading…Angry Inch Brewing
December 31, 2016
With fall waning in early November we were seeking some indoor entertainment. Our friends had suggested visiting some newer breweries that had opened in nearby Lakeville, Minnesota. This is a more central location for our usual companions. So after filling our bellies with food from nearby Lakeville Brewing Company we made the (very) short walk to Angry Inch Brewing.
Continue Reading…Lakeville Brewing Company
December 30, 2016
We are always looking for breweries that are closer to our home in the outer suburbs. So when we heard that Lakeville added two breweries we had to check them out. Then I learned they were next door to each other, how convenient! So we planned a weeknight to visit and headed to Lakeville Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…Big Axe Brewing Company
October 14, 2016
As I mentioned in my previous post about my visit to Jack Pine Brewery, I was in the Brainerd lakes area for a bachelor party at the end of August. Mid-day on Saturday I had to leave early to get to a wedding, but I took a slight detour into Nisswa, MN to get one more stampy in my Northern Ale Guide. So, on a windy overcast day, I pulled into the parking lot of Big Axe Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…Jack Pine Brewery (Old Location)
October 11, 2016
In late August I found myself driving up to the Brainerd area for a bachelor party. Having had the foresight to keep my Northern Ale Guide in my car at all times, I decided it was worth a short detour to nearby Baxter before heading to the festivities. The destination for that day was Jack Pine Brewery.
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