“Where to next?” I asked. We had finished lunch with our friends Megan & Mitch at Hai Hai, which followed a morning of coffee and beer at BlackStack. They live a fair distance south of the Twin Cities. They also share our love for craft beer and breweries so we give them leeway to choose the destinations. “Is Fair State close? We haven’t been there yet” Mitch asked. “Very close” I responded.
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I can’t believe this is the fourth year I’ve given these awards. This year was especially hard, because I shifted down a gear on my in-state travels. I began 2019 with a resolution to count my calories (not great for beer). Shortly after that my toddler found her legs and combined it with boundless energy. We also took three trips out of state, where most of my drinking this year took place. Even so, I visited more than enough to put together this list.
A quick reminder at the stipulations. Each award must go to a brewery that I visited in the calendar year and I won’t give a brewery the same award two years in a row. At this point I’ve visited over 100 Minnesota breweries and written about most of them. I like to think I have my finger on the pulse of the scene, but if I’m missing your favorites I’d love to hear about them. On to the awards!
Continue Reading…Lupulin Brewing Company
September 26, 2019
I’ve written about craft beer for four years. That’s about as long as I’ve been drinking it. I don’t remember a lot of beers from the first couple of years. My palate wasn’t developed, most beers tasted similar, and I had a hard time differentiating good beer from bad. One of the pursuits we attempted in those early days was to complete the Northern Ale Guide. When there is a t-shirt at stake, I’ll do anything. I recall bouncing around the state on a cold December weekend trying to get the last few stamps in the book. There was one brewery that we visited that didn’t make much of an impression. This summer I wanted to see how my tastes have changed after four years in the hobby. On a drizzly summer afternoon I pulled into the parking lot of Lupulin Brewing Company to see what I had missed.
Continue Reading…Ashby Brewing Company
September 23, 2019
There is something intriguing about a small town brewery. It summons the past, a time when breweries dotted the country. When locals would gather in the park after Sunday mass and enjoy a refreshing mug of the area’s lager with friends and family. When I hear that a brewery has opened in a town with a population of less than 500, I can’t help myself. It’s even more appealing when they are only open for a handful of hours a week. Ashby Brewing Company is the latest nano-brewery to provoke a visit.
Continue Reading…Birch’s on the Lake
September 17, 2019
I’m too young to understand the “supper club.” A concept interwoven into the fabric of the Midwest, these establishments have long sought their place in the modern era. By the time I was old enough to remember, these previously revered restaurants had become an odd blend of classy and kitsch. A vestige of the past. The craft beer industry is suited to blending the old and the new. Enter Birch’s on the Lake.
Continue Reading…Ursa Minor Brewing
May 10, 2019
Duluth holds a special place in my heart. The first time I visited was when we toured UMD with my older brother on a college visit. I didn’t think much of the campus, the PortLand Malt Shoppe was more my style at the time. Yet, Lake Superior and the Lift Bridge must have made a larger impression on me than I thought because when it came time for me to choose a college to attend, it was an easy decision. My most formative years were spent on that snowy hill and it culminated with beginning to date the woman that would eventually become my wife. It’s no surprise that we visit the North Shore multiple times a year and each time we select a new brewery to visit. Last weekend we stopped at one of the newest, Ursa Minor Brewing.
Continue Reading…Three Twenty Brewing Co.
May 5, 2019
I’m a planner by nature. When my free time is involved I rarely want to leave things up to chance. My wife and I had organized a trip to Duluth to test out our new baby backpack and while in town it was only natural that we’d stop at some breweries. During our drive, we had just discussed our plans for the evening when my wife spotted a sign for a brewery. In an unusual moment of spontaneity we dashed off the next exit and made our way to Three Twenty Brewing Co.
Continue Reading…Boathouse Brothers Brewing Company
April 27, 2019
Since I began this hobby taprooms have become a regular meeting spot for my in-laws. Almost everyone enjoys craft beer and we’re constantly checking out new places and bringing new beer to our get togethers for everyone to taste. When my brother in-law told us he was moving to Utah he wanted to get together one last time at a local brewery, Prior Lake’s Boathouse Brothers Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…Back Channel Brewing Co.
April 23, 2019
If you’ve been in the craft beer scene for any length of time you’ll begin to realize there are certain glasses for different styles of beer. Since smell is intrinsically linked to taste it makes sense to drink beers with a heavy hop aroma from glassware that provides maximum surface area. When a local brewery began serving IPAs out of a bowl they made waves across the entire industry. It was only a matter of time before I took the drive to the shores of Lake Minnetonka to stick my nose into a bowl of beer at Spring Park’s Back Channel Brewing Co.
Continue Reading…Dual Citizen Brewing Company
April 17, 2019
There is a core group of co-workers that like to take an hour out of their evening each week to grab a drink. Usually we can be found at either Groveland Tap down the street, or Lake Monster up the road. Occasionally we range a bit further, but we tend to stick close to the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul. When a new brewery opens within our range it’s an easy sell to the group. Dual Citizen Brewing Company is the latest brewery to fall before our thirsty gaze!
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