Earlier this spring I mentioned to my wife that this could be a good year to hike the entirety of the Superior Hiking Trail. A crazy suggestion, yet just a handful of months later we were pulling into Grand Marais with one sleep left between us and the trail. In the morning my parents were going to drop us off on the Canadian border and to temper our nerves we had planned our last meal at the aptly named Gun Flint Tavern.
Continue Reading…Disgruntled Brewing
October 21, 2017
There comes a point in each Minnesota summer where your family determines that it’s time to go “up north.” These two words evoke thoughts of rustic cabins, crystal clear glacial lakes, s’mores by the campfire, and early morning fishing trips for most residents of this four season state. There’s a new tradition that’s slowly encroaching into the nostalgic thoughts of those that make the drive: craft beer. So when my in-laws planned a trip to Lake Clitherall, I figured a visit to nearby Disgruntled Brewing was in order.
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With our tent setup we began the walk to Castle Danger Brewery. We hadn’t planned very well for our visit to Two Harbors, but we lucked out when my wife mentioned to a co-worker that we were visiting. Turns out his daughter lived seven blocks directly north of their taproom. A perfect place to sleep after taking part in our first Minnesota Brewery Running Series!
Continue Reading…Blacklist Artisan Ales
August 15, 2017
Our bellies were full as we walked down Superior street with the early afternoon sun beating down on our heads. We’d just departed our favorite restaurant in Duluth, Va Bene Caffe, and now we were working up a thirst. After deftly avoiding some sidewalk construction our destination was before us. We peered into the open garage door across the exposed rail and got our first glimpse of Blacklist Artisan Ales.
Continue Reading…Tin Whiskers Brewing
August 11, 2017
“I want pizza.” This was the response when I asked if we had any plans for dinner. Not an odd request, but when my wife said she wanted to try Black Sheep I mentioned we could kill two birds with one stone. We’d been to the brewery before but I’d never formally blogged about it. With camera in tow we made our way across the river to Tin Whiskers Brewing.
Continue Reading…u4ic Brewing
August 11, 2017
We pulled off Highway 169 and descended into the Minnesota River Valley. I’m always surprised that the landscape changes so dramatically from the pastoral scenery of the surrounding area. Our windows were down to enjoy the warm summer air and after a small bend in the road our destination emerged from the forest. u4ic Brewing was now in sight.
Continue Reading…Pryes Brewing Company
August 6, 2017
New taprooms continue to open every month, and the summer is high season. When my brother-in-law mentioned he wanted to visit a taproom that “nobody had been to yet” I knew there were several to choose from. I told him that Pryes Brewing Company had just opened their new riverside taproom. A day later we were working up a thirst and cruising along the river road.
Continue Reading…LynLake Brewery
August 5, 2017
Summer was well under way when our friends contacted us about their desire to visit a brewery in the metro area. They’d made it through the first few months of raising a newborn and finally felt like they earned a night off. Before we knew it we were halfway through our yum yum rice bowls from World Street Kitchen discussing our next stop: LynLake Brewery.
Continue Reading…Tanzenwald Brewing Company
August 1, 2017
We’ve got a handful of friends located in the south metro area and beyond. We’re always looking for places that may be more convenient for them to avoid requiring them to drive to the cities every time we want to visit a new taproom. When we heard that Northfield would soon be home to two breweries, we planned accordingly. The first to arrive was Tanzenwald Brewing Company.
Continue Reading…Wild Mind Artisan Ales
May 9, 2017
Flipping through my Instagram feed on a late March day I happened upon a post from Wild Mind Artisan Ales. It described their first bottle release event for their Golden Ho/rye/zon American Wild Ale. I made a mental note but promptly forgot about it. The day of the event I was grumbling at work about being cooped up during the unseasonably warm weather and searching for any excuse to get outside. Just like that the event popped back into my head and, after a quick call to my wife, we were off.
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