Breweries opening in Minnesota 2013/2014

I'l be there! Look for the scruffy guy with ridiculous fashion sense, copious facial hair, and a trucker cap.

(Oh, WAIT!!!)

But seriously, folks, it's a mission of mercy; I've got a later appointment and the guy wants to taste this new stuff pretty darned-badly, so I get to be his growler-getter, today.

 

Got to Insight at 3:45 and the doors were open. I'm already enjoying a pint of Lamb & Flag at the bar. I must say I'm very impressed.

 

So here's some irony. I got there about 4:45, it was a zoo but I stood in line for 20 minutes to try a porter; then I left and went to your favorite neighborhood pub Sporty's :-)

The porter was fine but it was indeed a zoo.

If anyone saw the guy in a yellow jacket, bike helmet clipped to a fanny pack, that was me.

 

Doesn't mentioning Sporty's automatically get yor posts deleted? (I'm only speaking from experience).

Chaz managed to find me early on so we had a long beer centric discussion as we each tried all of Insight's brews. I was impressed with all of them.

Perhaps for futur endeavor's/openings we agree on a way that we can all quickly identify each other, Chaz and I had the scruffy old guy with unique fashion sense down, but something more obvious seems necessary. I suggest purple tutus.

 

I just picture Chaz looking like the guy in his avatar.

 

Purple tutus aren't as helpful for those of us with a degree of "vertical challenge", especially in a large crowd like the Insight opening. I propose the BA standard uniform include a headdress with brightly dyed ostrich feathers.

 

The obvious solution is either a jester's cap or a "safety orange" bicycle flag.

Did anyone go to the other event last night? Something or other at Sisyphus?

 

I'm at Insight right now and oddly enough chose to sport both my purple tutu and yellow safety flag. Anyhoo, damn son, beer is really good. No complaints from this guy.

 

Too bad you weren't there yesterday. Mullets and Irishmen galore~!

 

The touch-tablet open with BeerAdvocate in the browser is always the easiest giveaway.

 

What's the story with Roets? Does he have experience besides home brewing? I live in Jordan so it's cool that he's opening up here, but I don't automatically believe every home brewer is capable of top notch beer.

 

Eastlake Craft Brewery at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis (920 E. Lake St. #123) has announced that it will have a soft opening on Saturday, December 6. Eastlake is following the Dangerous Man and Sisyphus model of selling its beer only at its taproom. In the unlikely event that you purchased certain merchandise at Eastlake's online store and received free beer tokens, you can get your free beer now through November 30.

 

I looked all over last year, and could find no references to his experience as a commercial brewer.*

Still, he shares the same, basic background as more "Surly Era" professional brewers than I care to count. Most of us will have to wait 'til he opens to know just how good he is -and the former Scott County Library will be the new digs for the brewery- but I have no doubt that more than a few people in the area just can't wait to become regulars. Jordan has a nice (if small), historic downtown area which has been waiting for something like it for a long time.

*His is a cool story, bro: As a home brewer he's won awards at UMMO, RennFest, and other competitions, including the Minnesota State Fair (2006) -- this last one should have a familiar ring, as it's shared by a few other home brewers who went Pro (Surly, Urban Growler… ), and he's had his recipes brewed at MTH and Harriet, too.

 

Two things:

1) Tim Roets is a friend of mine and a fantastic home brewer. He is already making ciders, meads, and beers/cider hybrids for Minnesota Harvest Orchard in Jordan. No official training, but he's been brewing since the 1980's! He showed me an article he wrote on home brewing from back then when he was a journalist. I'm looking forward to his official brewery opening…it will not be boring!

2) Here is a link to my review of Waconia Brewing. Curious to see what you folks think of the place!
http://jackofallbrews.blogspot.com/2014/11/waconia-brewing-company-review.html

 

Great review of Waconia Brewing! Can't wait to check it out. I enjoy reading your blog-great stuff. I was a little worried that Waconia would brew mainly session beers with a goal to convert BMC drinkers but the interview with the brewer made me excited for the future of the brewery. As someone else living in the western suburbs I'm happy to have Waconia Brewery as a taproom option.

 

Awesome info on Roets. I'm super excited to go try his brews. I did have a cider and apple wine up at the orchard but it was just too sweet for me, as most ciders and fruit wines are. I'm within stumbling home distance of the new space so I might as well buy stock now.

 

Meanwhile, up in Grand Marais…

 

Eastlake officially opens on Dec 11.

 

Anyone have any details on the soft opening mentioned earlier in the thread for tomorrow? This is all I found on their facebook page, and it's 1.5 weeks old:

#FreeBeer continues until November 30, when we will begin preparing for some soft opening dates starting Dec 6. Stop by the Midtown Global Market between 11-8, and if we have beer, we might be open.

​

 

Eastlake did a beerless soft opening. I'm sure that boggles the minds of people here, but they're open now with locally brewed Kombucha and Soda (that's pop for us Minnesotans). They'll have beer starting Thursday.