Breweries Opening/Closing in Minnesota 2018

I will kinda agree. That location kind of a shit show with streets behind other streets to get in and out. But if they are gonna do it in the middle of suburbia at least its kinda hidden away? I really wonder who designed half of that area back in the 80's or whenever it was build.

 

Yoerg's St. Paul brewpub plans to debut its house-brewed beer in early January.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2014926178601766

Just over the border in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, Trap Rock Brewing Company is open.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1585531564926098

 

This has been kind of touched on by some(islay) but I think an overall ranking of the top NEW breweries in 2018 would be interesting. I've just lost touch. haven't heard much on Invictus for instance to name one....Not sure what all has opened but I'm sure others are.

 

Must have been challenging for Yoerg to bring in those beers? Never seen them before.

 

I might hit Yoerg tomorrow. I have had a few of those German beers before but only out of the bottle, that was a while back, I hardly remember them. I am going to Hudson tomorrow, will eat at the Winzer Stube, have Jaegerschnitzel and a few German beers there for sure. The new Schells Bock is around in the twin cities at a few select places. Collaborative with this brewery:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6231/

 

Winzer Stube has the best German selection of beers on draft that I have found...at least a couple years back they did.

 

Tried finding their tap list. No luck.

 

I stop by Yoerg, Saturday at about 7 PM, had the Marzen, Dunkel and Asam Bock. all were good, The dunkel was awesome . I recommend anybody interested in Bavarian beer to stop there and try it. The Yoerg bock is good too, brewed at Barley Johns.
They maybe brew a Adultfest beer for September.

 

yes as good as their tap lineup is they do little to promote it. I've reached out on facebook and haven't gotten replies. It amazes me these places that don't prioritize this. I got a place by me that has decent beers and I always check their facebook and all they ever put on is their lunch special of the day. I think taking five minutes a day to update on new beers on tap would be worth their while but I am not a business owner.

 

My friend and I stopped off at Yoerg yesterday to check the place out and it was not too bad. As someone mentioned they had one of their own beers on tap and the others were German imports which were pretty good. They are still in soft opening phase so things were a little slow but were steadily moving along. Tom mentioned a couple people were going to be coming in later and I assume it was for the evening shift otherwise it was him by himself.

This place is a nice step away from the traditional "brewery" setting of concrete floors, stainless steel lamps and stools and all that other shit. The upstairs is super comfy and downstairs is a nice laid back cafe/coffee shop style setting. They do have multiple food offerings which is better than the typical rely on the weekly food truck offerings.

The place reminds me of the Glockenspiel in terms of a bar setting with food and more than a couple beer offerings. It will be interesting to see how the place comes together in the future.

 

Yoerg is a bar. It's a brewpub (that hasn't yet completed brewing its own beer), not a taproom. It joins every other brewpub in the state in having a kitchen. The Yoerg beer that it's serving now comes from its sister client brewing company that utilizes Wisconsin-based contract breweries and is under separate ownership. Yoerg took over the space of a very highly regarded but shuttered bar and restaurant, Strip Club, and made some minor cosmetic changes (beer memorabilia on the walls, etc.) while retaining the core design elements that Strip Club owners J.D. Fratzke and Tom Niver put in place (or perhaps even that predated Strip Club; I'm not certain).

I thought that Strip Club had a good venue (looked great but was a little too loud and cramped in practice) but an awkward location for its upscale concept. It succeeded for as long as it did on the outsized strength of its food and cocktails. Whether Yoerg's old-fashioned beer and wine approach fits the neighborhood better or can sustain itself as a destination draw remains to be seen.

 

Yep everything you mentioned is true. Once they get the electric worked out it will be a taproom. They themselves state they are a "brewery" but the classification is of course a brewpub.

I still wish they would've been successful over at the original location that was planned but the city of St Paul said otherwise. This area they are in now has some really nice Victorian houses and has a potential to clean up but of course the local ruffians make it a not so desired part of town.

 

Agree Dayton's Bluff has some good bones potential for a great neighborhood.

 

Two breweries-in-planning for Owatonna, about an hour south of the Twin Cities:

1. Mineral Springs Brewery (website) (Facebook)
2. Foremost Brewing Cooperative (website) (Facebook): "Minnesota's First Cooperative Brew Pub"

I'm hearing that Mineral Springs is further along and the more concrete plan of the two.

 

They haven’t been in our local market for quite some time. S&H Brands is the importer (I believe they’re still represented locally by Artisan Beverage), so I’d say it’s a matter of good timing.

 

"Forbidden Barrel Brewing owner and brewmaster Brent Droll said at best, the business will be able to open in June." It seems that either the Worthington BIP will be a brewpub or that the owner is optimistic about the walls between breweries and brewpubs crumbling, as Droll "hopes to eventually bring in beers from local microbreweries, along with Minnesota wine and craft whiskey." Worthington is in the southwest corner of the state near the Iowa and South Dakota borders.

 

Did you make it to Winzer Stube? If so please report back on what they had on tap...also how was the food? I've heard good things but have only stopped in for a couple beers in the past.

 

Yes I stopped at the Winzer Stube. I often do when I go to WI on beer runs. I didn't make a point to remember what beers they had on tap. I wasn't all that impressed with what they had. So I had two pints of Ayinger Celebrator with my Jaegerschnitzel. The Celebrator was really good from a just tapped new keg. I had to wait a few minutes for them to tap it. They had Pfungstädter 1831 Schwarzbier. I had this the last time I was there it's ok, but I prefer Köstritzer which they usually had on tap until recently. I think if you call they they will tell ya what they have on tap.

The Jaegerschnitzel. was very good, I think they have the best schnitzel. around for the money. Some of there other food is good too but I don't care for there Friday fish fry. If you to Hudson MKE burger is a worth looking at for beer and burgers.
I might go to Hudson again in two weeks (road conditions?) , if i do I will wright down the tap list. After the winzer stube I went to Chicones and the Swinging Bridge tap room. Came back went to Lift Bridge, hy vee Oakdale then Yoerg

 

Sounds like a great day. I think we're hitting Hudson MKE burger this weekend. Was debating on changing it to Winzer Stube for food but might stick with the original plan. How is Swinging Tap? Better than Hop and Barrel and Pitchfork? Worth the extra miles to River Falls?

 

Winzer had other good beers on tap, just not my style I don't remember the breweries, But i think they a heffe, a dark dunkel wiess, a marzen plus a alt.

It was my first time to Swinging Bridge, but I have had a few of there beer from crowlers purchased a Casanova. I think swing bridge is better than Pitch or Hop & Barrel, But my sampling size is small from the swinging bridge so I don't know for sure. When I was at the Bridge I had a Kölsch, it was clean and solid. I got a crowler of the dry Irish stout which I like. Note the brewing system at the bridge was down for maintenance so there beer supply on hand was getting low. Hy Vee in Oakdale has a good selection of Oliphant, A fresh batch of Mill Stream Schokolade bock. plus old stock of Yoerg bock bottles which still tastes good.

Chicones was out of Potosi double bock. will they get more in???