Breweries opening in Minnesota 2013/2014

Yup, that's what they just told me. Opening at 11am

 

Ug, soda. I hate that term.

 

I don't think this one has been mentioned yet, and it's good news for the beer fans of Rochester (less so for the wine fans): "Also closing is Sontes in Rochester. Lots of people used that as a beacon for eating when heading down Mayo way; it had a great wine list for sure. The last day will be New Year's, and then the current chefs/owners will work to change the space over to Grand Rounds Brewing Co. with beer brewed on-site and locally sourced pub eats." Also, it appears from its Facebook page that Life's Too Short in Rochester is gaining momentum.

http://mspmag.com/Blogs/The-Feed/December-2014/They-re-Taking-Nye-s/

 

Eastlake now has beer. Four on tap, I had the saison and rye stout. Both were fine. Three of the four are sub-5 abv for better or worse. (Since I have to bike 13 miles home, today I'll call it better)
In the midtown global market building so lots of food options

 

I was at Midtown last night for other reasons and stumbled upon the Eastlake Grand opening. I tried two beers--the black IPA and the Belgian Pale Ale. Both were fine--the Black IPA was much roastier than others I've had, and the Belgian Pale was a little bland but had a nice yeasty character. It was an interesting mix of beers to open with (the two above plus a saison and a rye stout), so I hope they'll keep thinking outside the box. It is now the second closest brewery to my house (after Harriet), so I'm anxious to see what lies ahead for them. My pregnant wife appreciated that they had Treefort Ginger Ale and Root Beer on tap.

 

Surly's new taproom opens 12/19. http://www.startribune.com/galleries/285373881.html

 

Angry Inch (Apple Valley) will open in early summer (approximately) as per this article at Northland Beer.

 

Looks like they are going to open in downtown Lakeville. Hoping their beers are good, because we need a brewery on this end of the metro.

 

I was beginning to think there was something in the Surly Bill forbidding south metro tap rooms. Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend!

 

Well, most of the people beergeeks that I know who live south of the river are unrepentant cheapskates, so maybe brewpubs and taprooms n' stuff have just never been solid business models 'til now?

 

Montgomery Brewing is approved, first batch underway -- just in time for an early New Year grand opening.

 

Link doesn't work for me because I'm not on Facebook. Why do some public companies set up their facebook accounts so you need a facebook account to view it? Not everyone wants to be on facebook.

Is there a go around to view facebook sites that initially require the user to be on facebook to view that I don't know about??

 

Yeah, it's annoying (and I don't know of a work-around.) I started using Facebook about ten years ago even though I never -technically- graduated from college. About then it really went big and allowed pretty much anyone to join. And although they don't have a website yet, there are a few listings at various Breweries in Planning sites (collect them all!), and it's par for the course that the other big beer hobbyist website already has a listing for them.

 

I added Angry Inch to my Twin Cities Beer Map. It sure looks lonely down there in the Southern Metro. I didn't add Montgomery Brewing because it doesn't fit my extremely arbitrary concept of what is/isn't the "Twin Cities area." I will, however, probably make it to Montgomery sometime next Summer. Our family cabin isn't too far away (on Lake Mazaska).

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z_4orknR3LuQ.kpxcFJiVIuGs

 

Being a beer hobbyist is all well and good, naturally. And that's why we're here!

Likewise, while the Twin Cities* itself is becoming ever-more dotted by both Islay's taprooms and larger-scale production breweries, the concept of "Local" is construed in the booze biz (wholesale/master-distribution) to largely include the state (MN) plus western Wisconsin; As the Craft niche grows, so does the concept of local…

*Not just the 494/694 loop, but the Metropolitan Statistical area.

 

Montgomery could work out for a nice little road trip on the way to Mankato and then New Ulm.

I consider anything in the state of Minnesota to be local (though obviously some places are more local to my community, so I'm waiting for a west Bloomington or Eden Prairie brewery / taproom). Western Wisconsin? Not so much.

That said, this is still beer being brewed by our neighbors, people who live here. Much of it is even good beer, and that's pretty awesome.

 

There will soon be breweries in Jordan and Blakeley as well if you are heading down 169. Shakopee will have one too.

 

Thanks for the plug, Chaz. In my tracking (for which this thread has been extremely helpful), I actually count the Twin Cities area as including breweries as far out as Red Wing Brewery in Red Wing, MN (Goodhue County) and Das Bierhaus and Real Deal (as well as the upcoming Lucette expansion, which I believe will have a taproom) in Menomonie, WI. Basically, I include anywhere someone in the heart of the Twin Cities may be able to reach within an hour's drive (although Menomonie is stretching it).

Seamus_McGuire's map is great. I do list a few within Minnesota's borders he doesn't show, including Hayes' Public House in Buffalo, MN (which is no farther away from the heart of the metro area than the upcoming Lupulin in Big Lake, which he does include), Rock Bottom in downtown Minneapolis (a part of a chain, yes, but it brews on-site, and most of the beers it brews are unique to the Minneapolis location), Minnesota Harvest Orchard in Jordan (which makes various products including graff, i.e., beer/cider hybrid, although, like Schram, I'm pretty sure it technically operates on a winery license), moto-i (which brews sake only, so I certainly understand excluding it), and the four area Granite City locations (Maple Grove, St. Louis Park, Eagan, and Roseville, although only the fermentation of the wort occurs on site).

 

"Badger Hill is set for a soft opening around the holidays and a grand opening in January."

More info and pics:
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/dining/285997331.html
http://growlermag.com/first-look-of-badger-hill-brewings-new-brewery/

 

Yep, I was thinking a road trip including Montgomery, Roet's, and U4ic would be fun. For me hitting Badger Hill in Shakopee is a bit out of the way (I'd pick up 169 in Maple Plain) but if you're coming from the Twin Cities it would work.