Brewery Updates in Minnesota (2019)

Gosh, with eastern MN clearly being on the frontier, who'd have thought someone in Wyoming, or California, or even Alaska would've use the name "Frontier"?

 

At least it won't have "barrel" in the name. Or "north".

 

I don't believe the City of Chanhassen sold them a building. I think it was just property.

 

Falling Knife announced head brewer Robbie Denaway, with previous brewing experience at Surly and Fair State they shouldn't have to worry about working on too many kinks upon opening.

 

I could never go to that brewery just due to the queasy feeling I'd get looking at their logo and name... (Yeah, I hate needles, too... and the sight of blood... )

 

I've heard that sentiment (not necessarily "I could never go" but "that image makes me uncomfortable") from several people now and from a fairly large proportion of people who know about the BIP. I don't fall in that camp, but that's valuable early feedback for Falling Knife to consider.

Trigger warning:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1380297842112929

 

That was just mean!

 

Flat Earth, not Fair State.

 

"Announcing the newest member of Falling Knife Brewing Company and our Head Brewer, Robbie Denaway. He brings an impressive set of brewing skills and knowledge to the team having spent time at Surly and most recently, Fair State. Cheers Robbie! Welcome to the team."

 

...

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-denaway-7047a747

Perhaps the LinkedIn is out of date, missing his stint at Fair State.

 

El Loro has opened as a restaurant (part of the local Mexican restaurant chain) in the former Urban Lodge space in Sauk Rapids. The Urban Lodge brewing equipment remains in place. "[Owner Marcos] Gomez said Monday the restaurant will eventually brew on site, but not necessarily the recipes customers might remember from Urban Lodge. 'We want to concentrate on the food for now,' Gomez said. 'When we do have beer, it will be a mix of American and Mexican beers.'"

 

Red Cow is trying to build a brewpub in NE Minneapolis. I imagine they would brew beer for their other restaurants here also

 

That's the spot where the long-delayed Town Hall Northeast project was supposed to go. Guess that can finally be declared dead.

 

Yes. Town Hall shifted its focus to Town Hall Station in Edina years ago (opened 2017). You can think of that as the same plan in a different location or the replacement for the Nordeast plan. I doubt many people remember this or ever were aware, but Town Hall also for a time very seriously considered a skyway-level outpost in downtown St. Paul. Town Hall Tap in South Minneapolis became the broad evolution of that effort (opened 2010).

I think the return of the brewpub model is one of the most interesting developments in Minnesota craft beer. I believe there are more brewpubs-in-planning at the moment than at any previous point in state history. I suspect heavy competition for shelf space and external tap lines has led many breweries to give up on their distribution dreams, and so brewpubs' advantages of being allowed full bars, guest taps, and multiple locations are beginning to dominate the tradeoffs for many BIPs.

 

@LOWFisherman will like this, but I did make it to Lake of the Woods Brewing in Warroad on the 29th, on the way to the Angle.

I didn't have time for a drink at the brewery, because we left St. Cloud an hour and a half late, but we were able to get a growler to go, that crossed the border.

I was impressed with their Blonde ale, and did get that one into the system. I was also impressed that they had it on tap at Flag Island Resort in the middle of the lake.

Hopefully, next year, we can actually stop for a drink there. Either way, a growler of their beer will be going with us to the Angle from now on.

They also are releasing Sultana Gold, at the Warroad taproom. It is a beer that is also on tap at the Kenora location.

One more note about them, even though it's outside of the Midwest, they are planning on opening up a location in Winnipeg later this year.

 

Glad you liked it

 

Am I the only person who isn't impressed by Red Cow? I've been to all their locations (I think) only because my wife likes the place but everything on the menu is the same and it never changes. Beers are almost $10 a pint which is ridiculous and now that they want to start brewing their own beer I can only imagine what they will charge for them. Id rather just drink Mountain Crest and eat a Wendy's burger....

 

60/40 bacon burger is dope boyee.

 

I agree with this, how ever I also agree that their beer prices are a little over the top.