Brewery Updates in Minnesota (2019)

Yes that's it. Rapids Brewing. I'm a bit confused as I just did a little searching on it and there were articles about the new construction but on their web site it references the old theater.

https://rapidsbrewingco.com/taproom/

 

Anyone hear anything about a new BIP in Burnsville, possibly on Nicollet Ave?

 

I wonder how much push-back Town Hall will give them, with their beer named "Mango Mama:?
Did Town Hall register the name?

 

Rumor has it that there are a couple of plans for down that way.

 

That is remarkable that Rapids would name a beer "Mango Mama IPA." I doubt Town Hall trademarked the name; it's a brewpub that sells a couple thousand barrels a year and has brewed hundreds, perhaps over 1000, unique beers. My guess is that someone at Rapids heard the name in passing a while ago and it stuck in his head, and now he's attaching the name to his own beer not realizing that another well-known beer from the same state is what put that idea in his head in the first place. I'm also guessing that the name will change prior to Rapids' opening.

 

It’s been a while since I’ve traveled here on business, just landed. What are the must hit spots nowadays in Msp? I’ve been to surley and dangerous man dozens of times already. Plan on hitting barrel theory tonight. Anything else you’d all suggest?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

 

Birch's Lowertown, a few blocks from Barrel Theory, I think is making the best beer in St. Paul. If you like German styles or are a history buff, check out Waldmann near downtown St. Paul. Really good beer and really cool venue (restored 19th century German-American saloon). That's my top recommendation in the Twin Cities after Surly, all things considered. Bad Weather is a pretty good brewery next door and worth a stop if you go to Waldmann. Elsewhere in St. Paul, near Surly, Bang makes good beer in another cool venue, a converted grain bin.

As for Minneapolis, Sisyphus, La Doña, and Utepils, which I'd rank in that order, are a good trio a little west of downtown. Finnegans in downtown Minneapolis is doing superb work. Town Hall just southeast of downtown is a living legend. Fair State and Indeed are my favorite breweries in Northeast Minneapolis (same area as Dangerous Man) for beer, although Bauhaus probably has the best venue and atmosphere (and pretty good beer). Wild Mind and Venn are doing good work in south Minneapolis vaguely near the airport.

 

BlackStack in Saint Paul will have the beer you want since your into NE/Haze IPA

 

For sure Barrel Theory and Black Stack.

 

At the risk of a slight tangent... I stopped by Maple Island for the first time in years and got a flight of the pre-Prohibition lager, blueberry hefeweizen, EPA, barrel-aged imperial stout, and IPA. All were without noticeable flaw, flavorful, and perfectly decent, dare I say slightly above average?, craft beers. I too long had Maple Island very close to the bottom of my Minnesota brewery rankings, but it has shot way up in my estimation. I encourage folks to give it another shot.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, u4ic and Maple Island making decent beer... mass hysteria!

 

We're brewing. More info coming on our social media pages soon.

 

This is good news.

If things keep heading in this direction, Agnew will have to update his article - https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...er-quality-as-mn-gains-more-breweries.372748/

 

I think Mike Hoops is from Grand Rapids and might still live up that way....curious if they know him maybe but still why name it the same?

 

Mike Hoops commutes from Grand Rapids to Mpls? Yikes.

 

Last I heard (which was a few years ago) he did. Came down for a certain amount of days each week to brew, etc. Pretty sure I read that in an article in the Grand Rapids paper a few years back.

 

Does he actually brew any more, or does he just manage? Just wondering, because doesn't his brother Dave, just pretty much manage and not brew either, up at Hoops Brewing in Duluth?

 

I'm dying to hear why you think that's relevant.

 

Because I am curious, that is why. That is why one asks a question.

I can ask only questions that are relevant to you, if you wish?

 

I'm not sure. I think Dave is still involved in the brewing at Hoops but of course has other brewers as does Mike at Town Hall. Not sure how intimately involved in the actually brewing process either is and whether a head brewer typically is or not at medium to bigger sized breweries/brewpubs. I know obviously at the small ones there is often just one brewer or two and they are heavily involved. Not sure how the process works at the bigger sized ones.

Either way they both control the quality of the beers being made at their places and if not pleased would take steps to improve things.

 

Also, if you read the previous posts - this is why it's relevent:

1. Poster mentions Mike travels from 3 hours away.
2. Next poster mentions that he brews beer.
3. I post wondering if he actually still brews beer.
I ask that because:
a.) If he still does brew, then he would have to leave Grand Rapids at the ass crack of dawn to get to Town Hall to brew beer.
b.) If he doesn't brew, then he probably doesn't have to leave at the ass crack of dawn.

I hope I gave you enough reasoning for me asking the question and it satisfies your requirement for relevance.