So I've been out of MN for a while and when I go back I generally look for the big names. But I'm a big fan of milds and bitters, so is there anything that's come in in the past 2 years or so that I might be missing? Looking for bottles and cans I can take back to Iowa...
I know this doesn’t qualify as new, but if you want the best Bitter in MN, you’re going to need to drive up to the starting point of the Great Lakes… there’s a brew pub along the northern shore that’s been there since Bill Clinton was in office. While this is no ordinary bitter this Brewhouse serves; this is an Extra Special Bitter… and fitting of this lofty style it’s named after a gnarly lil’ cedar sticking out of some limestone further up the Gitche Gumee that some of the local indigenous folks hold sacred. Sadly I think in recent years it hasn’t been always available, whether that’s due to indigenous peoples protests regarding the name or the popularity of the style I don’t know. But I hold Witchtree ESB sacred for a whole ‘nother reason, it’s just about the best damned Bitter you’re going to source locally… and it’s gone awesome with their fries and burgers for as long as a Hoops brother has been overseeing/brewing it. So that being said you’ll want to check with Fitger’s website before heading up… but I suppose as a consolation prize I think they’ve got Barrel Aged Ed Fitz on, so I’d probably just head up either way, although I doubt you’ll be able to talk your bar keep into a growler of that. My $.02… BA Ratings be damned.
