I prefer to only drink from nano breweries and I am going to MNSP tomorrow. Any in the area I should check out?
not sure what the distinction between micro and nano are, but indeed and steel toe are smaller-ish and great.
Wouldn't a nano be something like Bemidji Brewing or Jackpine Brewing out of Brainerd? I don't know...just asking...I realize they are outside the MPLS/STP area the thread originator was asking about but I have often wondered what constitutes a nano.
From what I've gathered, a nano brewery is a brewery that brews on a system too small to ever make a profit off of (seven barrels or under). The only brewery I know of in Minnesota that brews on such a small system is Staple Mills, and their beers should be avoided at all costs. To the OP, if you want to try some small local breweries while you are in the Twin Cities search out beers from Harriet, Indeed, Steel Toe, and Pour Decisions. Town Hall and Northbound are also great brewpubs you should consider visiting.
Barley Johns just north of Mpls in New Brighton. 5bbl system if I'm not mistaken, so they fit the nano bill. Fun place.
There is no distinction. This needs to be remedied. I have been following the nano-brewery festivals out west, and there are breweries that have 30 bbl systems entering said festivals. I think that "nano" has become the new catchy buzz word, and therefore, I do believe there should be some guidelines set. Not sure where I would put the maximum on the systems, 3 bbl maybe?
I heard a cool feature on minnesota public radio's economy show about the rise of nano breweries in other states, mainly ny it was cool, but they didn't really specify what the difference between nano and micro, I know there is an amount that quantifies whether a brewery is micro or not.
I have not seen anything from the TTB that specifies the difference between micro and nano, though the TTB admits their existence and uses that language. I should admit I haven't delved too deeply... reading that shit makes my eyes go cross. Check out this quick read... http://www.newschoolbeer.com/2010/08/what-is-nano-brewery-and-should-we-care.html
