The writer and I don't share the same opinion on the local beer scene. I'm higher on Harriet, no mention of Mango Mama, and not as high on Fulton as the person in charge of the article. I figure others here are higher on Steel Toe than this journalist.
This article is deeply flawed. Dark Abbey only a B? Masala Mama ranked lower than Sweet Child? Their categories are whack, too.
I know. Harriet is my favorite place to drink a beer in Minnesota during the summer. It is really good beer, and selfishly if everyone liked it as much as I do, I wouldn't be able to just walk up buy a beer, grab a bite to eat, listen to music, and enjoy the skyline view on a warm night. It is that easy, rarely do I stand in lines to get in, or for beer. I really like that people just come as they are, all ages, social classes, etc. Not a place to be seen, and I like it like that.
Surly is over-represented in the seasonal group and why is Coffee Bender not in the dark category? Why is Lift Bridge only mentioned for Farm Girl? Oh well. I haven't had enough of these beers to agree or disagree with the writer. I guess I have some catching up to do... PS Where is a good place to get Steel Toe?
I've noticed that any time there is a published list which attempts to rank beers, we like to point out what an idiot the author is. Yet, here, we do a pretty good job of respecting the fact that everybody's tastes are different. So what's the difference? Are we jealous that this author's views are published, while ours are not? Do we feel like this is the only place where beer can be discussed intelligently?
seriously. the homer factor from the responses so far is grating at best. this article is a win for the craft beer community. even if the article was written by a consortium of local BA-types, each of us would still find flaws and personal taste differences. i'm just happy to be able to read some reviews of local beers that don't involve words like "horseblanket".
It is starting to spread out, france 44 and the firkins are probably the south-est they reach, they are on tap a lot of places, check their website for a detailed listing of where they are on tap and what stores carry them.
Great primer for those who don't know much about good local beer. Since that applies to most readers of this article, the article is, IMHO, spot on, and a boon for local brewers, even if I disagree with many rankings.
