The last time I visited Northgate Brewing Company they were still a few weeks from opening. No beer had yet been brewed on their tiny, five-barrel brewhouse crammed uncomfortably into an 800 square-foot, industrial space in Northeast Minneapolis. It was hard to find. I had to call for directions that cold, dark, winter night, even though I was just on the other side of the building. I remember thinking, “How are they ever going to do growler sales if no one can find the place?”
Northgate Brewing Then & Now
A lot has changed since then. Last October the brewery moved into a brand new building, tripled the size of their brewhouse, and opened an actual, easy-to-find taproom. Tucked off Broadway on Harding Street, a little west of Highway 280, they managed to remain just on the edge of Northeast Minneapolis. The taproom is an Olympian stone’s throw from the core Northeast brewery district at Broadway and Central.
So why did it take me seven months to visit the new spot? One reason is time. I know it’s kind of my job, but I find it almost impossible to eke out free evenings for hanging in taprooms. I don’t know how you people do it.
But I’ve got to be perfectly honest, there was another reason I stayed away. I was never a fan of Northgate beers. I should have been. They specialize in English styles, which are some of my favorites. I wanted to like them. I repeatedly came back to their brews to give them another chance, but was always disappointed. English yeast can throw some buttery notes that become overwhelming if not handled properly. I found these to be consistently present. I even picked up some medicinal, phenolic flavors once or twice. But I hadn’t tried them since the move.
I entered the taproom this time with trepidation. I left with a changed mind.
I sampled eight beers in all – everything on tap at the time. While the little bit of butterscotch that gives pleasing roundness to well-made English ales was present, nothing crossed the line to unpleasant. And there was not a phenolic note to be found.
Parapet ESB was a standout to me. It was dry and moderately bitter with complementary grassy/earthy hop notes. The bitterness was balanced by biscuity and toffee-tinged malt with a low level of sweetness. The orange marmalade fermentation esters that I love so much were in abundance. If not for the fact that I still had two more taprooms to hit, I would likely have ordered a pint.
The Northgate guys said they would never brew an American-style IPA. And yet on the list was not just an IPA, but an 8.1 percent alcohol double IPA, loaded with quintessentially American Simcoe and Citra hops. Here’s Your Frackin’ IPA was remarkably delicate for its elevated strength. I would never have guessed its potency. While the big, citrus and tropical fruit hop flavor was all-American, the bitterness was on a more moderate English scale. No excessive tongue-scraper this, despite the 100 IBU claim.
There were two takes on Stronghold Robust Porter available – one with coffee and a cask-conditioned version with cherries. I’m not generally a fan of coffee beers and this one did not suit me. The underlying porter was nice, delivering dark, bitter chocolate roast and light sweetness. The coffee though tasted unpleasantly bitter, like that pot that sat on the burner in the office break room all day. The bitter dregs taste lingered long in the finish.
The cherry version on the other hand was delicious. The sweet cherry stayed unobtrusively in the background allowing the base beer to shine. Combined with the beer’s bitter chocolate, it tasted like a liquid Mon Cherie candy.
My companion aptly described the feel of the taproom as “coffee shop with a small nod to an English pub.” It is relatively unadorned and retains an industrial space ambience that is fairly common among local taprooms. Some color on the walls would do a lot to warm it up a bit. It was quiet when we arrived, but by the time we left the crowd had filled the room, bringing with it a din that was not terrible, but louder than I prefer. I’m like that. I like quiet.
783 Harding St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
(612) 354-2858
Taproom Hours:
Wednesdays: 4pm – 10pm
Thursdays: 4pm – 10pm
Fridays: 3pm – Midnight
Saturdays: Noon – Midnight
Sundays: Noon – 8pm