Category Archives: Announcements

Important news that we have to share.

Surly Turns Five

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In 2006 Omar Ansari realized a dream and turned his homebrewing obsession into a profession. Together with brewmaster Todd Haug, stolen from the Minneapolis Rock Bottom brewpub, they quickly took their upstart brewery from obscurity to near cult status. Despite a distribution area that didn’t extend beyond the Twin Cities metro, Surly became a nationally sought-after brand within a year of putting beer on the street. Even today you can get virtually anything you want on the underground beer trading network in exchange for a four-pack of Furious. Their beer inspires a legion of nearly fanatical followers. Over the last five years Surly has seen tremendous growth, adding huge amounts of capacity and still not meeting demand. In an industry marked by rapid growth, Surly’s success has been an anomaly. To celebrate five amazing years Omar, Todd, and the whole Surly crew want to say thank you with fan-appreciation events all over town throughout the month of February.

With these anniversary events, Surly is taking it back to where it all began, staging them at bars and restaurants that were the brewery’s first tap accounts. They will be offering an array of special releases including Moe’s Bender – a coffee, chocolate, vanilla oatmeal brown ale aged on oak, Chili Smoke, and rare firkins like Cherry Wood Bender, Tea-Bagged Furious, and Oak-Aged Abrasive. They will also unleash Pentagram, a single barrel version of their fifth anniversary ale Surly 5. Surly 5 is described by the brewery as “a 100%Brettanomyces (wild yeast) fermented dark ale aged in used red wine barrels.” Five will be a blend of 60 different barrels. Events will include giveaways of surly gear and Surly beer, including rumored bottles of their hard-to-get Darkness Imperial Stout.

Here is the schedule of anniversary events.

Wednesday, February 2 – Blue Nile, 2027 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis

Friday, February 4 – Winterfest, Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Boulevard West, Saint Paul

Saturday, February 5 – Mackenzies, 918 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis

Monday, February 7 – Muddy Pig, 162 Dale Street, Saint Paul

Tuesday, February 8 – Acadia Event, 329 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis

Thursday, February 10 – McCormick & Schmick’s, Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

Tuesday, February 15 – Happy Gnome, 498 Selby Ave, Saint Paul

Wednesday, February 16 – Pizza Nea, 306 East Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis

Thursday, February 17 – Stub & Herb’s, 227 Oak Street, Minneapolis

Sunday, February 20 – Triple Rock, 629 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis

Monday, February 21 – Grumpy’s NE, 2200 4th Street NE, Minneapolis

Wednesday, February 23 – Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 West Lake Street, Minneapolis

Sunday, February 27 – Mac’s Industrial, 312 Central Avenue, Minneapolis

Monday, February 28 – Groveland Tap, 1834 St. Clair Avenue, Saint Paul

Wednesday, March 2 – Whistle Binkies, 3120 Wellner Drive NE and 247 Woodlake Drive SE, Rochester

Spring Beer Classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill

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I am pleased to announce new beer classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill for spring. I’ll be teaming up again with Master Sommelier Leslee Miller of Amusee Wine and Chef Mike Shannon for one of our now-legendary beer/wine pairing dinners. And I’ll be working with Heavy Table’s Becca Dilley and James Norton, authors of the Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin, for some awesome pairings of local beer and cheese. Check these out.

The Big Thaw: Wine and Beer Pairing Dinner
April 15th, 6:00 PM-9:00 PM, $75
With Leslee Miller and Mike Shannon
It’s OK to come out now … the cold war is over! Join Chef Mike, Sommelier Leslee and Cicerone Michael at Cooks for a night of fabulous drinks and eats sure to thaw out your tail feathers and get your palate prepped for all the great gourmet goodies that spring has in store. Menu: Bacon and Crab in Endive; Asparagus Tip Vinaigrette; Spring Vegetable Primavera; White Bean Cassoulet with Sausage; Apple-Cherry Turnovers. This one WILL sell out.

Local Cheese and Ale
May 4th, 6:00-9:00 PM, $70
With Becca Dilley and James Norton
Even though we may disagree about The Favre and whether or not you should buy alcohol on Sundays, Minnesota and Wisconsin can at least come together on a few things, like the importance of good beer and cheese! Cicerone Michael Agnew will enlighten you on the ales, while Becca Dilley and James Norton, authors of The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin, will take you on a tour of the best fromages these states have to offer. Menu: A Selection of Cheeses from Minnesota and Wisconsin Cheesemakers Paired with Craft Beers from Brewers in Both States.

Sign up online at the Cooks of Crocus Hill website.

Fulton Beer Buys A Brewery

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On their newly re-vamped website, just launched this morning, Fulton Beer has announced that brewing equipment has been ordered and should arrive sometime this summer. I have reported in greater length on the City Pages Hot Dish Blog. Read it! Congratulations guys.

In other news, Harriet Brewing will be having it’s first growler sales at the brewery tomorrow (Saturday) from 1-5 PM. 3036 Minnehaha Ave, Mpls, MN. Be there!

Upcoming Beer Classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill

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I have a couple of beer classes upcoming at Cooks of Crocus Hill. Check these out.

ABCs of Beer
Monday, December 20th, 6-8 PM
Cost: $55
What’s the difference between ale and lager? What’s the best glass for my favorite beer? Which beers can I cellar and which ones should I drink young? Join Certified Cicerone (the beer expert equivalent of a sommelier) Michael Agnew as he shows you all the basics and then some. You’ll learn how to taste, select and care for beers of all types and styles. Includes a selection of Craft Beers from around the world representing basic styles and light snacks.

Cozy Comforts Wine & Beer Pairing Dinner
With Sommelier Leslee Miller and Chef Mike Shannon
Thursday, January 6th, 6-9 PM
Cost: $75
The weather outside is still frightful, but the wine, beer and tasty comfort food at Cooks are totally delightful! Snuggle up with Sommelier Leslee, Cicerone Michael and Chef Mike for a fun-filled new take on Minnesotan winter comforts.
Menu: Braised Winter Greens; Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese; Cornish Hens with Ginger-Apple Sweet Potatoes, Smore Pot de Creme.

Old Chicago Restaurants Revive Old Chicago Beer

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In 1891 Prussian immigrant Peter Hand started a brewery in Chicago. The brewery’s flagship brands Old Chicago and Meister Brau carried the Peter Hand Brewing Company through prohibition and beyond, until it was sold in 1965 and renamed Meister Brau Inc. The brewery sold again in the 1970s, this time to Miller. I had Old Chicago cans in my childhood beer can collection. I drank more than my share of Meister Brau in college. But ultimately those once-strong brands were retired.
But classic (if you want to call Meister Brau a classic) beer brands die hard. Like others before it (think Schlitz, Grain Belt, and Pabst Blue Ribbon) the Old Chicago brand is rising from the grave. Craft Works, the parent company of the Rock Bottom and Old Chicago chains, has bought the rights to the brand from Miller and will be using it for a rotating seasonal series of in-house beers at the Old Chicago restaurants. This is a great idea…as long as the beer is good.
The first of the Old Chicago branded beers to debut in the Minnesota Market is good. Old Chicago Old Curmudgeon Winter Warmer Ale makes its debut today as part of the Winter Mini Tour at all Old Chicago locations. The beer is brewed at the Minneapolis Rock Bottom Brewery by Brewmaster Bryon Tonnis. It is apparently a tweaked version of a beer that has been in and out of rotation at Rock Bottom for a number of years.
Old Chicago Old Curmudgeon is a classic winter warmer in the English style. The creamy mouthfeel and malt-forward flavor make it smooth and easy to drink. Rich caramel and dark fruit sweetness is just barely balanced by subtle spicy hops. It has pleasing alcohol warmth that is surprising given its moderate 6.5% ABV. I was pleasantly surprised by this beer.
The full line-up for the Winter Mini Tour is a good one. In addition to the house beer are standouts like Chimay Red, Schell’s Hopfenmalz, Lift Bridge Chestnut Hill, Summit Winter Ale, and Odell Isolation Ale. Other decent beers on the list are Sam Adams Winter Lager, Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale, and Bell’s Winter White. The one odd-ball on the list is Stella Artois. I was stumped by its inclusion until I learned that Stella was originally introduced in 1926 as a Christmas beer. You learn something new every day. While I’m still a bit stumped by its inclusion in an otherwise “stella” line-up, at least I know there is a logic to it.
While the Blue Moon Winter Abbey isn’t a bad beer, it was interesting to taste it side-by-side with the Chimay. These two beers of the same style are very different, and the Blue Moon version is clearly, and not surprisingly, the inferior. Whereas the Chimay is sharp, dry, moderately bitter, with multi-layered complexity, the Blue Moon Abbey is overly sweet and somewhat one-dimensional. I wouldn’t turn the Blue Moon away, but it really can’t stand up to the real thing.
On the menu, Schell’s Hopfenmalz is called “miracle lager.” Every year Old Chicago includes a “miracle” beer in the Winter Tour list. A portion of the sales of this beer go to support the Miracle Foundation, a charity that is involved in several causes including homelessness and breast cancer. For every glass of Hopfenmalz poured, Schell’s Brewery is kicking in 25 cents toward the Foundation. A Miracle Day event, staffed by volunteers from the Rock Bottom and Old Chicago restaurants is held on Christmas Day at the Minneapolis Rock Bottom. Homeless people from local shelters are invited for a huge meal, with Santa Clause delivering gifts for the kids. Drink up the Hopfenmalz. It’s a great beer and you get to support a good cause as well.
The Old Chicago Winter Mini Tour kicks off today, December 1st, at 6:00 PM at all Old Chicago locations. It runs through January 2nd.

Minneapolis Rock Bottom Also Medals At GABF

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As an addendum to the previous post about Schell’s and Summit’s GABF medals, let me add that the Rock Bottom Brewery in Minneapolis also took a silver medal in the Belgian and French Style Ale category with Bastogne Blonde.

I had heard this while still at the festival, but the winner’s list attributed the beer to a Rock Bottom in Louisville, Colorado, which is where the chain’s corporate offices are located. I wanted to confirm that it was indeed our own Minneapolis Rock Bottom that took the honors before I posted.

Congratulations!

Summit and Schell’s Win at GABF

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The ever-reliable Summit Extra Pale Ale has been getting quite a bit of attention lately. Following up on a gold medal at the World Beer Cup in April, this quintessential Minnesota beer took Silver in the Classic English Style Pale Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival last week. There to accept the award for Summit were brewers Eric Blomquist and Eric Harper, Texas sales manager Amy Fletcher, and sales and marketing administrator Emily Johnson. Way to go Summit!

The other big Minnesota GABF winner was August Schell Brewing Company who took silver in the American Style Amber Lager category for their Oktoberfest. To make it that much better, the award was announced as Schell’s was celebrating their 150th anniversary in New Ulm. Congratulations to August Schell for both the medal and the anniversary!

Things have been a bit crazy for me since I returned from the GABF on Monday. I haven’t had a chance to catch up on all the writing that I want to do. There are stories to tell, beers to report on, and video interviews with a number of breweries that need to be edited and posted. As the craziness doesn’t end any time soon, I’m not quite sure when all of this is going to happen.

A Bit More on the Fulton Beer Lease Signing

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The guys at Fulton Beer have been taking some heat recently, in part because they currently contract brew in Wisconsin. The argument goes that if they contract brew they aren’t really a brewery, and if they contract brew in Wisconsin they aren’t really Minnesotan. Thus, a group of guys who all live and work in Minneapolis, registered their company in Minnesota, and put forth the effort to make a regular 3:00 AM trek to Black River Falls in order to make their beer themselves are not Minnesota brewers.

While I understand this argument, I don’t altogether buy it. There are many ways to reach the goal of being professional brewers. No matter what route one chooses to take, a sound business plan is a must. If contract brewing allows you to keep the business operating while you build the capital to invest in your own brewery, that’s a sound business decision. If you find the contract opportunities in Minnesota to be limited, especially if you want a hands-on contract relationship as opposed to one in which you are just having your beer brewed for you, and you choose therefore to head to Wisconsin, that is again a sound business decision.

But all of this should soon become moot. The Fulton guys have taken a big step that will take some of the wind out of their critics’ sails. On August 18th they signed a lease on a building that will house their future brewery, possibly the first packaging brewery in Minneapolis in nearly a decade.

According to a press release that I received today, they have researched brewing equipment and plan to purchase a 15 to 20-barrel brewhouse soon. Initial production from the new facility will be limited to kegs and growlers, but will eventually include limited run 750 ml bottles. They will host tours, tastings, and special events at the brewery.

So where is this brewery-to-be located? Other than to say that it is in Minneapolis, the exact location remains a closely kept secret. According to the press release, “Fulton is withholding details on the building location until the conclusion of a contest in which the first person to find the new brewery space will be rewarded with the very first growler produced in the brewery. Instructions and clues to the contest are available at Fulton’s Facebook page.”

Congratulations guys. I look forward to eventually bringing home a growler of Fulton Beer.

With Lift Bridge in the process of putting together their Stillwater brewery, Fulton signing the lease, and Harriet Brewing not far behind, (I’m not sure how far along the 612 Brew folks are.) things are heating up for the Minnesota brewing scene.

It’s Back! Beer 101 at the University of Minnesota

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This fall I’ll be teaching the course A Perfect Pint: Basics of Beer Tasting and Appreciation for the Compleat Scholar program at the University of Minnesota. Classes begin Wednesday, October 27th and run four consecutive Wednesday evenings from 7-9 PM. Tuition is $160. Last spring the course sold out. Don’t miss your opportunity. Go here to register for the fall term.

Most people readily accept the notion that wine is a beverage worthy of contemplation and consideration. Recognition of the subtleties of varietals and terroir is firmly established. After 50 years of a market dominated by light lagers, the same cannot be said of beer. For most people beer is a pale-yellow, fizzy liquid with very little flavor and hopefully even fewer calories. But good beer never went away and is currently enjoying a worldwide renaissance driven by the emergence of small craft breweries throughout the United States. Well-crafted beer rivals wine for flavor and complexity. Join the instructor, a certified Beer Cicerone, or beer adviser similar to a wine sommelier, for a course on the basics of beer tasting and appreciation. During each session you will learn about beer styles, ingredients, brewing processes, and history through presentations and tastings. You will gain an understanding of how ingredients such as hops, barley, and yeast contribute to the overall character of particular beers, as well as how regional, historical, and economic forces contributed to the emergence of particular types of beer. Participants pay a $40 fee to the instructor on the first night to cover cost of food and beverage.

Michael Agnew is a certified Beer Cicerone and the founder of A Perfect Pint, which offers beer tastings and educational experiences for private and corporate events. He is a national beer judge for the Beer Judge Certification Program, consults with restaurants about their beer offerings, and has taught classes at Kitchen Window and Cooks of Crocus Hill.

Beer Classes with Michael Agnew at Chef’s Gallery in Stillwater

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I’m happy to announce a couple new beer classes for the fall, this time at  The Chef’s Gallery in Stillwater. Located in the Grand Garage in historic downtown Stillwater, Minnesota, the Chef’s Gallery is a complete source for all your culinary desires. They pride themselves in having everything from the expected to the extraordinary: the finest cookware, bakeware, utensils, gadgets, gourmet food, dinnerware, and serving pieces from around the world. What they don’t have, they will happily order for you.

I’m excited to be teaming with James Norton and Becca Dilley of The Heavy Table for pairings of local beers and cheese. I’ll also be pairing (literally and figuratively) with Chef Bret Bannon. We’ll be exploring pairing great craft beer with appetizers. You can download the complete Chef’s Gallery fall class catalog in pdf format here.

A Perfect Pair: Local Brew and Cheese
With James Norton and Becca Dilley
Thursday, October 7, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
$45
Wisconsin is famous for cheese and beer, with Minnesota not far behind! The wares of the two states’ artisan cheese makers and craft brewers bear this fame out. Michael Agnew is a Certified Cicerone (one with proven expertise in selecting, acquiring and serving a wide range of beers). Together with Becca Dilley and James Norton, authors of The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin, they take you on a tour of the best the two states have to offer, and teach you how to create pairings of these perfectly-matched delicacies. Our Midwestern Tour de Fromage starts with lighter cheese – goats milk, Mascarpone and Camembert – to match the softer flavors of Pilsner, Kölsch or wheat beers. Next is stronger but still fairly mellow cheese – perhaps one soaked in raspberry beer from New Glarus, or cheese with a touch of smoke or washed-rind pungency – with fruity, funky, flavorful ales to match. We will finish with aged Wisconsin cheddar and bleu cheese for bold flavors that stand up to big brash locally-brewed India Pale Ale and Barleywine. Don’t miss the opportunity to taste local cheese and ale at its best.

A Perfect Pair: Craft Beers and Appetizers
With Bret Bannon
Thursday, November 18th, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
$60
The rise in craft breweries has opened a new world of beer and foodpairing. Careful brewing allows for complex and subtle notes similar to those found in wine, and has sent chefs to the kitchen to create the same level of complementary pairings. Tonight we’ll taste a variety of domestic and imported beer, and perfectly pair them to foods based on flavor profiles. Sit back and relax as Chef Bret and Cicerone Michael prepare Chickpea Fritters with Anchovy Dipping Sauce, peppered and Grilled Chicken Skewers with Zippy Dipping Sauce, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini, Creamy Smoked Trout with Apples and Horseradish on Crispy Brown Bread, and Roasted Rosemary, Walnuts and Crispy Panko Calamari with Garlic Aioli.