It’s January and the hype of the new year is fading. We’re settling in for some long, cold months, wearing multiple layers of wool socks, and cursing 4:30pm sunsets—or at least that’s what the rest of the country thinks we’re doing. In reality, we’re gearing up for weeks of outdoor playtime, like scampering through handmade … [ Read more]
The Mill: Parlour Bar to open a St. Paul location near Xcel Energy Center
The eastward migration of Minneapolis restaurateurs to St. Paul is showing no signs of slowing down, especially in light of the news that Parlour Bar will be opening up a second location on West 7th Street. The original Parlour Bar in Minneapolis’ North Loop quickly gained a loyal following after it’s opening in 2012, and has since achieved … [ Read more]
The Mill: Minneapolis mainstay Lucia’s Restaurant to close
September 27—October 3 Perhaps no restaurant in the last three decades had been mentioned as a leading light in the Twin Cities culinary constellation more often than Lucia’s. The Uptown eatery, which spawned a wine bar and a bakery/cafe since opening in 1985, will be closing this month, the Star Tribune reports. Long before farm-direct … [ Read more]
The Mill: Mighty Axe prepares for mightiest hop harvest yet
August 23–August 29 After expanding their three-and-a-half acre hop growing operation in Ham Lake to a 40-acre hop yard in Foley, Mighty Axe Hops are preparing to haul in their largest harvest to date. “We’ve got 80 acres of trellis installed—40 acres of hops planted, and the next 40 is what we’re doing now,” Mighty … [ Read more]
The Mill: Lambic in the U.S., Kaiseki Furukawa opens, and pre-fame Prince
August 9—August 15 One great thing about the drink industry is that it’s ripe for experimentation and new ventures. While in past weeks we’ve seen Big Beer and investment firms buy up craft brands, this past week we saw craft brewers band together to purchase Magnolia Brewing out of bankruptcy. The group has plans to … [ Read more]
The Mill: Minnesota State Fair beers, Cheers Wisconsin!, and craft brewing industry report
August 2–August 8 August is here, and the anticipation for the Minnesota State Fair is building. This year’s specialty beers include old favorites like Lift Bridge’s Mini Donut and new offerings include a beer malt—all available at the Great Minnesota Get Together from August 24 to September 4. In national news, the midyear craft brewing … [ Read more]
The Mill: HopCat opens, craft brewers join forces, and HOTTEA yarn bombs MOA
July 26–August 1 HopCat, the lauded chain of craft beer bars, opened the doors of its new downtown Minneapolis location with 80 beers on tap, and many more in bottles and cans. This past week also saw craft brewers digging in for the long haul. Bent Paddle made a permanent home for itself in Duluth … [ Read more]
The Mill: Travail tries Barbecue, Finnegans hires a head brewer, more
July 19–July 25 With summer in swing there are so many reasons to drink and be merry. This week there are a few new places to grab drinks on the North Loop, or if you plan to stay in, you can pick up a bottle of Dampfwerk’s barreled gin at your local liquor store. There … [ Read more]