In 2015, my husband Brian and I quit our jobs, sold our house, and left our life in Seattle, Washington, in search of a new home. We’d spent years trapped in a never-ending cycle of long commutes, longer hours, and seemingly shorter weekends to afford our life in this beautiful part of the world and … [ Read more]
Beyond Polka: Championing the accordion at Mahler Music
August 28, 2018 by
A 20-something man lugs a battered accordion case through the screen door at Mahler Music. As he pulls the instrument out of the box, Ken Mahler is already speaking. “This is a 1930s accordion. Probably 1938 or ’39,” he says, pointing to the engraving and inlay. He tinkers with the strap, points out broken buttons, and … [ Read more]
Of Dogs and Brewers: Jeremy Hale and Blake Verdon of LTD Brewing
June 26, 2018 by
Watching as a customer with a dog sits down in the corner of the patio at LTD Brewing in Hopkins, Minnesota, Blake Verdon steps out of his conversation and brings a bowl of fresh water for the dog, then takes the man’s order. He isn’t just being nice, although he does ooze Midwestern friendliness (he’s … [ Read more]
Brewer Profile: Bobby Blasey of Able Seedhouse + Brewery
March 22, 2018 by
For Bobby Blasey, Able Seedhouse + Brewery’s head brewer, it all comes back to the bagpipes. Just a few moments into our conversation, he brings up the bagpipe band he plays in. It’s as though his relationship to the instrument is the lens through which he views the world. “There really wasn’t a definitive moment … [ Read more]
Brewer Profile: Eric Harper of Utepils Brewing
February 26, 2018 by
Utepils wants to be approachable. Despite its size and grandeur—and the facility is quite large and shiny—the brewery aims to produce Old World–style beer simply and without fanfare, and to be a place where everyone can find something they like and not be intimidated. Eric Harper, Utepils Brewing’s head brewer, could not be more well-suited … [ Read more]
Brewer Profile: Derek Allmendinger of Unmapped Brewing
January 30, 2018 by
It’s clear right away that Derek Allmendinger, head brewer at Unmapped Brewing, is a thinker. He deeply considers every question, and when he answers “I don’t know,” it is not a cue to move on to the next question, but an opportunity to further contemplate the answer. This is the gift that Derek not only … [ Read more]
A taste of Minnesota’s coffee scene for National Coffee Day
September 29, 2017 by
Coffee in Minnesota has come a long way from your grandma’s percolator. Like craft beer and the slow food movement, Minnesotans are embracing coffee in all its forms. Lucky for us, we’ve got a bevy of new and seasoned purveyors to supply us with all the caffeinated beverages we can drink. Not to be outdone … [ Read more]
Brewer Profile: Trevor Wirtanen of Oliphant Brewing
September 26, 2017 by
It’s Tuesday morning in the parking lot of the Liquor Depot off the main drag in Somerset, Wisconsin. As instructed, I peer around the corner looking for a brewery. Sure enough, tucked behind the liquor store, is a wall adorned with a vibrant mural and picnic tables set up under a tent. Inside, the walls … [ Read more]
Growing Strange and Beautiful: The Sheridan Community Garden
September 21, 2017 by
The lot at the corner of NE 15th Avenue and 3rd Street NE in the Sheridan neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis used to be overgrown and forgotten. Today, it is lush and blooming with zinnias and marigolds, a grape arbor, fruit trees and rows and rows of vegetables. The Sheridan Neighborhood Organization (SNO) Community Garden is in … [ Read more]
Back on the Farm: Cultivating the next crop of farmers
August 30, 2017 by
Jim Weninger has been an Agriculture Education instructor and Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School, located 45 miles west of Minneapolis, for 34 years. Back when he started, many FFA students were “farm kids”—children whose families derived their income from production farming. That is no longer the case. Today, only … [ Read more]
Brewer Profile: Caleb Levar of Fair State Brewing Cooperative and Oakhold Farmhouse Brewery
June 26, 2017 by
I turn on my recorder and loft up what I think is a softball question: “What led you to go the brewmaster route?” Caleb Levar and his business partner Levi Loesch exchange a look. In pure Minnesota Nice fashion, they both immediately look away and smile but clearly something is amiss. I’ve said something wrong … [ Read more]
Why I spent a weekend brewing with just women
January 20, 2017 by Leave a Comment
I am familiar with mansplaining. I am a woman and haven’t spent thirty-something years living under a rock. But I have never experienced the phenomenon with such frequency until I started working in the craft brew industry. I’ve bought homes, spent a decade in academia, and a summer working landscaping gigs on construction sites, and … [ Read more]
