The Mash-Up: St. Paddy’s Day stouts galore, plus FINNEGANS unveils its new brewery

With over 150 breweries now pouring their beer in Minnesota, there’s always something new to try. To keep you up-to-date, we present The Mash-Up—our weekly rundown of new beers and seasonal releases in Minnesota from your favorite local and national breweries. Visit growlermag.com every Friday for the latest or sign up for a weekly email.

It’s the weekend of colorful beer. Most breweries, even those that don’t brew from Irish tradition, will be offering something green, black, or red to mark St. Patrick’s Day across the state. Stouts are especially popular this weekend, with new varieties coming from Alloy, Lake Monster, Pryes, Boom Island, and Waconia, among others.

In other St. Paddy’s Day news, FINNEGANS will briefly open their new facility in Minneapolis on Saturday and will have several new beers on tap, including a Pilsner, a revamped Irish Ale, a new IPA, and their first barrel-aged offering. Stop by and drink for a cause: 100 percent of the profits from beer sales still go toward fighting hunger. 

 

 

Each week, The Growler’s editorial team highlights five of the most tantalizing new beers hitting taps and store shelves that we’re most excited to try.

FINNEGANS Bière de Mars

FINNEGANS is opening the doors to its new downtown brewery, FINNEGANS House, for a special grand opening celebration on Saturday for St. Patrick’s Day. There are new beers entering the company’s rotation including this Belgian-style ale. Bière de Mars was aged in blackberry whiskey barrels and is the first beer in the brewery’s Barrels of Life series. In a lot of ways, this beer marks a new era for FINNEGANS, as brewers Ryan Mihm and Logan McLean start to roll out new recipes.

Modist Deviation: 011 Peach Sour Lager

Modist is rolling out the next offering in its Deviation series on Saturday. Deviation: 011 Peach Sour Lager is “made with Pilsner malt, pale malt, oats, and dextrin malt, then kettle soured and fermented on peaches with our house lager yeast. It’s crisp, tart, and extremely extra crushable,” says the brewery. Only 300 Crowlers will be on sale at the taproom starting at noon, but it will also be available on draft. 4.8% ABV.  

Waconia Druid Irish Stout

Get into the Irish spirit with this stout from Waconia Brewing. “This beer is brewed true to style with malts from Ireland and England. It has low carbonation & light body to accentuate the rich flavors of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. It has a dry finish with roasted bitterness,” says the brewery. 4.5% and 40 IBU.

Tin Whiskers Irish Cream Stout

The latest offering in the Spark Series hits the taproom just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. “We took our Short Circuit Stout and infused it with the traditional flavors of Irish cream, including coffee, chocolate, almond, and vanilla. It’s sweet, but still roasty, rich but still easy to drink, and will not be around long,” the brewery says. 5.8% ABV.

LTD Hazy Dream

Fans of hazy IPA have plenty of options to reach for. Released last week in 750-milliliter bottles, this juicy IPA from LTD Brewing in Hopkins features Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops.

New beers available this week (March 12 – March 18)

12welve Eyes Brewing

• Idaho 7 SMaSH IPA – “Super juicy and light, brewed with Golden Promise malt,” says the brewery. (5.4%).

56 Brewing

• Sweet Cherry infused Citrus Chaos – This week’s limited edition infusion of Citrus Chaos, tapped on Thursday. 5.7% ABV.

Alloy Brewing Company

• Midnight Snack Chocolate Stout – “Like the last piece of cake in your fridge that calls out to you in the middle of the night, this rich, delicious chocolate stout will satisfy that late night craving,” the brewery says of this St. Patrick’s Day release.
• Midnight Snack Chocolate Stout Infused with Mint – A limited St. Patrick’s Day infusion.

Angry Inch Brewing

• Creamalicious

Barrel Theory Beer Company

• Cin City – A new milk stout with cinnamon and vanilla, brewed with actual cinnamon rolls in the mash. 6.66% ABV.

Bald Man Brewing

• Purple Haze, Bro – A hazy IPA brewed with Belma and Citra hops.

Blue Wolf Brewing Co.

• Fuzzy Butt Vanilla Cardamom Porter – Out on Saturday.
• O’Wolfe Irish Red Ale

Copper Trail Brewing Company

• Lucky Red Aged on Oak – Limited to five gallons, this Saturday release kicks off Copper Trail’s new Cabin Fever Series.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company

• Light Roast Stout With Coffee – A white oatmeal stout featuring coffee roasted by Dogwood.
• Tropic Berry Sour – Tapped on Wednesday and described as creamy and tart, the beer features wheat, oats, lactose, mangoes, strawberries, peaches, and raspberries, plus Citra and Hull Melon hops.

Excelsior Brewing Company

• Dragon Fruit IPA

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

• Mirror Universe – Fair State dubs Mirror Universe the “hazy IPA follow-up” to the well-received Spirit Foul. This one has tropical notes of pineapple, mandarin orange, and citrus with a soft finish.
• Mirror Universe: Transporter Malfunction – A limited spin-off from Mirror Universe hazy IPA infused with grapefruit puree. Two hundred 750-milliliter bottles went on sale Thursday.

FINNEGANS Brew Co.

FINNEGANS House in East Town opens to the public for a St. Patrick’s Day sneak peak this weekend, then closes until March 30 when they’ll have a full line of taps available.

This weekend they’ll be serving:

• East Town Pils – Czech pilsner
• Cluster Truck – IPA, also in stores now.
• Bière de Mars – Top Flight selection.

The Freehouse

• Blueberry Porter – This dark ale is described as having “[a] ripe blueberry aroma; fusion of roasted malt, chocolate and blueberry flavors; light-medium body, with mild residual sweetness.” 4.9% ABV, 21 IBU.

HeadFlyer Brewing

• Beyond the Door – This week’s new series beer is a lime infused version of None the Wiser golden ale.

Hoops Brewing

• #11 Pilsener – “This beer is clean, slightly hoppy and has a snappy finish,” the brewery says. 5.3% ABV, 33 IBU.

Imminent Brewing

• Guard Down IPA – This IPA highlights American hop breeds with notes of stone fruit and citrus, the brewery says. 5.6% ABV, 50 IBU.
• Prairie Creek Porter – A robust porter at 6.7% ABV, 39 IBU.
• Quick and Red IPA – “Some caramel malt sweetness with a touch of roast and a firm American-hop flavor yields to a bouquet of floral, piney, and citrus aromas,” the brewery says. 7% ABV, 70 IBU.
• Reported Sightings Baltic Porter – “Burly notes of prune, toffee, and molasses summon a mouthful of malty goodness. Hidden away in the brewhouse for months, this rich lager emerges smooth and dry,” the brewery says. 8% ABV, 27 IBU.

Junkyard Brewing Co.

• #Getchasum – A 4.7% ABV gose. Now available.
• Murky Dimensions – A new hazy double IPA.
• Old Red Lion MN – An English pale ale at 4.3% ABV, 25 IBU.

Forager Brewery

• Dad Bod – 10.2% ABV

Lake Monster Brewing

• Dry Irish Stout

LTD Brewing Co.

• Hazy Dream – Top Flight selection.

Lupine Brewing Company

• Prickler Pale Ale – A crisp and bright pale ale brewed with spring in mind. 5.3% ABV, 48 IBU.

Lupulin Brewing Company

• Cockamamy – Lupulin’s latest IPA is available on draft and was brewed with Golden Promise, rye, wheat and loads of Citra and Amarillo hops. 6.0% ABV, 60 IBU, 4 SRM.

Modist Brewing Company

• Deviation: 011 Peach Sour Lager – Top Flight selection.

Oswald Brewing Company

• Angry Irishman – A red IPA to release on March 17.

Pryes Brewing Company

• Dublin Dry Stout Infusion with Espresso – A new twist on Pryes’ Irish stout was tapped earlier this week.

For St. Patrick’s Day, they’ll also have two special cask infusions:

• Dublin Dry Stout Infused with Coffee and Irish Whiskey
• Dublin Dry Stout Infused with Oak Chips and Irish Whiskey

Sociable Cider Werks

• Melomel-style Mead – Mead Madness continues with today’s release of this fruited mead fermented from orange blossom honey and featuring blackberries and peaches.

Spilled Grain Brewhouse

• Bockbier – Released at Bockfest last weekend.

Stone Brewing

• Scorpion Bowl IPA – Stone brewed this IPA with the intention of adding fruit, but fell in love with it before they made the addition. “The aroma is as juicy as its name implies, with hints of passion fruit, pineapple, tangerine, guava and mango. Layer upon layer give this beer its complexity with tropical flavors as well as strawberry, blueberry and subtle herbal notes,” the brewery says. 7.% ABV, 76 IBU, available in 22-ounce bottles and draft.

Surly Brewing Company

• Galactic Descent – Beer number three in the Intelligent Design series made its debut on March 14. A New England IPA-inspired recipe by brewer Robbie Denaway, the brewery described Galactic Descent as “a double dry-hopped dose of Galaxy and Citra hops…with a full universe of juicy, tropical flavor.”
• Orange Cardamom Bender – Available in limited supply for Cask Saturday on March 17 at the Beer Hall.

Tilion Brewing Company

Tilion opened last Saturday with three beers on tap. They celebrate their grand opening on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.

• Bliss – Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
• Little Cannon – Nut Brown English Ale
• T-1 – Belgian Patersbier/Single.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Co.

• Irish Coffee Tiny Circuit Nitro – Tin Whiskers’ stout infused with coffee from Tiny Footprint and Irish whiskey-soaked oak, served on nitro. To be tapped for St. Patrick’s Day.
• Pecan Pie Lecky Scottish Ale – A limited infusion available for Pi Day, March 14.

Town Hall Brewery

• Balance IPA – A new IPA blend of new and old school hops. 7.5% ABV.
• Foolish – This is a Belgian Quadruple with notes of plum, banana, and clove. 10% ABV.

Urban Forage Winery & Cider House

• Aquavit Cider

Urban Growler Brewing Company

• Golden Spike IPA – The latest release in the Hayloft Series was tapped this week. This “East meets West” IPA features “West Coast style hop bursting blends with an East Coast maltiness on top of a smooth, round pallet [sic] reminiscent of the new breed of IPAs popularized in the Northeast. The tropical hop profile includes notes of peach, guava, and tangerine.” 7.4% ABV, 60 IBU.

Venn Brewing

• Big Red Rye
• California Common
• Double IPA
• Denali IPA
• German Pilsner

Wicked Wort Brewing Co.

• JP Dooley Irish Red Ale – Released for St. Patrick’s Day.
• Spud Eater Irish Stout – Released for St. Patrick’s Day.

Wooden Hill Brewing

• Chocolate Crow – nitro stout
• Cinnamon Crunch – brown ale

Seasonal or rotating returns

12welve Eyes Brewing

• Lowertown IPA
• Milk Stout
• Saint Paul Pale

Bad Weather Brewing Company

• Migration – Blonde Ale

Barrel Theory Beer Company

• Citra Pale Ale

Bemidji Brewing

• Espresso Porter – Released on March 9.
• Robust Porter – Released on March 9.

Boom Island Brewing Company

• Belgian Chocolate Stout – Boom Island’s nod to the Irish-themed holiday this weekend, this Belgian-style stout will be served on nitro. The first 20 to order it get a free bar of Irish Spring Soap.

Copper Trail Brewing Company

• Indigo Wheat
• Midwest Midnight

Earth Rider Brewery

Twin Ports’ Earth Rider released their first 12-ounce cans this week. They’ll be available in Twin Ports to start, and plan to reach the Lake Superior North Shore and South Shore soon.

Their four flagships are in the new can format:

• Caribou Lake IPA
• North Tower Stout
• Precious Material Helles
• Superior Pale Ale

ENKI Brewing

• Hootenanny Hefe

Hayes’ Public House

• Uroica Scottish Heather Ale – Tapping on St. Patrick’s Day, along with other special casks.

HeadFlyer Brewing

• Proper Pint – This is a new seasonal dry Irish stout served on nitro in their Minneapolis taproom.

Inbound BrewCo

• Super G Lovshake – Available, starting today, in 12-ounce cans.

Jack Pine Brewery

• Barbwire – IPA

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company

• 12-ounce cans are out now, including six-packs of Raspberry Honey Ale, Golden Strong Ale, and Witbier.

Lupulin Brewing

• Dortmunder Lager – A small batch of this 2017 GABF gold medal-winning beer returns.

Sisyphus Brewing

• Bottlecap Mosaic – A Pilsner malt, Mosaic hop SMaSH. 6.9% ABV, 61 IBU.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Co.

• Irish Cream Stout – Top Flight selection.
• Schottky Pumpkin Ale – Available in limited supply for Pi Day, March 14.

Waconia Brewing Company

• Druid Irish Stout – Top Flight selection.
• Green Carver County Kölsch – Also available on St. Patrick’s Day.

Wayzata Brew Works

• Old Wooden Ship IPA – A thick New England-style IPA with a dank nose, creamy body, and subtle vanilla and oak notes, the brewery says. 5.7% ABV, 46 IBU.

Wabasha Brewing Company

• Hazel Newt – Brown ale, now on tap, according to the brewery website.

Beers just announced

Able Seedhouse + Brewery

• Concentric Circles – The second beer made with Able House Malt is a rye blonde ale that includes rye grown by Mike and Sheri Swanson of Far North Spirits. “We will get a great amount of the rye’s sweet, toffee, bready, and spice-like characteristics. Then, to compliment [sic] those flavors, American Bravo and Glacier hops will contribute their nice floral, fruity flavors, along with slight woody and citrus notes,” the brewery says, combining for a balanced, easy drinking beer.

Bad Habit Brewing Company

• Mira the Belly – Brewed for a charity event on March 20.

Bad Weather Brewing Company

• Immortal Toast – This special beer is a white chocolate stout recipe from the late Greg Carpenter, father of Bad Weather co-founded Zac Carpenter. Releasing on April 8.

Bent Brewstillery

• Giga Lupin – Bent’s dank and citrusy triple IPA returns on March 30. This year’s recipe has notes of malt, lychee, ripe mango, and papaya, the brewery says. 10% ABV, 100 IBU.

Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

• Paddle Break Blonde – Paddle Break will be tapped on April 6, marking the final weekend of operation at Bent Paddle’s original taproom, before they close shop and move across the street for an April 12 grand opening that’s sure to have more new offerings on tap.

Birch’s on the Lake

• Toasted Coconut Porter – An American porter with toasted coconut added. 5.6% ABV.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company

• IIPA – In development now, this hop-forward beer was brewed this week.

Firestone Walker

California’s renowned Firestone Walker enters Minnesota next month, opening on April 16.

Their in-state lineup will include:

• Agrestic
• Helldorado
• Parabajava
• Parabola
• Sour Opal
• Stickee Monkee
• Sucaba

Insight Brewing

Insight will host their annual Smoke Signals party on March 24 with several limited casks:

• Mango Troll Way
• Maple Bacon Coffee Gravity Well
• Mole Devil’s Companion
• Strawberry Habanero Sunken City
• Triple Shot Banshee Cutter

Junkyard Brewing Co.

• Barrel Aged Uncrushable – A barrel-aged imperial stout coming soon in Crowlers.

Lakefront Brewery

• Easy Teazy – The first of two upcoming April releases. This is a “Lo-Cal Green Tea Ale,” using green tea and Lemondrop hops for a “light biscuit flavor, brisk herbal notes and snappy hint of citrus. 3.4% ABV, 6 IBU, 99 calories.
• Happy Glamper – This medium-light body beer is designed for summer getaways as is described as a “Leisure Ale.” The beer has “lavish lemon and tropical fruit accents, and ample honey malt,” Lakefront says. 5.0% ABV, 11 IBU.

Lupulin Brewing

• Straight Hash Homie – Debuts at a taproom release party on April 20.

Pryes Brewing Company

• TBD – Hints of a collaboration with Wild Mind Artisan Ales appeared on Pryes’ Facebook page this week.

Surly Brewing Company

• DDH Triple Hops Brewed Rising North – Coming to Cask Saturday at the beer hall on March 23.
• Rising North Berry Medley – New for Infusion Tuesday at the Beer Hall on March 20.

Waconia Brewing Company

• Single Hop IPA: Southern Cross – “In the fermenters,” according to a recent newsletter.

Curious about recent releases? Peruse our Mash-Up archives. Did we miss a beer release or announcement? Email us at [email protected] to let us know about new beers from this week and beyond. Or let us know what new beer you’re enjoying by using #TheMashUp on Twitter and Instagram.