We have a very important announcement. Today, April 7, is National Beer Day in America. But this is no run-of-the-mill “National _____ Day” (although it also happens to be National No Housework Day, feel free to observe that as you wish), for this day stands in history as a crucial precursor to the full repeal … [ Read more]
When Grain Belt went dark: Minnesota beer in the year 1996
December 29, 2017 by
This Saturday, Minnesotans will gather along the shores of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis near Nicollet Island to celebrate the relighting of the Grain Belt sign. Erected in the 1940s and moved to its current location in 1950, the iconic sign has been dark since 1996. Take a step back in time with us as … [ Read more]
Documenting Duluth’s craft beer history
January 3, 2017 by Leave a Comment
It’s no secret that Duluth and the Northland have a long and rich history regarding craft beer. And come this March, you can travel back in beer-making time, as a documentary on the topic will debut. The Duluth News Tribune reports that Karen Sunderman, producer of The PlayList at Duluth’s PBS station, is behind the … [ Read more]
A Hamm’s ransom: How the kidnapping of one of St. Paul’s most prosperous brewers reshaped a corrupt system
November 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
As president of the Theodore Hamm’s Brewery, William Hamm Jr. had an important schedule to keep. Every day at 12:45 in the afternoon, Hamm began the short walk from his brewery to the front steps of his twenty-room, red brick mansion for lunch. However, on one sweltering summer day in June 1933, Hamm’s lunch plans … [ Read more]
Old school brewing at Old World Wisconsin
October 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Milwaukee may be steeped in brewing history, but travel about an hour west of the Brew City and you’ll find a farmstead where old brewing traditions are truly alive. Old World Wisconsin, a historic site and museum administered by the Wisconsin Historical Society, has teamed up with the Museum of Beer & Brewing in Milwaukee … [ Read more]
Glass from the Past: Champagne Velvet
July 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Terre Haute Brewing Co. was founded in 1855 and grew to be one of the largest breweries in Indiana. In 1902, Terre Haute brewmaster Walter Braun created a lager called Champagne Velvet (CV) that quickly became the flagship beer of the company. While the beer helped the brewery spread its market and fame during … [ Read more]
Resurrecting Yoerg—Minnesota’s first beer is back
June 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment
A basement find at age 10 is still inspiring Tom Keim almost 50 years later. “I found a crusty case of returnables and it was the most beautiful thing,” he recalls. At 10 years old, the Yoerg beer that once filled the bottles didn’t interest him—it was the packaging and the colors. “I was fascinated … [ Read more]
Beer before hops: The bittering herbs of yore are making a comeback
May 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Hops have been the dominant flavoring agent in beer ever since the Reinheitsgebot, the Bavarian beer purity law of 1516, stipulated that hops were one of three allowable ingredients in brewing. Not only do hops counter the sweetness of malted grains with bitterness, but they also help prevent spoilage in the beer. But prior to … [ Read more]
Smithsonian announces new initiative to document brewing history
May 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History announced today at the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America in Philadelphia that it will launch a three-year initiative to collect, document, and preserve the history of brewing, craft brewers, and the beer industry to explore how the beverage and brewing connect to larger themes in American history. … [ Read more]
America’s Ice Box: How the frozen lakes and rivers of the North transformed the nation’s brewing industry
August 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Today, “ice harvest” means grabbing a few cubes from the tray in the freezer. But in the 19th century, before modern refrigeration, ice harvesting from frozen lakes and rivers was a major Midwestern industry that required hard labor and careful planning—all to preserve food and lager beer across the country. When immigrants reached the Upper … [ Read more]
The comic book history of beer
August 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The history of beer has been told many times before, but never quite like this. Illustrator Aaron McConnell, writer Jonathan Hennessey and professional brewer Mike Smith have collaborated to create “The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World’s Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today’s Craft Brewing Revolution.” The book, which covers the early days of … [ Read more]
A bus ride into Minneapolis’ brewing history
August 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Minnesota Historical Society tours offer an in-depth look at the stories behind Minnesota’s beer industry Minneapolis and St. Paul aren’t the oldest cities on the Mississippi River—in fact, they aren’t even the oldest in the Metro. St. Anthony pre-dated Minneapolis before it was absorbed into the larger Mill City. Regardless, at 166 years young there … [ Read more]
Then and now: Uncovering Duluth’s storied People’s Brewing Co.
July 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment
People’s Brewing Company of Duluth was ahead of its time. Founded on socialist principles in 1907 by Martin Smith, F.G. Sandstedt, and Michael J. Gleeson, the brewery stood up to big beer long before it was hip to do so. At that time, Duluth had two other breweries, Fitger’s Brewery (unaffiliated with Fitger’s Brewhouse) and … [ Read more]
Style Profile: Kölsch
July 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Germany is mostly thought of as a land of lagers. The brewing of cold-conditioned, bottom-fermented beers is thought to have originated in Bavaria some four to five hundred years ago. Fermentation in cool caves hindered the growth of beer-spoiling bacteria and stimulated cellular mutations in yeast that yielded strains well suited to colder climes. Through … [ Read more]
Schell’s Purchasing Historic Grain Belt Sign, Hopes to Relight the Minneapolis Icon
November 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment
August Schell Brewing Company, the New Ulm, MN-based makers of Grain Belt beer, have announced an agreement to purchase the iconic Grain Belt Beer sign on Nicollet Island. The brewery will donate the sign to the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and with their help — and the support of a few other entities — plans to restore the sign to turn the … [ Read more]
