“Get a lay of the land. Stay hydrated.” “Best way to beat the heat: cold compress laced with an essential oil blend of peppermint and eucalyptus.” “Bring at least one outfit that pushes your limits. A little too sexy. A little too neon. A little too Lycra.” Those are just a few of the responses … [ Read more]
Great (music) outdoors: Making the most of your summer festival season
May 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment
How to drink in the woods: Pro tips to elevate your beverage experience in the backcountry
April 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment
We’re approaching that glorious time of year when we shed what’s left of our winter layers and head north in search of fresh air and open spaces. What’s an adventure trip without some delicious drinks to enjoy after those long, summer days? We talked to some Duluth-based experts who shared their recommendations on the best … [ Read more]
Craft Cocktail: Branch Water at Norseman Distillery
April 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment
On the first beautiful day of spring, I was admiring the Wüsthofs at Eversharp when I noticed the patio at Norseman Distillery. A single table was bathed in golden sunlight, as if the heavens had sent down a reservation placard for me and my girlfriend. We skipped across the parking lot to that table and, … [ Read more]
Spirits Close-Up: Water
April 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment
This month’s Craft Cocktail is the Branch Water at Norseman Distillery, a remarkably uncomplicated whiskey and water. So, for this month’s Spirits Close-Up we decided to take a look at how water can enhance the whiskey-drinking experience. Are you telling us to water down our cocktails? You’re doing it already. Water is an important ingredient … [ Read more]
Stoking the fires of Northern food
April 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The Upper Midwest is opting out of coastal culinary trends in favor of flame and smoke The word “provincial” is generally not intended as a pleasantry. It revolves around the idea that there is the center of civilization (Ancient Rome, modern New York, Tokyo, London, you take your pick) and that you’re in a distant … [ Read more]
Brewer Profile: Austin Jevne of Forager Brewery
April 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Forager Brewery is tucked into an unremarkable industrial corner of Rochester’s Kutzky Park neighborhood, flanked by featureless commercial buildings, a gas station, and train tracks. Nevertheless, the brewpub’s parking lot is at capacity and an overflow of cars is parked on the street, defying the dozens of clearly visible “No Parking” signs. In the back … [ Read more]
Minnesota Spoon: Back to base camp with J.D. Fratzke
April 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment
J.D. Fratzke tucks a brown paper bag under a small teepee of sticks. It’s been raining here, last night and early this morning. He searches for drier kindling, finding only a little. The chef will make do. We’re perched at a campsite above the St. Croix River, surrounded by scraggly trees and a cool wind … [ Read more]
Craft Culture: Fresh views on camping at Vistabule Teardrop Trailers
April 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment
There’s a timeless nostalgia and sense of adventure in the very shape of a teardrop camping trailer. The petite, two-person campers weigh around 1,200 pounds and can be hauled by most station wagons or small trucks. They were popularized in the 1930s, but the internet age renewed them into fashion. Now a handful of entrepreneurs … [ Read more]
Gotta catch ’em small: Growing “micro-fishing” trend has Twin Cities roots
April 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Aaron Bye is a Stillwater-based home inspector who built his business around an extreme attention to detail. He found a fitting hobby, almost by accident, and coined the term “micro-fishing” on a 2009 trip when the fishing was slow. “We were goofing around catching emerald shiners, and realized it was a ton of fun,” says … [ Read more]
What We’re Drinking: May 2017
April 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Welcome back to What We’re Drinking, wherein The Growler editorial staff look back on a recent remarkable beverage. What are you drinking, Growler Nation? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Olvalde Farm and Brewing Co. Rollingstoner – John Garland, Senior Editor I love the beer Joe Pond is making in Rollingstone. He uses old-school techniques that make … [ Read more]
Hidden Minnesota: 5 underappreciated state parks and recreation areas to visit this year
April 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Minnesota has long been recognized as the land of 10,000 sky blue-tinted lakes. But did you know the North Star State also is home to 66 state parks, not to mention an additional nine recreational areas, 25 state trails, and 43 state forest campgrounds? Many Minnesotans and visitors are familiar with such celebrated parks as … [ Read more]
Root beer maverick: How one little, old lady battled the harsh Minnesota wilderness & made root beer for thousands
April 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Until 1986, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was home to hundreds of wild species, including moose, beavers, bears, bobcats, bald eagles—and one little, old lady named Dorothy Molter. Molter was the last legal non-indigenous resident of the BWCAW. She operated a resort that became a legendary destination in one of the most remote parts … [ Read more]
Panfish to pike: An every-person’s guide to fishing
April 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
It’s tough for lifelong anglers to imagine what it’s like to be a beginner. Those introduced to the sport through family traditions often had elder mentors who instilled not just the how-to, but also the why-to, and the ethics and ecology lessons that naturally follow. But for folks without that foundation, the barriers to entry … [ Read more]
Artist Profile: Jaime Anderson
April 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
In the presence of nature,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his essay, “Nature,” “a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.” Losing oneself (and one’s cell phone service) in the company of nature can be a blissful experience. At the very least, stepping into the wilderness helps wash away the worries … [ Read more]
