Craft beer lovers from around the world are about to be treated to some of Minnesota’s finest at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Stone Arch, a new Minnesota craft-beer restaurant that will be located in the former Chili’s space in the airport mall, near the entrance to Concourse F, is on pace to open this summer … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Wicked Wort Brewing Company
January 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Starting a brewery wasn’t a spur of the moment decision for Wicked Wort’s Steve Carlyle. As with most brewers, the idea had been building for some time. But it wasn’t until 2014, when he was enjoying beers at Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette, Michigan, that he got serious. Blackrocks is a unique taproom, built into a … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Goat Ridge Brewing in New London, Minn.
April 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Josh Reed and his wife decided to move back home from the West Coast. Their plan to set down roots in rural Minnesota became literal in 2010, when Josh established a hop farm with 200 rhizomes on his wife’s homestead. The farm is set on a glacial ridge they nicknamed Goat Ridge, and his hops … [ Read more]
Sidhe Brewing Comes to St. Paul’s East Side
April 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Fate seems to have led Kathleen Culhane step by step through her life toward the grand opening of Sídhe Brewing in St. Paul’s Payne-Phalen neighborhood. She is a trained chemist who has worked in laboratories, built pilot ethanol plants, troubleshot mechanical systems, and managed quality control processes. Those experiences and her twenty-year homebrewing hobby have … [ Read more]
Union Pizza & Brewing Is Now Open in Fergus Falls
April 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Fergus Falls, Minn. is showing everyone how community building works. A group of like-minded entrepreneurial families are transforming the town from a cluster of chain restaurants and big box stores to a group of family-owned businesses. One of the latest projects brought together the families Ben Schierer, Jake Krohn, and Matt Ecker. They combined skills … [ Read more]
Now Open (or Damn Close): 56 Brewing
March 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A simple Twitter post from NorthGate Brewing this past summer announcing their plans to expand in a new location was the spark that lit the fire for husband and wife Kale and Kerry Johnson. Kale, a professional engineer and five-year homebrewer, reached out to NorthGate, curious to know what their plans were with the old … [ Read more]
Now Open: Beaver Island Brewing
February 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
UPDATE: Beaver Island Brewing opened the doors to its taproom on February 21st at 4pm. It seems just a short few months ago that Beaver Island Brewing announced they would soon be opening a new brewery in St. Cloud, Minnesota—because in fact it was just a few months ago. What these days seems an improbable … [ Read more]
Minnesota’s Food Identity, and the Many-Headed Problem of #grapegate
February 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Photos by Becca Dilley, Lake Superior Flavors Unpacking the New York Times’ “legitimately offensive decision.” First things first: A disclaimer. I have an unqualified love for New York City and the New York Times. I lived in Brooklyn for a glorious year and a half. Over that time period I fell in love with the place, … [ Read more]
Now Open (or Damn Close): Late Winter 2015
February 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
This edition of Now Open (or Damn Close) features breweries from one end of Minnesota to the other. Voyageur Brewing The Minnesota Northwoods is a place where travelers can satisfy their need for adventure by immersing themselves in wilderness. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Lake Superior National Forest allow backcountry adventurers the opportunity … [ Read more]
Now Open (or Damn Close): LTS Brewing
February 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
They say ignorance is bliss. Before the craft beer renaissance in the US, beer drinkers happily stocked their refrigerators with light lagers because it was all they knew. But craft breweries popping up every day around the country are exposing beer drinkers to the differences between a flavorful craft beer and light macro-lagers. The revelation … [ Read more]
Now Open (or Damn Close): Voyageur Brewing
February 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Minnesota Northwoods is a place where travelers can satisfy their need for adventure by immersing themselves in wilderness. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Lake Superior National Forest allow backcountry adventurers the opportunity to peer back into the history of French voyageurs, who navigated similar labyrinths of rivers and lakes in the late … [ Read more]
Brewing Beyond Borders: Barley John’s New Brewery Takes Shape
January 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment
With “craft beer” becoming a household phrase, it’s not just start-ups enjoying the increased awareness. Summit recently upgraded their facilities, Surly opened their regarded destination brewery, and Lift Bridge continues to expand. Joining in that club of veterans taking their beers to a new level is Barley John’s—albeit in a different fashion. With capacity maximized … [ Read more]
Now Open (or Damn Close): Sisyphus Brewing
March 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
By Brian Kaufenberg UPDATE: Sisyphus Brewing’s Grand Opening is set for July 11, 2014 at noon. When Sisyphus cheated death for the second time, the gods sentenced him to the eternal task of rolling a boulder up a hill, only to have it tumble down at each attempt. In his essay The Myth of … [ Read more]
