The Mash-Up: From pineapple to lime to guava, fruit is front and center

With over 185 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.

Beer in modern times is a curious mix of tradition and invention—which one could argue is the same as it’s always been. This week sees a wave of fruited pastry sours, but side-by-side with crisp and light summer beers, complex mixed culture options, and bitter West Coast-style IPAs.

A few common ingredients or themes that jump out are the inclusion of pineapple, orange, and guava flavors—but often used very differently between pastry sours and dry-hopped double IPAs. Fruit plays a big role in this week’s beer list, not just in defining the styles above either. There’s a lemon-blackberry coffee stout, a few kitchen sink beers, and, from Modist, a Kölsch aged on oak.

And that’s just a taste of what’s out now, before a wave of malty Märzens hits taps soon.

 

 

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.

Eastlake Dank Aaron

The West Coast-style double IPA returns at the brewery and also in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans.

Humble Forager Coastal Sunshine

This fruited sour ale was inspired by Tug Of War by sister brewery Forager and offers tropical flavors of orange, pineapple, and banana. Sold in 16-ounce cans (4-packs), 6% ABV.

Oliphant Humans With Animal Lips

A new tropical sour with passion fruit, orange, and guava. On tap at the brewery and in crowlers at select liquor stores.

Town Hall Not So EZ PZ

A 4.95% ABV cream ale made using traditional Krausening that adds lager-like character to this light ale sweet bread and slight apple flavors.

22 Northmen Passion Fruit Punch Face

“Refreshingly tart and tangy with an irresponsible amount of passion fruit,” the brewery says of this 5.5% ABV offering.

New beers available this week (July 20–July 26) 

10K Brewing

• Albino Loon – A 5.9% ABV “blonde stout version” of Loonar Uprising.
• Paul Bunyan’s Big Ol’ Apricots – A 5% ABV cream ale with apricots.
• The Law – 10K’s hard seltzer is currently available in mango and raspberry flavors. On tap at the brewery and sold in crowlers. 4.5% ABV.

22 Northmen Brewing Company

• Passion Fruit Punch Face – Top Flight selection.

3rd Act Craft Brewery

• Australian Pale Ale – A 5.5% ABV pale ale that the brewery describes as easy drinking with hints of sage and heather.

Bent Brewstillery

• Tröpiküs – A hazy IPA made with passion fruit, guava, and grapefruit.

BlackStack Brewing

• Raspberry Crunch – A foeder-fermented Berliner with raspberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, almonds, and toasted oats. 6.7% ABV.

Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

• Black is Beautiful – Using a base recipe developed at Weathered Souls Brewing Company, Broken Clock adds Gus Dean mocha cold brew coffee. The black and beautiful finished beer pours at 10% ABV, 71 IBU, and has notes of dark chocolate and coffee, plus subtle berry.
• Cerveza de la Revolucion – A margarita-inspired imperial gose made with lime, coriander, and sea salt, then aged in tequila barrels to add agave notes. 8.2% ABV, 23 IBU.
• Queen of Tarts Cucumber Lime Edition – A summer-themed cucumber quencher made with pressed cucumber juice plus lime, coriander, and sea salt. At 4.7% ABV, 9 IBU, Broken Clock says, “It’s tart, bright, and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day.”

Copper Trail Brewing Co.

• Belgian Workhorse – An 8.8% ABV, 27 IBU Belgian-style offering that has notes of apple, pear, and oranges with a smooth and dry finish, the brewery notes. Brewed with coriander too. Available at the taproom.
• North Country – A refreshing Czech-style Pilsner at 4.5% ABV, 12 IBU. Available at the brewery and also in 6-packs at some Twin Cities liquor stores.
• Quantum Leap – A kettle sour made with raspberry, blackberry, and vanilla beans. 5.6% ABV, 8 IBU. Available at the brewery and also in 6-packs.
• Your Ty~Mai Tai – “We made this kettle sour with a ton of pineapple and cherry puree to make our take on a Mai Tai for our long time friend Ty,” Copper Trail says. 5.6% ABV, 8 IBU. Only available at the brewery.

Drekker Brewing

• Chonk Sundae Sour with Raspberry and White Chocolate – “Absurdly decadently sweet, tart, rich chonky flavor,” says Drekker. Available today.
• Slang Du Jour: Sour á la Mode Bumbleberry Pie – This 6.5% ABV beer, available today, was made with blueberry, blackberry, black currant, granola, cinnamon, nutmeg, lactose, brown sugar, and vanilla.
• Strawberry Cheesecake Secret Handshake – “Brewed with Belma and Mosaic hops, a whole bunch of strawberries, marshmallows, [and] graham crackers…cinnamon, lactose, and vanilla beans,” the brewery explains. 7.5% ABV and sold in 4-packs.

Earth Rider Brewery

• Royal Bohemian Pilsner – “Lake Superior water and Bohemian malt make a crisp and clean lager with a noble hop bite,” says Earth Rider. 5.5% ABV, 36 IBU.
• Tap Shack Carribean Lager – A light and crisp Caribbean-style lager brewed with a touch of lime zest. 5.2% ABV, 2 IBU.

Eastlake Craft Brewery

• Dank Aaron – Top Flight selection.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

• Double Universe – A hazy double IPA that debuted at the taproom this week. Coming to liquor stores soon.
• Foamers Lime – A 4.6% ABV crisp lager with added lime.
• Space Hangs – “A bit more crispy and crushable than our standard hazy jammers. It’s fermented cooler than normal with a German ale yeast, and hopped a little more strongly on the hot side. Think piney, tropical, stone fruit flavors and aromas, moderate in strength for long afternoon hangs,” Fair State says.

Hop & Barrel Brewing Co.

• 5th TRIPle – “Our newest release, this triple IPA boasts a dank aroma with resiny pineapple and candy-like flavors. Golden hued in color It drinks awesomely smooth.  Coming to the east and southern suburbs very early August,” Hop & Barrel says.

Humble Forager

• Coastal Sunshine – Top Flight selection.

Junkyard Brewing Co.

• Citra-Zaic – A new West Coast-style double IPA that pours at 8.2% ABV.
• Experimental IPA – A 6.5% ABV IPA made with Falconers Flight and Azacca hops.

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company

• Call Me In The Morning – This is a 4.9% Key lime and toasted coconut kettle sour that delicately balances between the two flavors.

Lupulin Brewing Company

• Lemon-Blackberry Bärliner – In addition to freshly packaged flagships this week, the brewery also released three new lemon-blackberry offerings. Bärliner is a sour wheat ale with lemon and blackberry.
• Lemon-Blackberry Javatized – Two special fruit additions give unique flavors to Lupulin’s 5.7% coffee stout.
• Lemon-Blackberry Sour IPA – A new 7.7% ABV sour IPA with added lemon and blackberry.

Modist Brewing Co.

• Amongst the Madness – A Kölsch-style beer that was aged on oak and pours at 4.5% ABV. On tap last Saturday and now in liquor stores too.
• Magick Fish – A 6.8% ABV double dry-hopped cream IPA.
• Reconnecting… – This “collab from home” is a “pink guava strawberry coconut almond fruited sour brewed with malted wheat, barley, [and] flaked oats. Made with help from Forager, Blackstack, and Fair State, it pours at 6.8% ABV and taps on Saturday.

Oliphant Brewing

• Humans With Animal Lips – Top Flight selection.

OMNI Brewing Co.

• Sota Lager – A blueberry lager made with Minnesota ingredients and made in collaboration with Sota Clothing.

Surly Brewing Co.

• Mango Supreme – A tart ale with mango sweetness for balance. The beer pours at 4.5% ABV and is sold in the Party Starter variety pack. According to Surly, “Tropical mango sweetness balances a gentle tartness to create a crisp, refreshing, and crushable summer sipper.”
• Neon Dragons – The latest BC Small Batch release from Surly is a 9.6% ABV hazy double IPA. “Double dry-hopped with Huell Melon, Amarillo, Mosaic and Centennial hops, this juicy, fruit-forward DIPA glimmers with citrus and stone fruit flavors,” the brewery says.
• Sabrotooth Tiger – A new IPA that showcases Sabro, Citra, and experimental hops that give fruit-forward flavors. 6.7% ABV.

Tilion Brewing Company

• Cherry Wheat – A 4.6% ABV wheat beer made with sour cherries, the brewery says.

Town Hall Brewery

• Not So EZ PZ – Top Flight selection.

Wild Mind Artisan Ales

• Screaming Dawn – A 6.4% ABV hazy IPA available in cans.
• Ultra Wires – A West Coast IPA made with Cascade, Amarillo, and Centennial hops.

Beers just announced

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

• Flavor Pop Technology – A new hazy IPA that taps on August 6.
• Jiggleproofer – A new wheat lager made in collaboration with Live Oak Brewing of Austin, TX.
• Side Pull – A Czech-style pale lager brewed in collaboration with Bierstadt Lagerhaus of Denver, CO. To debut on Thursday, July 30.

Junkyard Brewing Co.

• Double Barrel Aged King Size Imperial Peanut Stout – This big release will be the first Junkyard beer in bottles. More details will come soon, the brewery promises.

Lift Bridge Brewing Company

• Key Lime Pie Beer – Previously sold at the Minnesota State Fair, this year Lift Bridge will sell its citrus ale with key lime and biscuit notes (plus a touch of lactose) in 750-milliliter bottles and crowlers between the dates of August 27–September 27 so fans can live the State Fair in their own homes instead. Pre-orders go on sale on Wednesday, July 29. 4.5% ABV, 13 IBU. Organic palm sugar for glass rims not included.
• Mini Donut Beer – Just like Key Lime Pie (above), this Minnesota State Fair tradition-in-a-glass is back — but for home consumption this year. The same pre-order info applies to this 4.7% ABV, 18 IBU American amber ale with sweet notes that pair with the cinnamon sugar glass rim served in previous years at the Ball Park Cafe.

Lupulin Brewing Company

• Oktoberfest – A 5.7% Märzen-style beer coming soon, Lupulin says.
• Proper Heathen – An 11% ABV barleywine in the works.
• Sophistry 07 – The next Sophistry IPA release will debut soon. 8% ABV and more info to come.

Schell’s Brewery

• Oktoberfest – The New Ulm-made Märzen-style lager returns soon, Schell’s announced recently over social media.

Surly Brewing Co.

• Culture Collab – A collaboration with New Belgium Brewing, this blended culture American sour ale was aged in virgin oak and red wine barrels. It will be 8.8% ABV and available in specially packaged individual 16-ounce cans.
• Trip Hop – The August BC Small Batch series’ Trip Hop is a triple dry-hopped triple IPA that pours at a big 10.4% ABV.

Tilion Brewing Company

• Pachyderm: POG – The next in the Pachyderm Sour Series, replacing wild berry (on tap now), will be a passion fruit, orange, and guava sour.

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.