Fall Destinations
Open weekends now through October Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6 PM Located at Deer Lake Orchard in Buffalo
Visit www. number12ciderhouse. com for more info @ number12cider
Sept. 24 & Sept. 30 5-9 PM
12C Monday, August 29, 2016
Fall Destinations
Award-winning, farmhouse ciders
See what the buzz is all about!
Open weekends now through October Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6 PM Located at Deer Lake Orchard in Buffalo
Visit www. number12ciderhouse. com for more info @ number12cider
@ number12ciderhouse
PIZZA NIGHTS
Sept. 24 & Sept. 30 5-9 PM
Minnesota’ s craft beer industry continues to boom
GABE LICHT Delano Herald Journal Editor
How popular is craft beer?
Look no further than the Minnesota State Fair for one example. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild“ Land of 10,000 Beers” Craft Beer Hall exhibit is currently featuring more than 300 beers from more than 75 Minnesota breweries and brewpubs.
But, you don’ t have to drive to Falcon Heights to have a pint of Minnesota-made brew.
Whether you’ re in Delano or Dassel, Waverly or Winsted, or somewhere in between, there’ s more than one local brewery within 25 miles of you.
Throughout the state of Minnesota, there are about 110 breweries, with about a third of those in towns of 20,000 or less.
Minnesota’ s craft beer landscape has changed drastically in three years, with about 60 breweries added in that time, according to Michael Agnew, of A Perfect Pint.
Several factors are driving that growth.
“ There’ s an overall movement of consumers caring more about what they consume and where it comes from,” said Tom Whisenand, president of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guilt.“ That ties into craft beer.”
Geography is a factor, but it only goes so far. The product also needs to taste good.
“ People want flavor, not just in beer, but in food, spirits, soda, pretty much everything,” Agnew said.
As people find beer they like,
they share it with their friends.
“ It’ s a snowballing trend,” Agnew said.“ More people jump on and bring others with them. It’ s popular, so people are giving it a try.”
Boutique businesses such as microbreweries are in vogue right now, Agnew added.
Both Agnew and Whisenand described beer as an affordable luxury.
“ You can be down and out and still afford to buy your buddy a beer,” Whisenand said.
With all those factors in play, the industry is still growing in Minnesota, albeit at a slower rate.
“ The annual increase in volume produced has dropped into the single digit percentages, from the double digits it was at for the last several years – something like 6 percent, compared to 15 percent,” Agnew said.“ But, the pipeline of new breweries is still huge. There will be a lot more openings before we start seeing closures.”
Many of those openings are happening in out-state Minnesota.
“ What we’ re seeing more of is breweries opening in small towns,” said Tom Whisenand, the president of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild.“ It’ s not unusual for me to get emails from communities looking to get breweries in their small towns.”
Whisenand believes a microbrewery can help revitalize a downtown.
“ Some of these smaller communities have downtowns that could use some reviving. You
Breweries commonly offer flights of their beers.
see that happening,” Whisenand said.
Even in northeast Minneapolis, where Whisenand’ s Indeed Brewing Company is located, he has seen craft beer contribute to the growth of an area.
“ In the last four years, we’ ve seen housing values go up 30 percent or more,” Whisenand said.“ We started and were the first ones up here. Now, seven or eight breweries have opened up in the neighborhood, and it’ s revitalized the neighborhood... I think you’ ll see that in downtowns across the state.”
He looks at the environment within breweries as a positive.
“ Breweries do a good job of fostering community,” Whisenand said.“ They’ re not bars or saloons. They’ re places where people go to meet with friends. Craft beer helps spur
good conversation.”
According to Agnew and Whisenand, the odds of finding a high-quality craft beer at a small-town brewery are just as good as finding one in a big city.
“ I’ d say the ratio of good to bad is about the same in the out-state breweries as it is in the metro,” Agnew said.“ In both places, there are those making really good beer and those that aren’ t. The out-state breweries that are making good beer compare well to those in the cities.”
“ There’ s great breweries in the Twin Cities making great beer and some not,” Whisenand added.“ You’ ll see the same thing in smaller cities. Making great beer on a commercial scale is not easy, and the bar is continually getting raised, but
STOCK PHOTO
there’ s no barrier to a small brewery in a small town making some of the best beer in the world.”
Breweries have put some out-state cities on the map for Whisenand, who commonly stops into small-town breweries while traveling.
He believes beer connoisseurs can find good craft beer in every corner of the state.
But, how do Minnesota beers compare to those made in other states and countries?
“ Minnesota breweries stack up very well against those from other states,” Agnew said.“ We have an extraordinarily vibrant beer scene here, with many breweries making world-class beer. Again, the ratio of good to bad here is probably on par with other places around the country.”
While Whisenand said he loves drinking beer in other states,“ Whenever I come back, I don’ t say,‘ Gosh, I wish we were Oregon or Florida or something like that.’”
Hoppy India Pale Ales are most popular in Minnesota, but there are plenty of other options, as well.
“ There are a lot of unique flavors and ingredients,” Whisenand said.“ Anything aged in barrels is trending. We’ re seeing more popularity with lagers and pilsners. Now, there’ s the sour beer thing.”
In the fall, pumpkin and sweet potato beers are popular.
Whisenand said it’ s also a great time to use fresh hops in beer recipes.
“ Hop harvest is in the fall, so breweries have the opportunity to use hops when they’ re fresh in late September or early October,” Whisenand said.“ A lot of breweries use them. Some use local hops from Minnesota.”
Fall is also an appropriate time to drink brown ales, American amber ales, or amber lagers like Oktoberfest or Vienna Lager, Agnew said.
Not sure what kind of beer you like? Whisenand has advice for you.
“ Go to a local bar or brewery that has craft beer and don’ t be afraid to ask for a sample,” Whisenand said.“ If you don’ t like your first one you try, don’ t be deterred. The array of flavors out there is endless. I don’ t think it’ s possible to not find at least one craft beer you’ ll like.”
of
Beers
Brewerys across theWest Metro
The next great beer is never far away!
Clearwater
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Big Lake
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300 Elm St., Annandale, MN Phone: 612-743-5224 Oktoberfest Sept. 24, 2016
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Annandale
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Maple Lake
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Monticello |
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St. Michael
Albertville
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Otsego |
LUPULIN BREWING COMPANY
570 Humbolt Dr, Suite 107, Big Lake, MN Ph. 763-263-9549
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Buffalo Hanover
Litchfield |
HAYES PUBLIC
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Dassel
112 1st St. S., Buffalo, MN Ph. 763-746-6389
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Cokato. |
Howard Lake |
Waverly
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Montrose
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Delano
Rockford
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LUPINE BREWING COMPANY
248 River St., Delano, MN Ph. 763-333-1033
$
5 off $ 25 purchase, present wrap for discount
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WACONIA BREWING COMPANY
255 Main St. W, Waconia, MN
Ph. 612-888-2739 Hutchinson
WacToberfest is Sept. 10, 2016
LAZY LOON BREWERY
305 St. E., Norwood Young Brownton America
Stewart
Ph. 952-467-3500 Beer • Wine • Spirits • Food • Bowling
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Biscay
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Silver Lake
Glencoe
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Winsted
Lester Prairie
Plato
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Green Isle
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New Germany
Mayer
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Norwood Young America
Hamburg
Watertown
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Waconia
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Cologne
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Minnetrista Mound
Victoria
Chaska
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Chanhassen
Shakopee
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BIRCH sS’ ON THE LAKE 1310 West Wayzata Blvd, Long Lake, MN Ph. 952-473-7373
Fallfest is Sept. 25, 2016
EXCELSIOR BREWING COMPANY
421 3rd St., Excelsior, MN PPh. 952-474-7837
Doctoberfest Oct. 6- 9
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