Beer Hunter's Guide to Minnesota

This Guide, while still in the process of construction, should prove helpful to those interested in enjoying Minnesota's fine collection of beers. In the interest of space, it will be restricted to those beers that cannot be found nationally. (An abbreviated listing is included for the major breweries.)

• August Schell Brewing Company, New Ulm
• Clubhaus Brew Pub, Rochester
• Cold Spring, Cold Spring
• James Page Brewing Company, Minneapolis
• Lake Superior Brewing Company, Duluth
• Minnesota Brewing Company, St. Paul
• Rock Bottom Brewery, Minneapolis
• St. Croix Beer Company, Lakeland
• Shannon Kelly's, St. Paul
• Sherlock's Home, Minnetonka
• Stroh Brewing Co., St. Paul
• Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul

Clubhaus Brew Pub

James Page Brewing Company

James Page opened his doors in the summer of 1986. He offers two main beers with the occasional seasonal beer. Tours run the first Saturday of every month, at 1:00pm. There is also a fine selection of homebrewing equipment and ingredients available at the brewery.

• Amber - this is a Vienna-style lager brewed with domestic 6-row malt and Chinook, Mt. Hood and Cascade hops.

• Boundary Waters Wild Rice Beer - this beer, the specialty of the house, is brewed with the same ingredients as the Amber, but with 10-15% of the wort made up of Minnesota wild rice, resulting in a very unique beer.

Lake Superior Brewing Company

In November, 1994, the Lake Superior Brewing Company began production of Lake Superior Special Ale. This ended twenty-two long years that Duluth was without a beer it could call its own.

• Lake Superior Special Ale - a traditional style pale ale with a smooth malty body, and fresh hop aroma and flavor.

• Split Rock Bock - brewed with generous amounts of chocolate and black patent malts, plus four varieties of hops, including Hallertauer and Tettnanger.

• Winter Solstice Spiced Ale - a complex concoction of caramel and chocolate malts, Golding hops, "seasonal" spices, and molasses.

Rock Bottom Brewery

The Rock Bottom Brewery opened in December of 1993, and is part of a national chain based out of Colorado. It features a full restaurant with neo-rustic decor and standard fare. The bar area is large, replete with eight-foot slate pool tables.

• North Star Premium Ale - a hoppy pale ale.

• Erik the Red - a malty ale in the popular "red" style.

• Gopher Gold Golden Ale - a light, American-style pilsner.

• Big Horn Nut Brown Ale - this is a light, Americanized version of an English brown ale.

• Stillwater Stout - a basic, sweet stout that is not too heavy.

Rock Bottom also features specialty beers that vary from season to season.

St. Croix Beer Company

• St. Croix Maple Ale - a unique beer created by Karl Bremer brewed in the "steam" style [apologies to Anchor...], in which lager yeasts are allowed to ferment at ale temperatures. Three types of malt and three types of hops come together with pure maple syrup to produce a very interesting flavor. Dry hopping ensures a fine hoppy nose.

Shannon Kelly's

The newest addition to the Twin Cities' brew scene is located in an old bank building dating back to the 1930s, in the middle of downtown St. Paul. Jamie McGovern opened a bar and restaurant at the location in 1990, and added a brewery in October of 1994. They have four beers always available on tap, as well as seasonal specialties. The food is good and Jamie is always happy to show people around the small brew house.

• Shannon's Blond Ale - a light ale made with a combination of pale, crystal and wheat malts, lightly flavored with Cascade and Willamette hops.

• Shamus' Stout - this is an Irish stout made with black patent malt and roasted barley as well as Cascade, Mt. Hood and Fuggles hops.

• Brady's Brown Ale - a light brown concoction of pale, crystal, chocolate and cara-pils malts, plus roasted barley. A blend of Cascade, Tettnang and Willamette hops round off this very drinkable beer.

• Kevin's Pale Ale - this refreshing ale is brewed simply with amber pale malt and Mt. Hood and Fuggles hops.

Sherlock's Home

Wander into 19th-century London and enjoy a hand-pulled ale! Sherlock's Home is a re-creation of a Victorian-era dining room and pub. Watson's Pub features a thirteen-foot-tall hand-carved mahogany back bar that is an exact replica of the one that sat in London's Dover Castle Hotel that was destroyed during World War II. The pub and the adjacent Simpson's Dining Room offer traditional English and Scottish fare for lunch or dinner, as well as a fine selection of ales and lagers. (For the single-malt scotch connessuer, Sherlock's Home offers more than 80 brands--one of the most extensive collections in America!)

Hand-Pulled Ales (cask conditioned, served at 52° F)

• Bishop's Bitter - a well-hopped traditional English "real ale."

• Piper's Pride - traditional Scottish ale with a warm biscuity flavor.

• Palace Porter - a dark brown ale with a creamy tan head.

• Stag's Head Stout - a full-bodied Irish stout.

• Star of India - an India Pale Ale: hoppy and strong

• Gold Crown Lager - an English-Styled Lager

• Queen Anne Light - the lightest brew made with barley and wheat malts

• Kaiser Bill's Wheat Beer (Summer) - a light-colored Bavarian Weissenbier served at 38° F.

• Ultimate Alt (Fall) - a copper-colored "harvest ale served at 38° F.

• Winter Warmer (Winter) - a very strong cask-conditioned ale served at 52° F and only in seven-ounce "nip" glasses.

• Special Olde Bitter (S.O.B.) (Spring) - a "Four X Bitter" cask-conditioned ale served at 52° F.

Summit Brewing Co.

Mark Stutrud opened this small brewery in 1986. It has since expanded and is one of the most respected breweries in the Midwest. Summit produces three year-round brews and four seasonal features, and is open for tours at 1:00pm every Saturday. (It's a good idea to call ahead of time.)

• Extra Pale Ale - a classic pale, light bronze in color, with a deliciously hoppy flavor and nose.

• Great Northern Porter - a dark, malty ale with a medium body and a sweet finish.

• India Pale Ale - true to the style, this is a very hoppy (dry-hopping is the key!), high-alcohol beer that is extremely drinkable.

• Heimertingen Maibock (April through May) - this malty, pale bock is brewed with Saaz hops and has a rather high (6%) alcohol content.

• Hefe Weizen (May through September) - a traditional Bavarian-style beer brewed with malted wheat.

• Dusseldorfer Style Alt Bier (September through November) - this copper colored brew has a fruity aroma and is brewed with four different malts in concert with a trio of hops: Northern Brewer, Saaz and Tettnang.

• Winter Ale (November through February) - this is a very popular burgundy "winter warmer."