strib: 10 "best" beer experiences

Funny, I wouldn't rank a certain fest anywhere near top ten. Also, no mention of my favorite brew pub in New Brighton. However, there is a quote from one of our favorite former twin city brewers. http://www.startribune.com/456/story/265757.html Last update: February 23, 2006 ? 11:49 AM The 10 best beer experiences around the Twin Cities As suds lovers converge for Saturday's Bockfest in New Ulm, we sample the greatest beer experiences in and around the metro area. Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune There's nothing funny or cute about it. There are no fake Homer Simpson purrs ("mmmmm!") when the lips hit the foam. And there are no frat-boy high-fives walking out of the liquor store. For a lot of people, especially Minnesota people, beer is a hobby and a passion. Maybe even a lifestyle. That doesn't mean they're lushes/drunks/bozos. Most beer connoisseurs know how to handle their alcohol intake better than Larry King handles fluff interviews. Truth is, you'd be hard-pressed to stereotype the average beer lover. "I've always said that going to one of our events is like going to a Grateful Dead concert," said David Berg, president of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. "You see all kinds of people, old, young and in between. And they're often people you never think you'd see at one of these things." Beer lovers can sometimes be as dedicated, detail-oriented and outright nerdy as wine enthusiasts. That fact was hit home two weeks ago at a "Beer 101 Dinner" at the Happy Gnome in St. Paul, where things such as yeast strains and IBUs (International Bitter Units) were discussed. "I think beers are just as complex and beautiful as wines," said Adrian Ellsworth, 28, of St. Paul, who took his dad to the beer dinner for his birthday. "Sampling beer can be a lot of fun." There you go: fun. If there's one thing beer lovers do have in common -- and one trait that maybe separates them from those wine snobs -- it's that they like to go out and have a good time. 1 BOCKFEST AT SCHELL'S BREWERY It doesn't get much more Minnesotan than this. Held every winter in German Lenten tradition -- and in absolute defiance of the weather -- this daylong outdoor bash takes place at the brewery in the hills overlooking New Ulm. There are brats on the grill, an oom-pah band on stage and all the Schell's brands on tap. It's almost like a summer cookout, except for the fact that your fingers might break off. Part of the mystique is the brewery itself, opened in 1860. Schell's is the second-oldest family-owned beermaker in the United States. With a dedicated consumer base like this, it's no wonder it's still around. When: Saturday. Web: www.schellsbrewery.com 2 CITY PAGES BEERFEST Imagine a Home & Patio Show or those Byerly's free-sample days where all the hand-outs are beer. Mostly good beer, too. When you pay your $25 and walk into Beerfest -- held outside Calhoun Square in Uptown -- you're handed a small plastic cup that becomes your holy grail. Your crusade, in this case, is the 100 or so different beers to try. When: Next one is June 3. 3 SUMMIT BREWERY TOUR For history or brewing lessons, there are better brewery tours. What's neat about Summit's excursions is they're run by volunteers (i.e., beer lovers) and aren't quite so serious. That, and you get three beer samples at the end instead of the usual two. Go online or call 651-265-7800 for more info. When: 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Web: www.summitbrewing.com 4 BUILD YOUR OWN SIX-PACK AT BLUE MAX A rather nondescript strip-mall store in Burnsville hides the best-stocked beer coolers in town, with about 1,100 brands. To beer connoisseurs, though, that kind of selection can be downright cruel. If you can't decide between a hardcore Belgian beer, an exotic Middle Eastern brand or a new Colorado microbrew, you can get one of each for about $2 a bottle. (14640 10th Av. S., off Hwy 42.) 5 OKTOBERFEST AT GERMAN RESTAURANTS Even beer lovers who think schnitzel is a breed of dog often hit these fests. For tent-style decadent fun with polka bands and boot-sized beers, head to the Gasthof zur Gemutlichkeit in Northeast Minneapolis, Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter near Stillwater or Bayrischer Hof in Montrose. For a quieter night focused more on the sauerbraten and ham balls, there are great seasonal menus at the Black Forest in Minneapolis or Glockenspiel in St. Paul. When: Starts in late September. 6 BEER DINNERS AT HAPPY GNOME The old Chang O'Hara's site, 498 Selby Av., St. Paul, was recently taken over by the owners of the nearby Muddy Pig pub. They used the bigger space to branch out on beer taps. Each month, they also arrange a dinner with a brewing expert for about $30 to $50. It's the beer equivalent of food and wine tastings -- detail-oriented, but the spit pitchers don't get used as much. When: Monthly. Call 651-287-2018. 7. HAPPY HOUR: TOWN HALL, GREAT WATERS BREWPUBS Unless you home-brew, you simply can't get any fresher beer than at a brewpub. And even home brewers are hard-pressed to make it for $3 or so a pint, after expenses. (Town Hall: 1430 Washington Av., Minneapolis. Great Waters: 426 St. Peter St., St. Paul.) Web: www.townhallbrewery.com, www.greatwatersbc.com 8 MN CRAFT BREWERS GUILD 'CONVENTIONS' Four minutes. That's how quickly tickets sold out last month to the guild's Winterfest, where area breweries show off their season brands. The event will move up to the Landmark Center next year, but in the meantime, the guild also has its Autumn Brew Review, scheduled Oct. 7 at Peavey Plaza in Minneapolis. When: Autumn and winter. Web: www.mncraftbrew.org 9 PINT 'N' PUNK AT THE TRIPLE ROCK Punk-rock bars aren't supposed to have this great a beer selection. It's like eating caviar at a divey Mexican restaurant, and it makes the club's great music bookings seem all the better. But even when the band bites, who cares? (629 Cedar Av. S., Minneapolis.) Web: www.triplerocksocialclub.com ø 10 DRINKING FINNEGAN'S FOR CHARITY The trivia on this locally made Irish amber beer is almost as interesting as its taste: It was created by a woman, Jacquie Berglund; it's made with potatoes; it's brewed on contract at Summit. The best tidbit, though, is the fact that all profits go to local charities working with at-risk youths and homeless shelters. Last year's contributions amounted to more than $40,000. Drink up! Web: www.spudsociety.com SCHELL'S BOCKFEST When: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sat. Where: August Schell Brewery, 1860 Schell Rd., New Ulm. Info: 800-770-5020 or www.schell brewery.com. Bus ride: The Happy Gnome offers rides from St. Paul for $40 (breakfast included). Call 651-287-2018. TWIN CITIES FOOD & WINE EXPERIENCE When: 4-9 p.m. today, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Where: Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Av. S. Tickets: $60. 612-371-5857 or www.food wineshow.com. Do they have beer? Yes! The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild has a booth, and there's a European beer seminar (2:30 p.m. Sun., $20). Chris Riemenschneider ? 612-673-4658 ©2006 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. 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