Common Roots hosts Brau Bros. & Fulton for Beer Month

If you missed Surly Brewing's recent visit to Common Roots, stop by this Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., when brewmaster Dustin Brau of Brau Brothers Brewing in Lucan, Minnesota, will be pouring the Brau version of a black and tan. They call it the Black Sheep (there's one in every family, right?), and it's a combination of their Cream Stout and SheepHead ale. Brau will also be pouring free samples of some of their other beers. If you're not familiar with Brau's portfolio, this would be a great way to get yourself introduced.

The following Friday, May 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. the guys from Minneapolis's new Fulton Beer will be on hand. They'll be tapping a cask of an IPA that's tea-bagged with glacer hops. (That's brewerspeak for "dry-hopped," which is the process of adding fresh hops at the end of the process, after the wort has been boiled, cooled, and fermented. Dry hopping will increase the hops aroma without increasing the bitterness.)

Also, if you want to enjoy Common Roots cooking al fresco, Nature's Nest Farm B&B in Delano is hosting a farm festival this weekend with farmers, plants, art, music, and more. Common Roots will be there grilling elk burgers (and veggie burgers) with Jim Byrne, whose elk farm in Pine Island, Minnesota, supplies the cafe.