Surly responds to proposed beer tax increases

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Surly speaks out against proposed beer taxes
On Tuesday the folks over at Surly Brewing Co. took the time to issue their response to the proposed tax increase on Minnesota-made alcohol. In a lengthy blog post that details their multiple issues with the proposed excise tax increase, Surly makes it clear that this legislation can only hurt Minnesota's currently booming beer business.

Surly is currently in the works of developing their $20 million "destination brewery" which is going to allow them to increase their productions levels up to 100,000 barrels a year. This would still keep them under the affected volume, but they note that brewers like New Ulm's Schell's Brewery and St. Paul's Summit Brewery will both be affected and should Surly continue to grow, they too will eventually be impacted by the increases.

See Also:
Surly confirms Prospect Park for new brewery location


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Fulton Brewery plans an outdoor patio

Categories: Brews, Etc., News
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Katie Hoffman
Fulton plans to add some green space to its popular North Loop brewery

The North Loop may fast be gaining a reputation as the premier food neighborhood in the Twin Cities, but for all the hot restaurants and chic cocktail bars, this area is a bit lacking when it comes to outdoor patios, especially those with some green space. Sure, there are a few tables scattered on the sidewalks outside Black Sheep and Bar La Grassa, and Smack Shack is promising to add patio seating once the weather warms, but this section of the Warehouse District is still largely industrial, so foliage and flowers are few and far between. In an effort to green up the North Loop landscape, Fulton Brewery is now aiming to add its own patio.

See Also:

Best Place to Meet Single Men (Straight) - 2012: Fulton Brewery


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Lucid Beer Burger Bash is set for Saga Hill Cooking School

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Emily Utne
Build (and eat) a perfect burger at Lucid Beer Burger Bash starting this weekend

As we start to prep our backyards, clean off the patio furniture, and roll out the grills (okay, maybe that's a little premature, but it will happen soon), suddenly burgers are on the brain. They are deceptively simple -- just meat and bun -- and yet perfecting one can take years of practice and tweaking and convincing yourself you need to grind your own meat. If you want to take some of the trial and error out of your burger-making and add a few beer samples to help make the whole process just that much easier, plan to attend the upcoming Lucid Beer Burger Bash.

Here are the details on the multidate class at Saga Hill Cooking and Events in northeast Minneapolis.

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Northbound Smokehouse: Free beer for life has staying power

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The three co-owners of Northbound Smokehouse: chef Bryce Strickler; manager Amy Johnson, and brewer Jamie Robinson.

It was an ambitious goal. To raise the final amount needed to open a small brewpub in Minneapolis, the owners of Northbound Smokehouse offered investors of $1,000 or more free beer for life. Did it work? Oh, did it ever.

We talked recently with Northbound brewer and part owner of the new south Minneapolis hot spot, Jamie Robinson, who brought us up to speed on how the unique business model is paying off for the six-month-old brewery, and what's coming next.

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Summit Brewery rebrands, announces new logo for 2013

Categories: Brews, Etc., Food
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Summit through the ages

Fourteen years after its last major rebranding, St. Paul's Summit Brewery is back at it again. Late last week the godfathers of Minnesota craft brewing announced that in 2013 the brand will debut a new logo. Look for the new logo to launch early this spring.
According to Summit's blog, the new logo will make its first official appearance April 1 at Target Field on the Minnesota Twins' opening day at the newly redesigned Summit Town Ball Tavern. The logo will be hitting labels shortly thereafter. On April 15 the newly designed logo will be displayed on the front of its new Union Series beer, Meridian Session Ale.

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Save the Growler group of MN breweries want to make more beer and still sell growlers

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Minnesota beer makers want to allow growler sales beyond 3,500-barrel production limit

With the beer business booming in Minnesota, local beer makers are looking to ensure that legislation isn't passed that would infringe on their ability to peddle their wares directly to the consumer market without the aid of a middleman.

The campaign is called Save the Growler, and the forces behind it have launched a website and a social media campaign to help raise public awareness. As the law stands, small craft brewers are able to sell growlers (64-ounce jugs of beer) to the public so long as their annual production is less than 3,500 barrels, and of that production only 500 can be sold to the general public in growler form. Brooklyn Park's Surly Brewing Company has already exceeded that capacity and has had to stop selling growlers from its local taproom.

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Foxy Falafel soon to open in former Caribe spot

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Crazy like a fox, Erica Strait builds her falafel empire
The movement of street food to brick-and-mortar buildings continues with overachiever Erica Strait bringing her Foxy Falafel to St. Paul only weeks after launching her food truck.  While looking for a new commercial kitchen space this summer, she happened upon the neighborhood bistro space that until recently was home to Caribe Caribbean Bistro.

Her plans are both ambitious and tailored to the unique neighborhood. In between loading the truck, sorting through equipment, and frying up one after another tasty falafel, Strait spoke with us about the upcoming plans and when we can expect to walk through those doors.


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Hell's Kitchen introduces Craft Cocktail Wednesdays

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Hell's Kitchen's creates cocktails personally designed for each patron
If you're looking for a new way to get over the midweek hump, Hell's Kitchen has recently created a new option. Hopping on the same bandwagon as other major Twin Cities restaurants, Hell's Kitchen is invading the craft cocktail scene: From 9 p.m. until close every Wednesday night, you can head down to the restaurant's back bar and experience Craft Cocktail Wednesday.


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City Pages Beer Festival coming June 2. Daily Deal tickets available now

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$30 tickets are half-price today at Daily Deal.
The 20th-annual City Pages Beer Festival returns to downtown Minneapolis near 10th and Hennepin on Saturday, June 2. The festival is your ticket to free, unlimited beer samples from dozens of brewers, including Lift Bridge, Finnegans, Goose Island, Lucid, Lucky Bucket, Northern, Sierra Nevada, and many more, plus live music, great food, and even free mechanical bull rides.

It's one of the longest-running and most popular events of its kind, and now, for a limited time, you can score a $30 general admission ticket for just $15 at Daily Deals.

Here are the details:

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Crispin Cider sold to MillerCoors

Categories: Brews, Etc., News

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​As part of its effort to expand into the increasingly popular craft market, MillerCoors has purchased Minneapolis-based Crispin Cider Co., reports the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal.  

The full details of the deal, including the selling price of the company, have not been released. But the announcement comes just days after rumors being reported in the L.A. Times that with beer sales falling and a demand for a more "premium" drink experience, MillerCoors was interested in acquiring Crispin.


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