Northbound Smokehouse Winter Ale and Snownami 2020 • Photo via Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub

Northbound Smokehouse Winter Ale and Snownami 2020 • Photo via Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub

Welcome to Beer Dabbler’s Freshies, our weekly rundown on the newest beers hitting the store shelves and taproom coolers in Minnesota from your favorite local and national breweries. 

Minnesotans can never ignore the weather—not even while sipping a beer by the fireplace in a Dabbler-branded adult onesie. This week’s new beers are geared to remind us of the whirling blizzard and drifting snow outside. There are high-alcohol and barrel-aged winter warmers, fruited pastry sours, spiced dark seasonals, and, looking ahead to New Year’s, celebratory and champagne-inspired beverages.

Whether you fancy a spruce tip winter warmer, a luscious cherry or blackberry beer, or something bolder and new, we’ve got you covered. And we even have news of a few take-home sampler packs for those last-minute shoppers. (Don’t forget that most breweries on this list also sell gift cards.)

 

 

Each week, the Beer Dabbler team highlights five of the most tantalizing new beers that we’re most excited to try.

Blacklist Spruce • Photo via Blacklist Brewing
Half Pint Gin 'N' Juice • Photo via Half Pint Brewing Company
HammerHeart Midvinter Ol • Photo via HammerHeart Brewing
Minneapolis Cider Company Resolution 2 • Photo via Minneapolis Cider Company
Milk & Honey Pommeau • Photo via Milk & Honey Ciders

Blacklist Spruce-Tipped Imperial IPA – “This imperial IPA has a citrusy characteristic in front and finishes with a hint of spruce,” the brewery says.

Half Pint Gin N Juice – Released earlier this month in celebration of the brewery’s second anniversary, the brewery says Gin N Juice is a “gin barrel-aged imperial grapefruit IPA that we rested on grapefruit zest in the barrel for months,” using a barrel from 10,000 Drops Craft Distillers in Faribault.

HammerHeart MIDVINTER ØL – An aquavit barrel-aged black ale with spices. Sold in 750-milliliter bottles at HammerHeart and in 500-milliliter bottles at liquor stores. 12% ABV.

Milk & Honey Pommeau – A cider blended with apple brandy (in collaboration with Tattersall), then aged in bourbon barrels. “The drinking experience of Pommeau provides a warm, spirituous sensation that alerts the senses to notes of caramel, oak spice, cherry, and dried fruit. It is best served as an aperitif, chilled and neat, and makes a lovely complement to soft cheese, foie gras, and rich desserts,” Milk & Honey says of the 22% ABV beverage sold in 750-milliliter bottles.

Minneapolis Cider Company Resolution No. 2 – Made with the New Year in mind, this sparkling champagne-style cider with spruce tips is described as dry, bubbly, and aromatic. 6.3% ABV.

New beers available this week

Alloy Brewing Company

  • What Happened?! – A change-up in Alloy’s fruited series, this new 9% ABV, 11 IBU beer is a rum-forward Mai Tai rum cream ale with pineapple, rum, and lime flavors.

Bad Weather Brewing Company

  • Pilsano – An Italian-style Pilsner that was dry-hopped twice while lagering.

Blacklist Brewing Co.

  • Spruce-Tipped Imperial IPA – Top Flight selection.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company

  • Blackberry Peach Cobbler A La Mode Ale – A thick and jammy ale conditioned on blackberries, peaches, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and fenugreek.
  • Cashmere Wolf IIPA – “Fluffy, soft and smooth yet bold, hop-forward, and juicy,” the brewery says. 9.3% ABV.
  • Mango Passion Popsicle IPA – A popsicle IPA made with mango and passionfruit, plus lactose and Sultana and Lotus hops.
  • Tangerine Lotus IPA – A new orange juicy-like IPA made with tangerine and Lotus hops.

Drekker Brewing

  • BRAAAAAAAAINS – The latest smoothie-style sour from Drekker is made with black currant, plum, and cherry.
  • Champion of the Sun – Nightman Cometh Russian imperial stout is back. This is a new variant conditioned on macadamia nuts, roasted cacao nibs, and coffee.
  • Chonk Sundae Sour – “This one is oozing with blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, lactose, vanilla beans, and great big plops of chocolate,” the brewery says.
  • Fighter of the Nightman – Another Russian imperial stout variant, this version was conditioned on toasted coconut and coffee.
  • The Nightman Cometh – A Russian imperial stout aged in Booker’s bourbon barrels. Available in bottles, and with two new variants (listed above).

Elm Creek Brewing Co.

  • Rare Candy – Made with blackberries and vanilla lactose, this is a 4% ABV smoothie-style sour beer with a thick creamy body, the brewery says.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

  • Printing Money $$$ – A new 4% ABV saison sold in cans.

Foremost Brewing Cooperative

A new cooperative brewpub opened in downtown Owatonna last month. Offering takeout food and beverage, the lineup includes:

  • Belgian Ale – Nearly tapped, the brewery says
  • Cream Ale
  • Dry Irish Stout
  • Hazy IPA – 6.5% ABV and just tapped last week.
  • Nut Brown Ale
  • Pale Ale
Garphish Trail Tamer • Photo via Garphish Brewing

Garphish Trail Tamer • Photo via Garphish Brewing

Garphish Brewing Company   

  • Trail Tamer
  • Tropical Picnic    – Hazy IPA

Gravity Storm Brewery

  • Gravitator – A doppelbock sold in Crowler and growler at the Austin brewery.

Half Pint Brewing Company

  • Gin N Juice – Top Flight selection.

HammerHeart Brewing Company

  • MIDVINTER ØL – Top Flight selection.
Hayes Public House Brœðralag Bjorr • Photo via Hayes Public House

Hayes’ Public House Brœðralag Bjorr • Photo via Hayes’ Public House

Hayes’ Public House   

  • Brœðralag Bjorr – An 8% ABV alder wood smoked dark ale. Sold in Crowlers and growlers. The brewery is also tapping several special casks in the coming days with limited Crowlers available.

HeadFlyer Brewing

  • Holla Honey – A honey wheat ale.
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Factory – A peanut butter and chocolate pastry stout.
  • Vanilla Bean Porter – A creamy porter made with Madagascar vanilla beans.

Hoch Orchard   

  • Ice Cider – Top Flight selection.

Ineffable Brewing Co.   

  • Silving Linings – A holiday batch of the brewery’s Belgian Dubbel aged on oak, oranges, and cherries.

Invictus Brewing Company

A new limited holiday Crowler pack is on sale, featuring:

  • Chocolate Raspberry Rollercoaster Russian Imperial Stout
  • Henley’s Peppermint Porter
  • Salted Caramel Amber

Iron Exchange Tavern & Brewery

  • Session IPA – A new 4.3% ABV Citra-hopped IPA that debuted earlier this month.
  • Vanilla Porter – 5.0% ABV and sold in Crowlers and growlers.

Island City Brewing Company

  • Grahamski – “Golden in color, crystal clear, light-bodied, with a light smokey taste from the oak-smoked wheat malt,” the brewery says of its new grodziskie-style beer.
  • Honey Chipotle Stout – A limited-edition pilot batch made with Minnesota honey. “This one starts out sweet and smokey, but ends with a nice spiciness that lingers until your next sip,” Island City says.

Luce Line Brewing Co.

  • Moon Bluff – A recently released juicy IPA with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.
  • Sugar Loaf Pastry Stout – A s’mores pastry stout that the Plymouth brewery described as “[a] rich and creamy imperial milk stout, brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans, cacao nibs, marshmallow, and lactose sugar.”

LynLake Brewery

LynLake has a new Crowler 4-pack available:

  • Ali’s Dumb Idea – A 4.4% beer for breakfast. This new beer is a golden ale made with coffee, cinnamon, and marshmallow.
  • Luke’s Dumb Idea – A saison fermented on blueberries with blackberry, vanilla, and marshmallow. 7.6% ABV.
  • Johnny’s Dumb Idea – A peanut butter and jelly imperial stout brewed with honey and strawberries and aged in Heaven Hill barrels. 8.7% ABV.
  • Paul’s Dumb Idea – Another imperial stout, this version was brewed with honey, bananas, and chocolate and aged in Heaven Hill barrels. 8.7% ABV.

Milk & Honey Ciders

  • Pommeau – Top Flight selection.

Minneapolis Cider Company

  • Resolution No. 2 – Top Flight selection.

Northbound Brewpub & Smokehouse

  • Snownami – It’s perfect timing for this 8.6% ABV, 24 IBU beer.
  • Wampa – 10.9% ABV, 26 IBU
  • Winter Ale – 7.1% ABV, 22 IBU

Rustech Brewing

  • Javamel – A coffee and caramel cream ale perfect for the holiday season. 5.3% ABV, 14 IBU, sold in Crowlers and growlers.
  • Razze Maize – A raspberry and lemon cream ale tapped last week. 5.3% ABV, 14 IBU.
Take 16 barrel-aged beers • Photo via Take 16 Beer

Take 16 barrel-aged beers • Photo via Take 16 Brewing Co.

Take 16 Brewing Co.   

  • Cinnamon Coffee Kolsch – Available in limited supply.

Take 16 also shared five new barrel-aged beers, all sold in 750-milliliter bottles, this week.

  • Deja Vu Blonde – A mixed fermentation sour blonde ale.
  • Deja Vu Peach – A mixed fermentation peach sour ale.
  • Deja Vu Raspberry – A mixed fermentation raspberry sour ale.
  • Nostalgia – A mixed fermentation sour red ale,
  • Stone Cutter – An 11% ABV cherry oatmeal porter.

Talking Waters Brewing Co.

  • Hype Dream – A sour IPA with added blackberries and lime, brewed with Mosaic and Azzaca hops. 7% ABV.

Venn Brewing Company

  • Cinnamon Maple Latte – A 12.3% ABV, 50 IBU imperial stout.

Wild Mind Ales   

  • Illusionary Motion – Sold in 12-ounce cans, this is a Mosaic, Motueka, and Simcoe hops.
  • Rage Against The Dying Light – Now available in liquor stores in 12-ounce cans, this 12.3% ABV imperial stout is inspired by Affogato and was made with cacao nibs, vanilla, and coffee.
  • Windom Paradise – A house IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Ekuanot, and Simcoe hops. Sold in 12-ounce cans at select liquor stores.

Beers just announced

Fulton Brewing

  • Sweet Child Old Fashioned – Fulton, who has collaborated with Jameson whiskey in recent years, will bottle one of those beers for the first time in 2021. Inspired by the Old Fashioned cocktail, this beer was aged in oak barrels with cherry and will hit stores in February.

Torg Brewery   

  • English Brown Porter – Torg has a new porter, scheduled to debut on Dec. 27. The brewery is currently sharing hints online in a guessing game as to its official name. (Based on clues so far, the correct answer probably isn’t “English Brown Porter.”)

Wild Mind Ales

  • Planetary Shoes – A smoothie-style sour ale made with pineapple, mango, lime, and lactose. Coming in early 2021.
  • Réveillion – A sparkling Berliner Weisse, brewed annually for Wild Mind’s New Year’s party. This year the bottle release is in a take-home package, with pre-orders available until Dec. 27.
  • Static Spectrum – A new smooth-style sour ale with blackberry, banana, and lactose. To be sold in 16-ounce cans early next year.

Have a new beer we should know about? Send the details to newbeer@beerdabbler.com for inclusion in Freshies.