Fair State’s Serious Leisure • Photo via Fair State Brewing Cooperative

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. 

From lagers to fruited sours to pineapple ciders and beers that reference Bill & Ted, there’s a lot on tap as we conclude American Craft Beer Week. Seasonal Maibocks, malty caramel bocks, and crispy, clean Pilsners offer balanced flavors while dry-hopped IPAs offer more tropical and resinous flavors and candy-sweet sours pop in bold new directions.

As we hit mid-May—Mental Health Awareness Month—we’re also seeing more and more Things We Don’t Say IPAs tap across the region, a recipe designed by Eagle Park Brewing and shared across the industry to help raise funds for a good cause.

 

 

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

22 Northmen Punchface – A wheat-based kettle sour made with cherry, guava, orange, and pineapple. 6% ABV.

Copper Trail 19th Hole – A Scottish export-style ale with caramel and earth flavors. 6.3% ABV, 21 IBU.

Beaver Island Maibock – The star beer at Saturday’s Maibock party at the Saint Cloud brewery.

Junkyard Proverbial Substance – A mixed-fermentation sour ale made with peach, apricot, blackberry, strawberry, mango, raspberry, tangerine, vanilla, and lactose, “Resulting in big fruit flavors followed by aromas of brett. funk w/ a zippy mouthfeel and dry finish,” the brewery says. 6.8% ABV.

Wild State Cider Hazy Pineapple – A medium-sweet cider with unfiltered pineapple that also adds a full-body impression.

New beers available this week

22 Northmen Brewing Company

  • Punchface – Top Flight selection.

608 Brewing Company

  • Excellent Adventure – A 7.4% ABV “chocolate donut sour” made with cacao nibs, donuts, maple syrup, and bacon, in collaboration with The Dirty Dozen Donuts.
  • Things We Don’t Say IPA – Brewed in collaboration with Eagle Park Brewing Company, (Milwaukee, Wisc.), a portion of sales from this hazy IPA will be donated to supporting mental health causes. The 6.1% ABV hazy is made with El Dorado, Cashmere, and Mosaic hops, with multiple breweries brewing similar beers from the same recipe to raise awareness in the month of May.

608 Brewing Excellent Adventure • Photo via 608 Brewing

Alloy Brewing Company   

  • Juci – “Double dry-hopped with Bravo and Kohatu hops and brimming with fruit notes,” the brewery says of its latest New England-style IPA. 7.6% ABV, 35 IBU.
  • The Return of the Cherry Lime Wit – “The refreshing blend of cherry and lime reminds us of summer, so it will be a perfect patio crusher,” the brewery says. 5.8% ABV, 18 IBU.

Juci from Alloy Brewing • Photo via Alloy Brewing </em

Bad Weather Brewing Company

  • Maibock Lager – Now available at the brewery, this spring lager offers a malty profile with notes of toasted malt and subtle floral and hop spice notes, the brewery says, pouring gold in color with a white head. 7.5% ABV, 28 IBU.
  • Sun Pillar Belgian Blonde – Back in liquor stores now, this Belgian-inspired blonde ale offers subtle bubblegum and clove flavors.

Badger Hill Brewing Company

  • F5 Mojito Kettle Sour – On tap now at Badger Hill.
  • Pale O’Peaches – Available this Saturday as the brewery hosts the parking lot party, Hopapalooza.

Bauhaus Brew Labs

  • Bolero: Watermelon/Lime/Basil Tea – A hard seltzer infused with real fruit and real tea, presenting flavors of “sweet-as-candy watermelon paired with the subtle peppery sweet flavor of basil supported by a mildly smoky base of organic green tea. Sold in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans.

A Watermelon/Lime/Basil Tea Bolo Seltzer • Photo via Bauhaus Brew Labs

Beaver Island Brewing Co.

  • Maibock – Top Flight selection.

Blacklist Beer

  • Peach Hazy – A New England–style IPA with citrus flavors and added peach. 6.3% ABV.

Boom Island Brewing Company

  • Apricot Wheat    – Newly tapped on Thursday.
  • Latté Milk Stout – Tapped on Wednesday as the brewery celebrates American Craft Beer Week.
  • Wyld Stallyns Belgian Wild Ale – A Belgian wild ale that taps today to continue the weeklong celebration    .

Bricksworth Beer

  • Club Level – A 7.2% ABV IPA with “elevated levels of El Dorado with complementary additions Ekuanot and Cascade Cryo [hops],” the brewpub says.
  • E-Harmony – A double dry-hopped double IPA made with Mosaic and Motueka hops, 2-Row barley, and flaked oats. 8.2% ABV.

Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

  • Bock To The Future – A malt-forward lager with notes of caramel, chocolate, and light roast coffee, plus a higher ABV than the average lager, pouring at 7.2% ABV, 26 IBU.

Bock to the Future from Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative • Photo via Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

Copper Trail Brewing Co.

  • 19th Hole – Top Flight selection.
  • Copper Sunrise – “Tropical kettle sour with pineapple, orange and cherry on tap and just released in 12 oz cans at local liquor stores,” Copper Trail says. 5.6% ABV, 8 IBU.
  • The Mule – Named in reference to a Moscow Mule cocktail, this lime and ginger ale is 5.2% ABV, 18 IBU and easy drinking, the brewery says.

 

Drekker Brewing

  • Approaching Entropy: 001 – One of several new beers this week, this is a blend of barrel-aged imperial stouts with notes of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, bing cherries, vanilla bean, and brûlé, the Fargo brewery says. 13% ABV and sold in 500-milliliter bottles.
  • Plop – A “hefty fruity seltzer.”
  • The Mother of the Ruler of the World – A bourbon barrel-aged imperial milk stout conditioned on macadamia nuts and cinnamon.
  • Braaaaaaaaaains Double Fruit Smoothie Sour – Made with blueberry, banana, sea salt, lactose, and vanilla. 7.6% ABV.
  • Chonk! – The latest Chonk sundae sour release is made with cherry, marshmallow, lactose, and chocolate. 7.2% ABV.
  • Multiple Ectogasms – “The double dry-hopped version of Ectogasm with even more of that Citra and Mosaic goodness,” the brewery says. 7% ABV.

Duluth Cider

  • Pineapple Sour – On tap today, a sour cider made with pineapple.

Eastlake Craft Brewery

  • Kirby Pucker 25 – Another cocktail inspired summer beer, #25 in the sour Kirby Pucker series is a gose with grapefruit, lime, and orange zest, “then matured on smoky and complex mezcal-soaked white ash wood,” Eastlake explains. On tap, sold in four-packs, and also on draft at select bars and restaurants.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative   

  • Serious Leisure – A 5.0% ABV fruited kettle sour with juicy notes of guava and brightly acidic lime.

FINNEGANS Brew Co.

  • Wild Berry Blender – This Barrels of Life series beer is an American wild ale aged in oak barrels on blood orange, wild plums, rhubarb, and blueberries. The brewery describes it as subtlety sour and mildly Bretty with mild fruit character and a sour bite. On draft and sold in 750-milliliter bottles.

The Freehouse

  • No. 13 Blueberry Blonde – Back on tap now.

Indeed Brewing Company

  • Aquafuzz – A new hazy-style IPA from Indeed, coming to cans soon.

Invictus Brewing Company

  • For the Passion – A passion fruit sour at 4.0% ABV, 5 IBU.

Iron Exchange Tavern & Brewery

  • Blonde Doppelbock – A sweeter, bock-style lager at 8.2% ABV.
  • Coconut Milk Stout – “[It] brings a subtle sweetness and creaminess with notes of coconut,” the brewery says. 4.8% ABV.

Jack Pine Brewery

  • Intercellular IPA – An IPA with passion fruit, coconut, and grapefruit flavors, on tap now.

Junkyard Brewing Co.   

  • Mama’s Trip to Bora Bora – “We mixed in lemon, lime, sweet cherry, and Luxardo cherries for a tropical taste that will take you to a place where the sun is shining and the water is crystal clear,” Junkyard says. 6.0% ABV
  • Proverbial Substance – Top Flight selection.
  • Raspberry Seltzer – A raspberry fruited hard seltzer is available on tap at the Moorhead brewery. 6.5% ABV.
  • Scrounger – An American-style blonde ale with crisp, cracker malt qualities. 6.5% ABV.
  • Vanilla IPA – A one-off vanilla-fied take on Cashmere Sky New England-style IPA. 6.8% ABV.

Klockow Brewing Company

  • DDS – At 8.5% ABV, this India-style brown ale is a brown ale with lingering dank, piney, and resin notes for a hop-forward twist.
  • Woodland Legacy Lager – A Vienna-style lager, back on tap now and with 4-packs to be sold in liquor stores.

Lake Monster Brewing

  • Black Is Beautiful – Part of a double release of awareness-raising beers this week, Black Is Beautiful imperial stout returns as a May seasonal that also raises funds toward social justice causes.
  • Things We Don’t Say IPA – Also newly tapped is Things We Don’t Say, a hazy IPA for which a portion of the proceeds will be donated to help support Hope For The Day’s proactive suicide prevention and mental health education programming.

Lupulin Brewing Company

  • Apricot Blonde
  • PILS, PLZ – A dry-hopped Pilsner collaboration with Talking Waters. “At 5% ABV and 40 IBU, it’s nice and smooth with a dry finish,” Lupulin says, but dry-hopped with the newly available German Aurum hop variety, which adds floral and bright citrus notes.
  • Super Karate Monkey Death Car – A new pastry stout offering with coconut and banana added.

A Crispy Boi from Lupulin Brewing • Photo via Lupulin Brewing Company

Minneapolis Cider Co.

  • Blueberry Borealis – On tap right now and in limited supply in some northern Minnesota liquor stores (and already sold out in the Twin Cities area).

Modist Brewing Co.

  • Supra Deluxe Sea Salt Lime – A crispy and dry Japanese-style lager, with sea salt and lime added. On tap now and in liquor stores beginning next Tuesday.
  • Sippin’ & Forgettin’ – A Berliner weisse with added lemon juice, lactose, vanilla, and coconut. Tapping at Modist on Saturday and in liquor stores next Tuesday.

Oliphant Brewing

  • Sunkiss’d Squishy – A lemonade-style sour ale.

Outstate Brewing Co.

  • Rope Burn Ale – Back on tap, as of last Friday.

Rustech Brewing

  • Pirates Delight    – A milkshake-style IPA made with pineapple and vanilla. 8.4% ABV, 4 IBU.

Saint Paul Brewing

  • Things We Don’t Say IPA – A hazy IPA to raise awareness and funds for mental health causes.

Shakopee BrewHall

  • Conundrum – A triple dry-hopped hazy IPA with a West Coast–style bitterness to give drinkers a surprise twist at the finish.

Stacked Deck Brewing

  • Angry Monster Spaceship – An 8.5% ABV double IPA dry-hopped with Vic Secret and Nelson Sauvin hops. On tap and available in 16-ounce cans at liquor stores too.
  • Canine Co-Pilot – “DDH Double IPA, ridiculously loaded with Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy and Amarillo hops. On tap now and available in Crowlers for curbside pickup and takeout. Look for it to hit our retail partners near the end of next week,” the brewery says. 8.5% ABV.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Company

  • Rocket Pop Dream State – In the brewery’s own words: “1 part sour ale, 1 part cream ale, 1 part each raspberry, lime, and cherry.” On tap now and coming to liquor stores by the end of the month.

Urban Forage Winery & Cider House   

  • Ghost of Citrus Past – On tap now.

Wild Mind Ales

  • Saison-ish – “We took a rustic grain bill and open-fermented it in one of fermentation vessels for two weeks before a generous addition of apricot and Minnesota-grown raw wildflower honey. Notes of honey candy, grapefruit zest, and stone fruits,” the brewery says. 8.5% ABV.
  • The Great Silence – A double IPA with wheat grist and rolled oats that offers a blend of tropical and citrus flavors, plus added wildflower honey and passionfruit. 8.3% ABV.

Wild State Cider

  • Hazy Pineapple – Top Flight selection.

Wooden Hill Brewing Company

  • Smitten – A juicy IPA made with BRU-1 and Sabro hops for balanced falcons that include pineapple and coconut. 6.7% ABV.

Smitten IPA from Wooden Hill • Photo via Wooden Hill Brewing Company

Beers just announced

22 Northmen Brewing Company

  • Rye Pilsner – A collaboration with Earth Rider for next month’s MN Craft Lager Fest on June 5.

Founders Brewing Co.

  • Highball Drifter – A Bottle Shop series barrel-aged cocktail-inspired sipper with notes of vanilla, caramel, dried fruit, spice, cherry, and orange peer will debut in August nationwide, the brewery says. 11% ABV and to be sold in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles.

Spiral Brewery

  • Hazy IPA with Guava    – Spiral recently teamed up with Swinging Bridge on a new hazy IPA with guava.

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