Photo via Schell’s Brewery

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. 

A crisp new Pils and a belated celebration of Schell’s Bockfest in New Ulm feels like the right symbol for this week, as Minnesota wavers between winter and spring. As we turn the calendar to March, many new taps are lighter in color, body and even calories. From crispy lagers to tea-tinged sours and various fruit combinations, it seems like things are getting lighter and brighter…

But we all know there are a few more inches of snow to come so, in contrast, it’s also a big couple of weeks for barrel-aged beer. Town Hall is halfway through their 15 beer Barrel Aged Week event, and elsewhere we see brandy barrel-aged braggots, a bourbon barrel-aged Marzen lager, and the start of Big Beer Week at Lupulin.

 

 

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

Arbeiter Brewing Figurati – A noble-hopped Italian-style Pilsner with notes of citrus, cedar, bay leaf, sage, berry and lime. 5.2% ABV, 34 IBU.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company Belgian Dark Strong – “A spin-off of our classic Belgian Golden Strong,” Dangerous Man explains, “In addition to the subtle notes of banana and clove this version is swirling with notes of a maltiness, candied sugar, caramel, cinnamon and spice.”  9.6% ABV

Drekker Brewing Third Eye – Brewed for International Women’s Day, this is a West Coast-style IPA that raises funds for a cause. 7% ABV.

HeadFlyer Brewing Trouble In Our Neighborhood – New on tap and in cans, this 7.1% ABV cold IPA features Strata, Simcoe, and Chinook hops for a clean and crisp cold IPA with dank notes. A collaboration with Ombibulous liquor store.

Number 12 Cider Shackleton – An ice-aged cider, in limited supply and tapped mid-February, with notes of dark chocolate, tobacco, and tart blackberry. 16.0% ABV.

New beers available this week

A-Side Public House

  • DDH New England IPA – Pineapple, peach, and ripe fruit flavors combine with a creamy sweetness is this medium carbonation 6.7% ABV, 20 IBU hazy IPA collaboration with 9 Mile.

Arbeiter Brewing

  • Breaking Bread – A pumpernickel rye porter, using a rye malt base with a touch of molasses and dark brown sugar for full bread-inspired effect. At 5.2% ABV, 15 IBU, Arbiter says it is “Crisp yet rich…Spicy and sweet; dry, yet full.”
  • Figurati – Top Flight selection

Photo via Arbeiter Brewing Company

Avery Brewing Co.

  • Little Rascal – Avery’s White Rascal Belgian-style ale gets a dose of lemon and Lemondrop hops in a sessionable makeover. 4.5% ABV, 100 calories.

Photo via Avery Brewing Co.

Badger Hill Brewing Company

  • Badger Bubbly – Hard seltzer is now on tap at the Shakopee brewery in flavors including: Moscow Mule, Lime, Spiked Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade, and Black Cherry.

Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

  • Wilderness Tuxedo – Mango and pineapple combine in the latest kettle sour from Bent Paddle. 4% ABV and on sale in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

BlackStack Brewing

  • Home Field Advantage – A new double IPA with Mosaic, Azacca Cryo, Nelson Sauvin, and Vista hops. 8.0% ABV.

Brau Brothers Brewing Co.

  • Hefeweisen – 3.9% ABV, 17 IBU
  • McFarlands Irish Red – 5.5% ABV, 25 IBU

Bricksworth Beer

  • Jammers Only – A triple berry sour with marionberry, blueberry, and strawberry, described as “lightly tart.” 4.1% ABV.

Copper Trail Brewing Co.

  • Belgian with Apricot – “This is a heavy hitter with some soft aromas and flavors of apples, pears, and oranges. It has a surprisingly smooth and dry finish with a bunch of apricot fruitiness,” the brewery says of this Belgian-style golden strong ale. 8.8% ABV, 27 IBU.
  • Quantum Leap – A 5.6% ABV, 8 IBU sour ale with raspberry and blackberry.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company

  • Belgian Dark Strong – Top Flight selection
  • Chitty Pop Bang Bang Hazy IPA – A soft body hazy IPA with citrus and dank notes along with juicy tropical, stone, and citrus fruit flavors.

Drekker Brewing

  • Berry PRRRTY Paradise – A fruited sour ale at 5.7% ABV, made with blueberry, blackberry, plum, key lime, and cream of coconut.
  • Garbage People – “This double IPA is hopped with Mosaic, Galaxy, Citra, and Vic Secret with some serious dank, orange zest, bubble gum, and apricot flavor and aroma,” the brewery explains. 8.5% ABV.
  • Slang Du Jour: Cranberry Raspberry Lemon Strawberry Cobbler – As the name suggests this pastry sour was made with cranberry, raspberry, lemon, strawberry, granola, cinnamon, brown sugar, lactose, and vanilla. 7% ABV.
  • Third Eye – Brewed for International Women’s Day, this is a West Coast-style IPA that raises funds for a cause. 7% ABV.

Dual Citizen Brewing Company

  • Brave Noise Pale Ale – “A collaborative, multi-brewery initiative advocating for safe and inclusive environments for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals working in craft beer, while raising awareness for those affected by sexual abuse, misogyny, racism and bigotry,” explains Dual Citizen. Their version will raise funds for Minneapolis-based Sexual Violence Center.
  • Luck of the Loons Helles Lager – On tap again for another MLS season.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

  • Hot Sports Opinions – Made in collaboration with Yakima Chief Hops, “This beer is made with hops that were picked fresh and promptly frozen,” the brewery says, imparting wet hop-like character with notes of orange marmalade. 5.1% ABV.

Founders Brewing Co.

  • KBS Hazelnut – “KBS Hazelnut allows the existing premium coffee and chocolate notes to soar to new heights when accented by the nutty sweetness of hazelnut,” the brewery says. 12.0% ABV and sold in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles.

Giesenbräu Bier Co.

  • Barrel Aged Nová Praha Med – An imperial stout brewed with local honey and aged in Willett Rye whiskey barrels. 10.1% ABV.
  • Doppel the Hutt – A traditional in style German strong lager with malt-forward flavors including stone fruit and dark caramel, the brewery says. 7.8% ABV.
  • Nein Bräu – A schwarzbier collaboration with notes of chocolate and roast, brewed in collaboration with 9 Mile. 5.0% ABV.
  • Tripel – “A pale, spicy strong ale with notes of clove, orange, banana, and black pepper,” the brewery says of this 8.8 Belgian-style tripel.

HeadFlyer Brewing

  • Arnold Schwarzenpalmer – AN Arnie Palmer sour with lemon and black tea.
  • Czech Yo Self – A crisp and light-in-body, light-in-color Pilsner.
  • DDH Wicked Jump Shot – Mosaic and Amarillo hops are the base of this March Madness-timed beer.
  • Nut Brown – “This light, malty ale comes from our Beyond the Door small batch series and is available for a limited time,” the brewery says.
  • Trouble In Our Neighborhood – New on tap and in cans, this 7.1% ABV cold IPA features Strata, Simcoe, and Chinook hops for a clean and crisp cold IPA with dank notes. A collaboration with Ombibulous liquor store.

Hop & Barrel Brewing Company

  • Redemption Arc – “This double dry hopped hazy IPA brings heavy doses of tropical, stone, and passion fruits to the forefront with complementary coconut and dank hop notes on the finish,” the brewery says, with notes of tropical, stone, and passion fruit along with coconut and dank tones. 10% ABV and on tap in both Hudson and Spring Valley.
  • Bard – A Hudson taproom Irish-style red with malt tones up front and a dry, lager-like finish. 5% ABV.

Photo via Hop & Barrel Brewing Company

Inbound BrewCo

  • Fruited Sour – The newest sour at Inbound is tart with earthy black currant. 5% ABV, 20 IBU.

Indeed Brewing Company

  • Giant For A Day – A new double IPA with grapefruit, candied citrus, orange, pine and dank notes. 9.0% ABV, 60 IBU, and medium-bodied with a dry finish, the brewery says. 

Photo via Indeed Brewing Co.

 

Lupulin Brewing Company

  • Brave Noise – Lupulin’s Brave Noise release is a pale ale at 4.5% ABV, raising local funds for Infinite Ingredient, a non-profit organization dedicated to the mental and physical well-being of individuals working in the craft beverage industry.
  • Dank A$$ Hop Nugz – A collaboration with Talking Waters (to tap there soon, too), Lupulin says: “A new take on the West Coast IPA style, this hoppy concoction is loaded to the brim with a massive punch of Chinook, Simcoe, Experimental Hop # 09326, CTZ and Chinook CO2 Extract to bring you a 100 IBU, 7% ABV banger. It’s bright & piney with subtle tropical and citrus flavors.”
  • Hypezig – A pineapple, orange, guava, and vanilla gose with both tart and sweet notes. On tap now and coming to cans later this month.
  • Vanilla Dreams – Big Beer Week at Lupulin runs March 6-13 this year, spanning this and the next edition of Freshies. Vanilla Dreams is a rich imperial stout aged on medium toast oak spirals and ground vanilla beans. 10% ABV. It is available on Sunday March 6.

MetroNOME Brewery

Now open in Saint Paul in the former Birch’s Lowertown space, MetroNOME opens with a lineup that includes:

  • Accidental Blonde – A light session pale ale with floral notes.
  • Acoustic EPA – A dry-hopped extra pale ale with floral and citrus notes with a crisp body. Gluten reduced.
  • Enigma Double Brown English Ale – “Malty, caramel taste and smooth, mellow finish, but not quite the profile of an English brown ale,” the brewery says of this gluten reduced offering.
  • Jam Session Sour – Passion fruit, orange, and guava combine in this sour ale.
  • Melodious Monk Belgian Quad – “A rich, caramel sweetness and almost watercress-like hoppy aroma, along with all the light notes of spice that would strike a chord with Thelonious Monk himself,” the brewery proclaims.
  • Squeeze Play Hazy IPA – Tropical aromas and fruity flavors define this hazy IPA.
  • Sweet Georgia Brown Pastry Stout – A malty and sweet pastry stout.
  • Two-Pac Traditional West Coast IPA – “Assertive bitterness met with citrus, pine and grapefruit peel,” the brewery says.

Minneapolis Cider Company

  • Pricky Pear Agave – A small batch cider with 4.0% ABV, 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar.

Modist Brewing Co.

  • Brave Noise – Modist hosts a release party from 2-6pm this Saturday to share this pale ale with wheat and flaked oats, plus Mosaic, Sabro, Cryo Mosaic, and Cryo Sabro hops.
  • Crippling Predictability – A New England-style triple IPA collaboration with BlackStack, featuring Cashmere, Citra, Strata, Sultana, and Cryo El Dorado hops. Available this Saturday at the brewery and in liquor stores next Tuesday.
  • Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Innocence & Decadence – Released last week, this is a barrel-aged red velvet cake red ale. Cocoa nibs, cream cheese, and vanilla go into this beer, which was aged in Willett Rye barrels.

Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub

  • Millions of Peaches – Braggot is back, as of last week, this time barrel-aged in peach brandy barrels. “The peach flavor here is deliciously strong and mostly covers up the wood flavor of the barrel,” the brewpub says.
  • Them Apples – Braggot, aged in apple brandy barrels. The honey-forward original recipe is complemented by apple and wood notes. Limited.

Number 12 Cider

  • Shackleton – Top Flight selection

Oliphant Brewing

  • Also Bort – A 9% ABV Belgian-style ale.
  • Bourbon Barrel Aged Marzen – A bigger, bourbonier take on Marzen-style lagers. Available this Saturday.
  • Marzen – Available on Saturday along with its companion barrel-aged variant listed above.

OMNI Brewing Co.

  • Melt: Strawberry Lulo – On tap now, OMNI says: “From the first sip the sourness comes in but is quickly mellowed by strawberry, sweet candy and pineapple with a nice warm vanilla finish.”

Outstate Brewing Co.

  • Spicy Blood Orange Marg Seltzer – Blood orange, lime, and a blend of jalepeno, habenero, serrano peppers come together in a sweet and spicy hard seltzer.

Pantown Brewing Company

  • Black Flag – A black IPA, tapped in late February.
  • Clodoald Dopplebock – A rich and malty lager – and the centerpiece for this Saturday’s 2pm Blessing of the Bock party.

Schell’s Brewery

  • No Frills – A new rhyming Pils. (And Bockfest is taking place in New Ulm this weekend too.)

Stone Brewing

  • Baird / Ishii / Stone – “It’s hard to find such a perfect blend of IPA hop flavor and herbal tea qualities. Strong tea attributes combine with hop elements of peach, apricot and mango,” the brewery says. 10.1% ABV.

Surly Brewing Co.

  • Barrel-Aged Darkness – On sale as of February 28.
  • Controlled Chaos West Coast IPA – A citrus-forward West Coast-style IPA with a dry and slightly bitter finish. 7.4% ABV. Available at the Beer Hall now, as well as in 6- and 12-packs of cans.
  • Drips and Drops Hazy IPA – A new juicy IPA built on Idaho 7, Citra, and Amarillo hops. Sold in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans and 7.2% ABV.

Talking Waters Brewing Co.

  • BB & Flow – Featuring Simcoe hops with dank notes.
  • Reality Czech – The Pilsner is back on tap in Montevideo now.

Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.

  • Camp Shandyshore Lemon – Available now — for the first time in cans.

Torg Brewery

  • New Dave’s Day Brew – A Belgian-style dubbel with “a bright floral nose, sweet notes of sarsaparilla and cherries, and a warm brandy finish,” the brewery says.

Town Hall Brewery

Barrel Aged Week is back, and lucky for us, it’s two weeks long this time. So far the following beers have tapped:

  • Baltic Red – This 8.7% ABV Baltic-style porter was aged in French oak red wine barrels and tapped on Wednesday.
  • Barley Vine – This 10.0% ABV red wine barrel-aged beer takes Twisted Trace barleywine (coming next week), and aged it in a French oak barrel. Tapped on “Wine Barrel Wednesday.”
  • Double Barrel ET Wee – A Scottish-style ale aged twice in bourbon barrels. 9.3% ABV and tapped on “Double Barrel Monday.”
  • Double Barrel Xtra Milk Stout – A 9.6% ABV milk stout aged twice in bourbon barrels. 9.0% ABV and tapped on “Double Barrel Monday.”
  • ET Wee – A Scottish-style wee heavy aged in bourbon barrels. 8.9% ABV and tapped on “Ode To Patrick Tuesday.”
  • Manhattan Reserve – A Barrel Aged Week classic, this Belgian-style grand cru is aged with tart cherries and finished in bourbon barrels as an homage to the Manhattan cocktail. 10.0% ABV and tapped on “Barrel Dessert Thursday.”
  • Quadruple Wine – This 10.0% ABV Belgian-style quadruple was aged in a French oak red wine barrel. Tapped on “Wine Barrel Wednesday.”
  • Single Barrel ET Wee – Patrick – A select, single barrel of Town Hall’s Scottish-style ale aged in a Blanton barrel. 9.3% ABV and tapped on “Ode To Patrick Tuesday.”
  • Tennessee Dessert – An imperial stout with Belgian dark chocolate and aged in bourbon barrels. 8.7% ABV and tapped on Thursday.

Waconia Brewing Company

  • Dill Pickle Kolsch – A limited cask beer, tapped today.

Waldmann Brewery

  • Doppelbock – “A rich, malty chestnut-brown lager mashed with Munich, Caramunich and Melanoiden malts for a touch of sweetness balanced by gentle bittering with German Herkules and Tettnang hops,” the brewery says. 8.7% ABV and on tap now. The brewery is hosting its 4th Annual Bierstacheln (bock poking) this Saturday.

Wooden Hill Brewing Co.

  • Batch 309 – A blend of four hop varieties come together in a new juicy IPA, brewed to celebrate four years of business at Wooden Hill. 6.4% ABV.

 

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