Drink in the Season with Fresh Hop IPAs and Autumn Ales

Pryes Barrel Carving • Photo via Pryes Brewing

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.

Cookies and cream and candy and spice—but very few actual pumpkins in our newly tapped beers this week. It’s the fall season and comforting, smooth, and rich beers are taking over the lineup, from the onslaught of more Oktoberfest and festbiers to porters and dialed-up imperial pastry stouts.

At this point, seemingly every brewery has a festy harvest ale on tap, and fresh-harvested hop beers are beginning to appear at their side. Enjoy a sessionable lager in the sun, put on a hoodie and grab a wet hop pale, then light the campfire for something a little heavier. It’s officially fall.

Speaking of fall, it’s not too late to grab a ticket to Beer Dabbler’s riverboat cruise and sampling experience, the Beer Paddler, happening tonight from 6–10 pm. Take in the changing colors in the river valley and sample old favorites and exclusive beers and ciders from 24 local makers. Tickets are available here.

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

608 The Frozen North – A cold IPA made with Strata, Citra, and Mosaic hops. At 6% ABV, it offers mango and candied melon notes with a crisper profile.

Duluth Cider Chai Spiced Cider – “This seasonal cider features a rich, comforting blend of spices like cinnamon, vanilla, clove, star anise, orange peel, and fresh fall apples,” the cidery says.

HeadFlyer Raising Helles – A new lager for the fall, this straw-colored easy-drinker offers a smooth and clean experience with toasted malt flavors.

Rapids Trampled By Mountains – “100lbs of Honeyberries juiced and pasteurized in house, blended with our fan-favorite Hands On Hazy IPA,” the brewery says, adding, “The sweetness of the Honeyberries pairs beautifully with the citrus, tropical goodness our Hands on Hazy brings to the table.”

Spilled Grain In Your Dreams – A wet hop pale ale made with freshly harvested Centennial hops. 5% ABV.

New beers available this week

3rd Act Craft Brewery   

• Dance With The Devil In The Pale Moonlight – An English-style imperial stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. 8% ABV, 23 IBU.

22 Northmen Brewing Company

• Oktoberfest

608 Brewing Company

• Grandma’s House: Apple Pie – A pastry stout with apple puree, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut. 6% ABV.
• Jolly Shocker Pops: Peach Rings – A “candy sour” at 6.5% ABV with bright and sour peachy flavors.
• The Frozen North – Top Flight selection.

10K Brewing

• Honey Hash Double IPA – Newly tapped and 8.3% ABV.
• Triple IPA – 10.8% ABV

Arbeiter Brewing Co.

• Gayderhosen Oktoberfest – A collaboration with Deviant Minds, this fall seasonal offers malt sweetness up front with “a very gentle grain huskiness on the finish that ties in nicely with a mellow hop spiciness,” Arbeiter says. 6.2% ABV, 28 IBU.
• Tangerine Spritzig – Juicy seltzer made with tangerine puree. 4.7% ABV and gluten-free.

Arbeiter Gayderhosen Oktoberfest collaboration with Deviant Minds • Photo courtesy Arbeiter Brewing Company

Disgruntled Brewing

• Just like Momma Used To Make: Blueberry Pie – Just like its name suggests, this pastry sour-style ale offers pie-like ingredients including blueberry, graham cracker, vanilla, and cinnamon. 6.8% ABV.

Duluth Cider

• Chai Spiced Cider – Top Flight selection.

Eastlake Craft Brewery

• Piña Coladaburg – “A tart tropical paradise of orange, grapefruit, lime, watermelon, coconut, and a lost shaker of salt,” the Midtown Global Market-based brewery says.
• Pennant Race – “Our fest-inspired beer was brewed with local craft grain from Maltwerks for a big-time honey, hazelnut, and biscuit base. This one-hopper to short also has a ton of German-grown Mandarina Bavaria hops for a fresh orange marmalade on toast character,” the brewery says.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative   

• Our Justice Pils – A collaboration with Our Justice organization, it’s a hoppy Pilsner with Contessa hops, which offer green tea and lemongrass flavors akin to noble European hop varieties.

Fat Pants Brewing Co.

• Bernstein – A Märzen-style lager for harvest season.

HeadFlyer Brewing Company   

• Candy Paint – Vic Secret and Citra hops driver this double dry-hopped hazy IPA with “A sweet, candy-coated hop flavor,” HeadFlyer says. On tap at the brewery and also sold in 16-ounce cans.
• Raising Helles – Top Flight selection.

Humble Forager

• Enchanted Island v3 – Inspired by tropical cocktails, the latest in this imperial tiki sour ale series has fresh fruit notes, with hints of amaretto and molasses, taking influence from the Mai Tai. 9% ABV.
• Rugged Outlook v2 – “Introducing our juicy triple IPA jam-packed with Citra, Galaxy, Cashmere, Vic Secret, and Idaho 7!!! It drinks smooth and creamy with layers of tropical tones, stone fruit waves, piney dankness, and floral aromas,” Humble Forager offers via tweet.

Indeed Brewing Company

• Loretta’s Dark Lager – A malt-forward lager with a hint of chocolate, plus biscuit and subtle spice. One of four lagers that are currently available at the taproom. 5.6% ABV, 24 IBU.

Inver Grove Brewing Co.

• Oktoberfest – “We model our Oktoberfest after Germany’s ‘export’ versions. Orange-amber in color, with a distinct biscuity/toasty malt character that finishes clean and not cloyingly sweet,” the brewpub says. Also available at Lakeville Brewing Co. 6.5% ABV, 30 IBU.
• Terrible Two’s – Available for Inver Grove’s second anniversary, flavors of pineapple, peach, light citrus, strawberry, blueberry, and more develop in this complex double new England-style IPA that was triple dry-hopped with Mosaic, BRU-1, Sabro, and Strata hops. 10% ABV.
• Tipsy Squirrel – Aged in Tattersall Rye barrels, this Baltic-style porter has notes of toffee, coffee, molasses, chocolate, and vanilla. It pours at 8.4% ABV, 30 IBU with a full body, and its name is a nod to this famous local squirrel.

Kinney Creek Brewery

• Band Wagon – A s’mores imperial stout.

Lupulin Brewing Company

• Festbier – A fall seasonal Oktoberfest lager at 5.6% ABV, 25 IBU.
• Sexy Hops: El Dorado – A single-hopped IPA with pineapple and mango flavors complemented by further pear, watermelon, and stone fruit on the nose. 7.7% ABV, 50 IBU.

Mineral Springs Brewery

• Dunnell Dunkel – On tap all weekend long for the brewery’s Oktoberfest celebration.
• L’Auger Wagon
• Meridan Marzen

Modist Brewing Co.

• Rye & Mild – Available at the taproom on Saturday, this dark mild pours at 4% and was made with Bohemian Pilsner, Golden Promise, malted rye, caramel rye malt, chocolate rye malt and hopped with Bravo,” Modist notes.

Oliphant Brewing

• Barrel-Aged Mind Talent – A brewery-only cookies and cream imperial stout with coffee, aged in 45th Parallel bourbon barrels. 11% ABV.
• Dracula Weed – This West Coast-style IPA features a blend of Cascade, Chinook, Simcoe, and Warrior hops. 6% ABV.
• Lumberjack Baes – A hazy IPA collaboration with Lolo/Proper/Lolito restaurants. On draft at those locations as well as at the brewery. 6.8% ABV.
• Super Honees – Honees Honees plus Super Squishy in a blend, then aged in 45th Parallel bourbon barrels. 6.9% and available only at the brewery.

OMNI Brewing Co.

It’s OMNI’s sixth anniversary and the Maple Grove brewery celebrates with a day-long celebration with special taps:

• #BasicBear – A season-appropriate spiced pumpkin ale made with pumpkin spices, coffee, and vanilla. 4.5% ABV.
• Black Is Beautiful – Aged in bourbon barrels, this imperial stout returns with a whiskey touch, plus nuts, cacao, and vanilla.
• LumBEARJack Maple Amber Ale – An amber with maple syrup. 5% ABV.
• Pale Ale – Modeled after Lake Day and dry-hopped with YCH hops. 4.9% ABV.
• Theo – A imperial stout aged in Skaalvenn bourbon barrels with added cacao, vanilla, cinnamon, and jalapeño peppers.
• Vanilla FAD – An 8% ABV New England-style double IPA.

Portage Brewing Company

• Brief Escape – Available at liquor stores, this West Coast-style IPA features a blend of Simcoe, Mosaic, Amarillo, and Cascade hops for floral, grapefruit, and dank aromatics, the brewery says.
• Into the Night – A pastry stout made with Oreo cookies. 6.6% ABV.
• Pumpkin Pecan Pie Pastry Stout – Another pastry stout, this is made with toasted pecans, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove.
• Seasons Change – A “bready, malty, and crisp” Oktoberfest lager and Portage first. 6.4% ABV.

Pryes Brewing Co.

• Barrel Carving – Available today, this imperial pumpkin ale was a long time in the making.

Rapids Brewing Co.

• Trampled By Mountains – Top Flight selection.
• Wet Hop Hoky Saaz Double IPA – Made with fresh, local Saaz and Cascade hops, this 5-barrel batch of wet hop double IPA offers orange peel bitterness, plus pine, floral, and slight caramel sweetness, the brewery says. 7% ABV.

Revelation Ale Works   

• Hurt Feelings – “This 7% DDH NEIPA is absolutely loaded with El Dorado and New Zealand Wai-iti hops,” the brewery says, delivering flavors of tangerine, peach, and stone fruit.

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

• Rocktoberfest – A traditional style German lager with smooth, malt-forward flavors.

Roets Jordan Brewery Co.

• The Heimatfest – A seasonal festbier, on tap now.

Roundhouse Brewery   

• Cinder Dick – The American-style IPA is back on tap.
• DerZug – An Oktoberfest lager.
• Whistle Stop Blonde Ale – A gluten-free blonde ale.

Rustech Brewing Co.

• Bangin’ Mango – A 6.0% ABV, 46 IBU pale ale with mango.

Saint Paul Brewing

• Oktoberfest – A Marzen-style lager, tapped last week.

Schram Haus Brewery

• Keller Pils – A clean and balanced unfiltered German-style Pilsner.

Shakopee Brewhall

• Harvest Hop’ – A wet hop IPA that pours with an orange hue and delivers melon, peach, and orange-like flavors. On tap and sold in Crowlers to go.

Snarky Loon Brewing Co.

• Oktoberfest – Tapping for this weekend’s Oktoberfest celebration, this Marzen-style lager is smooth, rich, and malty.

Spilled Grain Brewhouse

• In Your Dreams – Top Flight selection.
• Nut Hugger Choc PB Porter – 4.5% ABV

Stacked Deck Brewing Co.

• Astronaut Sauce: Sweet Cherry, Rhubarb & Ginger – Sweetness on the nose, a tart hit, and a touch of ginger, the brewery says of this unique flavor experience. Available at the brewery and liquor stores too.

StormKing Barbecue and Brewpub

• Lil’ Gose Long Way – A kettle sour gose-style made with guava. 4.9% ABV, 9 IBU.
• Oktoberfest

Summit Brewing Company

• Great Northern Porter    – Available now in the Mixed Pack Best Of Edition.
• True Brit IPA – On tap at the reopened Ratskeller taproom, and also sold in the Mixed Pack Best Of Edition at liquor stores.

Tilion Brewing Company

• Habanero & Lime 2 Day Weekend – Tapped on Sept. 15 in limited supply.

Tin Whiskers Brewing Company

• Nut Goodie Porter – Made with chocolate, peanut butter, and maple, this Pearson candy-inspired porter is back today. The first 100 pints sold at the brewery come with a complimentary candy.

Waconia Brewing Company

• Apple Crisp Ale

Wild Mind Ales

• Kveikafest – A foeder-aged harvest ale with a rustic and earthy flavor, fermented on Voss Kveik yeast. 6.4% ABV.
• Windom Paradise – A full-bodied, slightly sweet IPA, with tropical fruit flavors and a dank aroma, the brewery says. 6% ABV.

Wooden Hill Brewing Company

• Pumpkin Juice – A 5% ABV ale made with pumpkin pie spices, vanilla, and lactose.

Wooden Ship Brewing Co

• Right About Now – “Our half of a collab done with Unmapped Brewing, this sour has bright citrus notes from lemon balm, lemon verbena, and sour leaf,” the brewery says. 4.5% ABV.
• Rye Rye, Captain – Made with two different rye malt varieties, this stout offers smooth chocolate notes with subtle spice. 5.8% ABV.

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