Photo via Drekker Brewing Company

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 are finding warmth in their beer this week. No, we don’t mean heated beers with mulling spice, or even a bock after a fire-induced caramelization either (though there are probably a few of those events happening too). Instead, it’s warmth through the taste buds, with tropical flavors, breezy summer lemonades, and even a couple of watermelon drinks to bring brightness on these mostly dark days of January.

So escape the winter doldrums with a pineapple, mango or passion fruit-flavored beer. Or embrace the cold. There are still plenty of roasty porters, toasty doppelbocks, and barrel-aged imperial stouts to make even the coldest nights a little warmer.

 

 

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

Dangerous Man Brewing Company Brave Noise Pale Ale – A pale ale with juicy and tropical flavors, and a collaboration with Brienne Allan and Notch Brewing (Salem, MA). Proceeds will benefit Brewing Change Collaborative.

Disgruntled Brewing Galaxy Class Hop Cruiser – “Our haziest NEIPA yet,” the brewery proclaims, featuring a blend of Galaxy, Strata and Citra hops. 7.2% ABV.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative Cooperator – A doppelbock containing smoked malt and rye that has been foeder-aged for two months.

Lake Monster Brewing Monster Ship Wit – Brewed to support the Art Shanty Projects, in collaboration with Wooden Ship, this is a Belgian-style witbier with orange peel, sage, and lingonberry.

Summit Brewing Company Frost Line Rye IPA – The rye IPA returns for a limited time. “Find this spicy, malty, bitter brew in 6- and 12-packs of 12oz cans,” Summit says.

New beers available this week

22 Northmen Brewing Company

  • Helles – A brew that boasts a bready + cracker-like malt character! Helles has two types of German-base malts, decoction, and a super low fermentation temp that gives it a muted-yeast character.  4.7% ABV

608 Brewing Company

  • MVB (Most Valuable Beer) – Mosaic, Sabro, and Riwaka hops are used in this double dry-hopped double IPA, which was hopped at a rate of 6 pounds per barrel. Available today.
  • Nebulous Void – Available at 11am on Saturday, this 15.97% ABV double barrel imperial stout spent time in Buffalo Trace and Booker’s bourbon barrels. “Strong, oaky, barrel-forward aromas give way to a rich, luxurious and smooth stout, with flavors of dark chocolate, caramel and whiskey-soaked vanilla wafers,” 608 says. Sold in 500-milliliter bottles.

Photo via 608 Brewing Co.

612Brew

  • Basic Instinct – A new West Coast-style IPA with dank and piney character alongside flavors of orange marmalade and grapefruit zest. 7.2% ABV, 70 IBU.

AEGIR Brewing Company

  • One Love – A New England-style IPA with pineapple, strawberry, and orange flavors.
  • WTF (Winter Time Flamingo) – Back on tap, consider WTF a 4.1% ABV strawberry lemonade for winter.

Alloy Brewing Company

  • Plug In – A hazy IPA made with Lotus and HBC-630 experimental hops. 5.5% ABV, 37 IBU.

Angry Hog Brewery & Taproom

  • Dark & Angry – “It is a smooth chocolate marshmallow Imperial Stout that aged 10 months in a Jefferson Bourbon barrel,” the brewery says of this limited release. 

Back Channel Brewing Company

  • Brian – A new line of 5.25% ABV hard seltzers. Current flavors include mango and lemon-line.
  • Sauer Power – A 6.0% ABV Berliner Weisse with pomegranate.

Back Shed Brewing Company

  • Clam Shell – Strawberry lemonade flavored seltzer.
  • Glow & Plunder – Made with exclusively Australia and New Zealand-grown hops, this IPA offers notes of lime zest, fresh cut grass, grapefruit, and light sweet pine, Back Shed says.
  • Snoop Double POG – Passion fruit, orange, and guava set the tone in this fruited wheat ale.

Bad Habit Brewing Company

  • Full Melon Jacket – Imperial watermelon sour
  • Schnickelfritz – Belgian-style wit
  • Whatever Floats Your Boat – Oatmeal stout

Bad Weather Brewing Company

  • Midwest Country Lager – An upper Midwest landbier made with Minnesota Vienna Malt, Wisconsin Select base malt, and a Wisconsin hop blend. A collaboration with Gathering Place (Milwaukee, WI).
  • Red Rye Lager – Bad Weather’s 2022 Treasure Hunt Beer is a red rye lager, with an ice bar tapping party on Saturday.

Bell’s Brewery

  • Black Hearted – One of two limited release renditions of Two Hearted, sold in a variety pack along with the original pale ale, Light Hearted, and the new Cold Hearted.
  • Cold Hearted – The second of two limited release renditions of Two Hearted, sold in a variety pack along with the original pale ale, Light Hearted, and the new Black Hearted.

BlackStack Brewing

  • After Careful Consideration – A double dry-hopped IPA made with Azacca Cryo, Citra, Cashmere, Idaho 7, and NZ Motueka hops. 7.5% ABV.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company

  • Brave Noise Pale Ale – Top Flight selection
  • Salted Dark Choco Oatmeal Stout – Available in bottles, as of yesterday, after aging in Maker’s Mark barrels.

Disgruntled Brewing

  • Dark House Lager – A 5.3% ABV German-style schwarzbier dark lager.
  • Galaxy Class Hop Cruiser – Top Flight selection
  • Mango Unchained – A milkshake IPA inspired by mango sticky rice. 6.3% ABV.

Drekker Brewing

  • Braaaaaaaains! – Mango, orange, banana, sea salt, lactose, and vanilla beans combine.
  • Flarndip – A bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with marshmallow, cacao nibs, and lactose, available today. Sold in 500-milliliter bottles at 13% ABV with limited distribution.
  • Mass Quantities – A bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with maple syrup, cacao nibs, cinnamon, lactose, and vanilla beans. Sold in 500-milliliter bottles at 13% ABV. Taproom only.
  • Narfle the Garthok – This bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout is a taproom exclusive, sold in 500-milliliter bottles and made with additions of banana, peanut butter, cacao nibs, cinnamon, marshmallows, graham crackers, lactose, and honey. 13% ABV.
  • Peach Cobbler Slang Du Jour – Peaches, cinnamon brown sugar, nutmeg, granola, lactose, and vanilla beans all go into this beer for a 6.7% ABV peach cobbler-like beverage.
  • PRRRT  – “ geyser of strawberry milkshake brewed with vanilla ice cream, strawberry, lactose, and vanilla beans,” the brewery says. 6.4% ABV.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

  • Cooperator – Top Flight selection

Fat Pants Brewing Co.

  • Bad Attitude – Fruited Sour
  • Bajo – Session IPA
Fulton Brewing
  • Moon Howler Hazy IPA – “The first full moon of 2022 brought forth a brand new year-round beer from Fulton. Moon Howler is the first Hazy IPA to make it onto our year-round calendar. Yeah, we know, took us long enough…let’s just say we’ve taken our time to make this one really nice. Moon Howler is all hopped up with Citra, Bravo, and Ekuanot, and clocks in at 6.5% ABV. It’s in stores near you right now, in 16 oz 4 packs and 12 oz 12 packs,” says the brewery.

Lakeville Brewing Co.

  • Cheery Cherry Porter – An imperial porter with locally grown Carmine Jewel cherries. “Notes of cocoa and coffee with a hint of tart cherry are present in both the aroma and flavor of this hearty ale,” the brewpub notes. 9.3% ABV.
  • Coconut Keeper’s Brown Ale – Keeper’s Brown Ale, below, serves as the base for this edition, which comes with a dose of coconut that hits both bouquet and flavor profile.
  • Keeper’s Brown Ale – “Domestic malts play nicely with a characterful British yeast strain, yielding sweet caramel and toffee notes with a touch of toasted bread,” the brewpub says. 5.8% ABV.

Lake Monster Brewing

  • Monster Ship Wit – Top Flight selection

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company

  • Salted Caramel Stout – A liquor store only beer, this stout “is straightforward on the nose, with a roasty, chocolatey aroma. It’s initial hit to your taste buds is just what you’d expect, but with an addictive salty-sweet combo,” the brewery says.

Photo via Lakes & Legends Brewing Company

Lupulin Brewing Company

  • DDH Blissful Ignorance – Blissful Ignorance double IPA, double dry-hopped. 9% ABV, 60 IBU with a blend of Falconers Flight, Mosaic, Citra, and Strata hops.

Modist Brewing Co.

  • Keep Keep’n on – A Kölsch-style ale aged in oak foeders and hopped with German Saphir. On tap this Saturday and in liquor stores next Tuesday.
  • Reptilian Elite – “Our DDH West Coast Double IPA with Golden Promise barley malt. Kettle hopped and double dry-hopped with Columbus Cryo, Simcoe, Strata, Amarillo, and Talus,” explains Modist. On tap on Saturday and hitting liquor stores next Tuesday

Oliphant Brewing

  • Medium Talent – A 10% ABV straight imperial stout, without adjuncts.
  • Rusket Red – An amber lager at 5% ABV.

Pryes Brewing Co.

  • Abbey Road – A Trappist-style Belgian dubbel, “This stark copper colored ale combines a soft sweetness with a smooth, malty base, to create the perfect snowy day sipper,” the brewery says. 6.7% ABV.
  • Terraform – “The good folks at Hemp Acres custom converted beautiful, hand-selected citra hops into pure, fragrant terpene oil, which we used to create a brand new, bright, juicy IPA,” the brewery says.

Schell’s Brewery

  • Bock – The slow fermented lager with a smooth finish is back.

Shakopee Brewhall

  • Off-Road Trolley – “This bright and tasty hazy IPA is overloaded with Citra, Galaxy, and HS-Sitiva hop blend, cramming the trolley full of peach, citrus, and tropical fruit flavor,” Shakopee Brewhall says of it’s clean and dry session IPA.

Stone Brewing Company

Made with cane sugar and natural flavors, Stone’s lineup of hard seltzers is now available nationwide in glass bottles.5% ABV, 100 calories, and gluten free, the lineup features:

  • Buenavida Hard Seltzer: Black Cherry
  • Buenavida Hard Seltzer: Mandarin
  • Buenavida Hard Seltzer: Mango
  • Buenavida Hard Seltzer: Watermelon & Lime

Summit Brewing Company

  • Frost Line Rye IPA – Top Flight selection

Waconia Brewing Company

  • English Pub Ale – A slightly dry and session style classic English bitter, the brewery says, with low alcohol and mild carbonation to compliment its toasty, bred, and biscuit flavors.

Wooden Hill Brewing Company

  • Snowburst – A Mosaic-hopped juicy IPA with tropical fruit flavors. 6.7% ABV.

Wooden Ship Brewing Co

  • Saison – Back on tap as of last weekend.
  • Wooden Lake Shanty – An imperial stout with smoked malt and “a touch of cinnamon and lingonberry puree.” Brewed in collaboration with Lake Monster (who has a different collab at their own taproom, listed above) in support of Art Shanty Projects.

Yoerg Brewery

  • Imperial Black Forest Lager – A bigger version of Black Forest dark lager, with roasty malt flavors and 8.7% ABV. On tap now at the Saint Paul brewery.

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