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. 

Late holiday Crowler and bomber gifts. Bubbly ciders with champagne-like carbonation. Every variant of stout one can imagine. The week is about celebration: with family, by a cozy fireplace while socially distancing, or raising a glass to the end of another year.

There are plenty of sessionable lagers for the daytime, big winter ales for the cold nights, and more. And, for those who enjoy gatherings, make note of several New Year’s themed parties across the state and multiple beer releases taking place in the North Loop as the NHL Winter Classic comes to town on New Year’s Day.

 

 

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

BlackStack Brewing Estate Sale – A double dry-hopped double IPA brewed with Estate Grown Comet from Crosby Hops, plus Strata and High Oil Centennial.

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company Gatekeeper – “A decadent brown porter with notes of Simpsons chocolate, roasted barley, and flaked oats for a full-bodied feel and malty undertones,” the brewery says.

Portage Brewing Company Cookie Cutter – A pastry stout with gingerbread cookies, vanilla beans, and a spice mix of ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and clove. 10.5% ABV and sold in 750-milliliter bottles.

Rapids Brewing Co. Rauch On – “This Rauchbier has 7 different malts, 6 of those hailing from Germany,” Rapids’ explains. “The Smoked beechwood malt takes center stage providing a subtle smoke character, while the prolonged lagering process ensures a clean, smooth palate on this beer.”

Talking Waters Brewing Co. Honeyberry Holiday Gose – “This past summer, we transferred a small portion of a Gose batch to our mini brite tank for a fun infusion. With the holidays in mind, we landed on using fresh honeyberries from a local farmer,” the brewery says. “After plenty of time hanging out together in the tank, this light, crisp, tart, berried beauty is ready to be enjoyed.” Sold in limited 750-milliliter bottles.

New beers available this week

10K Brewing

  • Oat Stout – A 7.6% ABV oat stout fermented with oak chips for extra wintery tones.

22 Northmen Brewing Company

  • Warchata – An 8% ABV stout with firm chocolate and roast character, further amplified with Sri Lanka Ceylon cinnamon and Mexican vanilla bean.

Alloy Brewing Company

  • Passionfruit, Guava, and Tangerine SMÖÖSHED – A newest smoothie sour combination features a blend of tropical and citrus flavors. 6% ABV, 0 IBU.

Photo via Alloy Brewing Company

Bad Weather Brewing Company

Bad Weather tapped special, limited releases all week to celebrate the between-holiday indulgence.

  • Monday – Due Date 4
  • Tuesday – 2019 Barrel Aged Calamity
  • Wednesday – 2020 Barrel Aged Calamity 
  • Thursday – Due Date 3
  • Friday – Peanut Butter Ominous

Badger Hill Brewing Company

  • The Long Dark Russian Imperial Stout
  • Travelers’ Rest – A 4.4% ABV English-style pub ale served on nitro.

Bent Brewstillery

  • Dark Fatha: Mexican Birthday Cake – A Brewer’s Reserve small batch (keg and bottles) goes on sale at 2 pm on Dec. 31. This barrel-aged American empirial stout was made with added Mexican vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

BlackStack Brewing

  • DDH Wavy – A 7.2% ABV IPA with a heavy oat base with lush tropical flavors and dank hop tones.
  • Estate Sale – Top Flight selection

Chanhassen Brewing Company

  • Rye-Barrel Aged Ryewine

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

  • Capri – “Capri is a collaboration with our friends at Khonso Brewing. The base beer is a tripel to which we added blueberries and peaches. The fruity esters imparted by the Belgian yeast really round out this beer. However, the sweet, bready malt still shines through all the layers of fruit. A real interesting beer. “—Zach, Innovation Brewer at Fair State

Fulton Brewery

  • Jaromir Lagr – On tap New Years Day as the brewery celebrated the NHL Winter Classic, alongside other hockey-themed activities.

Hop & Barrel Brewing

  • Drive Me Nutz – This light amber lager drinks extremely smooth, with a semi-sweet, wonderfully nutty, and slightly chocolatey flavor, the brewery says of its new amber lager with hazelnut.

Inbound BrewCo

  • Classic American Pilsner – On tap in celebration of the Winter Classic at Target Field.

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company

  • Brave Noise Pale Ale – A 4.2% ABV pale ale.
  • Gatekeeper – Top Flight selection

LocAle Brewing Company

  • Schwarzwald – A 5% ABV black lager. 
  • Star City – An 11% ABV imperial stout.

Luce Line Brewing Co.

  • Citra Joy Ride IPA – A West Coast-style IPA made with Citra, Strata, and Amarillo hops. At 7.3% ABV,  65 IBU, it offers “A dry, smooth bitterness – with intense hop aroma consisting of ripe peach, apricot, strawberry, orange, and a touch of tropical fruit,” the brewery says.
  • Eastern Star Lager – A clean and light rice lager with subtle lemon, lime, and floral grassy notes.

Lupulin Brewing Company

  • Dapper Donkey – A new triple IPA, “Dapper Donkey is brewed with Citra, Centennial, Strata, Trident, and Sabro Cryo hops,” Lupulin says. “This triple IPA is resinous with nice bitterness and pine, balanced with tropical, pineapple flavors.”

Minneapolis Cider Company

  • Resolution No. 3 – Resolution is an annual effervescent cider, carbonated similar to champagne. This year’s batch is barrel-aged and made with local crab apples. 10.2% ABV.

Modist Brewing Co.

  • First Call Frappe – A turtle cheesecake coffee lager, wonderfully summarized by Modist as “We decided people are sick and tired of the cavernous divide that exists between a crisp refreshing lager and The Cheesecake Factory, so we built a bridge and you’re welcome.” On tap and also sold in Beer Advocate’s #ExtremeBeerBox, filled with 12 different beers from different breweries.
  • ModLabs – An oak-aged dark lager brewed in collaboration with Bauhaus. Featuring Pilsner, Munich, crystal, and roasted malts, plus hopped Bravo, Saphir, Cryo Citra, and Sabro.

Oliphant Brewing

  • Plum & Apricot Anutart – A new sour ale at 5% ABV.
  • ZoZo Gungun – Cryo Mosaic and Wakatu hops are at the heart of this 10% ABV imperial IPA.

Portage Brewing Company

  • A Greater Plan – A pillowy body and notes of papaya, tangerine, and resin set the tone in this doubly dry-hopped New England-style IPA. 7.%% ABV.
  • Cookie Cutter – Top Flight selection
  • Distance & Time – A 7% ABV flaked oat cream IPA with Strata, Citra, and Nelson hops, plus “a sprinkle” vanilla beans for orange creamsicle and strawberry marmalade flavors.

Pryes Brewing Company

  • Temps De Célebration – A fruited wild sour ale for the holidays, made with apple, cranberry, and cherry. Mildly acidic and sold in 750-milliliter bottles.

Rapids Brewing Co.

  • Rauch On – Top Flight selection

Red Wing Brewery

  • Ski Jump Special – A rye pale ale showcasing Cashmere hops for notes of citrus and green melon.

Revel Brewing

  • Bigfoot – A porter with peanut butter and cacao nibs.

Rock Bottom Brewery

  • Wicked Elf

Schram Haus Brewery

  • Maple Porter – A porter with a mix of malt and maple flavors from actual maple syrup.
  • Kettle Brown Ale – “[It] has a combination of fruitiness and rich maltiness with a sweet and tart finish,” the brewery says.
  • Peppermint Stout – A full-body sweet stout with a mild roast and a cooling peppermint finish.

Shakopee Brewhall

  • Freudian Slip – A sweet and malty Vienna lager.

Spiral Brewery

  • LeDuc Red IPA – Tapped just before the holidays.

Swinging Barrel Brewing Co.

  • Red Ryder Winter Lager – A winter lager with notes of cinnamon and orange zest.

Take 16 Beer

  • Caribbean Rum Cake

Talking Waters Brewing Co.

  • Choco Affogato – A coffee, vanilla, and cocoa porter at 6.5% ABV.
  • Droplets – A low carb, low calorie, gluten-free seltzer series. Flavors include Prickly Pear and Hibiscus + Lime. 5% ABV.
  • Honeyberry Holiday Gose – “This past summer, we transferred a small portion of a Gose batch to our mini brite tank for a fun infusion. With the holidays in mind, we landed on using fresh honeyberries from a local farmer,” the brewery says. “After plenty of time hanging out together in the tank, this light, crisp, tart, berried beauty is ready to be enjoyed.” Sold in limited 750-milliliter bottles.
  • Talking in Circles – A juicy IPA with pineapple and citrus notes from a combination of Strata, Azacca, and Zappa hops. 6.5% ABV.
  • Tongue Twister – Blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry combine in this triple berry sour ale.

Wabasha Brewing Company

  • Dead King – Available on New Year’s eve, an imperial stout.

Wild Mind Ales

  • Lo & Behold – A saison with brewed with sprouted Minnesota wild rice, then aged in oak foeders. 6.4% and available on Dec. 31.
  • Réveillon – The featured beer at the brewery’s fifth annual New Year’s Eve party. Sold in 750-milliliter bottles.

Wooden Hill Brewing Company

  • Mocha Frap – A 6% ABV brown ale with coffee and chocolate, plus vanilla and lactose.

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