Parfaits, Pastries, and Pies—Dessert Beers on Tap for Easter weekend

Jack Pine Blueberry Pastry Sour • Photo via Jack Pine 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. 

Dessert-minded beers are plentiful as we near Easter weekend, but the flavor profiles go far beyond parfaits, pastries, and pies. This week sees a new Dangerous Man beer with curry spices, an herbal cider from Duluth, and a big (big, big, big) quadruple IPA from BlackStack.

While the unique ingredients often draw attention, that’s not to overlook plenty of traditionally minded offerings that include wee heavys, hefeweizens, light lagers, and Kölsch-style ale, not to mention multiple new IPA recipes available from national breweries.

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

BlackStack Foregone Conclusion – A quadruple IPA to celebrate four years in business. “Still trying to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes with our hand-selected Citra, Strata, Cashmere, HBC 586, Ekuanot Cryo, Galaxy and Riwaka [hops],” the brewery says of this 12.0% ABV special release.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 18 – The latest in this ongoing series of hop-focused India pale ales without adjuncts highlights a 100% New Zealand-hop profile by dry-hopping with Nectaron, Nelson, Motueka, and Riwaka. A 5.9% ABV West Coast-style IPA.

Modist Double Ghost Vision – On tap this Saturday, this New England-style double IPA was made with Citra, Citra Cryo, El Dorado, and El Dorado Cryo hops. Available in liquor stores next week.

Waconia Mango Kölsch – A spring-minded German-style Kölsch with added mango for “mild sweetness and juiciness,” the brewery says, adding that “This combination rounds out the flavor of the Noble hops, heightening the refreshing taste of the beer.” 5.0% ABV, 22 IBU. Available at the brewery and also in cans.

Waldmann Bavarian IPL – A decoction-mashed German-style India pale ale with Juell Melon and Mandarina hops for resinous orange, melons, and berries.

New beers available this week

10K Brewing

• Dwarven SMaSM – “A malt-forward and approachable beer with a crisp finish,” the brewery says. 5.5% ABV.

Alloy Brewing Company

• Tropical Earthshake 2.0 – A milkshake IPA brewed with tropical temperatures in mind, featuring pineapple, mango, and guava. 9.1% ABV, 40 IBU.

Bad Weather Brewing Company

• Anomaly: Passionfruit    – Available at liquor stores beginning this week.

Bauhaus Brew Labs   

The Breezebox mixed pack will be available in stores next week with three new spring beers and one returning seasonal:

• Baloonicycle Hazy Pale Ale – A new hazy and juicy pale ale with a soft, dry finish, Bauhaus says. It pours at 5.2% ABV, 50 IBU and features a blend of new and classic hop varieties for tropical and fresh citrus flavors. On tap at Bauhaus now.
• Rindflayer Watermelon Gose – A tart wheat ale made with fresh watermelon and coriander to complement the fruit-forward sweetness. Expect sweet watermelon aromatics, moderate lactic sourness, slight salinity, and a crisp, dry finish, the brewery says. 5.0% ABV, 5 IBU. On tap now.
• The Before Times Pre-Prohibition Pilsner – A 5.4% ABV, 34 IBU new pre-Prohibition-stylePilsner with a mild floral hoppiness and a crispy, dry finish. On tap now.
• Zeñata Mexican Amber Lager – Back for another round, this is a crisp amber lager with subtle toast and caramel along with crisp hop tones. 4.3% ABV, 12 IBU.

Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

• Hefeweizen – Sold in Adventure Pack No. 4, this marks the first time this Bavarian-style wheat ale will be canned. Expect traditional notes of banana, clove, and bubblegum.

Big Wood Brewery   

• Jetpack Armadillo (Ain’t No Sucka) – A new tropical IPA that taps today. “[It’s] clear, golden, and a bit tropical,” the brewery says.

Blacklist Beer   

• Chipper – A new juicy American pale ale.

BlackStack Brewing

• Foregone Conclusion – Top Flight selection

Brau Brothers Brewing Co.

• Strawberry Wheat

Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

• Little Stitious – “This ‘European Stout’ features Belgian and British malts. It has smooth nutty, chocolate and caramel flavors and aromas,” the brewery says. 7.3% ABV, 32 IBU.

Burning Brothers Brewing

• Myth’d Opportunities: Caramel Brown Ale – This limited beer will be sold in bottles on Saturday when the brewery celebrates its seventh anniversary.

Castle Danger Brewery   

• Pom Pom Saison – A taproom-only malt-forward saison with notes of biscuit, rye, orange, spices, and pomegranate. 8% ABV.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company

• Mango Cashew Curry – “We started with a modified version of our pastry ale base (no lactose!), and then we got wild…We went in with curry spices and toasty roasted cashews and mango,” the brewery says. 6.9% ABV, 18 IBU.
• Woodland Gem Wee Heavy – An 11% ABV wee heavy with rich honey notes.

Deschutes Brewery

• Squeezy Rider – A new West Coast-style IPA that features tropical fruit, dank, and melon flavors.

Drekker Brewing   

• Only Mostly Dead – One of three new barrel-aged stouts, this is beer, sold in 500-milliliter bottles, was aged in barrels with vanilla beans.
• Royal Bee – A honey cream double IPA, this beer uses an oat and spelt grain bill, plus lactose and local honey. 8% ABV.
• ‘Til The Night Closes In – A bourbon barrel-aged stout with toasted coconut. “What pours is rich and smooth with notes of fudge, cherry, perfect tiny macaroons finished with a whiff of sweet honey bourbon,” the brewery says. 12% ABV and sold in 500-milliliter bottles.
• Braaaaaaaaaains! – A smoothie-style ale with raspberry and mango, plus sea salt, lactose, and vanilla beans. 7.6% ABV.
• Strawberry Cobbler Slang Du Jour – This unique beer is made with strawberry, granola, brown sugar, cinnamon, lactose, and vanilla. 8% ABV.

Duluth Cider

• Trailside – “With a burst of slightly tart strawberry and just a kiss of fresh Wisconsin basil on the finish, Trailside is basically summer in a can,” Duluth Cider says. Available today and the brewery and select stores.

Excelsior Brewing Co.   

• Lakestyle Light Lager – A new light lager, on tap and also available in Crowlers.
• Tangerine Waves – A 6.2% ABV, 30 IBU juicy IPA.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

• Big Doinks – The dank West Coast-style IPA is now available in cans. “Big Doinks is a love letter to the West Coast IPAs of yore,” the brewery says, with a clear pour and dank and piney flavors derived from the use of Columbus Cryo hops. 6.5% ABV.
• Double Strata – A biggest version of Strata IPA, this dry-hopped double IPA pours 8.6% ABV with big tropical fruit, plus dank and piney notes too. Previously on draft and in cans now, too.
• Dream Universe No. 755 – A 3-brewery collaboration mash-up between flagship hazy IPAs (from Fair State, BlackStack, and Modist). “We took our recipe for Mirror Universe, fermented it with our new favorite yeast, and swirled up the hop bill to incorporate a bunch of Sultana from Modist, some Azacca and Amarillo from Blackstack, and a heap of our favorite El Dorado, Mosaic Cryo, and Citra that normally make Mirror Universe go,” the brewery explains. Available on draft and in Crowlers now, and liquor stores soon.
• Freak Gasoline Fight Accident – A blend of barrel-aged stouts made in collaboration with BlackStack. The beer was conditioned on cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, lactose, cold brew, and “just a wee hint of orange.”
• Oh. My. Grodz. – A low alcohol smoked oat and wheat beer. Fair State describes this 3.5% ABV offering as tasting of campfire, lemon and herb, crisp, and bitter.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company

• Luponic Distortion No. 18 – Top Flight selection.

Founders Brewing Co.

• 4 Giants – A new year-round IPA sold in 16-ounce cans: “4 Giants boasts aggressive bitterness balanced by a malty, sweet backbone while huge aromatics come courtesy of the seven American hop varieties,” Founders says. 9.2% ABV.

Fulton Brewery

In an event dubbed “Barrel-Aged (And Cellared) Beer Fest,” Fulton’s taproom is offering some rare and vintage beers. Reservations are required. The lineup varies, but will include:

• 2018 War & Peace
• BA Dopplebock
• BA Chocolate Oatmeal Milk Stout
• BA Fika Stout
• BA Sweet Child of Vine (Old Fashioned Sweet Child, aged in Jameson Barrels)
• BA Worthy Adversary (Big Watt Gin barrels)
• BA Worthy Adversary (Cognac barrels)
• BA Worthy Adversary  (Madeira barrels)
• Jameson Barrel Aged Brown

Giesenbräu Bier Co.

• Soused – “Czech for ‘neighbor’ and pronounced ‘soo-seht’—an India Pale Lager brewed with our friends and neighbors at Montgomery Brewing,” the brewery says. 6.4% ABV, 56 IBU.

Humble Forager

• Coastal Sunrise v3 – A 6% ABV “breakfast parfait sour ale” with lactose sugar, vanilla, and blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and honey granola.

Insight Brewing

Insight continues to showcase the creations of its new head brewer. This time with a new Hop Drop IPA variety pack that features the following four beers:

• Hop Drop: Double Dry Hopped American IPA
• Hop Drop: Double Dry Hopped New England IPA
• Hop Drop: Double New England IPA
• Hop Drop: West Coast IPA

Inver Grove Brewing Co.   

• Razzmatazz – A tart raspberry sour with a heavy dose of raspberry for balance. 5.25% ABV, 30 IBU.
• Tipsy Squirrel – A Baltic-style porter with toffee, caramel, and roast on the tongue. The brewpub is also planning a rye barrel-aged version this fall. 8.4% ABV, 30 IBU.

Invictus Brewing Co.   

• Centennial SMaSH IPA – A single malt, single hop IPA made with Centennial hops. 5.7% ABV, 45 IBU.

Jack Pine Brewery

• Blueberry Pastry Sour – On tap today and in stores next week, this dessert-minded kettle sour is made with blueberry, vanilla, graham cracker, and lactose for pie-like flavors.

Junkyard Brewing Co.   

• Father of Invention – A New England-style IPA with starfruit and melon flavors. 7.2% ABV.
• Tripping on Blackberry – A sweet, sour, and smooth berry-forward beer made with blackberries and cherries. 6.3% ABV.

Lake Monster Brewing

• Depth Charge Juicy IPA – A new year-round juicy IPA will debut soon. Look for it in early April.

Lakes & Legends Brewing Co.

• The Wanderer: Meadows Edition – A hazy IPA made with a single hop, Cashmere, which imparts tangerine, melon, and tropical fruit flavors that pair with a soft and smooth body, the brewery says. 7.5% ABV.

Left Hand Brewing Company

• Gettin’ Tiki With It Nitro – Inspired by the piña colada cocktail, this canned wheat beer was made with both pineapple and coconut additions.

Luce Line Brewing Co.   

• Moon Bluff IPA – Back on tap now.

Lupine Brewing

• Sluggish Sleeper – A 7.3% ABV Animal Tracks series IPA with hazy and juicy flavors from the use of Cascade, Magnum, Comet, and El Dorado hops.

Lupulin Brewing Company

• Tropical Fun Pants – This fruity beer with mango, pink guava, passion fruit, and nectarine flavors is now a year-round offering.

Lupulin Tropical Fun Pants • Photo via Lupulin Brewing

LynLake Brewery

• Mango Seltzer

Modist Brewing Co.

• Double Ghost Vision – Top Flight selection.
• Liquid Mosaic Crystals – All Mosaic, this double-dry-hopped New England-style IPA is made with both Mosaic hops and Mosaic cryo hops. Available Saturday at Modist and in stores next week.

Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub

• Light Rail Pale Ale – Back on tap today at the south Minneapolis brewpub.

Rustech Brewing

• CookieWorks – A cookies and cream milk stout that pours at 5.6% ABV, 23 IBU.

SweetWater Brewing Company

Atlanta, Georgia brewery SweetWater debuted in Minnesota this week, including the following beers:

• 420 Pale Ale
• G-13 IPA
• H.A.Z.Y. IPA
• Oasis Seltzer

Thousand Lakes Brewing Co.

• Ninja Panther Vanilla Porter – A porter with dark chocolate and light roast coffee notes up front, toffee, caramel, and graham cracker underneath, and a dose of vanilla to top it off.

Urban Forage Winery and Cider House   

• Herbed Cider – On tap at the East Lake Street taproom now.

Waconia Brewing Company   

• Mango Kölsch – Top Flight selection.

Waldmann Brewery   

• Bavarian IPL – Top Flight selection.
• PilsenerNA – PilsenerNA kicks off a new series of alcohol-free beers sold only at Waldmann’s taproom. The series will rotate beers, all from Waldmann’s established line-up, then de-alcoholized. “Bold, bitter and deep gold in color, decoction brewed with German noble and American cluster hops providing notes of honey and wheatgrass,” the brewery says.

Beers just announced

Avery Brewing Co.

• Paws & Claws IPA – Described as a marriage of West Coast-style IPA with juicy New England-style, this IPA will be sold nationally soon.

Bad Weather Brewing Company

• Due Date 4 – A brandy barrel-aged Belgian Quad with dates is maturing now. In the meantime, Bad Weather is selling a limited amount of Due Date 3 bottles (the last from their cellars) this week.

Beaver Island Brewing Co.

• Tribute – Is it summer (IPA) time already? Beaver Island says so—soon.

Forager Brewing Co.

• Barrel-Aged Barleywine – A batch of English-style barleywine was put in Rock Filter whiskey barrels this week with an anticipated finishing period in late 2022.

Foxhole Brewhouse

• Boysenberry Wheat – In the fermenters now and set to tap soon, the brewery says.

Lake Monster Brewing

• Black Is Beautiful – Following a successful release last year, this awareness-raising imperial stout returns to cans in May.

Lift Bridge Brewing Company

• Cinnamon Bread Beer – In early April a Lift Bridge/Cub Foods collaboration will debut. Sold exclusive at Cub liquor stores, the beer is a light ale with specialty roasted malts and natural cinnamon as a nod to Cub bakery’s popular cinnamon bread. 4% ABV.

Pryes Brewing Co.

• Halo Halo – An “island pastry ale” based on the Filipino dessert of the same name. Coming soon.

Stone Brewing Company

Stone has announced a lineup of hard seltzers made with cane sugar and natural flavors. It will debut in California this summer, with plans for national distribution next January.

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

Tin Whiskers Brewing Company

• Baking Level: Expert – A strawberry and lemon macaron blonde ale. 5.2% ABV, 17 IBU.
• Rainbow Road – This rainbow sherbert-inspired ale will be back on shelves and on tap by early-to-mid April, Tin Whiskers says. 4.1% ABV, 10 IBU.

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