Stacked Deck Astronaut Sauce • Photo via Stacked Deck Brewing Company

Stacked Deck Astronaut Sauce • Photo via Stacked Deck 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. 

Even when the barstools are upside-down, there is a lot brewing across Minnesota: Cream ale news, winter maple and pecans, and the release of Darkness variants are just the tip of this week’s new themes.

There are plenty of new bottle releases, more barrel-aged and pastry stouts, fruit-blasted milkshake IPAs, and even celebrations to take home from the taproom, courtesy of breweries like Venn and Lakes & Legends which are both celebrating anniversaries as this turbulent year nears its close.

Below we’ve captured a list of several of this week’s new offerings with hints of what’s still to come as we look ahead.

 

 

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

Arbeiter Winterzeit, Haha Pils, and Sucker Punch • Photo via Arbeiter Brewing
Drekker Brewing Garbage People Double IPA
Surly Darkness 2020 Variants • Photo via Surly Brewing Company
Hoops No. 1225 Cherry Ale • Photo via Hoops Brewing

10K Foggy Morning – A new hazy IPA made with Huell Melon, Simcoe, and El Dorado hops, which impart fruity, citrus, and tropical flavors with a slight piney bitterness, the brewery says. 7% ABV.

Arbeiter Winterzeit – A 4.5% ABV festbier-style lager with a bright malt backbone, floral hops, and a crisp finish, the brewery describes.

Drekker Garbage People – “This new 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 says. Available today.

Hoops No. 1225 Cherry Ale – An annual seasonal, this beer pours at 6% ABV and offers notes of cherry pie.

Surly Vietnamese Coffee Darkness – Darkness aged in rum barrels, with added Robusta and Arabica coffee, vanilla, and coconut.

New beers available this week 

10K Brewing

  • Foggy Morning – Top Flight selection.
  • Vienna Lager – A malty and slightly sweet 4.9% lager.

608 Brewing Company

  • The Session – A 6% ABV session IPA available in 4-packs and on draft at the La Crosse taproom.

Angry Inch Brewing

  • Never Ending – A New England–style IPA brewed with a new experimental hop, this beer has papaya, guava, and spice notes, the brewery says.


Arbeiter Brewing Company   

Newly open near the intersection of Lake and Minnehaha, this brewery is selling Crowlers at area liquor stores:

  • Arbeiter Bier – A refreshing 5.5% ABV light ale.
  • Gestalt – A 4.3% ABV altbier: “This easy-drinking German brown ale perfectly balances rich maltiness with snappy bitterness,” the brewery says.
  • Haha Pils – A flagship Pilsener described as clean and hop-forward. 5.1% ABV.
  • Sucker Punch – A dry-hopped lager that utilizes North Star Pils from Rahr Malting and a blend of experimental New Zealand hops. 6.4% ABV.
  • Wee-Küst – “West Coast meets Hallertau (hop growing region in Germany),” Arbeiter says. A 5.5% ABV American session IPA.
  • Winterzeit – Top Flight selection.

Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

  • Georgia Pie – A new Pilot Batch series sour beer. 7.3% ABV, 0 IBU.
Broken Clock Pocket Watch Pecan English Brown Ale • Photo via Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

Broken Clock Pocket Watch Pecan English Brown Ale • Photo via Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative

  • Pocket Watch Pecan – “Pocket Watch Pecan is a biscuity, nutty, caramelly brown ale brewed with brown sugar and praline pecans,” the brewery says of this English-style brown ale.

Burning Brothers Brewing

  • Black Pepper Porter – A 6% ABV porter available in liquor stores now. As usual with Burning Brothers, this is entirely gluten-free.

Castle Danger Brewery

  • Red Hop – An India-style red ale, described as “crisp, bold, and warming,” by the brewery.

Clutch Brewing Co.   

  • Rushin’ Rhino – A barrel-aged Russian imperial stout with chocolate notes and a high ABV. Sold in wax-dipped 750-milliliter bottles.

Cuyuna Brewing Co.   

  • Devil’s Washboard – Back for a limited time.

Dangerous Man Brewing Company

  • Boysenberry Milkshake IPA – A smooth, creamy IPA with freshly juiced boysenberries and vanilla flavors.

Drekker Brewing

  • Garbage People – Top Flight selection.
  • MOAR BRAAAAAAAAINS!!! – A new smoothie ale made with plum, raspberry, passionfruit, sea salt, lactose, and vanilla beans.
  • Slang Du Jour Sour – Made with pineapple, cherry, brown sugar, granola, cinnamon, lactose, and vanilla beans.
  • Smooth Or Die – This beer is “packed with chocolatey, peanut buttery flavor and aroma and it’s rich and unapologetically smooth,” the brewery says.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

  • Flavor Pop Technology, Vol. 2 – A hazy IPA made exclusively with cryo hops which, as Fair State explains, “are concentrated pellets that increase the flavor and aroma impact of hops by a factor of two.” Another detail: “It’s also brewed exclusively with a new and proprietary blend of hop varieties that’s designed to maximize the impact of AFDH, or Active Fermentation Dry Hopping, to really zero in on big, soft, tropical aromas.” Flavor Pop Technology, Vol. 2 is out now in limited supply, but Fair State notes that it will return in a wider release in 2021. 6.8% ABV.
  • It’s Beverage Time – The first in a new series of seasonally-themed cocktails, sold in plastic jugs. This batch is limited to just 25, but expect more from the series in future weeks. It is made with Tattersall whiskey barrel-aged Turbo Ultra seltzer, fresh apple cider, mulling spice, and vanilla syrup. “It’s tart, sweet, fruity, lightly spiced, and has a bit of a spirit barrel edge to it,” the brewery says.
  • Third Wave – New this week is a barrel-aged pastry stout–based beverage made with cold press coffee, oat milk, and vanilla/brown sugar syrup. 7.5% ABV.

Hoops Brewing

  • No. 1225 Cherry Ale – Top Flight selection.

Inver Grove Brewing Co.

  • Full Disclosure v.1 – Introducing a new kettle sour series, this beer uses the malt bill of a New England-style IPA and the hop schedule of a New Zealand lager to provide balance. “The first is a blend of Cara Cara Orange and Meyer lemon giving a nice mandarin orange flavor without the added tartness of oranges or lemons. There’s also a bit of rose, blackberry, and cherry on the nose,” the brewery says.
  • Full Disclosure v.2 – “The second version is just the raspberries, tart, with a bit of sweetness, delicious. Almost reminiscent of Lindemen’s Framboise.” 6.2% ABV.
  • Sky High – Inspired by Knee High cream ale, an imperial version with added coffee and a touch of vanilla. 9.5% ABV, with a Tattersall rye barrel-aged version coming this winter.

Junkyard Brewing Co.   

  • Queen Size – An imperial stout with peanut, marshmallow, and chocolate. Available since Dec. 8. 12.8% ABV.
  • Willett Barrel Aged King Size – Limited bottles of this barrel-aged imperial stout with peanut will be available from Junkyard on December 11-12. 11.7% ABV.
Lakes & Legends The Wanderer Boreal Edition • Photo via Lakes & Legends Brewing Company

Lakes & Legends The Wanderer Boreal Edition • Photo via Lakes & Legends Brewing Company

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company   

  • The Wanderer, Boreal Edition – Lakes & Legends is celebrating five years with a new hazy IPA series, The Wanderer. The initial release showcases Minnesota-grown Julius hops. “This soft and balanced beer has a strong orange juice aroma before delicious flavors of ripe orange and peach,” the brewery says. Future series beers will utilize different hop profiles. Available in liquor stores in limited supply.

Lakeville Brewing Co.

  • Welch Woods Cherry Picker – A winter warmer ale with Carmine Jewel cherries. “Aromatic layers include cherry pie, honey, a bit of dark chocolate, and a whiff of spice. The flavor has all of those aromas, along with a pleasant alcoholic warmth,” Lakeville Brewing says. 9.3% ABU, 15 IBU.
  • Batch #300 Double Fun Juice – A special double version of Fun Juice hazy IPA to mark a special brew batch. 9.4% ABV.
  • Hay 19 – A 7% ABV dark sour ale. “After a 19-month slumber in some funky lumber, this dark and wintry ale has emerged! Aromatic notes of dark cherry, port wine, and a touch of fresh hay give way to a slightly tart, fruity, and Brett-induced funky flavor,” the brewery explains.

Milk & Honey Ciders

  • 2019 Estate – This year’s Estate cider release is available in a handful of liquor stores.

Modist Brewing Company

  • DDH Dreamyard – Another double beer, this variation of Dreamyard has more oats, more wheat, more hops, and, of course, more dry-hopping. Available from Modist beginning on Saturday, and from liquor stores next Tuesday.

OMNI Brewing Co.

  • Calisota IPA – A blend of trendy California IPAs with traditional Minnesota Pilsner malts. 7.2% ABV.
  • Double Vanilla FAD – A limited supply of this one-off tapped (to go) at the brewery on Tuesday.
  • Maskorade – A double dry-hopped Mexican-style lager with melon notes. 5.2% ABV, 20 IBU.

Revel Brewing

This new brewery recently opened in Park Rapids, offering:

  • All Night Amber
  • Boulder Beach Blonde
  • Farmers Paradise Saison
  • Long Day IPA
  • Yetti Stout

Rustech Brewing

  • Angry Pinhead – A spicy pineapple milkshake IPA. 6% ABV, 25 IBU.

Schell’s Brewery

  • Black Bock – Available in the new Brewer’s Stash variety pack, Schell’s describes Black Bock as a “rich and toasty black lager with notes of caramel, toffee, and a light chocolate malt sweetness.”

Sociable Cider Works   

  • Tandem Tap: Banana-infused Fat Bike – A new limited-edition cider. Sociable says via Twitter that the latest Tandem Tap “combines the warm cinnamon flavor of our traditional Fat Bike with a light infusion of banana.” Available in 12-ounce cans.

Stacked Deck Brewing

  • Astronaut Sauce – The latest in this series from Stacked Deck is a blueberry, cherry, strawberry, and cotton candy mix. Available in Crowlers from the brewery.

Surly Brewing Company

Three variants of Darkness 2020 will hit area liquor stores on December 11.

  • Double Vanilla Darkness – A rye barrel-aged Russian imperial stout with cacao and vanilla beans.
  • Mole Darkness – This Darkness variant was aged in bourbon barrels, with additional flavors coming from the inclusion of vanilla beans, cinnamon, chilies, and chocolate.
  • Vietnamese Coffee Darkness – Top Flight selection.

Venn Brewing Company

  • Triple Anniversary Hazy IPA – A brand new beer as Venn celebrates three years in business. Available today, Dec. 9.

Waconia Brewing Company   

  • Mint Chocolate Porter – Robust Porter with a mint-chocolate chip blend for the holiday season.

Wooden Hill Brewing Company

  • Barrel Aged Espresso Crow – Available in 750-milliliter bottles, this Russian imperial stout with coffee was aged in rye whiskey barrels and pours at 11.2% ABV.

Beers just announced

Bad Weather Brewing Company

  • Italian Pilsner – Bad Weather filtered their first of this style of lager, coming soon.
  • Saison – Limited run will be available in Crowlers in the next few weeks, the brewery says.

Bent Brewstillery

  • Dark Fatha Brewer’s Reserve – Emperial stout with macadamia nuts, toasted pecans, and aged in 10-year Henry McKenna Single bourbon barrels. 200 bottles go on sale at the brewstillery on Friday, Dec. 18.

Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

  • Big & Bold Imperial Wilderness Tux – Just brewed and coming in 2021, the brewery says.

Castle Danger Brewery

  • Castle Cream Ale – The North Shore staple will soon be sold in 12-packs of 12-ounce cans.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative

  • BRAAAAAM – A new barrel-aged barleywine. Bottles go on sale on Thursday, Dec. 17.
OMNI Brewing Double Vanilla FAD • Photo via OMNI Brewing

OMNI Brewing Double Vanilla FAD • Photo via OMNI Brewing

Founders Brewing Co.

Founders has started a rollout of its 2021 brand calendar. Beers announced so far include:

  • 4 Giants – A year-round IPA, to be available nationally in March and 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.
  • Nemesis – Kicking off the new Bottle Shop series, this is a barleywine that will be available in April in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles. 11.2% ABV.
  • Panther Cub – “New to the national market and entries the Barrel Series 2021, Panther Cub is a robust porter aged in bourbon barrels with a touch of maple syrup and vanilla extract. To be sold in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles beginning in March. 9.2% ABV.

OMNI Brewing Co.

  • Orange Creamsicle Melt – Four-packs will be in liquor stores next week.
  • Vanilla FAD – A vanilla version of FAD hazy IPA will be available in liquor stores in January.

Rogue Ales & Spirits

  • Colossal Claude – Available nationally on New Year’s Day, this new imperial IPA is named for a mythological sea monster near Newport, Oregon. The new year-round beer is…This robust, Northwest IPA offers citrus and floral hop aromas on the nose and finishes a touch on the bitter side with plenty of soft pine and resinous hoppy notes. 8.2% ABV, 75 IBU.
Chiles and spices used in Sisyphus' cake beer • Photo via Sisyphus Brewing

Chiles and spices used in Sisyphus’ barrel-aged cake beer • Photo via Sisyphus Brewing

Sisyphus Brewing

  • Barrel-Aged Cake Beer – No specific date has been announced, but Sisyphus’s annual Cake Beer (an imperial stout) made with cocoa nibs, cinnamon, ancho chilies, vanilla, and, of course, cake, will be back soon. 11.5% ABV. “This year’s batch is so good I decided to split half off into some fresh dumped J. Carver Bourbon barrels, and the rest will be in crowlers for you to pick up shortly,” the brewery announced in a recent newsletter.

Surly Brewing Company

The Surly brand calendar for 2021 came out. In addition to seasonal mixed packs and year-round staples, the following beers (plus more) will be available. Listed alphabetically.

  • Abrasive – Available currently for 2020, and back again next November for those who like to look ahead.
  • Barrel-Aged Darkness – Returning in March in 750-milliliter bottles.
  • Black Cherry Supreme – The Supreme variety pack debuts in March, featuring year-round beer Grapefruit Supreme, plus 3 others.
  • Damien – The child of Darkness, so to speak, is back in September in 16-ounce cans.
  • Darkness – The renowned Russian imperial stout will return in November 2021, followed by variants in mid-December.
  • Fifteen – Surly’s anniversary ale will be sold in 16-ounce cans beginning next September.
  • Havoc Machine IPA – To be sold in the spring seasonal variety pack.
  • Invisible Rays – To be sold in the summer seasonal variety pack.
  • Key Lime Supreme – The Supreme variety pack debuts in March, featuring year-round beer Grapefruit Supreme, plus 3 others.
  • Lo-Life – A new low-calorie IPA is coming in May. Details to come.
  • Mango Supreme – The Supreme variety pack debuts in March, featuring year-round beer Grapefruit Supreme, plus 3 others.
  • Mapping the Multiverse – This new hazy IPA makes its debut in February.
  • Oktoberfest – Back in August.
  • Pentagram – Pentagram sour ale returns in January as a part of the BC Small Batch Series, to be followed by five additional series releases, every other month throughout the year.
  • Thirteen – Back in limited supply next August.

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