Known from the blogs to the beirgartens as one of Minnesota’s most colorful, knowledgable, and outspoken brewers, Dr. Kristen England seemed like the perfect resource to tap for a primer on blind tasting before The Growler’s Unlabeled No. 1: Hazy IPA. Prior to his work as the head brewer and COO of Bent Brewstillery in … [ Read more]
Two Minnesota Distilleries Awarded Best of Class at 2019 American Craft Spirits Awards
February 12, 2019 by
Medalists for the 2019 American Craft Spirits Awards were announced Monday, February 11, at the annual ACSA Distillers’ Convention & Vendor Trade Show, hosted this year at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. The awards are divided into seven categories—Brandy, Gin, Rum, Specialty Spirits, Vodka & Grain, Whiskey, and Innovation (a new category in 2019, recognizing … [ Read more]
Bent Brewstillery debuts Stormbringer Spiced Rum
November 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Bent Brewstillery released their newest spirit, Stormbringer, on Halloween. It’s filtering out to retail locations this week. “I wanted something drinkable by itself,” says Bartley Blume of the spiced rum, “something with the right amount of sweetness to balance the burn.” Stormbringer relies a simple spice blend—orange, ginger, cinnamon, and honey. The aroma features a ton of warm citrus notes, … [ Read more]
Distilling a Definition: What are ‘craft spirits’ and does it matter?
October 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment
You needn’t look any further than the Twin Cities to see the flourishing craft spirits movement afoot in the United States today, with new distillers taking up residence in old warehouses all around us. As of March of this year, the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) reported that there were upwards of 1,300 spirits producers … [ Read more]
Fair trial: Our favorite new State Fair libations
August 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Drinking at the Minnesota State Fair is all about balance. You don’t want anything too thick or heavy, nor anything too dry. You’re looking for something crisp and tart, light and refreshing. Something to pep you up. Something to help you slink amidst 100,000 of your closest statesmen. Something to help wash away whatever cheese and … [ Read more]
5 beers not to miss this Saturday at the Summer Beer Dabbler
August 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
There will be hundreds of beers flowing at the Summer Beer Dabbler, this Saturday, August 20th at CHS Field (and tickets are going fast so get yours now). But if a person had to narrow it down to five beers not to miss… Bent Paddle Old Fashioned ESB The winners of the Lord Dabbler’s Cup … [ Read more]
Bent Brewstillery adds canning line
May 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Bent Brewstillery has been canning for a while now, but soon they’ll get to do it in their own space with their new canning line. To kickoff this new phase of their business, the Roseville brewery/distillery will be having a ribbon cutting celebration on May 3. The ceremony will take place at 4:45pm at the brewstillery (1744 Terrace … [ Read more]
Bent Brewstillery and Isabel Street Heat team up for beer barrel-fermented sriracha
March 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Barrel-aged beers are all the rage lately, and barrel-fermented hot sauce has been around for longer than you may realize. Now, a local hot sauce company is combining the two for a new kind of sriracha. Isabel Street Heat’s Tony Stoy (pictured below) had already barrel-fermented his lineup of seven hot sauces, but wanted to … [ Read more]
The State of Minnesota Whiskey
November 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Minnesota craft-distilling scene is looking to find its place in the geography of whiskey. With a handful of distilleries now past that two-year mark, it’s nearing the time for many to make the jump from barrel to bottle and start bringing aged spirits to market. Adrian Panther of Panther Distillery in Osakis believes Minnesota’s … [ Read more]
Brewer profile: Kristen England of Bent Brewstillery
July 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Located in a nondescript Roseville warehouse that’s more cinder-block drab than exposed-brick chic, Bent Brewstillery plays by its own rules. The brewery–distillery blends bare-bones warehouse vibes with shiny chrome and dark wood details, calling to mind California taprooms that care more about their product than they do ambiance. The place’s vibe is unassuming yet meticulous, … [ Read more]
Potato peels to Irish moonshine—Anchor Fish & Chips and Bent Brewstillery team up
July 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Quick, name three things you can make out of a potato. Unless you live in Ireland and have a penchant for high-octane booze, your list probably didn’t include poitín, but Bent Brewstillery and The Anchor Fish & Chips are out to change that. “I’m a big fan of collaborations with people outside of the industry … [ Read more]
In Cahoots! Returns for Year Two
June 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment
10 Minnesota breweries will form five teams to brew five totally new collaboration beers for Red Stag Supperclub’s annual summer bash Block parties are a staple of Minnesota summers. So is beer—preferably local craft beer. So when the folks at Red Stag Supperclub were looking to put a new spin on their annual block party in … [ Read more]
How Local Artists Create Craft Beer’s Identity One Label at a Time
June 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Craft beer is typically lauded mostly for what’s inside the can. But for many drinkers—especially those new to craft—love at first glance starts with the label. That’s where label artists come into play. Creative, artful labels are key to getting beer into buyers’ hands and making one brewery stand out over another on store shelves. … [ Read more]
Can Do: Lagersmith Business Booming With Addition of Canning Line
April 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Photos by Aaron Davidson Lagersmith founder Nate Smith is finally realizing everything his company can be. In two years of mobile bottling, Smith never had enough business to reach full-time status. Since adding a canning line last December, however, his business is booming and he’s hiring additional employees to keep up with demand. Each day, Smith … [ Read more]
Bent Brewstillery Moar Scottish Session IPA
April 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Bent Brewstillery Moar Scottish Session IPA 4.7% ABV, 47 IBU Moar is mysteriously labeled as “Historical India Pale Ale.” What does that mean? In this case, a Scottish-style, medium-bodied, session pale ale that’s a change of pace from other IPAs. Initial flavors of spice and malt lead into bright fruits and a dry, bitter finish. … [ Read more]
