June 2009
By Christy DeSmith, Anna Befort, Melissa Colgan, Jane Di Leo, Beth Dooley, Shawn Gilliam, Erin Gulden, Sarah Howard, Stephanie March, Steve Marsh, Adam Platt, Tad Simons
Being a beer drinker has never been so good. Craft breweries are popping up across Minnesota, including three new Twin Cities arrivals in the past four years. Demand has quickly followed: Sales for local craft beer increased by a whopping 74.5 percent in 2008. The beer is cool and the nights are warm, so sit back, drink up, and feel good about stimulating the local economy.
| Beer: It’s What’s for Dinner The explosion of great local brews provides a handy excuse to resurrect the vintage art of beer battering! For the best results with this recipe, try using a mild beer that won’t overwhelm the flavor of the fish—for example, Summit Pale Ale. If you happen to be drinking a sweet craft brew, such as Surly Cynic, that will work, too. This low-key recipe can also be used to batter green beans, onion rings, and just about anything else. | Beer Batter Coating for Freshwater Fish
Makes 4–6 servings (for 8 thin whitefish fillets) - 1/2 c. beer
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. ground black pepper
- Pinch freshley grated nutmet
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c. cornstarch
- Dash of Tabasco sauce
| In a shallow bowl, beat the ingredients together with a whisk. Fill a deep frying pan with peanut oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Pat the fish fillets dry and then dunk each one in the batter until coated thoroughly, allowing excess to drip off. Drop the fillets into the hot oil with tongs (do this in batches so they’re not overcrowded) and cook until golden, turning once, about 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish). Remove with the tongs and place on paper towels to drain. Serve immediately with tartar sauce. |
Brewery Tours
Surly
Owner Omar Ansari leads the Friday-evening tours himself, so times are limited and fill up quickly. The two-hour tour includes a taste of five Surly brews. 4811 Dusharme Dr., Brooklyn Center, 763-535-3330
Summit
Tours at this landmark St. Paul brewery run Tuesdays and Thursdays at
1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Three free samples are included. 910 Montreal Circle, St. Paul, 651-265-7800
Flat Earth
Plan ahead for this one, since tours occur just one Saturday a month at 4 PM. Visitors can sample four to six beers, including one or two that are only available at the brewery. 2035 Benson Ave., St. Paul
Our picks for the best local brews to sip this summer:
Lift Bridge’s Farm Girl Saison.
We raise a glass to Farm Girl. This beer just looks like summer. And for good reason: It's modeled after the Belgian farmhouse ales enjoyed by farmers during the summer harvest. This one comes from Stillwater's Lift Bridge Brewery, one of the newest craft brewers in town. No need to be a beer connoisseur to enjoy this one. Farm Girl is an easy-to-drink, refreshing pour with just enough spice to keep things interesting.
Surly Cynic and Furious
Any roundup of the best local beer would be incomplete without mention of Surly. In less than four years’ time, this Brooklyn Center start-up has become a mainstay of Twin Cities beer culture by offering up brews such as Bender and Darkness. Surly’s light Belgian-style Cynic is the most obvious choice for summer, but hop-lovers will find it hard to resist Surly Furious, an intense but well-balanced American IPA.
Flat Earth Element 115
Launched by a husband-and-wife team in 2007, Flat Earth beers have been flying off the shelves, so they’re not always easy to find. In hunting them down, concentrate your efforts on Element 115, a malty California Common lager that’s reminiscent of Anchor Steam. Or, if you’re feeling green, give Flat Earth’s organic Angry Planet pale ale a try.
Summit Scandia Ale
At 23 years and counting, Summit is no newcomer to the craft-brew scene; it’s the seasoned pro. For only-in-summer pleasure, order the Scandia, a seasonal wheat beer spiced with coriander, orange, and cardamom—ingredients familiar to any good Scandinavian.
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