One More Call To Help The Four Firkins!

I already wrote one post about these guys, but I just wanted to throw it out there one more time!  The Four Firkins is trying to raise enough money to put a down payment on a second store site in Woodbury and need help to get there!  The idea is to crowd fund this so they don't have to take on investors who may want to change the style or aim of the store...possibly taking away the very thing that makes The Firkins unique.  So help them out with a donation and feel good about supporting small business and bringing more good beer to Minnesota markets!  There are also some cool perks for some of the donation levels so check 'em out.

The campaign runs out on April 25 so get out there now and do it!  And watch the very well-done video about the project that is on the page too.  Check out their Indiegogo page HERE.  

The Four Firkins Expansion Need You!

I just wanted to spread the word as far and wide as I can that my favorite all craft beer store, The Four Firkins, is looking to expand to a second location in Woodbury.  By doing this they hope to stay viable in a market that is becoming overtaken by giant behemoth liquor stores.  And they need YOU!  You can check out their Indigogo page below for details on the proposed expansion and they also have several incentives for contributors.  Also watch the short video done by the guys from Limited Release!


http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-four-firkins-expansion

When I buy craft beer I try to support my local Waconia liquor store (Legacy Wine and Spirits) but when I'm looking for harder to find beers I head to the Four Firkins.  I love what these folks stand for and appreciate that they try to get to know their customers.  While a new store in Woodbury (across the world from where I live) doesn't directly benefit me, giving Alvey help in this venture is something I feel that I have to do.   Check it out and see if you want to lend a hand to small local business!

--Eric

Beer Scene: Huntsville, Alabama

To finish up our tour of the Deep South, we ended up in my sweet wife's hometown of Huntsville, Alabama.  Having visited new breweries in Nashville and Birmingham, I had already been pleasantly surprised by the rise of craft beer south of the Mason-Dixon Line.  Nothing could have prepared me for the changes I would find in Huntsville.  The last time I visited the area was probably about 3 years ago.  At the time, there was one recently opened brewery called Old Town that served a couple of understated quasi-craft beers in a few local bars--and despite going the way of the dodo, they seem to have paved the way for what was to come.  Let me refrain: three years ago I could not find a craft beer on tap in this town to save my life.  At the time of my current visit there were nine breweries in (and around) the city!  For background, Huntsville is the fourth largest city in Alabama and had roughly  395,645 citizens as of the 2008 census.  Many of the people in the area have come for work in the aeronautics industry (NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command,) and as a result the city has a more cosmopolitan feel than many Deep South cities.

On my first night in town, having a late dinner at the hotel Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, I was able to have a Straight To Ale Monkeynaut served to me in a proper beer glass with absolutely no strange looks from our kind server.  Speaking of the aforementioned beer--the can art for this beer is one of the wackiest I've seen: named for the monkey-manned early space flights back in the 1960's.  The beer itself was a boldly hopped IPA, that had a bit too much alcohol heat to make it into my favorites...but this was a legitimate local craft beer!  Rubbing my fingers together eagerly, I began to plan my trips to further explore this unexpected change in the area. 

A bit devilish for Alabama...

The following day, after fighting with my mother-in-law's ancient modem and 4 power-strip plug octopus for hours, I was finally free to visit Straight To Ale Brewing.  Hidden behind a large gym, and located in an unassuming warehouse off the beaten path, we had a difficult time finding the place.  A metal sign with their devilish logo hanging off the front of the building is all the notation they apparently want or need.  There was no visible entrance at the front of the building, but not to be distracted from my goal, I walked around to the side.  A small door with an even smaller Straight To Ale stencil on it (looking like an un-official worker's only entrance) yielded to my attacks and allowed us access to the tiny tasting room.  A very small bar across from the entrance boasted a friendly server, a television and a glowing crimson brewery symbol.  One other patron sat at the bar sipping at a drink and gazing at the television's blue glow.  A large rocket hung from the ceiling, piloted by two stuffed monkeynauts.  Posters and framed can artwork for the brewery were placed sporadically upon the walls.  My personal favorite (also playing off Huntsville's NASA past) was the Wernher Von Brown Ale.

Rocket City here I come!

We tried all the beers, served to us in trippy hand-made rocket shaped wooden sampler trays.  All of the beers were good to very good.  I especially liked the Lilly Flagg Milk Stout and the Brother Joseph's Dubbel: fine examples of their styles.  The lagers were a bit less perfect--perhaps fermentation temperature issues--but still drinkable.  I spent a nice and relaxing hour here with my wife and her older sister, talking and trying out these local beers.  Not until heading out did I realize that they had a small arcade with old fashioned pinball machines in a room around the corner.  Our server suggested looking for their recently released bourbon aged Laika Russian Imperial Stout (named after the Russian dog sent into space in 1957) and I did find a bottle the next day to bring back to Minnesota.  I haven't tried it yet, but have high hopes!

The next day I spent more time in battle with ancient technology, hooking my mother-in-law's old tube TV's to cable boxes and finishing an upgrade to a wireless home network.  I also spent a bit of time out in the muggy Alabama air tearing apart a rotting and now dangerous wooden ramp in front of her house.  Beneath that aged ramp were a good number of enormous cockroaches, primitive looking two inch hopping camel crickets, and a petrified possum.  Yech!  After a much needed shower we headed out to continue our exploration of the city's beer scene.

Our next stop was Blue Pants Brewery, located within a warehouse in the suburb of Madison.  The building isn't much to look at, but has size in its favor with plenty of room for them to grow into it.  I guess that this is a recent expansion and I got the feeling that they haven't quite settled in fully yet.  There wasn't a lot of branding/signage on the outside nor the inside of the tasting room, but I knew we were in the right place when I saw the Blue Pantry Food Truck parked outside.  The brewers started out as homebrewers (not surprising now days, especially in a town filled with science geeks!)

Sj and I ordered the full sampler so we could try everything.  I saw funny blue-pants shaped wooden sampler trays on display behind the bar but we didn't get one so no good pictures for you my reader.  Our beers were served in plastic cups with the names written in Sharpie by our pleasant bartender.  The laminated cards describing the beers were a little sticky and gross, so I didn't look too close at the details.  One of my favorites was the Workman Common, a hoppier take on a classic Steam beer.  Most of the others were fair representations of the style (Pale Ale, Double IPA, Black IPA) but none of them really wowed me.  A few--like the Highwater Hoppy Tripel--had some fermentation flaws that detracted from my enjoyment.  Their special release cabernet barrel aged Belgian Red was served from a wax-topped bottle and had quite a bit going on.  I actually picked up a bottle of this to take home when I ran into it later that day.  The brewery's tag line is: "We like to make unusually good beer."  I think they are close to that description, but perhaps not quite there yet.  I will certainly check them out next time I'm in town to see how they have improved. 

Our bartender at Blue Pants was very good and pointed us toward our next goal:  Wish You Were Beer.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Madison had its very own all beer store!  Just down the road from Blue Pants, we headed out.  Located in a small strip-mall, the store front itself lacks bells and whistles, but has a large easy to see sign on the façade.  With fingers crossed I stepped into what became one of my favorite places we visited in the city.  Founded in June of 2012, (but only opening for business a few months before my trip in Fall of 2013) by owner Damon Eubanks, the store aims to sell only craft beer, cider, and meads.  Damon was at the store and I had the chance to talk to him a bit about his new store.  He is a Cicerone Beer Server and is currently studying to become a Certified Cicerone, also encourages his staff to also seek certification.  Interestingly he modeled (at least in part) his store after The Four Firkins in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.  Our own Jason Alvey was breaking new ground by opening an all beer store in Minnesota and continues to show other people how to do it across the country! 

Can I live here?

The front of the store is small, but the wall shelves and center stacks are packed with local and regional micro-brews.  With different distribution than Minnesota, there were many beers that we can't find back home like Stillwater Artisanal, and Oscar Blues.  Large coolers host even more beers--most local.  Damon sells most of his beers in singles as well, so one can try more beers without having to settle on a full six pack.  Unlike The Firkins, Damon can actually sell pints of beer in his establishment.  I was happy to taste the local Salty Nut Brewery's brown ale, as well as have a full pint of Avondale Brewing's Vanillaphant while perusing the store.  They can also fill growlers from the taps for you take home and drink at your leisure.  We are unable to do either of these things back in Minnesota due to old Blue Laws that are still on the books.  The store also sells a limited amount of homebrew supplies, now that Alabama has finally legalized my favorite hobby.  Damon told me the story of an un-named liquor store in Birmingham that got in trouble with the law over that last year.

I stocked up on a bunch of Alabama brews to take home with me, including several special releases like the bourbon aged Laika and the Blue Pants Belgian.  I love the concept of the store and I was intrigued with what Damon has been able to do with the place already.  Once people find out about Wish You Were Beer, I think he will be able to expand his line-up even more and start having special events.  If you are anywhere in Huntsville and like craft beer this is a must-visit place!

As a wrap-up from my visit to the South, I wanted to touch on some of the big changes I've seen in just the past 3 years.  Traditionally the Southern states have not been big into drinking alcohol in the first place, and many people I know down there either don't drink at all or drink only in private where fellow church members won't see them.  When folks do drink beer, they tend to go with American macro-lagers.  From a craft-beer waste-land, the region has started to blossom with small breweries, beer stores and craft beer bars.  They still have a ways to go to catch up to Minnesota (they are about 6 years behind by my reckoning) but are on the right track.  Strangely, many of the stubborn post-prohibition era laws that plague us here in Minnesota are absent down in the Bible Belt state of Alabama.  Really, I can buy a sixer of craft beer on a Sunday in Alabama, but not in progressive Minnesota??? 

Regional differences in palate are easily apparent with most breweries having sweeter brown ales and porters in their portfolios, and big hoppy beers are just starting to trend up.  On this trip I could literally taste how these brewers are experimenting with higher hopping rates--some pulling it off and others needing more trial and error yet. 

Local restaurants and bars seem to be embracing these new local beer options and nearly every place I went for food (minus having intolerance-chicken at Chick-fil-a) had at least one local beer available.  I'm exited and proud of those craft beer pioneers, breaking trail and braving the wilderness for the good of the craft beer movement in The South.  Since I have written this, The Salty Nut has already opened a tap room in the Huntsville area...and more breweries are sure to follow.  This is a truly untapped market that seems ripe for the taking.  I look forward to the new options to be discovered on my next trip down.

An Interview With Michael Wagner of The Four Firkins

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to get together with Michael Wagner from the Four Firkins to talk about beer, breweries, and the beer industry.  This is the second installment in my Four Firkins interview series and I hope to continue them over the next year or two.  Talking with Michael was quite interesting, as he forms opinions based on his own love of craft beer as well as from a professional standpoint.  Because of this some of his answers were a bit surprising to me!

We met at the Pig and Fiddle: the first time I had been to this fairly recent Southwest Minneapolis drinking hole.  We sat at the corner of the bar and sipped Surly Diminished Seviin, drowning out the hubbub with talk of all things beer.  Michael is one of the quieter members of the FF crew, but get him talking about beer and he is passionate and eloquent without being overly verbose.  He hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania originally, with a move to West Virginia University for college.  After finishing his schooling he took a corporate job (or a series of them) that led to North Carolina, Cleveland, and even Detroit, before getting the opportunity to move to our wonderful state of Minnesota.  Once here, he transitioned out of his corporate gig and took a job as a buyer for Trader Joe's before ending up replacing the third employee at The Four Firkins.  

When asked about his current job title he brings out an incredible mouthful that hearkens back to The Office: Upper Midwest Regional Manager of Strategic Imbibing and Director of Synergy Tactics: Beer to Mouth.  A most impressive and very tongue-in-cheek title if ever I've heard one before!  In truth Michael wears many hats at the store (especially on Fancy Friday) such as sales manager, in and out of store event organization, and most of the social promotion such as website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Now knowing more about Michael and what he does at the store, I had to get more information about how he got into craft beer to such an extent that he would end up making a career out of it!  "Growing up in Pittsburgh we had access to decent regional beer like Rolling Rock, Yuengling, and Iron City, so I never really got into the national Macros," He comments.  In college he and a like-minded buddy started to explore other craft options such as Troegs Troegenator or Victory Hop Devil.  Michael says that even early on he was always interested in local craft products like cheeses, art and of course--once discovered--beer.  A trip to Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Amsterdam) on a Man-cation with a friend, he returned to the states with the desire to homebrew and perhaps get into the beer industry.  And so he has!

Asked about his favorite type of beer, he paused for a long step, clearly pondering this difficult question with much intent.  "I tend to drink seasonally," he started, "drinking specific beer styles suited to the season they are brewed."  Also he learned from Sir Lanny Hoff that there are exceptional beers for certain situations.  Being less general he enjoys Belgian beers pretty much across the board, but especially saisons, sours and dark, fruity quads.  Additionally he is a sucker for a well done English bitter served appropriately out of a cask.  Specifically one of his favorite local beers is Town Hall's Masala Mama served on cask, (also one of my favorites!)

In the same vein, I wanted to know if there were any up-and-coming breweries that he was excited about.  Keep in mind that as a professional he shouldn't play favorites, however as a consumer and beer lover he does have some thoughts on the subject.  In the Midwest he points out Toppling Goliath out of Decorah, Iowa as a newer brewery that is really taking off.  In his words, "Their use of Citra hops is glorious!"  Hopefully we'll be getting them in Minnesota soon.  Another favorite is Stillwater Artisanal, a Mikeller-like company based out of Maryland putting out a lot of unique and small batch beers.  Locally he gives props to many local breweries like Surly, Indeed, Summit and Schells.  He specifically points out how Steel Toe Brewing embodies the small local brewery ideal by bringing a lot of experience to the table and putting out consistently great beers.

I certainly have my favorite beer events, but was interested in hearing his take the subject.  He enjoys Autumn Brew Review as a tried and true local tradition, but seems to like Winterfest even more based on the intimate setting, limitation to Minnesota beers, and the presence of food.  I agree entirely!  As a previous resident of Pennsylvania, he points out Philly Beer Week as an event not to be missed.  They are top notch and the event really involves much of the city.  Of course Oktoberfest in Germany is at the top of the list--not as a craft beer event, but as a beer experience.  "Think Minnesota State Fair with airplane hanger sized beer tents..."  Oh I'm thinking about it right now!

Surly Darkness Day also gets some love as one of the best run limited release parties around.  "This event really brings out the best of the social aspect of beer and sharing," he comments.

Speaking of limited release beers, I asked Michael what he thought of this trend in the industry.  As with most people I've talked to about the subject, he has mixed feelings on it.  The releases are sometimes blown out of proportion based on rarity and not quality, and also sometimes encourages the hoarder mentality that can turn others off from the process.  As a seller of beer, he notes that there is often a flurry of activity around the brewery's other beers at the time of these releases, as well as an increase in discussion of them and beer in general in the community.  "Being in the business of supplying consumers with what they want, these small releases can make that hard to do.  At the Four Firkins we try to spread the love as much as is possible."  Another potential issue with the process from a seller's standpoint is how those beers are distributed among stores.  Ideally the best breweries (often though the decision is made by a distributor) will allocate an amount of the limited beer based on how much of the mainline products that store sells--in essence rewarding that store for being a good seller of the brand's beer.  When this doesn't happen, more places get the beer, but in such miniscule amounts that the hassle of dealing with it isn't really worth it.  He would not tell me which distributors were the trouble-makers, but they know who they are!

Gangsta!

Finally, I wanted to pick Michael's beer-marinated brain for his take on beer trends in general over the last few years and into the future.  Apparently the Four Firkins recently taught a class on the history of American craft beer so he had a lot of information for me.  I'm sorry I missed that one.  He mentioned micro-trends that seem to change constantly, such as "new" or trendy ingredients like Citra hops and rye in beers.  "4-5 years ago we saw the rise of Black IPA/Cascadia Dark Ale, but that seems to have settled into a less hyped American Black Ale with a lot of variability in the style."  Session beers are certainly gaining in popularity recently as well.  Long term, Michael feels that barrel aging and small batch beers will continue to fill a niche market.  He notes that a lot of focus is coming on local beer and ingredients recently and is likely to continue as our local breweries push the boundaries of the craft.

I highly enjoyed this time hanging out with Michael at the Pig & Fiddle.  I observed him in action, using his special skills to finagle us the first few tulip glasses of Surly Seviin to wash down the dregs of it's younger brother.  Of the crew at The Four Firkins, he has always struck me as very deliberate and knowledgeable and this meeting solidified that impression.  However, he also has a great sense of humor and retains an incredible store of beer information, continuing to share those with all the guests of The Four Firkins.

Beer is Coming: A Game of Thrones Beer

Way back in 1996, while living in Chicago on a shoe-string budget, I would frequent the cast-off/overstock shelves at the Borders bookstore for novels that I could afford.  One auspicious day I found a large tome with a shiny foil cover and the unlikely name of A Game Of Thrones for $5.99 on said shelves, and bought it on a whim.  At the time I had no inkling of what I held in my hand, but once I read it I knew that George R.R. Martin had created something of great and lasting impact.  Not until I took home the novel did I realize that I had purchased a signed copy; today a signed first edition of the book going for $500 on ebay.  Not a bad profit if I had any intention of selling it!  But wait, this is a beer blog...what am I doing blathering on about books?  Sit back and let me sing you a song--A Song of Ice and Fire!

Since the series began, Martin has written five enormous books of incredible scope and depth.  Set in a fantasy world, the series mainly follows an epic struggle for  power that is sparked in the first book.  The world is gritty and realistic, with incredible details of history, heraldry, politics, and very complicated characters.  I have not read any fantasy novels since Lord of the Rings with this amount of realism and scope, and highly suggest you give them a try!  No cute hobbits here though, just despicable villains, flawed heroes, and a dash of the supernatural scattered through-out.

For those who last read a book in high school English class, in 2011 HBO released the first season of its big screen adaptation of the books.  Watch it now!  Honestly this is the only reason I still have HBO.  Season 1 and 2 are now available on DVD and Blu-Ray for those who are coming late to the party!  The series captures the complexity of the books, layered with a great cast and excellent production values.  Each episode is better than 90% of modern big budget movies in my opinion.  By far my favorite character of the books is Tyrion Lanister, played with depth and power by actor Peter Dinklage in the show.  I'd watch it just to see that man act.  Do not let your children watch this show with you--lots of nudity, swearing, gratuitous violence and a beheading in most episodes.    Season 3 is just starting up this month, so get watching!

Again, where is the beer angle to this post?  Here you go my bewildered reader:  This past Friday the officially licensed Iron Throne Ale was released around the USA.  I was initially put off by seeing such a gimmick beer being released in the name of my favorite series, remembering the glut of cheap macro-lager with special labels that were released back in the early 90's.  Looking into this more I was pleased to discover that this unique recipe was being brewed by Ommegang, a very good Belgian owned brewery in Upstate New York.  My favorite beer for years was Ommegang's Three Philosophers, so I had increasing hopes for this beer.

Beer is coming...

The icing on the cake came when we learned of a special release and tasting at our favorite local beer store The Four Firkins (featured in a bunch of my previous blog posts.)  So on Friday after work, Sj and I donned our Renaissance festival garb, daggers, and pouches and drove out to The Firkins.  With a moment of nervousness we walked into the store and immediately felt at home.  All of the staff (minus Michael who was woefully under-costumed!) were dressed up as their favorite Game Of Thrones characters.  Bryan was a white walker with creepy ice blue eyes; Alvey was a Silent Sister, complete with rusty hacksaw; and Ian made a pretty realistic Robb Stark.  Sj kept calling Ian Jon Snow, and I had to remind her that she was calling him a bastard...I know serious geek alert here.  Ian, who never left character, served us up a taste of the fabled beer and we wandered around the store whilst drinking it.  Several other visitors had dressed up as well so we were not alone!  One young lady wandered in dressed as an elf, (with very realistic ears,) and we found out that she was on the way to a Hobbit watching party and just randomly came into the only store in the whole city where she wouldn't be out of place.  Weird.  One patron asked me for help finding beer, thinking that I worked there since I was in costume.  So I went ahead and helped him pick out some IPAs!

Better than a Red Wedding?

We were able to taste several of the Ommegang beers over the next hour and as usual managed to fill a box of beers to take home with us.  Since we were dressed up, the costumed distributor gave us free Ommegang shirts, bottle openers and coasters--score!  Overall we had a great time hanging with the staff and talking to other fans.  A fun way to spend a Friday night, followed by a trip just down the road to the Steel Toe taproom for a Wee Heavy.  Yes we did do a Superman style quick-change at the Firkins before we went out on the town!

And what of the beer itself?  At the store I did enjoy the beer, but decided to taste it under less chaotic circumstances at my home bar with Sj.  The style is a Belgian blonde ale with lemon peel and grains of paradise.  I'll write it up as an abbreviated BJCP tasting.

Aroma: Up front lemon zest with spicy clove and a hint of banana.  Sweet grainy malt and sugary sweetness.  Bright but subtle noble hop aroma.  Tinge of sulfur at first, but fades fast. 

Appearance:  Golden color with excellent clarity.  Huge pillowy white head that takes up half of the glass despite careful pour.  Head persists for a dragon's age.  Incredibly effervescent with a champagne-like sparkle. 

Flavor:  A malty front end with a sugary sweetness and lemonade flavor at the tail.  Light clove and cardamom flavors with a spicy rye-like zing.  Ends with a notable hop bitterness and a mild noble hop flavor as well. 

Mouthfeel:  Body is between medium and light.  Carbonation is high and ends very dry with a sparkle on the tongue.  Lingering bitterness borders on astringent but doesn't quite get there.  Slight alcohol warming, but not a burn.  The dry finish makes this easily drinkable.

Overall Impression:  I really enjoyed this beer's drinkability, and a very good example of this style.  I had a lot of beers like this in Belgium and found many of them to be hoppier than I expected.  This has a great balance between sweet and bitter.  The lemon is certainly there and might take the beer slightly out of the style guidelines, but not far.  The spiciness may be from the yeast, or may be the grains of paradise (I've never really had a beer made with those before.) 

This is an unusual beer with an unusual story, hence the large write-up.  As a beer geek and a geek geek this whole thing hits the sweet spot for me.  A great series of books, a great TV series, and a matching beer fit for a king!  Could this be a sign of things to come for craft beer?  Will we have a Hobbit's Ale or a Joker's alcoholic energy drink in the future?  I know that Iron Maiden is coming out with their own beer soon...hopefully a craft beer and not a malt liquor.  I like this trend as long as the people in charge use good craft beer for these and don't flood the market with fancy-label macro lagers.  I have been through the early 90's where tons of these beers flooded the market and gave craft beer a bad name, contributing greatly to the micro-bust.  Ommegang and HBO have a hit here and I hope they decide to do a series of these beers...I'll be first in line to try them, probably wearing my puffy shirt and armed to the teeth.  Until then, drink up and gird yourself for the arrival of the White Walkers.
Winter is Coming...

Just Another Thursday Night: Firkins, Alaskan, Red Cow, Oh My!

Facebook can be a wonderful thing.  Or it can be really annoying and have lots of ads, political filth and Farmville on it.  But yesterday I was happy that we were plugged in to this almost necessary modern evil.  My wonderful wife happened to read one of the frequent updates from the Four Firkins that afternoon encouraging people to come out to a special pouring of some new Alaskan beers at the store.  Since it takes about a half hour to get there from where we live I wasn't so sure it was worth the trip, but upon seeing the ice and snow in the forecast for the rest of the week I changed my mind.  Best decision all week! 

We drove down to the Firkins and were greeted personally by the always gregarious and friendly Jason Alvey, then pointed toward the tasting bar for our free samples.  Shawn from Alaskan was pouring samples of the new Freeride APA which was a malty and easy drinking pale ale, as well as handing out sweet logo bandannas for my future as a leather and chaps-wearing biker.  We also got to try the new Troppelbock, a strong (tripel) bock beer aged with oak chips.  I liked that beer quite a bit, as the oak cut the sweetness and made it much more drinkable than expected.  After our tasting we had planned on visiting the newly opened Steel Toe Brewery taproom just down the road, but we became sidetracked by our visit to the Firkins and let that plan go for another time. 

What began as a simple tasting of a couple new beers soon expanded and we were able to sample some other beers as well including Lift Bridge Irish Coffee Stout and the amazing adult chocolate milk beverage called Odell Lugene.  Alvey was in an especially expansive mood and even shared a couple of his special cellared beers with us, making this an extraordinary visit to the Firkins.  Sj and I had such a good time sampling these beers and hanging out with Alvey, Michael, Ian and Cory that we ended up staying more than an hour.  I, of course, bought plenty of new and interesting beers while we were there as well.  I'm guessing I'll need to wear my attack-dog training suit to safely get that Lugene out of Sj's paws. 

Realizing that time had flown and we needed dinner, Michael was kind enough to direct us to the newly opened Red Cow as a great local option.  Despite sub-par navigation by my usually homing-pigeon-like wife, we arrived near the crowded restaurant.  After skate/sloshing our way through some of the most treacherous "sidewalks" I've ever seen, we were able to get seated right away.  The restaurant is small, crowded and quite loud, but has an excellent vibe that defies description.  Funky pictures, including a psychedelic blue cow, line the dark walls.  Seating is tight, but everyone there was having such a fantastic time that the mood seemed infectious upon entering the building.  Our server was very good and food came out quickly, thankfully!  The menu focus is upscale burgers and fries, heavily meat/cow oriented but with some vegetarian and sea food options available--though why a vegetarian would frequent a place called Red Cow boggles my mind!  We started with a large skillet of poutine (that Canadian delicacy of fries slathered with gravy, cheese and meat,) which was more than tasty.  They also have Scotch eggs on the menu so I must go back!  They also had a very well balanced beer list with a few choices from most styles as well as a lot of wines by the glass.

For main course I tried the Elk Wellington.  One of my Last Supper meal options would be Beef Wellington (tender beef fillet slathered in liver pate and wrapped up in a puff pastry) and I see it so seldom on menus that I had to get this.  Their version was a perfectly cooked elk patty wrapped in a brie-type cheese and puff pastry, served with a flavorful dipping sauce.  Oh, and don't forget the Parmesan truffle fries.  I am a sucker for truffle.  I will need to go back to try The Royale--a beef pattie topped with pork belly--but probably need to order it with cheese in reference to Pulp Fiction. 

Overall, this little spontaneous trip to try a couple sips of beer spiraled out of control and became an epic beer tasting and incredible dinner date.  I must thank Sj for suggesting we try this, and Alvey, Michael and Ian at the Four Firkins for treating us so well and pointing us toward Red Cow.  What I get from this little mini-mid-week adventure is that you need to go out and try things if you want a chance at enjoyable randomness.  Gotta play to win!  Your results may vary, but I highly suggest a trip to the Firkins and to Red Cow in the near future.

The Four Firkins

For this post I thought I would do a review of Minnesota's first and only purely craft beer store, The Four Firkins.  I have been going to this place for years and they really were at the forefront of the local (and national) craft beer revolution.  A firkin is a quarter barrel of beer for those who wonder what the name means.

The shop was started by Jason Alvey, an Australian ex-pat with a great accent, whom I had known from a short lived but educational beer podcast called What Ales Thee?  Initially the store was located in a tiny storefront between a laundry and a car repair joint, with the world's worst parking lot.  It was a tough sell to get people to come to a small store that only sold beer...no wine, no liquor, no Budweiser or Coors, just craft beer.  In the first year there were limited hours and Alvey was the only guy working there, pulling long hours and scraping by.  Slowly the local craft beer scene changed, with more interesting beers to be found, and more and more media coverage.  Alvey has become a local beer expert, tapped frequently for news spots and articles, and bringing attention to his store as well as the craft beer boom.  Business picked up and new faces were seen running the store.  Special tasting events were held, but the tiny store could not hold more than 15 people at a time and this size limitation prompted Alvey to find a new space for the store. 

The new store is located just off HWY 100 and Excelsior BLVD in Minnetonka, and has a nice parking lot in back.  Still small and cozy, but more room to move around and display a lot more specialty beers.   The custom shelving is dark wood, filled with more beers than you can count, most have decorative old empty growlers or cool glassware perched atop them.  The centrally located cash register area is nearly an open gazebo made of matching dark wood, and easily accessible from either side for quick check out.  Large cooler cases line one wall for those who need to drink their beer right away.  An amazing array of brewerania lines the few open walls that aren't lined with shelving.

They remain the only all-beer store in the state, though they do have an expanding selection of hard ciders and meads.  They have a tiny glass case filled with spirits that are made by breweries such as New Holland and Rogue, but are very selective about what they sell.  That selectivity goes for all of their products as well.  They don't carry mass market beers at all, but have an amazing selection of craft beers, arranged by style.  Sections exist for Belgian, IPA, Strong ales, sours, etc.  There is a large wall filled with singles so one can make a mix pack of beers for those of  us with difficulty making decisions.  Special and limited release beers abound here, making it the first stop when looking for something cool and unusual.  My wife heads here for Christmas shopping, asking them to help her pick out something new and rare for under the tree.  The staff is always busy, but helpful and I believe that all are trained as Ciccerones or BJCP judges so they really know their stuff. 

The Firkins has become my way of keeping up with what beers are around.  They have embraced beer geek culture and social media, and checking their facebook status and e-mails often alerts one to special beers that sell out fast.  I'll often have to send my mom out to get those beers since they quickly disappear before I can get home from work! 

There is a small but well attended bar in the corner of the space where they have tastings of beers and often have distributors and brewers there for beer unveilings.  They also have a small selection of beer related books and magazines to fulfill all of your reading needs.

Not content to just run a beer store, Alvey has taken it upon himself to get involved in changing some of the historic blue laws in the state of Minnesota.  He was instrumental in getting a law passed that allows liquor stores to sell apparel, though he had to fight a long and difficult battle for this.  Now he sells truly humorous shirts and hats at the store, and the antediluvian law has been changed to fit with our modern time of advertising and product placement.  He is currently working on educating and encouraging liquor sellers to change the No-Beer-On-Sunday laws, pointing out that folks can drive across the border to Wisconsin and buy beer on Sunday.  So far he hasn't had a lot of backing from local sellers.  From my standpoint as a buyer, I am much more likely to take a trip out to the store on a Sunday when I'm not working than during the week after a long busy workday.  The Firkins was also involved with Midwest Supplies and Steel Toe Brewery in a large fundraiser this summer called the Beermuda Triangle.

Overall, The Four Firkins is certainly my favorite beer store and I really respect Alvey and the staff here for their knowledge and for their passion for craft beer.  If you haven't been there yet, you need to take a field trip here...try a Saturday morning and go over to Steel Toe for tastings and Growler sales after!