A quick dispatch this week, as I’m off on a quick trek to the Twin Cities for a late summer vacay, with the hopes of maybe trying some new/new-to-me Minnesota brews and some good eats at the Minnesota State Fair. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * A quick dispatch this week, as I’m off on a quick trek to the Twin Cities for a late summer vacay, with the hopes of maybe trying some new/new-to-me Minnesota brews and some good eats at the Minnesota State Fair. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Opinion A quick dispatch this week, as I’m off on a quick trek to the Twin Cities for a late summer vacay, with the hopes of maybe trying some new/new-to-me Minnesota brews and some good eats at the Minnesota State Fair.
So here are six new local and easy-drinking brews — two lagers, a pair of pilsners and a couple of wheat beers — for your sipping consideration on warm, late-summer days and/or the glorious, looming Labour Day weekend...
Oh, and speaking of said long weekend, there will be no next weekend — we’ll be back Sept. 7. Made as a fundraising brew for the CJNU 93.
7 FM radio station, this lager’s medium gold in colour and slightly hazy, with fresh malt, cracked oat and subtle herbal and citrus notes aromatically. It’s mainly dry, light-plus-bodied and with a subtle creaminess on the palate, which accentuates the grainier, doughier flavours while a herbal (but not bitter) component lingers in the background. Four per cent alcohol, with 93.
7 cents from every can going to CJNU. Brewed at Oxus. One Great City’s new light lager, released in the slimmer 355ml cans, is deep gold and clear in appearance, bringing friendly malt and toasted oat notes and the slightest hint of caramel.
On the light-plus-bodied palate, the effervescence isn’t excessively sharp, leaving the grain and caramel notes front and centre before the short finish (it’s 3.5 per cent alcohol). Medium-straw in colour and slightly hazy, this pilsner is brewed with Pink Boots malt, used by both brewers and distillers; they also spearhead a scholarship fund for women and non-binary people in the fermentation industry.
Aromatically, it brings nice grassy and herbal notes, along with slightly chalky and earthy notes that show well. It’s dry, crisp and refreshing, with bright, grassy and fresh malt notes showing well before a hint of grapefruit on the lean, clean finish (it’s 4.5 per cent).
Nicely done. Medium gold in colour and clear, Barn Hammer’s pilsner brings compelling earthy, spice and biscuit aromas along with the robust malt and secondary citrus notes. On the light-plus-bodied palate, it’s weightier than the Pink Boots, with malty, biscuit notes showing particularly well alongside that hint of spice, while the slightly gutsier 5.
1 per cent alcohol provides nice length, with a subtly bitter note emerging. Pale gold in colour and hazy, this American-style wheat beer delivers fresh malt and citrus aromas as well as subtle floral and peppery notes. It’s dry and light-plus bodied, with the wheat flavours front and centre backed by secondary chalky and citrus rind notes and just a hint of spice.
The Horizon’s five per cent alcohol and delivers a more crisp, refreshing style than, say, a hefeweizen — tasty. Medium copper in colour and hazy, this hefeweizen was brewed in celebration of Fort Garry’s 30th anniversary of re-entering the Manitoba beer market. Aromatically, it brings big clove, banana candy and wheat notes, with underlying hints of spice, which ring true to style.
It’s medium-bodied and off-dry, with those wheat, banana candy and spice notes showing well, plus zippy effervescence, modest bitterness and, at five per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish. Thumbs-up. uncorked@mts.
net @bensigurdson Ben Sigurdson is the ‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly drinks column. He joined the full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014.
. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the ’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism.
Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider .
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Ben Sigurdson is the ‘s literary editor and drinks writer.
He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly drinks column. He joined the full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. .
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the ’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and .
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism.
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