Ryan Tuenge

Ryan Tuenge is an avid home brewer and craft beer lover who is not afraid to spend his last $5 on a pint of beer at the local pub. As a member of the Minnesota Home Brewers Association, Ryan has tried a wide variety of beers and has toured many of the local breweries. He also has a blog about craft beer in Minnesota. He likes to read, write and travel with his wife. Follow him on Twitter @lodgefather.

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Winterfest 2012

Posted by: Ryan Tuenge Updated: January 27, 2012 - 10:13 PM

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The premiere Craft Beer event of the winter is taking place next Friday when the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild hosts Winterfest at the Minnesota History Center. Food will be catered by Bon Appétit and Flow DJ will be providing the entertainment for the evening. This intimate event sold out in seconds and promises to introduce a plethora of winter beer varieties from the members of the Guild. If you were not able to get tickets, you still have a chance to get in…for free! The Guild is having a writing contest in order to name Mr. and Mrs. Craft Beer Minnesota. They are looking for your Minnesota Craft Beer story and they want you to explain why you should win. The contest runs through Wednesday, February 1^st.

The Snowshoe award will be presented at the end of the night to the brewer who wins the people’s choice for best beer at the event. The winner will be given the entry fee for one beer at the Great American Beer festival held in Denver, Colorado in the fall. Here are the details for Winterfest:

When:

Friday, February 3, 2012 from 7 PM to 10 PM

Where:

Minnesota History Center

345 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102

Parking:

There is free parking available in the parking lot adjacent to the History Center and plenty of street parking. Keep in mind that cars left in the lot must be removed by 10 AM on Saturday.

Cheers!

Autumn Brew Review Preview

Posted by: Ryan Tuenge Updated: September 13, 2011 - 9:48 PM

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On Saturday many Craft Beer lovers will flock, ticket in hand, to the Autumn Brew Review—a perennial favorite of local beer geeks. This annual event is put on by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, a team of breweries that spans all of Minnesota who are dedicated to the fine craft of brewing. This year they have broken the event up into two full sessions where in years past there has only been one.

The morning session will begin by the call of bagpipes at 10 AM, proof that fun can be had prior to noon. This session promises a morning full of variety that begins with a complimentary and festive beer tasting vessel provided to you upon entering the gate. The 80-plus breweries that will be pouring the samples have prepared for this event so expect to see some beers that may not be available here in Minnesota. A Bloody Mary sample bar will also be on site for traditionalists who prefer to start their morning with a bang or for those opposed to drinking beer before noon. Remember to bring some cash because there will be food vendors such as the Chef Shack who will be serving a “hang over hash”. The morning session will close at 2 PM to the sound of The Southside Aces, a local New Orleans style Jazz band.

The afternoon session begins at 3 PM led again by traditional bagpipes and the same 80 breweries as the morning session. Be sure to check out the local breweries who will be there such as Surly, Fulton, Harriet Brewing, Lift Bridge, Brau Brothers, Schell’s, Summit and the local brewpubs: Town Hall, Barley John’s, Fitger’s, Great Waters, and Herkimer to name few. Local breweries are what make this event happen every year and as any Craft Beer fanatic will tell you fresh beer is the best beer. Once again food vendors will be on site so you can soak up that liquid diet or grab dinner before you head home. The afternoon session concludes at 7 PM so be sure to call your sober ride a little before then.

Here are some tips if you go:

· Be sure to have a sober ride home. Don’t ruin everyone else’s fun or put other’s lives at risk.

· Wear sunscreen. This is an outdoor event and you will be very sorry at 8 AM on Sunday if you don’t.

· Make sure to eat at the event. Food will help you last throughout the day and despite popular belief, your body needs nutrition.

· Drink plenty of water; this is essential for a day of drinking out in the sun.

· Have fun. Beer is meant to be shared among friends and bring people together in laughter and good conversation.

Tickets for the afternoon session are currently sold out but tickets are still available for the morning session. Tickets are $30 and are available here. Fall is often thought of as beer festival season, and in Minnesota the weather doesn’t get much better than this. One could argue that of all the beer festivals held here in Minnesota, this would be the one to make it to. Cheers!

Meeting at the Summit

Posted by: Ryan Tuenge Updated: August 6, 2011 - 3:34 PM

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A couple weeks back my wife and I toured Summit Brewing Company in St. Paul. Much to our surprise the day turned out a bit differently than we had planned. The tour was your standard brewery experience; they showed us the brewing kettles, the fermentation tanks, and the packaging line. Our tour guide did a pretty good job considering she was a new volunteer and she got bonus points for dealing with a crowd of testosterone-charged beer distributors from Boston who would heckle her at every turn.

After the “adult daycare session” or tour, it was time to start sampling the latest from Summit. Especially good were the 25^th Anniversary Ale which was basically a “hopped up” version of the EPA, and the Honeymoon Saison, the latest variety from the Unchained Series. Both of these brews were new and not yet available in stores so they were a must-try. I also sampled the Oatmeal Stout which I found to be creamy and quite tasty.

After a stop at the gift shop, where I got a very cool brewing/grilling apron complete with bottle pocket and opener, we met a very nice couple from San Francisco. They are traveling the country on what they call the Amber Waves Rally; a mission to tour as many breweries as possible. They made great conversation with stories about the different breweries that they had toured and brewers they had met along the way. In fact, we enjoyed the conversation so much that we decided to do lunch afterwards as they were heading to the Tour de Fat before closing out their day on the Surly Brewing tour. Their tour has spanned the entire United States and the stories they told resulted in plenty of laughter and good times over lunch at Joe’s Garage.

We finished off our day at the New Belgium Tour de Fat which was a very cool experience to take in. The festival had a European carnival feel and it was a perfect day to be outside. Bikes lined the fences all over Loring Park as happy pedalers soaked up the sun and enjoyed great music and beer. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to our new friends.

Upon arriving home, we couldn’t help but feel energized by the random encounter that had just taken place. It was an important reminder to remain open to the possibilities that life brings your way – you never know what you might find at the Summit.

Vine Park Brewery

Posted by: Ryan Tuenge Updated: July 29, 2011 - 10:59 AM

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Have you ever wanted to brew but didn’t want to clean up the mess? If this is the case then you will want to head over to Vine Park Brewery in St. Paul and make sure to bring an entourage. One would think that there would be more places like this around but Vine Park Brewery is the only place in our area that offers the exciting experience of brewing on premise and they have been doing so since 1995. This is a great way to entertain business clients, spend time with friends and family, or even bond with your wedding party by creating your own stash of brews to be shared with your favorite people on the big day.

Here’s how it works: You will need to schedule a time and date to assure that there are kettles open. On the scheduled date you will meet a brewing coach who will help your group choose the recipe that you will be making and help measure all the ingredients prior to brewing. Expect this process to take about 2 hours.

The fermentation process takes a couple of weeks so the bottling date for your group will be exactly two weeks from brewing date. Here you will fill and cap the bottles of beer that your troupe will soon be taking home. There is nothing quite like tasting a beer that you have made with your own hands and it’s even better when this experience is shared with others.

Below are the prices and keep in mind that part of the cost is the convenience of not having to buy the instruments or clean it up like you would if you were at home:

Batch of Beer: $145 to $195 makes 72 bottles (22oz bottles)

Beer Bottles: (22 oz) 80 cents each or about 58 dollars per batch

Growlers: $5 (one-time fee) for the empty container and $12 to fill it with beer

Logo Glass: $5

T- Shirt/Logo Cap: $18 each

You will want to be sure to check the hours of the brewery and keep in mind that nights and weekends are the hardest time to schedule your big brew day. Brewing is a fine balance between science and art so express yourself and enjoy the camaraderie. Cheers!

Craft Beer Events

Posted by: Ryan Tuenge Updated: July 8, 2011 - 8:57 PM

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The best way to sample a variety of beers is to attend a craft beer event. At these events, the brewers tend to bring their latest creation and will often bring a “special” or “rare” batch of beer for sampling. Luckily, in the Twin Cities there are events planned for every season and they are well attended.

In the fall the Minnesota Craft Brewer’s Guild puts on the Autumn Brew Review, an event that is held near the old Grain Belt brewery in Minneapolis. This is often one of the most popular events because it is held outdoors and the lineup of breweries is stellar. The next Autumn Brew Review is scheduled for September 17^th, 2011 and tickets will go on sale July 15^th. Tickets will cost you $30 in advance and $40 at the door.

In February the Guild also hosts Winterfest at the Minnesota Historical Society. This event is a bit chummier in that it is held indoors and food is a part of the experience. This event sells out quickly (last year it only took a minute!) so you will need to jump right on this when details emerge regarding ticketing. Ticket prices are a bit higher for this event but when you consider that food is included it’s not so bad.

Firkin Fest is held in March at The Happy Gnome. This event is special because the brewers serve their beer from a firkin. A firkin is a British unit of measurement, equivalent to about 9 gallons of beer. Music is always a part of this event with local bands playing throughout the day and the annual Golden Firkin is awarded to the winner for best beer as voted on by you the attendee. Tickets are usually around $35 but you will want to get them ahead of time before they sell out. The 2012 date has not yet been announced.

The St. Paul Summer Beer Fest is held at the State Fairgrounds in June, just in time for you to get that summer tan going. The beer flows all day from the 70 or more breweries at this gathering and you can expect to hear some great music in the sun. Ticket prices are around $40 dollars and will go on sale in April 2012.

Coming up next weekend (July 16^th, 2011) is the Beer Dabbler Showcase at Highland Fest in St. Paul. Online tickets will cost $30 dollars plus a service fee but this fest will not disappoint. 65 breweries will be in attendance and the food line-up features the beloved food trucks such as Chef Shack, Fork in the Road, and The Magic Bus Café! What sets this event apart are the homebrew contest and the beer education portion featuring a lesson in beer tasting from Certified Cicerone Michael Agnew owner of the blog A Perfect Pint.

Here are some tips for attending one of these events:

· Don’t forget the sunscreen. This is a mistake that many are guilty of especially during the summer months. The only thing worse than being hung over is waking up with wicked sunburn and a pounding headache.

· Drink plenty of water. Start early in the morning and drink water all day. Drinking alcoholic beverages will dehydrate your body, especially since these events tend to last for extended periods of time. You will thank yourself the next morning.

· Eat a hearty breakfast and make sure to eat at the event. While one could argue that beer is technically food, it does not provide the adequate nutrition that your body needs to sustain itself.

· Make sure that you have a sober ride home. Live to enjoy beer another day and remember that even though the portion sizes are small, they will catch up to you later on in the day. This is the most important tip that anyone will give you regarding these events.

These events are a great way to become acquainted with different varieties of beer and they are also a great place to meet new friends. You will discover that the breweries that show up to these events are just as happy to meet you as you are to meet them. Remember to bring your friends and have a great time hanging out with your fellow Craft Beer lovers.