Coming up with a good theme each month is probably the hardest part of writing this column. Sure, I could just write about five Minnesota beers I tried recently and call it good—sometimes I do!—but I always feel a bit disappointed in myself when I do that.
I like to think that my themes are what makes this column, as opposed to every other monthly Minnesota beer column, the sudsiest. So it’s fair to say I always appreciate it when someone else does this work for me. For example, this month’s theme is brought to you by my friend Holly:
You might disagree with my take on Fair State not really being Fair State anymore (more below). And obviously, I missed the May Day window. And sure, local legends Bauhaus just announced their closure, and that will probably inspire some folks to say that unions are a luxury craft breweries cannot afford (even though Bauhaus did not have a union and their struggles were not union related).
But to that anti-union nonsense I say, “Bro, Jeff Bezos is not going to fuck you.” Collective bargaining is rad, and if a company can’t exist while also treating its employees well, then it shouldn’t exist.
What about the fact I review five beers each month, and there are only three unionized breweries in Minnesota? Well, I thought about that, and have decided my initial “double down” idea was correct. I’ve awarded spots based on how long each brewery has been unionized. Schell’s gets two for having been unionized since the 1930s; Fair State gets two for being the first “microbrewery” in the country to unionize; and Indeed gets one because they’re still new to this whole union thing (and not because they retired Midnight Ryder years ago and I’m still salty about it).
Schell’s Brewery: Deer Brand
“Pre-prohibition” American lager / 4.7% ABV / ?? IBU
If you’re going to drink one union-made beer, I would like to humbly suggest it be Deer Brand by New Ulm’s August Schell Brewing Co. Not only is it brewed by the progenitor of the craft beer movement in Minnesota, it’s one of the best American adjunct lagers in the state according to me, the only person with the bravery and expertise to have correct opinions on such matters.
Also, this might be pretension talking, but I consider Deer Brand closer to a traditional German helles than other similar lagers. It has more hop character, and a little bit of funk I attribute to the yeast. It’s just a lot more interesting than many of its competitors.
So, out of the THREE American adjunct lagers Schell’s brews (Grain Belt since they bought it in 2002, and Hauenstein since 1997) it’s my favorite. But, they’re all union-made, so I guess you can choose to drink one of the others if you prefer.
Schell’s Brewery: Schell’s Dark
Dark lager / 4.8% ABV / 20 IBU
Fun fact: Schell’s Dark is part of what made me realize—way back in college in St. Peter, Minnesota—that American beers can be good. Until I had it, I looked with disdain on anything from the “domestic” coolers at the liquor store and had no appreciation for American lagers of any sort.
What did I drink instead? Guinness and Newcastle, obviously. Nothing against those beers, but I’m really thankful that Schell’s Dark opened my eyes to the possibilities of American beer.
Schell’s Dark has a light caramel malt vibe goin’, with an equally light noble hop herby bitterness. It’s a bit bready, almost like a pretzel, and presumably started out as a dunkel at some point before evolving into its current form. But, that’s just me guessing—what with the German brewing history at Schell’s and all.
Fair State Brewing: Mirror Universe
Hazy IPA / 7% ABV / 33 IBU
Mirror Universe is one of the best hazy IPAs you can get year-round in Minnesota. In fact, after moving back here in 2019 I decided I loved this beer and Fair State’s old taproom in northeast Minneapolis so much that I became a member of the old Fair State Brewing Cooperative. I believed in what Fair State was trying to do with the coop model, and when it unionized in 2020, I was ecstatic.
Of course, all this made news of Fair State Brewing Cooperative being dissolved and reformed as Fair State Brewing under Rancher’s Beverage Co. rather… disappointing. A lot of the magic of Fair State, for me, was in that old taproom and the coop model, thought I have to give Rancher’s credit for keeping on the unionized production staff. I really didn’t expect that. So, while I’m frustrated and sad about how everything went down, I’m glad part of it survives today, and that you can get great union-made beer at the liquor store.
Mirror Universe is the epitome of a hazy IPA. Its aroma is floral lemon, with a tropical background. Its flavor is balanced between citrus hop bite and tropical fruit. Mirror Universe is medium-bodied and creamy, and just boozy enough without being overpowering. The can isn’t as cool as it used to be (Rancher’s seems to have been convinced that Fair State didn’t have a strong enough visual identity, so all of the packaging now follows the same basic design), but alas.
Fair State Brewing: Pils
Pilsner / 4.9% ABV / 40 IBU
“But Nissa, I don’t like hazy IPAs and I’ve made this distaste part of my identity! There’s obviously something broken in my soul, but I’m not interested in fixing it because if I did I wouldn’t be able to blame the haze craze for why I don’t support local breweries anymore. Can’t you give me another option?”
Wow, what an honest and vulnerable thing for you to simply volunteer, imaginary interlocutor! I’m impressed! Therapy really seems to be helping. Keep at it! While I must agree that there’s probably something broken in your soul, the haze craze need not stop you from enjoying beer from local breweries. There’s a beer for that. It’s called “Fair State Pils.”
All joking aside, Fair State Pils is a classic, even if it’s not exactly a classic pilsner. It’s so good, it got an endorsement from Minneapolis Park Board District 4 Commissioner Jason Garcia. Fair State Pils has a strong grassy/floral noble hop aroma with a hint of malt. Its malt flavor is light and crisp, and it has a solid woody/herbal hop bitterness that exceeds what you’d expect from a traditional pilsner, but it feels right all the same.
Indeed Brewing Company: Pistachio Cream Ale
Cream Ale / 5.5% ABV / 15 IBU
Northeast Minneapolis’s Indeed Brewing was one of the breweries my friend Holly (the same one who suggested the column) insisted we go to when my partner and I were in Minnesota to visit before we moved back for realsies. Back in those days, Midnight Ryder was my favorite Indeed beer (again, sadly retired, still salty about it), and Pistachio Cream Ale didn’t even exist. Why, you could get a West Coast IPA at a brewery for five dollars back then… oh… oh god. I’m so old.
Anyway… I’ve always liked the homey vibes of the wood bar at Indeed’s taproom, and knowing that the workers have a union contract just adds to that. I’ve somehow managed to not cover Indeed’s Pistachio Cream Ale despite it being ubiquitous and widely loved (though I did cover their Imperial Pistachio Cream Ale). But, here I am fixing that in the name of worker solidarity.
Indeed’s Pistachio Cream Ale smells of pistachios with a light breadiness. Its flavor is creamy malt evenly balanced with pistachio nuttiness—lightly sweet, with essentially no hop character. While the pistachio flavor isn’t overpowering, this beer’s vibe is nuts all the way down. If you don’t like pistachios, I doubt you’ll like this beer. But then, if you don’t like pistachios, I’m not sure about you as a person. So, you know. Consider that.
