#MNBeer News Insider: Feb. 17

Winterfest to host more than 60 Minnesota breweries

More than 60 Minnesota breweries will be pouring at the 14th annual Winterfest on Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 at the Union Depot in St. Paul.

The event is sponsored by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild and runs from 7-10 p.m. each night. The event is exclusive to only Minnesota breweries.

"It's one of the only times of the year that you will find brewers in suits with combed beards," joked event organizer Amanda Buhman. "When the event first started, it was very intimate. It has grown with the craft beer industry."

The breweries are scheduled at different points over the two days.

There are 10 breweries that will pour both nights: 2014 Best of Fest winners Barley John's Brewpub, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co.; And brewer's choice poll winners August Schell Brewing Co., Dangerous Man Brewing Co., Fitger's Brewhouse, Indeed Brewing Co., Steel Toe Brewing, Summit Brewing Co. and Town Hall Brewery.

Limited advanced tickets are still available online and cost $135 for a two-night package and $75 for single-night tickets. Buhman said a small amount of tickets will be available at the events each day.

The event also features education classes both nights open to attendees, including a food pairing course taught by chef Jason Foster of Northbound Smokehouse and Brewpub, Hops 101 taught by Ben Boo of Mighty Axe Hops and Homebrewing 101 taught by Todd Jackson of Midwest Supplies/Northern Brewer.

Granite City to release whiskey oak-aged Scottish ale

Granite City Food & Brewery will release a Scottish ale that's aged with whiskey-soaked oak spirals called Way Up Yer Kilt in its national brewpub chain stores at 4-6 p.m. tapping events Sunday.

The beer adds aging techniques to Granite City's January Scottish ale specialty release called Up Yer Kilt.

"I think (whiskey oak aging) is an interesting way to add flavors to beer," said Granite City head brewmaster Cory O'Neel, who creates the wort for each restaurant's beer at a regional site in Ellsworth, Iowa.

"By using (Up Yer Kilt), we are giving people a chance to compare and contrast the flavors of wood aging. They get the opportunity to taste the same beer with it and without it."

Granite City brewpub chains, which initially started in St. Cloud, include more than 30 restaurants in 13 states.

Boom Island to release a saison

The Boom Island Brewing Co. announced it will release a Saison on March 20 in its Minneapolis taproom.

The release will be part of a regular Thursday pop culture trivia night called Triviasco! that's hosted by Ian Rans.

Boom Island was founded by Brewmaster Kevin Welch after tasting Belgian beer and visiting 13 Belgian breweries.

Lift Bridge announces release party

Lift Bridge Brewing Co. announced on its Facebook that 750-milliliter bottles of an Irish Coffee Stout will be available in the Stillwater taproom starting March 7.

Advance tickets to the noon-10 p.m. release party are available online.

Lift Bridge has hosted a release party for the coffee-infused and whiskey barrel-agedRussian imperial stout annually since 2012.

Hayes to release smoked Scottish Schilling

Hayes' Public House announced on Facebook that it will release a smoked Scottish Schilling cask at 3 p.m. Saturday in its Buffalo taproom.

Last week, the Hayes released a chocolate blueberry porter for a Valentine's Day celebration.

Bemidji to release next in hop series

The Bemidji Brewing Co. announced on Facebook that the brewery will release the fifth beer in its single hop series in its taproom Friday.

The latest features Glacier hops. The most recent single hop series release in January featured Topaz hops.

Bemidji also recently released a Flanders Sour Ale.

Montgomery Brewing Co. releases stout

The Montgomery Brewing Co. announced on Facebook it released a Russian imperial stout called The General in its taproom Saturday.

The beer has black licorice notes.

DID YOU KNOW?

New Munich, a Stearns County city with a current population of less than 400, once housed Minnesota's third-largest brewery and is part of Central Minnesota's rich brewing history.

Hungarian immigrant Mathew Pitzl bought the Brewery in 1900 at the current intersection of Main Street and Seventh Ave. for $5,500. Thanks to Pitzl's renovations and branding of Weiner Lager Beer, the Pitzl Brewing Co. became Minnesota third-largest beer producer by 1910.

During the midst of Prohibition in 1924, the Pitzl Brewery was charged with illegally selling beer. The remaining products were destroyed, but during one of the raids, federal Prohibition agent Albert Whitney suffered a fractured skull. Pitzl moved the brewery equipment to Estevan, Saskatchewan, in Canada via a 14-car Soo Line train.

Pitzl died in Canada in 1931. His remains were returned to New Munich for a funeral. An attempt to resurrect the brewery in 1933 failed.

And in February 2008, an old cistern well from the brewery — "The most dangerous cistern well I've ever seen," said inspector Keith Donabauer in a press release — was sealed in a Minnesota Department of Health project that cost more than $6,000.

The brewery has since been torn down.

Recent #MNBeer News Insiders

•Feb. 16: Including Town Hall Brewery, August Schell Brewing Co., Jack Pine Brewery, Junkyard Brewing Co., Dangerous Man Brewing Co., Maple Island Brewing and the Science Museum of Minnesota as the site of Minnesota's 1st brewery.

•Feb. 12: Including Voyageur Brewing Co., Insight Brewing, Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub, Sociable Cider Werks and LynLake Brewery.

•Feb. 10: Including Sociable Cider Werks, Voyageur Brewing Co., Indeed Brewing Co., Beaver Island Brewing Co., Brau Brothers Brewing Co., The Fargo Brewing Co. and Fair State Brewing Cooperative.

•Feb. 9: Including Town Hall Brewery, Lupine Brewing Company, Indeed Brewing Co., 612BREW and Twin Cities Brewery Tours.

•Feb. 6: Including new bipartisan bill sponsored by Amy Klobuchar, Eastlake Craft Brewery, Third Street Brewhouse, Harriet Brewing, Maple Island Brewing, Kinney Creek Brewery and NorthGate Brewing.