Harriet Brewing Taproom Soft Open, 3/17/12

Let's talk about beer. Let's talk about tap-rooms, and legislation, and also, let us talk about jazz.
Anyone paying attention to what's going on in beer in Minnesota knows that we now have tap-rooms at breweries legally allowed in Minnesota. This was on Jason Sowards' agenda for Harriet Brewing from the start, and he pursued it on the local level  before Omar Ansari kicked Surly Nation into action to make reality what has since been called "the Surly Bill." The first tap-room in the state actually belonged to Lift Bridge in Stillwater, and I have no idea whether they got any media attention when that happened, but the media did pay attention  last week when Fulton beat Harriet to it. I actually got a call from Jason that morning asking if I would join he and the Harriet crew at Fulton's inaugural night for their taproom. I could not do it, because I had a beer event to make happen (Imperial March 2012, 12 8% and above beers on tap, 4 Imperial Stouts,  barley-wines, and double IPAs), and a potentially big bar/club night after that. It (the Fulton taproom, not my event) made the local evening news, which added to their frenzy. Many people who came in that afternoon/night came after the Fulton thing, including my sister Lynn.
So, the next week, Harriet finally passed inspections and although not everything was perfect and finished according to their ideal notions of how their tap-room should look and feel, they had to get open and get a cash infusion. And Wednesday night, Jason asked me if I would DJ for the day, or at least part of it.

Jason is chatting my my good friend and Blue Nile regular Don Metzger, while Hank Williams, Jr. watches over the record collection in the background.

So, let's step back and revisit the Harriet brewing company of last year. At some point in the early day, I noticed Jason had a turntable and several boxes of albums in the brewery. I said I had a vinyl collection, but that most of my stuff was jazz. Great, he said, that's what I'm missing. I brought a few dozen LPs in, thinking of what I imagined Jason's musical sensibilities were, and the response was so enthusiastic that I couldn't believe it was true. This was not just from him, but from brewery employees, friends, volunteers, etcetera. I thought there was some insincere sarcasm or something, but that's my paranoid mind talking. They really all had jazz-sized holes in them waiting to be filled. At my last count, I had at least 100, maybe even 150 albums at the brewery, which I occasionally bring back home, but only after bringing more for them to hear. And it really has made an impact, at least with Jason. I brought him an Alice Coltrane record, and next thing you know, he found the album she made with Carlos Santana, before I did. I brought some Joe Farrel, an little-known 70's saxophonist, as well as George Benson's first record. What do you know, he gathered so many GB records I've never heard, as well as one with Joe Farrell. And Chico Hamilton! He found a CH record I've never heard. I'm catching up with the man. I've yet to find his love of Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane come anywhere near mine, but there's time, everyone needs time.

Here's Ted from Acadia Cafe talking with Todd from the Nomad. Todd had already had a long day, since his bar has a long-standing tradition of giving away free beer on St. Patrick's Day until someone pees, starting at noon.  This is something he loves to do, whether or not he makes money from it. That is a beer drinker's saint, that's what he is.

Well, like I said, he asked me to DJ and lo and behold they put it on their website and everything, my first time being identified as a DJ! After agreeing to it, I started looking at the LPs at home, putting them in order, making a playlist, think about it. Friday night I didn't leave work until after 3:30 AM (that would make it Saturday morning, of course.) and didn't fall asleep until after 6, maybe even 7 AM. Got up at 11 and made sure I'd be there on time. Jason called me at 12:45 to be sure, I threw the LPS on the back of my bike, and headed off, getting there a couple minutes after 1PM, ready to go. Looking later on, my wristband said I was number 5, but I don't recall any customers being in before me. Later on, Jason's wife said her wristband was number 350-something, although I've yet to hear if there was a larger head count. Harriet really wasn't ready to deal with something larger, so that's why it was a "soft open", and a Grand Opening, tied into the release of a Maibock, will be in another month, once they've gotten enough funds to finance a taproom that really approaches their ideal.

Here's someone who's name I should know, but I don't. He comes to the Nile sometimes, but I mainly know him from Town Hall. Great guy, I'll call him Jim. Or maybe it's Steve. He's sitting in my chair. I never told him it was my chair. While my records gently spin.

Here come the pictures. These may not be in chronological order. In fact, throw all logic out. And dig it.

An early view of a small line waiting for beer. There's Jake in the beard at left, and Ginny in here green wig, at right. Ginny likes to play dress-up.

I thought it would be funny to take a picture of these girls taking a picture of their beers. Ah, it's not that funny.

Here's Zach Lozier holding his trumpet high, with bass player whose name I've forgotten to the left, and Tanner Taylor on piano, completely obscured, with an admirer listening on. Zach plays my kind of music. If it isn't hard bop, it's songs associated with Louis Armstrong. For the latter, I head "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans" and "Stardust."

Here's good ol' Dan Stets with a Harriet East-Side IPA in his hand. Once I heard they'd tapped East-Side, I had to go in and get one. I don't normally see Dan in a green polo shirt, but you know what? There was a lot of green clothing going on, more than normal. What's up with that?

One of the many records I put the needle to, the classic "The Sidewinder" from Lee Morgan, Blue Note records, 1963. One of the best jazz albums of all time. I got nods of approval from trumpeter Zach Losier as he came in, at around 2:40 pm, and I figured I had time after that track for one more great one, and put on "Moment's Notice" from John Coltrane's Blue Note LP (his one and only on that label), the desert island disc, "Blue Train". If it inspired them at all, I'm honored to provide that inspiration. After the first set, I had to ask Zach about the songs, since so many were familiar, yet I couldn't name the titles. "Along Came Betty" (composer: Benny Golson) from Art Blakey's great "Moanin'" Album, also with Lee Morgan. Plus, "Hipsippy Blues", a Hank Mobley tune from an Art Blakey album in the early 60s', which also featured Lee, and which he personally identified as an album which included "Chicken and Dumplin's", by Bobby Timmons. My final cut during their break, was that tune, from the album of the same name, by Bobby Timmons. Zach gave me a big thumbs up, clearly appreciating the tune he'd mentioned earlier. Man, that really makes my day.

More from the Zach Lozier Trio, seen under the huge selection of Jesse Brodd paintings. Harriet never had time to paint the walls, but the colorful original artwork made up for that. 

Here's Justin, who doesn't have any interest in wearing green on March 17th, and has no problem wearing black in 70+ degree weather. I did the "wearin' o' the green" with a Harriet stocking cap with a green logo, and also wore a brown blazer with a Thelonious Monk pin over my Harriet t-shirt. That was my DJ attire. How could I wear such in this warm weather, I was asked? Well, look at Justin with his black shirt and mighty beard, plus a beer in each hand. Somehow we do it.

I like this view, behind the couches, because it shows the garage doors opened up for the patio on this incredibly unseasonally warm mid-March Saturday. It would have been hard to fit the 79 person capacity if that outdoor seating had been unavailable. Beautiful day all around. Again, notice all that green. What's going on?

Ted, Todd, and Jason clearly have something to talk about. I, eventually, when my beer consumption had exceeded my food consumption, or water intake, went with T and T and their wives to nearby Japanese restaraunt Midori's Floating World. Todd kept ordering bottles of sake and giant cans of Sapporo, although he's already met many of the sheets he'd be throwing to the wind. Me, I found that this round of sushi experimentation did not end well in my stomach. My apologies to their janitor. Or, whoever has to deal with that. Me and sushi = no good, sometimes.

Todd Smith loves Ireland. Many people around him love the color green. And people behind that fence would love to come in and have some Harriet beer!

What is Ginny saying here? "Don't drink the green beer! The green beer will give you bad trips, man!"

Jason has three beers in his hand. Three people are about to be very happy.