Westward, Ho! (A quick breeze through some of the breweries of southwest minnesota, with a ramble in the middle.)

This map was handed to us at Enki Brewing when we told the staff of our trip. We didn't begin, as they suggest, with Lucid in Minnetonka. Maybe next time. 

Keen observers of The Bitter Nib are aware that from time to time, we take a break from strict beer reviews and instead offer reports on my various adventures in beer, near and far, often illustrated with photographs. But, let it be known that not all of my jaunts and journeys get chronicled here. I visited Madison, Wisconsin for the Great Taste of the MidWest in August, but was disappointed with the quality of the photos I took, and have been so slow to write up a report, it seems pointless at this time. In September, I made it to the Autumn Brew Review for the 13th year in a row, and it was a blast as always, bigger than any of them before, but I was too busy hanging out with friends and family to even think about composition, framing and content. Sometimes, I just have fun going out drinking and neglect my part-time position as a self-directed amateur beer journalist.

It's time to get back on that horse, and I'll start with a little trip through the breweries of the southwest suburbs with my old pal Jason Braunwarth, four weeks ago. Jason lives in the SW town of Norwood Young America, (it used to be Norwood and Young America, now it's Norwood Young America) and has invited me to his family farmhouse for beer tastings for years now, but the logistics simply didn't work out for me getting a Saturday off to join the party. These days, I have more Saturdays off than I want, so that was no longer a problem.

Jason had a particular schedule and agenda in mind, and it meant doing one-and-dones, having one beer each at the breweries & taprooms on the way, so that driving under the influence would not be a problem, and that he was fit for the events of the evening. Well, since I was the passenger, I suppose I could've gotten wasted, but that wouldn't have been cool. (I must remind the reader that I neither own an automobile nor possess the ability to operate one.)

As we entered the Excelsior brewery, Jason with his Schell's jersey, and I in my Steel Toe cap, one of those young ladies walking down the lane wondered aloud: "Do you guys like beer much?" Just a little.

Our first stop was Excelsior Brewing, of Excelsior, MN, a 20-barrel brewery established in 2012, not far from Lake Minnetonka. The multitude of nautical puns they employ puzzled me at first, until I realized how important boats are to the local culture. In the taproom, the four main beers were on, but I skipped them in favor of something new. I've had three of them before (see my reviews here), and the fourth, the Blonde Ale,  is easy enough to find.

A sneak peek at the hub of activity at the Excelsior Brewing taproom, that magical center where courteous servers are eager to fill your cup.

Written on the oar below were the seasonal offerings, the Port Side Pilsner (a style I usually skip), the pale ale called Biscuit Pants (also referred to as a "session ale" as is current custom), which J. chose, leaving for me the Heavy Weizen Imperial Hefe Weizen, at 6.8% ABV. It was exactly what it was supposed to be, and it didn't change my opinion of the "style." I much prefer hefe weizens that are as light and easy-drinking as they're supposed to be, and don't feel the need for Imperialization. Of course, I can assure you, there have been versions I've tried and liked, but that doesn't keep me from sneering away at all new attempts I find.

Gleaming silver vessels at the Excelsior  Brewery.

Let that not be seen as any manner of unkind commentary towards the brewery itself. Quite the contrary, I've been very happy with their offerings so far. I began to muse during this visit on the concept of the "me, too" brewery, usually floated about by one who feels that are above such things, and are accomplishing the opposite, a criticism against their un-esteemed competition. This concept describes the entrepreneur that longs to build a brewery, just like everyone else, yet does not offer beers of quality and distinction, instead putting forth the same styles and flavors. I contend that there's nothing necessarily wrong with such a brewery, if their beers of high quality and the community embraces them. You certainly don't need these types of brewers on every block and neighborhood in a large metropolitan area, and the Twin Cities is doing a good job of harboring a wide variety of distinctive brewing concerns, each with their own unique angle. When we get further away from the metropolitan areas, you'll find communities yearning to have their own brewery they can call their own. Excelsior's community is certainly embracing them, and they are bottling some fine, if not especially ground-breaking,  brews.

Here's the garage door at Excelsior, decked out with nautical flags, which spell out XLCR, nautically, that is.

If a brewery exists that doesn't make quality beer and isn't embraced by the community, that's not a great problem, just a waste of some people's time and money and unfortunate use of valuable brewing equipment. These operations will simply cease to exist. There is going to be an issue, though, when a brewery makes poor quality beer, and is supported by the locals. The growing segment of neophytes seeking out their local craft beer ceases to be discerning and lower quality beer is given a pass, all in the name of supporting the home team.

Which brings us to our next stop, the Enki Brewery in charming Victoria, Minnesota, (a town of some 7,000 persons, in Carver County)housed in a former creamery, built in 1914. The name of the brewery comes from the ancient Sumerian goddess of water and fertility, and is also an anagram for the company where the owners and brewers first met, Nike.

Enki Brewing from the outside, in charming downtown Victoria, MN.

I first tried their Citric Journey Pale Ale at the Autumn Brew Review last year, mere months after they established themselves. (Re-visiting that post, it seems I also tried the Auburn Kolsch then, before I took issue with the appellation.) I found no fault with it, but this was one small sample at a festival; I was neither turned off or blown away. The next beer I tried from them resulted in this review, in which I concluded that while the Auburn Kolsch may be an adequate brew, it defies all sense to call it a "kolsch." When Jason and I sat at the bar at Enki, he chose their Oktoberfest, called Enki Fest, and I decided on their Tail Feather IPA.  J. got the better beer, a defensible stab at the marzen style, but nothing special, and I was left defeated and depressed by the disappointing ale in my glass. What was wrong with it?, Jason wondered. Well, let me put it this way: have you heard the conventional wisdom that an imperial IPA is an easy beer to make, you just dump a ton of hops in, and no one can tell a good one from a bad one? At 8% ABV, and a reported 90 IBUs, this could be considered an Imperial IPA, but a well-crafted beer it is not. There's little balance, no cohesion, nothing really lifting it up from being just a messy morass of hops. The individual parts, the malt, the hops, the yeast, do not come together in a compelling fashion.

Left: the Enki Fest marzen which Jason enjoyed, and at Right: the Tail Feather IPA which left me cold.

I wish I had taken a sampler flight, to get a fuller view of their range of offerings, but when I glance at other reviews, it seems unlikely that my opinion will be altered much. I know people who keep to the philosophy of "if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all" when it comes to our local brewing community, perhaps in an effort to stay on good terms and remain friends with their brewers and owners. Me, I've got to call them as I see them, and will give Enki more time to grow and possibly put out better beer. They won't improve, however, if their mediocre products are simply accepted and not challenged.

A quick glimpse at the shiny brewing equipment at Enki, which currently sells growlers on site, and kegs to bars around the metro.

One other thing continues to puzzle me about Enki, and that's their slogan: "Making the world a friendlier place, two beers at a time." They make more than two beers. Or are there rules allowing for only two beers to be consumed at a sitting in Victoria? Will they cut you off after two? If you only have one, are you less friendly? I need answers. One more question: they call their supporters FOE's, or Friends of Enki. A "foe" is an enemy. Mixed signals.

Next on our agenda, the one winery in the Waconia area that has also begun producing beers, Schram's Vineyards Winery and Brewery on Airport Road. Nestled in a particularly picturesque area, this is one brewing operation that I hadn't heard of until Jason placed it on our agenda. The main building was exclusively devoted to wine tasting, and the beers were served outside from a truck in plastic cups. While it was clear that the brewing came second here, we couldn't help but also feel like second-class citizens. I didn't see any wine being poured in plastic cups. Jason ordered a Mocha Monkey Coffee Ale, and I picked the Biere de Garde; each was passable, but nothing outstanding. Despite the unimpressive beer offerings, it was a lovely enough spot to sip them in.

A peeks a the beautiful gardens and shuffleboard area at Schram's, with my Biere de Garde in the foreground.

One last top before we got to the farm, and this was not a brewery or winery, but a beer bar, in the town of New Germany, MN. Actually, since the name of it was Hollywood Roadhouse, I had to inquire to Jason, and he informed me that it's actually inside the township of Hollywood, MN (I had never heard of this), which is so tiny, the mailing address must be nearby New Germany. From the outside, it had nothing to suggest a craft beer destination. A large banner read "Bikers Welcome" and neon signs for Miller Lite and Budweiser filled the windows. But, once inside, I found a cozy little place in the middle of nowhere with 30 tap lines completely devoted to national and local craft beer options, and an owner giddy and gleeful as the proverbial child ensconced in the toy store. I forgot what I had, something from Indeed, maybe, and Jason got a New Holland, I think. It was impressive that such devotion is flowering in such a far-flung locale. He seemed to be stuck on no one particular scheme or schedule concerning his wares, instead riffing through every new offering that comes down the pike. I didn't catch his name, but he's fighting the good fight out there at the Hollywood Roadhouse. Maybe we were too early to see the biker crowd show up and deplete their Budweiser bottle supply?

You'd expect this to be the scene of a Patrick Swayze flick about a cooler named Dalton, and you'd be surprised by their MN-centric craft beer line-up.

Next up: the farmhouse household, and an evening of making and baking handmade pizzas in wood-fire clay oven inside a burned-out barn, while going through the goodies of Jason's vast collection. I don't know when I'll make it out that way again, but I definitely to take the trip once more, if only to make it to Marshall, MN, for the new Brau Brothers brewery. Many people asked if we included that site or Schell's on this trip, but that would be an extra hourlong drive further west.

Before the power on my camera died and festivities swung into full effect, I snapped a pic of this evidence of barn parties past.

So, I can say that at last, I made it out to those breweries in the southwest. Next, to find a way to journey up north and visit the new breweries that have opened out that way. It may not be easy, but I've got to make it happen. Who wants to join me for Northward, Ho!

Need more information on the beers, wines and spirits of SW Minne? Here you go!