Minnesota Breweries One by One, #8: Hayes' Public House, Buffalo

The sun is shining in Buffalo, this Sunday.

(Note: I've been writing this all week, finally publishing today.)

We left Spilled Grain in Annandale, Jason and I, on the 31st of January,  and headed back south to Buffalo, MN, a city I find myself in at least twice maybe three times a year, if I'm feeling Easter-y. My eldest brother Jim and his wife Cindy live in Buffalo, and that's where our holiday gatherings happen, at the house they own next to their own house. (Don't ask. Long story.)

But, I've never spent much time in Buffalo, county seat of Wright county, population 15, 415, platted in 1856 and named after nearby Buffalo Lake, which must have been named for the well-known land mammal. Why not? Usually, we just go to Jim's, do our family thing, and get the heck out of there. Well, I don't know what one does in Buffalo, MN, but what you should do is toss back some pints at Hayes' Public House.

J. made a comment that I agree with, and that is that Hayes' Public House resembles Hammerheart in Lino Lakes in that it's a little isolated island of integrity and identity where you'd least expect it. The beers here are all in the styles originated in the United Kingdom, for the most part, and Gaelic names are used as often as they want, whether they can be pronounced or not. They're not going to be making any honey weisses or summer shandies to placate the masses. Beers like the Irish Cream Ale are probably as close as they'll get to that.
The Celtic phrase Caed Mile Failte (A Hundred Thousand Welcomes, the internet informs me) is written above the beer selection with no translation. All manner of Irish memorabilia fills the room, from flags and banners to framed Pogues posters and assorted knick-knacks, photos and ephemera. Comfortable tables and chairs abound, where happy drinkers play plentiful games, but oddly, there are no stools at the bar. Never understand that part, and frankly, I forgot to ask why. There's a little corner where the music happens, too.

The Dullahan Coffee Porter.

Self-portrait with beer, under the flags
and the very expansive growler
collection.

We perused the chalkboard and picked our pints (didn't feel like a flight, for whatever reason), my first being a pour of the Dullahan Coffee Porter, 38 IBUs, 6.5% ABV. Richly roasted, teeming with coffee notes in the pitch-perfect aroma, full-bodied, full-flavored, and just about everything I could want from a coffee porter. A satisfying ale, to be sure.

Next up, The Morrigan Black IPA, a heftier brew this time, with even more complexity. 80 IBU. 7.2% ABV, simply bursting with hoppiness. Rich dark malts, grassy hop notes. Just about perfect. We're on a winning streak here.

Am I always going to be taking photos of mens' room
decorations? Maybe. Sometimes.

Pugs allowed Jason and I to poke around in the
brewhouse. Behind us, across the street, is Buffalo Lake, where
men sat in simple shelters and whiled away
 the hours attempting to tease fish out of
the water through a hole in the ice. 

The Morrigan Black IPA.

"Pugs" Hayes himself, owner, proprietor, and brewer, was behind the bar, and we got to talking. The brewery, which had escaped my notice for many years, had been on my radar more recently due to Facebook posts by everyone's favorite local beer enthusiast who you can't lose in a crowd, Scott "Red Dread" Dorn, who had been filling my feed with pictures of his efforts in the brewhouse at Hayes. (The out-of-date website promised a beer he created, an 8.5% aBV, 100 IBU "IRA" called Dreadful Red, but it was gone from the taps.) Red had reached out and offered to bring me samples, to interest me in adding Hayes' beers on tap at Acadia, but I couldn't wait around for his visit, had to check out the place myself. (Have to check out every place, really, for the purposes of this vast project.) We did discuss the possibilities of the occasional keg, so there's something to look forward to.

Foreground, my hand holding Hayes' Irish Stout.
Back: Hayes himself.

Two beers in, and I was pretty much sold on this brewery. Solid stuff here. I got a sample of the Apple Ale, which was just as apple as you'd want, and opted for a nitro stout, simply called Hayes' Irish Stout.

Once again, it was right on the money. I don't drink a lot of nitro stouts, but this one filled the bill and then some. Dark, yet bright and brisk, with a long-lingering bitterness and lush black malt flavors, with a slight fruity tint, an impressively complex mix. A pint I could repeat over and over.

There were still three beers that I left untasted, (The Wee Heavy, Irish Cream Ale, Irish Red) but that's fine, it just leaves more to try next time, and there will be a next time.
I had a twinge of regret for not getting a growler later on, thinking that I really didn't spend too much that day after
all, and I wouldn't mind having that extra glass, for I do
intend to return some day. Fine beers, excellent atmosphere. Good place to hang when you find yourself in Buffalo.