Minneapolis Breweries Day by Day #8: LynLake Brewery & .....

Dr. Z's Double IPA, with peppers and pineapple

Thursday, January 4. It's still furreeezing out there. I decided against plans that would have taken me farther away from home, dropping them in favor of not standing out in the cold waiting for buses. "What's all this about buses, Al?" someone, somewhere might be saying. "Where's your car?" Well, I made a decision not to overcome the traumas caused by car accidents in my youth, and that's why I get around by foot, bike, bus, and the help of my friends with automobiles. So, now you know.

On this day off, I decided the brewery of the day would be the one closest to where I live, LynLake Brewery at 2934 Lyndale Avenue, roughly nine city blocks away. I hadn't been there since October 16 of last year. Not high on the priority list, but we've already gone over the extenuating circumstances.

I got my empty growlers, walked on down, stepped in, showed the man my ID, and saw that the place was about as packed as can be. A record number of trivia teams this time, according to the Trivia Mafia host. I found an empty seat, squeezed in, and met the gaze of the friendly server. After checking the seasonals chalkboard, I decided to start with Dr. Z's, a Double IPA. I love those! When they're good. And I ignored the important words beneath:  WITH PINEAPPLE AND SERRANO PEPPER,  8.3% IBU: 65 SRM: 6. I drank it down, but I didn't love it. Pepper beers and I do not get along. It was not a bad beer, but I certainly wouldn't have another. And I don't know who among a crowd like this is going to make that leap.

Gutter Bum Double IPA. Not a fan of
the name. They still call their stout
Rubbish. Why?

I know people who live in this neighborhood who have sworn it off because they don't like this crowd. I have friends who have brewed here and don't like the crowd. I look around. Yeah, most of them don't live in this zip code, only a few of them are drinking anything other than the lightest of the lights on tap. This isn't, alas, where you'll go to knock elbows with fellow imbibers of fine ales and lagers. They don't look all that douche-y, but there is a general lack of diversity among them, perhaps a greater level of comfort and privilege. But, I'm projecting this, I don't come often enough to know better. I'm certainly not becoming best friends with any of this bridge & tunnel crowd.

In search of my next beer, I gazed upon the chalkboard and thought to myself, "this other Double IPA with an illustration of Rick from Rick & Morty called Gutter Bum, let's give this a try." This one's 8.6% ABV, 85 IBU, and I knew nothing else about it. But, hey, we're going to have another DIPA. I found more information somewhere: Citra, Amarillo, Summit, Zythos hops. And I liked it, quite a bit, but took no notes. Not just because it would look weird and out of place, but there just wasn't room for my elbows. I remember finding it vibrant, juicy, fresh, tropical and nicely hopped.

Hey, what if, I thought, what if I next had me one of that other Double IPA? What, three Double IPAs? That's crazy. What else could I have chosen? There was Disco Jenga, the golden kettle sour, but I wasn't feeling like it. (I did take a mini-growler home, though.) And a dortmunder. Don't want a lager. Raka Waka Pale Ale. Had it. A wild rice red ale? Maybe. Or maybe not.


So, the third double IPA it is! And I took notes on it when I brought it home. Here they are:

Take Off Double IPA. 9.2% ABV. 80 IBU.

To the eye: clear-ish, bright golden, steady head of ivory foam.

In the nose: bright, lively, citric, pithy, fierce, fantastic.

In the mouth: big, bright, bold. Tasty as heck. Simcoe? Cascade? I'd just be guessing all day, but it's got plenty of citrus, lots of bitterness, and tons of yum. This is pretty damn tasty. It's very much yum.

Deep tangerine aromas delivered up with warming esters in this light bodied IIPA. Crisp toasty malt and lingering resinous hop finish. Double Dry Hopped.

Looks like I liked it. Got 3 beers on this visit, picked up 2 growlers, gathered up my stuff and shuffled out the door, leaving the trivia players to their game. And out into the bitter cold I boldly go.

I'll be back to see what else LynLake is brewing, but not before I've re-visited every other brewery Minneapolis has to offer. Eight down, twenty-four to go.