Wild Mind Warpship Saison (part eight of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

And so, on a Wednesday afternoon in late July, I did venture forth and see the taproom, or tasting room, as they call it, at Wild Mind Artisan Ales for the first time since February. I chose the occasion of a glass giveaway, and I arrived several hours too late. They only had 40 to give away, but I underestimated the desire for such things. At the reservations table, a new normal must for every brewery these days, I was informed that they had reservation for 40 right at opening at 4 pm.

Getting a free glass is the last thing I need. My glassware collection is overwhelming and unwieldy. However, I do not have an appropriate Wild Mind glass, currently, and wish that I had one. (I used to have a nice one, but it went the way of all things, alas.)I do have one, of sorts, but it is not appropriate. You can see it below.
I will not use it for a blog post pic again. On the other hand, the ones they were giving out were in the can-shape style, which is also not appropriate for proper presentation, and do not feature their logo anywhere. Cool designs, though. But, I don't need them.

(Further note about that glass. It is from their anniversary party from last year. Wild Mind is just one of many local breweries that has not been able to do anniversary parties, expressed their regret and moved on with their lives. There are other companies that can't reign in their enthusiasm and call on crowds to convene, despite the danger. What the hell is wrong with them? Just a little sacfrice, hold back your passion for partying, for the good of everyone...or, just fuck it, right? Because nothing's more important than appeasing your ego? Arrrghh! Rant over.)

I did not have a reservation, I told the attendant. Because I did not feel that I needed one. Making a reservation for a bar or taproom goes against my very core beliefs. Most of the spaces on the patio were accounted for, due to the rush of folks who came out for their glasses. "You really should have made a reservation," he scolded me, before offering the farthest away spot indoors. Several tables were left open in the middle of the floor, reserved for someone who never arrived during the duration of my stay (about an hour and a half). Only one person sat there, a guy who arrived solo and just wanted a beer and some crowlers to go. I think he avoided the man at the reservation stand. Went around him while he was distracted. I should have tried that.

So, you read the large list on the wall, wait in a line, order from one bartender, and pick your drink up from the other one on the far side of the bar. I know that sounds like it makes sense, but I don't get why it's necessary. Is it to keep the two bartenders far apart from each other?
Get the customers to move apart?
What is the difference between that and just bringing it back closer to where you ordered it?

In these trying, uncertain, ...what are the other clichés?...times that we are navigating (we are always "navigating", you notice that?), places like Wild Mind are doing their best to keep us all safe and distanced and trying to flatten that curve. Meanwhile, other bars that did not do a lick of due diligence have caused the Mayor of Minneapolis to ban all bars at bars, starting this Saturday, 8/1. You can get something at your reserved table, but you can't sit at a bar and be served by a bartender.

Wild Mind had already socked away their stools, but this new emergency decree had operators thinking that they couldn't serve a beer to a customer from the bar at all. I've only been to one other taproom since then, and they were serving customers from the bar to then take away to their table, but chairs were put away. It felt so weird not sitting at the bar. The last time I was there I sat at the bar, with chairs spaced apart.

Meanwhile, are the ones who had unmasked bartenders and unchecked crowds doing anything to help us get back on track and bring down transmission? I should do an informal check around my neighborhood, and see how much social distancing is going on, how much they check reservations, etc. Get on board, fellas, and help us kick this thing. The other day I saw one bar not doing a thing to follow the rules (it seemed, from through the window) and across the street another bar following the letter of the law.

Back to the beers, I chose for my first one the very one whose review you'll see below, the saison called Warpship. I liked it better from the crowler than I did in the plastic cup. For beer two, I picked the Acai and Blue Agave version of the Fruited IPA line they're calling Punk Tacos. I've had the Black Currant version before, and will soon open and review a crowler of the Blueberry rendition. This one was sweet and funky, and not an IPA. I had one more. Three is plenty, when I have a 5-mile ride to get back home, and I chose a big one, a delicious, 13 % Barleywine called The Great Decay. Didn't taste right in the plastic cup, but still was pretty damned tasty. (Do the guidelines dictate plastic? It's seems a matter of personal interpretation. The current count in my experience is 7 glass to 4 plastic. Will probably chance as I check more out.) Anywho, if I ever see that one again in crowler or bottle form, I'll have more to say about it.

Wild Mind Warpship Saison.
5.5 % ABV. 
Wild Mind Artisan Ales, 
Minneapolis, MN. 

Lightly hazy, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Fruit blast at first, citrus and stone. Lemon and apricot, peach and tangerine. Lightly spiced. Lively. Lovely.

In the mouth: Again, the fruit factor splashes upon the palate, right there with Belgian yeast. Starts out fruity, slightly sweet, just a touch bitter and spicy, turning dry in the end. Medium bodied, clean, easy drinking, refreshing. Authentic flavors of Belgian saison continue on the palate. Citrus and stone fruit taste go on and on, with a trickle of spice right behind.

One of the better locally produced saisons I've tasted in quite a while. Yum, as is often said, a dum dum.

Open-fermented Saison made with our house yeast culture. Deep notes of apricot and peach.

Falling Knife. Atlantean Belgian Strong Golden Ale (part six of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

On the 30th of June, while quietly observing my birthday with a couple of friends, I suggested to Ed that we go to Falling Knife Brewing in NE Minneapolis. He hadn't been there, either, so off we went. I made a call to find out if it was necessary to make reservations for a couple of seats at the bar, and I was assured that we did not need to.

Falling Knife gets it's name from a concept that I'd never heard of, that "The falling knife has no handle" meaning that if one wished to catch it in mid-flight, it is very difficult to grab it by the handle and one risks cuts or missing digits. The prudent among us would allow the knife to fall to the ground  and pick it up later. So, they're saying that they are taking risks, damn the cost. I think. Dismembered thumbs are all over their branding and iconography.

They opened up in late 2019, and I never made it out there, but certainly heard the accolades from friends. Their location is the old NorthGate space, 783 Harding St. NE #100, which I'd been to at least a couple of times. I'd always thought that if any can make it at that spot, they must have a product that can succeed outside their taproom, or have the goods inside to drive people in. Something, alas, that NorthGate did not.

What I was hearing about their beers suggested to me that they were working out a beer program that would make them the Barrel Theory of Minneapolis. Hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, fruited sours, and little else. Everything that gets the beer geeks going. Or maybe more?

Because they are so far from the bus lines, I skipped them during the winter months. Didn't want to walk from the bus during the cold times. And when the weather got better, well, that's when we couldn't go nowhere, and no one could open. Breweries needed to find new ways to sell their stuff, and Falling Knife started selling their crowlers at liquor stores. That's how I managed to get the four beers that have since appeared here in the Nib. It was way past time to see the taproom and try them there.

One commonality in all the taprooms I've
seen recently: no coasters. I think to
myself, why not just use them one time?
Well, I'm not paying for them, am I?

So, we pulled up and found a couple stools at the bar, there were only about six, all spaced out. One of the owners that I know, Dan Herman, was manning the bar, mask and gloves on. Hand sanitizer was never far away. There were people on the patio, and a handful of tables inside, one in the back and two near the exist, a larger group socializing between two tables of four. Only one other patron was seated at the bar. I closed my eyes to imagine what it was like in regular times, the noise, the crowds, the excitement and jubilation.

Ed, meanwhile, reminisced about old times in that space, wished aloud that it was decorated like in the previous incarnation, with football scarves hanging from the ceiling, and British-themed memorabilia all over. Why would they have that, I asked of Ed, when that does not fit the current theme of the new place? It's pretty damned hard keeping a British ale-only theme going when that's not going be the thing to get butts in the seats, not in that neighborhood, anyway. I kid, there, for it's not really a neighborhood, and not really walking distance from one.

Shaky Hands

As for the current decor, low-key is the style. Where there are paintings hung, they are minimal in design. Where once was a crazy cacophony of crap by the left of the bar now stands an array of t-shirts. Beyond the main room, an inoperative jukebox, for we can't communally touch things anymore, and the same goes for the trio of pinball machines in the back. Ah, what noise they might make now!

One additional note on their COVID-19 response. On their table tent detailing rules, it is strongly stated that masks are to be worn at all times, except when eating or drinking. "That means even between sips and bites" they say. I have not seen anyone else even suggest such a thing, and I can't imagine anyone complying.

Elan Vital

On with the beer! For my first pick, I went with a big one, a Belgian Strong Golden Ale called Atlantean. I don't usually go with big ones right off the bat, but something moved me. I brought a crowler and the notes are below. Second up, a small pour of Shaky Hands, an Imperial Stout with espresso and vanilla beans. Yum a dum, dum. There was one I wish I could have brought home with me. Another time, perhaps. Finally, a pint of Elan Vital, a smooth hazy pale ale brewed with Cashmere and Ekuanot hops that hit all the right buttons. Citrusy and refreshing.

Well, I'm sold. My only problem is the pricing. $7 and $8 pints aren't for me. But I let that slide for the quality. They're making good beer out here, I just might not be going out of my way for it.

Okay, now with the final crowler from my purchase that evening.

Atlantean Belgian Strong Golden Ale.
9.99% ABV.
Falling Knife Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bold golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Soft, sweet, bubblegummy. A little floral, a little fruity. Some citrus, a lot of stone. Nice.

In the mouth: Sweetness, fruit and Belgian funkiness take over the palate from the start. It's a light-ish body, but not one to take for granted. Alcohol hangs high in this, and the Belgian yeast/malt sweetness doesn't go down a notch.

I enjoyed this, though it doesn't quite achieve any resemblance to an authentic Belgian ale. Reminds me of Harriet's much-missed Divine Oculust, not a bad comparison. I'd definitely have another, if offered one.

Belgian Golden Strong with peppery and fruity esters

Lakes and Legends BloodCat Belgian IPA (part five of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

Stanchions are getting greater use at taprooms these
days. We stand apart from one another and we
keep our masks on. 

In my attempt to revisit the breweries of Minneapolis, I have compiled a list and arranged them in order of when I'd been there last. Fourth from the top is Lakes and Legends, which I haven't been to since November of 2017. Two and a half years! How did that happen? It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I kind of forget about them. If I'm in that area, I'm usually inclined to go to Sisyphus, or else I'm on way to downtown, or beyond. And there was, actually, a period where I wasn't especially sold on this brewery. Long about time to try them out again.

So, I went down to 1368 LaSalle Avenue, blocks from the lovely Loring Park,  saw the outside seating on the sidewalk was busy, parked my bike, turned to the door, and glanced the long, wordy sign about their COVID-19 plan. Reservations were necessary, no walk-ins. I walked up and asked the masked bartender, "can I take any table I like? " "Sure", came his reply.

And there we go. So, I occupied a couple of hours, tasting a few new-to-me brews in plastic cups, without taking notes. Two of the beers I took home in crowlers (which is something new since last I visited), and you'll see one of them below. The other was a pale ale called Wee Tiger, and it hit all the notes, but I'd love to try it in glass some day.

Half the taprooms think they have to
pour in plastic, half of them don't.
I've never seen it set down anywhere,
but I'm not going to argue. It's
a good move these days, just
don't argue.

The three beers I tried were actually a mixed bag. The one I was less of a fan of, I actually purchased a crowler of anyway, so you'll see that soon. (I take the good with the so-so.) The others were just fine, nothing too fancy. And one of those I liked better in the growler, and that review is below. Maybe it's a matter of the plastic? (Current count, after seeing eight breweries since the slow re-open: 4 glass/4 plastic).

Barncat IPA is a beer I'd never had before, and, actually, still haven't. It was among the beers available  in kegs, but the rep from the distributor never gave me a sample. He gave me a can of 5-weight, and that's a nice cream ale, and it sold well on tap. But, I just wasn't in the mood to try their IPA without sample first and didn't feel like paying for a 6-pack at the store. Maybe go in to the taproom and taste it there? says the little man on my shoulder. Nope not doing that. And I don't know why. They're making perfectly okay beer. I should peek in on them more often, and see how things go.

So, my first review of Lakes & Legends in over 2 1/2 years is the blood orange version of this IPA.
Notes ahoy!

Lakes and Legends BloodCat Belgian IPA. (Blood Orange Barn Cat.)
6.5% ABV, Lakes & Legends Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright golden color, large, brilliant white head. Looking very nice.

In the nose: Funky and fruity. Belgian yeast meets large dose of citrus.

In the mouth: Juicy at first, then comes the bitter, followed by the twist of Belgian funky yeast. I like Belgian IPAs, it's a trend that regrettably never quite caught on, and I miss them. In this instance, I feel like the deployment of the blood orange fruit is not as forward as I'd like. The blood orange IPAs I've enjoyed have been more heavy-handed in their use of the fruit.

Wait, though. Here it is, and matched by a high quotient of hop bitterness. Orange flavors are growing and growing. Malt is potent, too, and it's all a well-balanced affair. I'm really enjoying it now, actually. My kind of blood orange Belgian IPA.

Sisyphus Jim Beam Me Up Barrel-aged RIS (and part four of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

On June 27, after La Dona, Jason and I stepped into Sisyphus as the third stop on this sunny Saturday afternoon. It was a quiet one. Andy was behind the bar and Sam, the owner, was enjoying time away from that station. It's been a one-man show throughout all of this, and he keeps pushing that rock, every damned day (except Monday, I learned when I forgot to check the hours). He gets a little help from friends, though. And every one of them is masked-up, gloves on, hand sanitizer at the ready (and available for customers, who are asked to please keep masks on when ordering or when away from their tables. Just about everyone complies.

Unfortunately, there's not much space available for outside seating, and they were thrilled to finally open up the inside. Some tables are removed, some chairs and those things we can't communally touch any more, like water stations and the game collection, are stashed away. On this particular visit, I had a Cucumber Pils, which went down with great ease, and then one of the bourbon barrel stouts in question, poured into plastic. I've noticed it's about half and half when it comes to who's using plastic and who's using glass. The very vague rules and regulations are being interpreted differently, and I can't blame anyone about their particular take. Maybe the ones who are too strict on the "reservations required" business. That's not a factor at Sisyphus, and I'm fine with that.

Comedy shows have returned, with required spacing, but the Open Mic, one of their best event nights of the week, is still postponed.

I asked Sam to break his plastic only rule, just
this once, so I could take this pic.

So, on that Saturday, Jason and I did air-clinks with our beers, he took leave and biked the three hours back to his home, and I finished my stay with an IPA called The First Beer We Named, which I reviewed almost five years ago. I made it back again last Wednesday, and Sam was thrilled at the attendance. Actually, people in here! And all socially distanced, respectful, and courteous. Not as busy as it used to be, in the before times, but getting better.

And I'll pair this report with a review of a crowler took home back on June 12. Nearly a month in the fridge ain't bad, right? It's actually appeared here, before, but this is my take on it from a crowler.



Sisyphus Jim Beam Me Up Barrel-aged RIS.
11.5 % ABV. 80 IBU.
Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Absolute blackness, slim head, complete opacity.

In the nose: spills out solid bourbon notes, hanging over a morass of cocoa, coffee, vanilla, cherries, and an abundance of more malty flavors.

In the mouth: Rich and delicious. Bourbon-barrely all the way. Powerful. Thick, but never too viscous. Full-bodied, long lasting dark malt flavors. It's got all the goods.

We're giving this beer all she's got captain! Better "Jim Beam Me Up" Our latest barrel aged beer release! This imperial stout was aged in a Jim Beam barrel, and the robust aroma lets you know before you even taste it. 

Tons of vanilla and roast notes, that follow you as you take your first sip. The taste finishes with a nice rich cracker/bread note that rounds out the beer. Come in from the Minnesota cold and warm up with one of these!

Town Hall Juice Haze NE Pale Ale (part three of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

My Spider-Man mask is not upside-down. I meant
to do it that way, because...

A peek at the numbers shows that Town Hall Brewery is tops here in the Bitter Nib. They've appeared nearly 200 times so far. There are many reasons for this: I've been going there for eighteen years. It is the most prolific brewery in close proximity to my residence over that time. And, of course, they are always making great beers.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the first place I went to when bars and restaurants could re-open, outside only, was that brewpub on Washington Avenue, back on the 8th of June. A nice little lunch on the patio with a couple or three beers. They were taking walk-up reservations. All the requisite safety pre-cautions were in place. Had a Masala Mama, a Mango Mama, and a Good as Gold IPA. I drink a lot of IPAs.



I returned to Town Hall some three weeks later, on the 30th of June, for my birthday. Last year on my birthday, the gathering looked like this:

L to R: Rick, Ed, Dean, Rita, Kelly, me, Angie,
Nick, Jason.

Two years ago, we convened for my 50th and this was just a slice of the attendance:

L to R: Sharon, Dave, Jason, me, Michelle, Nick,
Jeff, Rita, Kelly. Missing: Dean, Ed, Patti, Lynn,
Alex, Jeff B, Dave A., Summer...others?

Ed is having a guest beer, for once.
It's a Hoops Brewing blueberry milk
stout, chosen so that Ed could have
one of Dave's beers at Mike's brewery.

Well, these days in our times of social distancing, tables may not seat more than four individuals, although six at a table is allowed if they are all from the same household, for some reason. Gatherings like the above simply are not possible. So, I got together with Ed, and Kelly joined us. That would have to be enough. Maybe we could have slid a few more in, if they showed up, but it's hard to get people out these days. It was very slow, no one was at the bar, and my mind went back to memories of eighteen years of hanging out at that bar, (my first visit was in summer of 2002), all the good times and comradery with new friends and old. Silent, for now. Sad, when you think of it. And I do.

I had a new IPA called Hop Cruise, because that's what I do, for my second beer I asked Ed to choose and he went with cask Masala Mama, and I finished with a delicious Rye Barrel. Took some crowlers home, as I do, and one of them is their new hazy pale ale. Because everyone has to make a hazy, and I have to drink them, because sometimes there isn't anything else.

Town Hall Juice Haze NE Pale Ale. 5.5 % ABV.

Even Town Hall has to go hazy, once in a while.

Highly hazed, bright golden hued, small white head.

In the nose: Big citrus, orange, grapefruit. slight sweetness, touch of tropical.

In the mouth: Burst of bitterness, followed by the juicy. Citrus and tropical in equal amounts. Terriffically tasty. Hazy, fuzzy, with light bitterness. Medium body, light drinking. Bright and fruity. Tasty. I like it.





Juicy New England style pale ale packed with tropical fruit hop character.

56 Brewing (part two of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

There are beers that I've written about and breweries that I've written about. There are breweries whose beers I've reviewed here, but never the business itself, it's taproom, facilities, or itself as a corporate entity. I try to cover the Minneapolis scene and have been remiss in posting articles about a handful of our local breweries, and my visits to them, and these include: ONE, Inbound, 612, HeadFlyer, Utepils, Pryes, Falling Knife, and 56. Some of these I will write about when I visit them again, and then there is one I don't intend to step foot in unless something changes.

A few more things. One of the truest things about this blog is that I will review every beer that finds it's way into my fridge. How this happens is divided into two categories: either someone gives that beer to me, or I go out and I get. I go out and get it at a store, or in a growler or a crowler on a taproom/brewpub visit. Whether I visit a taproom or not, and with what frequency, is determined my different factors. Do I like the people there, do I enjoy the space, do I crave their beers? Is the facility in close proximity to home, or work. Is it hard to find?

If you search for 56 Brewing in this blog, you'll see that they've appeared here eighteen times, which is more than other brewers I might actually like a little better,. If you examine these entries with a keen eye, you'll notice that the vast majority of these beers were samples. If you give me a sample, it's goes in the blog, good or bad. Go ahead and read them. I wasn't thrilled with this brewery at first.

56's Lake Sandy Rye Lager went on tap at Acadia around five years ago, before I started ordering the kegs. A nitro keg of Dark Territory also went on before I was in charge, and afterwards I decided not to continue with them until I they got better. Samples stopped coming, and I never picked up any of the bombers that appeared in the stores. But I did make an obligatory visit to the brewery in 2016. This was a space without a taproom, due a lack of restroom facilities. (The same once-used by NorthGate, and now Broken Clock, who have fixed that issue.)

Occasionally, they would have events, with outdoor seating and a Biffy, and on October 14 I got on my bike and made my way up to California Street in NorthEast Minneapolis to try the Octoberfest among others. Certain special beers were being poured from kegs inside a delivery truck: Railyard Black Iron Porter (Bourbon Barrel aged), Maple Porter, 1/2 Ton V1 DIPA, and Oktober56fest were the ones I tried. I wasn't happy with any of them. I took notes and pictures, including one of the brewer in front of the truck, hoisting the plastic cup of beer he's about to serve me, but I postponed the article forever. Just couldn't work up the energy to write up a so-so brewery working out of a doomed facility.

Cut to nearly a year later, September 2017, and my first stop at the new facility, just around the corner. All this information comes from Untappd (as well as much of the above data). I had a Black Iron Porter, Simcoe Double IPA, and others, all in plastic cups, for some reason. You've got a brewery, you pour your beer in glasses. (Unless, this is another weird case where they "wanted to get rid of them.") And I was surprised by how much I liked them. This might also have been when I first met Mahad, I know I'd seen him there at least twice.

So, they've got a new building, new brewery, new brewer, and an actual sales rep, who was dropping off samples. The beer was much better, and I felt like I could bring them back in. Looking on the reviews, I published notes on everything they brought me, whether from a growler, can, or crowler. And every now and then, I'd bring in a keg.

Once 56 had cans in the market and a hazy IPA inside them, they started to catch on. Recognition grew and so did their favor among the beer geek crowd. Every now and then, I'd even buy one of their beers on my own, for home consumption. This happened in late 2017, when I bought a six-pack of an IPA that I'd previously sampled from a growler brought in by the sales rep. It had (and still has) the unfortunate name of Nose Hair Bender. You might think that that is a clever way of describing your IPA and it's effect on the insides of someone's nostrils, but there are several things wrong with it, and it's flat out weird that they would go through with such a poor marketing strategy. In my review, I wrote: "Someone should have said no somewhere."

I made another stop in January of 2018, pleased that they were using glass this time. Took home a mini-growler of 'ssippi Squeeze IPA, which I liked and sold at the bar. Still put off writing about them. The samples kept coming, and I'd put them on once in a while. Didn't make it back to the taproom again until April of last year, a quick stop with my niece to return all these empty growlers from all the samples. Had a Peach Cobbler IPA that I didn't mind at all. Still didn't use that opportunity to write a post.

So, I've got 52 check-ins on Untappd, 18 reviews here on the blog, and one untapped keg of Super 'ssippi Squeeze waiting through this infernal shut-down, sitting in the cooler, ...and the one brewery owner who doesn't know a damned thing about racial sensitivity, or just being a good human being.

When I first met Mahad, I thought it was great to see some diversity behind the bar, it's cool that Black folks are becoming part of the industry. This place must be cool to have him on board, I thought. They must be cool people for hiring him. They couldn't possibly be racist, of course. No?

No?

Oh, sure, you have some knots lying around, and some are noose-like, and your sole Black employee feels uncomfortable, and you feel a joke coming on. Someone should have said no somewhere. And that's you, man. In your head and in your heart is where you say no to something stupid and harmful. Some things aren't jokes, and the people of diverse ethnic backgrounds in your employment shouldn't have to be in a potentially toxic environment. It's not terribly hard to not be racist.

That's just fucked up.

So, this is the blog post where I write up the brewery that I don't intend to step foot in again, unless the Johnsons sell, get out of the business, and let someone take over, rename it, make it a haven for respect, caring, and inclusivity. We can't put up with shit like this anymore.

I think we have enough breweries where we don't have to support the one with a racist owner.

La Dona Cerveceria El Reyna IPA ( and part one of Minneapolis Breweries 2020)

One thing has been missing from this blog lately, and you know what it is. Individual write-ups about visits to breweries, rather than simple reviews of their beers. I've seen many breweries and not written them up here, and I can offer no excuses or explanations.

In addition to this, I wanted to accomplish the task of doing brewery reports of Minneapolis first, close the circle on it, so to speak. At year's beginning, I began a project of hitting up brewery taprooms until I got through a certain number, all through the year. Well, you know what happened. But now, the breweries and taprooms are re-opening, and I still haven't gone back to work full-time. As good a time as any to try, try again.

In the logo for La Dona Cerveceria, Minneapolis' Latinx-themed brewery at 241 Fremont in North Minneapolis (it's practically outside Downtown), we see very prominently the number 2016. This is one of those cases where that number does not reflect the year that they opened, but the date of their inception, the time they decided to start doing something, maybe the date they formed their LLC. If they'd opened in 2016, I might have written about them sooner.

In fact, they opened in late 2018, and I put off visiting them until May of 2019. This is when they first appeared here, after bringing home a couple of crowlers from my Monday stop. I'd been hearing from friends who'd been there, and raved about their brown ale or their Mexican lager. That wasn't good enough for me, I had to see if there was more to them.

You walk in and see the Mexican-themed art is everywhere. There's a long bar, surrounded by all kinds of other seating, with televisions all around. Past the bar is a small restaurant area that's been occupied by various enterprises. It wasn't open that night, and I'd just missed the night's event, a lesson in Spanish. Other advertised events included Latin dance lesson, DJs, and bands. Outside, a miniature futbol field, definitely the only one of it's kind attached to a Minnesota taproom.

I had three beers that time, and took no notes. They included Bromista, an American Pale Ale, El Rey, an American IPA, and Xipe, a Mosaic & Simcoe IPA. I was pleased with all three, found them all refreshing, tasty, and being indicative of their respective styles. Perhaps I should have gone outside my usual comfort zone, and tried different styles, but that's just the way I was feeling that night. Two crowlers came home with me, and they were hits with my palate, too: an Azacca DIPA and a Coffee Brown Ale. I didn't want to only praise their lagers, as one might suspect that a Latinx brewery would be best known for lagers, and wanted to make sure there were other treats
available.

Now I have to ask why it took me so long to return. One theory might be that in order to get there from where I live, one would need to pass Sisyphus Brewing, and would I really want to skip them.?Also, no buses will take you there, you'd need to walk a mile from the area near Sisyphus, and in winter, do I want to do that? No excuse for when I'm on bike, though. No excuse at all.

In the before times, we used to gather.

And so it came to be that my second visit was on a Sunday night in March of this year, when I was at Sisyphus, near closing time. Sam was going to go there for some televised futbol after closing, and offered to give me a ride, so that was that. A large crowd had convened to watch the local Loons kicking around the Soccer ball in Portland, OR, much larger than the 30-some that the management had anticipated. I saw my futbol-loving friend Steve at the bar and squeezed in between the stools. My super-fan friend Rich, who had gathered all these fans there for the occasion, saw me and uttered, "Al! You're at a soccer game?" "No," I told him, "I'm at a bar." "But, you're watching a football game!" "No, there's a game on, where I'm drinking beer." Silly.

I had two beers while there, first, one of their standard IPAs, La Reyna, which you will hear more about below. I followed that with Cuauhtil, a Russian Imperial Stout. Which you will hear about when I crack open a bottle. They were both served in plastic, due to the larger number of patrons than they suspected. It seemed that they were doing a good job of keeping up with cleaning the glasses, though, and I spied the back-up snifters sitting dry on a shelf. Asked if I could get my imperial stout in one of those, instead of plastic, please. Nope, only plastic while the game is on. But it's right there, I think, but don't say. Okay, whatever, I won't argue. I took my leave and Ubered home.

I wished that I could have brought crowlers home from that visit, but it was after 6 pm on a Sunday, and that wasn't allowed. Too bad. This was nearly the last taproom visit of 2020, until recently. I'd done a Wisconsin trip to see Oliphant & Dave's BrewFarm, after,  and a pop-in to Town Hall, before it all came crashing in, and the world shut down. So many things seem like ages ago. The carefree feeling of standing/sitting next to people. Crowds. Being able to walk in without worry. I won't say "freedom" because that makes me sound like certain other people.

We're slowly opening up. Now, at last, I made my third visit to La Dona, on a Saturday afternoon, again biking south after seeing Utepils. And there's no fuss about reservations. We can take glassware outside. Plenty of room for "social distancing". They ask that patrons wear masks while indoors, and everyone complies. Jason and I moved our table to the shade, and just enjoyed spending the time. I was delighted by the 3:17 to Cologne kolsch, which hit all the right notes. Next up: the Dona Fria lager, a style I typically skip, but was perfect for the weather at the time. I finished up with Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, a kolsch/IPA hybrid that didn't knock my socks off, but I enjoyed, nonetheless. In the middle of the beers, I had a chorizo taco ($4 each).

This time I was able to pick up crowlers/bottles, and I went with 2 of each. One of which is reviewed below.

La Dona Cerveceria El Reyna IPA. 6 % ABV. 73 IBU.
La Dona Cerveceria, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, larges, lasting, lace-leaving ivory head. Looking good.

In the nose: Slight sweetness swiftly subsumed by hop aromatics. Resiney, piney, some citrus.

In the mouth: Starts out bitter and bridges over to juicy and hoppy. Ending on a dry note. Big bite of citrusy hop flavors, a touch of tropical on the side. Long, bitter finish, that I love. Medium-bodied, and easy-drinking. A splash of sweetness continues to counter the brittle, bitter side.
Juicy, bitter, dry, cha, cha, cha.

I like this one. My kind of IPA. I'll drink it again.

North meets South as Simcoe and Mosaic hops create a duet of piney and tropical fruit aromas and flavors.

After three visits, I haven't found a La Dona beer that I didn't like. And I'd be a fool to not return with more urgency. I just have to see every other Minneapolis brewery first. Maybe. We'll see.

Here's how they describe themselves, by the way: We are the nation's first Latino-influenced for-benefit beer company, supporting and accentuating the Latinx communities of Minnesota. Inspired by our upbringings, our goal is to provide quality craft beer to anyone who appreciates beer with purpose, culture and heart. We are fusing Latin and local Minnesota culture, one cerveza at a time

Come for the waste elimination, stay for the art!