Happy Holidays!

Like I Need Another Hobby

Just finished up my first two guitar effects pedals. I wanted to find a way to get my soldering chops back into shape and this looked like a fun way to do it. I've never done circuit board soldering and it proved to be the most fun.

The cream pedal is a boost and the brown pedal is a tremolo.

You can hear them at a Cannery Row gig near you.

Winterfest Tickets on Sale Monday

Click On The Winterfest Logo For More Information!

These tickets go really fast, so do not delay.

We will be at the Minnesota History Center this year which should be a great venue!

They're back!

I now have the Golden and High Bank Amber back on tap. Sorry for the delay. The Deep Seven will be back on Friday-and if samples from the tank are any indication it's gonna be a good one. I tweaked the dry hopping a little and it has made a big difference. Also...this is the second batch where I have used "first wort hopping". When the first runnings of the mash are being pumped into the brew kettle, I add the flavoring hops. Now some of you home brewers may be wondering why you would add the flavoring addition at this time, but believe me, it adds a unique hop character to the beer.
We just recieved our third order of growlers. Thanks for supporting your local brewery!

Happy Turkey Day!

Here's hoping that your Thanksgiving travels are save, whether they are 200 miles away, 50 miles away, across town or from the dining room table to the couch! Be safe and patient out there people.

A super cool thing going on the day after Thanksgiving- no, I'm not talking about getting up at 4am for Black Friday sales, we avoid those like the plague around here- It's the National Day of Listening. Any one's story is important and especially important as family and loved ones live further and further away from each other nowadays. I would like to take my recording device and record some of the grandparents talking with the grand kids. My wife's family is huge and that might be chaotic at Thanksgiving Supper. I would love to preserve some of my mother's stories and grandmother's stories (she's 95, living in the same house in Fairmont since the 1950's).

Whether you record the stories or not, just listen to what others have to say. Right now, in this time, history is calling us to share our stories. Love this idea, hope it catches on!

Today being Wednesday, it's $5 buck growler refill day and the perfect time to pick some craft brew up for Thursday's big feast.

Cannery Row at the Local Blend Friday

From our email list:
Cannery Row will be at the Local Blend this Friday (21 Nov) in downtown St. Joseph from 7-10 pm. This has always been one of our favourite places to play and this week we also get to take advantage of their new stage. Good food too!

We’ll also have the latest in Cannery Row merchandise available for purchase. You can get an early start on your holiday shopping with a lovely set of Cannery Row glassware (actually used by members of the band!)

Hope to see you Friday.

Long Time No Blog

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.
We have been dealing with a production snafu, but we will be back on line brewing early next week. We may be running thin on a few of our beers for a bit, so please be patient.
In other news...
Brainerd Lakes Brewing is coming soon. I had the opportunity to try some of the test batches and all were tasty. Nice to see another local brewery coming soon!

Vote Dammit!

Tomorrow is election day. Go vote!
Nuff said.

Gentry Bronson & Cannery Row Friday at the Red Carpet

From Gentry's site:

"This Friday, November 7th, I'm playing a show in the Minnesota town where I grew up with a number of incredible musicians playing with me.
This is gonna be a fantastic night that I'm hoping is a laid back, hometown version of The Band's "Last Waltz" meets The Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" – I know, I'm aiming high for this show!
And…all proceeds go to an amazing organization…the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center (CMSAC)!!!
The show will be at…
The Red Carpet Event Center
11 South 5th Ave
St. Cloud, Minnesota
www.redcarpetnightclub.com
Doors open at 7:00pm
Show time 7:30pm
I'll be joined on drums by one of my oldest friends, Andy Novak (of Pachanga Society www.pachangasociety.com)...
…and the bad ass bluegrass Americana band, Cannery Row (which includes musicians Michael Sharp, Dean Severson, Carol Anderson, Gary Dockendorf & Chris Laumb). www.myspace.com/canneryrowband
Other special guests are slated to play and speak.
Tickets are available in advance for $12.00 or $15.00 at the door.
For tickets, go to the Electric Fetus in downtown St. Cloud.
For more information, call Bill Nelson at 320-980-1179.
About the CMSAC
The Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center is a 24-hour crisis intervention agency providing direct services to those individuals who have been affected by any form of sexual violence.
Sexual assault can happen to anyone, anywhere, regardless of age, race, economic status, lifestyle, religion, culture, sexual orientation, or gender. Sexual assault is sexual contact made without someone's consent. It can be terrifying, humiliating and confusing.
If you or someone you know is being sexually assaulted call 1-800-237-5090. For more information visit: www.cmsac.org
See you Friday night!
G"

That's all for now,
Gentry

We are Proud to Introduce...

McCann's Apricot Coriander Ale.
Here's the 411:
Brewed with Belgian malt and French hops, this ale is blended with a tasty addition of apricots and gently spiced with East Indian coriander which contributes a light orange/citrus like flavor. A wonderful, light refreshing ale.

Off with the neighborhood bad boys tonight to see Fred Eaglesmith at the Cedar in Minneapplepus.
Fred is one of my favorite song writers and has the gift of humor also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqA_xpOZcOU

McCann's Apricot Coriander Ale on Tap Tomorrow

Yes, it's new seasonal time. I'll have details tomorrow.

Cannery Row at The White Horse This Thursday

We'll be playing The White Horse Downtown St. Cloud on Thursday, 5-8pm. The food is great. I've taken a liking to the black bean burger, but the whole menu is good. Decent beer on tap also. Our mandolin player Gary and I will be performing for the Avon Arts Crawl on Saturday. Not sure of the location yet, either at Jorgensen Pottery or the Dancing Bear B&B. Stay tuned. I love the challenge of playing as a duo, so I'm looking forward to it. We also have a show with Gentry Bronson at the Red Carpet Friday, November 7th at 7:30pm. Gentry is touring the Netherlands at the moment, so the guy has the chops to say the least. All proceeds go to the Central MN Sexual Assault Center, so you get good karma points for attending.
I'm enjoying playing so much. There is even "CD" talk in the air. Fun!

On the 24th McCann's will be at The Gemutlichkeit Beer Tasting Event at Mulligans Event Center in Sartell. 5-9pm with German food, entertainment and prizes. Other Minnesota Craft Breweries will also be present. As some of you may know, my brother Jeff is executive chef at Mulligan's and we plan on incorporating my beer with his food. Proceeds go to the YMCA. Tickets are available at Coborn's Liquor on Cooper Ave. and Sartell and at Westside Liquor in Waite Park. Hope to see you there.

Prairie Porter is Back!

Put the Prairie Porter on tap today. Nice and roasty/toasty like last year's.
Dougy Z. and I blasted around the Jail Trail yesterday on the mountain bikes and it felt great getting out and hammering the legs a little. All too seldom lately. Felt decent after the ride despite the ever growing middle section.

Prairie Porter Returns Thursday

This seems fitting to me after spending the weekend on the prairie of Southwest Minnesota. A big thanks to the Brau Brothers for hosting a fine Hop Festival in Lucan. We didn't know if the locals would enjoy our band or not, but we were happy to spend some time with good folks on our breaks sharing some great beer with us. The brothers had requests to bring us back next year and I'm looking forward to it. If you haven't tried their Whirly Bird Stout yet, be sure to do so.
After the fest, my wife and kids met me and we headed off to Fort Ridgely State Park. Our little guy was well under the weather, but was a trooper all weekend. Despite a blow chow incident in the tent, the camping was good.
We toured the ruins of the old fort on Sunday. Thanks to the workers at the interpretive center for all of their knowledge on the Dakota Uprising. I owe you guys a beer!
Afterwards we visited the Birch Coulee battlefield, but, because of our sick son, we didn't get a chance to do the walking tour. Another day trip will have to be planned in the future. Birch Coulee has a nice ring to it. I hope to write a flat picking melody named after it soon.

Speaking of Friday...

I'll have a special 5 gallon keg of unfiltered Bourbon Vanilla Porter on tap for Cannery Row fans. Tapped at 7pm, when it's gone it's gone.

Busy Week

Lets see...

Filtering the next batch of amber tomorrow...

Brewing Thursday and Cannery Row is playing at the Federal Building Downtown...

Friday is brew house cleaning and Cannery Row plays McCann's downstairs at 7pm...

Saturday Cannery Row plays Hop Fest at the Brau Brothers Brewery at 2pm. Is it worth a road trip to Lucan? Yes, yes it is. http://www.braubrothersbrewing.com/

The family then heads of for some camping that night and some R&R.

Sunday we plan on visiting some historic sites from the Dakota uprising. I got the idea a few months ago to write a song about the mass execution of native peoples in Mankato, a result of the uprising. I have been doing some research and like any war this one was full of sorrow. While other songs I have wrote just kinda hit me in the head and write themselves fairly quickly, this one has really been a struggle. It's a complicated subject matter to say the least. Hopefully I'll get closer to the goal Sunday when we actually visit some of the locations of the uprising. I have always felt a spiritual connection to the native people of Minnesota and I want to represent them in the right manner, and still be respectful of all the victims-a difficult balance.

The Return of Prairie Porter

The latest batch of Prairie Porter is in the tank becoming beer. This one got a lot of raves last year, so it's coming back as the next Dark Seasonal.
I have heard lots of requests to bring back the Coffee infused version and you can count on it coming down the line sometime soon. I might have some other tricks up my sleeve also.

ABR or Bust

Tomorrow we head down to our first Autumn Brew Review at the historic Grain Belt Brewery building in Minneapolis. If you read this blog, be sure to say howdy. I'll post some pics next week of the mayhem.

Todays Fall Photo

Alright everyone...

Breath in slowly...

And release...

Now, wasn't that relaxing.

Fall does that to me.

Thanks to Mario Proulx for the fall hop vine pic.

McCann's at The Pork Chop Challenge

I'll be serving our Euro Pils at Riverside park Sunday for the Mid Minnesota Cycling Clubs' Pork Chop Challenge Cyclocross race. Registration starts at 11pm. Beer is tapped when the last race starts. Click photo for more info!

Beer and food available for riders with a donation to the club.

The Riverside course is great for spectators. See the Midwest's best bicycle racers duke it out. We need volunteers for the race starting with course set up at 8:30am. Bring your best chili for the chili cook off competition-we always seem short on chili.

Half Way to St. Patty's Day

Get this!
We will be doing growler refills all week for $4! It's half way to St. Patty's Day madness. It's nice to know some things are still affordable.
After this week, don't forget that we fill growlers for $5 Mondays and Wednesdays.
Why growlers rule over six packs:
*You are supporting a local business.
*Guaranteed fresh
*Less of a carbon footprint(no truck shipping it to the wholesaler and liquor store=less fuel used).
*You recycle by bringing the growler back to be refilled.
*My kids might be able to go to college someday if daddy has a job. ;)
*You can try a sample before you buy.
*Brewed with the best ingredients available.
*New seasonal beers released many times a year.
OK, off the soap box.

Ghost Rider Pumpkin Ale Now on Tap

Here ya go:

We are pleased to introduce our harvest time seasonal Ghost Rider Pumpkin Ale. This light amber brew is mashed with real pumpkin. We then steep our secret blend of spices in the brew kettle to remind you of grandma's favorite pumpkin pie recipe. You'll lose your head over it!

Fresh Hop, Keg Hopped Euro Pils

Well, the Blackberry Ale went fast. Now on tap is a keg hopped version of our Euro Pils. I used fresh hops right off the vine for this one. Very interesting if you have never tried a fresh hop beer.
Tomorrow the Ghost Rider Pumpkin Ale goes on tap. I'll give you the 411 tomorrow.

Cannery Row Live in St. Joe Friday

My band will be playing the Harvest Fest at the farmers market in St. Joe on Friday at 4pm. I'm hoping I can nab me one of those tasty yak burgers.

Following the market, we'll head over to the Local Blend downtown and play a show there at 7pm. Wine and beer along with coffee is available at the Blend. Yes, the glass on the poster is available for purchase. Buy one, or a whole set.

Thus starts our "fall tour". See our link on the left for additional dates.

As far as brewery news goes, I've been playing catch up all week(a good thing). I'm hoping to have Ghost Rider Pumpkin Ale on tap Friday. As always, I'll post details here.

McCann's Blackberry Ale Now on Tap

Our newest Limited Release is now on tap. It will go fast.
Up next:
Fresh Hop Euro Pils.
Details soon.

ABR Line Up

Alright folks. Here's the line up for the Autumn Brew review:

Keg Hopped Deep Seven
I load handfuls of leaf hops in a keg and top it off with our house IPA. Hop heaven!

Flame
A strong amber ale aged on toasted french oak with organic Flame raisins and an artfull blend of exotic sugars. Like nothing you have tried before! Available only here at the Autumn Brew Review (for now).

Ghost Rider Pumpkin Ale
I add pumpkin in the mash of this light amber ale, then steep our secret blend of spices to the brew kettle to remind you of grandma's favorite pumpkin pie recipe. A perfect ale for harvest time in Minnesota.

Middle Town Braun
Brewed with large amounts of Munich malt, with smaller portions of dark crystal and chocolate malts. Balanced toffee/caramel notes with a light roasted background. A nice session beer we like to drink out of liter mugs at the brew pub.

Euro Pils
Brewed with 100% of the highest quality pilsner malt and Saaz hops from the Czech Republic. This golden lager is aged slowly at just above freezing for a clean, crisp finish. I LOVE saaz hops, so I add fresh Saaz hops to the fermenter during aging, resulting in a wonderful floral aroma and a thirst quenching finish.

New Limited Release on the Way

We have just shy of a keg of the Dubbel Donker left. If It's your last chance to try this rare style seldom seen in the U.S.
Up next is what will probably be the last of our summer fruit series beers. McCann's Blackberry Ale will be a one keg release. Blink and it will be gone. I'll let you know here when it goes on tap.
In other news, we are planning on doing a growler punch card. We are nailing down the details now. I'll keep you posted here on the blog.
Enjoy the cool weather we are having.
All for now.

What's Your Bid?

We spent the week getting bids to get our roof reshingled. We have a few more to go early next week and we should be able to make our pick for the job. We start painting the middle of next month, so the homestead should be looking good by the end of September.
I've been slacking posting my bands shows here on the blog. We've been playing a good bit lately and we have some fun shows lined up for fall. Check the link on the left of this page for the schedule. We will play McCann's on October 10th followed by a show at The Brau Brothers Brewery the next day-can you say road trip? The Braus hope to have their first "estate" beer on tap for the festival. It will be brewed with hops and barley grown on the brewery property. I can't wait to try it.

How cool Is This?!

My buddy JD from Jorgenson Pottery finished up our new tap handles. I'm way happy with them. Very unique and eye catching I feel. I really wanted something special instead of the run of the mill tap handles and I'm always about supporting local artists. See the pictures below for more insight on JD's process.

JD is now doing some prototype glasses, mugs and growlers for us with his next firing.

JD's Kiln

The kilning process is very labor intensive as it requires constant monitoring for three days. Not to mention many hours of loading pieces in the kiln for firing and the removal of pieces after the process is over. Helpers take shifts to add wood to the fire and keep an eye on things.

Adding Wood To The Fire

Getting Hotter!

JD's Wood Fired Pizza/Bread Oven

JD also built a wood fire oven for pizza and bread. We enjoyed some of the best pizza my taste buds have ever come across-Thanks JD!

Busy August

Summer is our slow time. With people out at the lakes and St. Cloud State without students, we just don't see the numbers we do in the fall and winter. But, I gotta tell you things have been pretty good lately. Beer is selling well and I'm brewing a good bit lately.

I still do not feel people in the area really know they have a craft brewery in town yet. Some of that is our fault, having a limited advertising budget as a new business. I've tried to get some interest from the local paper, but they do not seem to care there is a brewery in their town. Sad, considering the rich brewing history this town has. I suppose we will have to bite the bullet and do some advertising with them to get their interest. to bad it has to be that way.

Central Minnesota just doesn't have the beer culture the Twin Cities has, but I'm doing what I can to change that. I keep telling my self-one person at a time and it will come. This is my matra.

Fall is looking really good with the students coming back to town and people coming home from their cabins. We now have over 500+ growlers out in circulation and folks are coming back for refills, so things look good there also. I'm looking into growler deliveries starting next spring, but I have many details to work out. I'd like to deliver on my bike if possible to promote the "green" thingy. Not sure I can pull that off though. Peace Coffee delivers by bike in the cities and I really like that model. We'll see. Any other ideas you beer lovers may have? Let me know-I'd love to hear them.

Great Lakes Brewing News at McCann's

You can now pick up the "brewspaper" Great Lakes Brewing News at McCann's. It's free and a great way to catch up on all the local brewing goings on in the great lakes area.

Middle Town Braun Now On Tap

Here's the skivvy:
The Middle Town area of St. Cloud(now Downtown) was settled by Germans in the mid to late Eighteen hundreds. This dark amber lager is brewed in their honor. By using a large portion of Munich malt with the addition of chocolate and dark crystal malts, we achieve a beer with balanced caramel/toffee notes with a light roasted background. Our cold aging process produces An incredibly drinkable beer you will keep coming back to.
4.5% ABV

This one will be about as light as our Dark Seasonal gets, but we are in the dog days of summer and I thought this would be a little more refreshing. We still have the Dubbel Donker if you want to get your dark on. It fits style wise somewhere between a Octoberfest and Dunkel. This one is just made for our liter mugs and patio. I'm really digging the deep maltyness this beer dishes out.
Prost!

Do Not Delay!

If The Brewing Thing Doesn't Work Out...

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

I'm in a haze from vacation withdrawl. Three days camping in Elkart Lake Wisconsin watching the American LeMans Series at Road America. We almost had a tire blowout on Sunday night, so we got a hotel and waited for the tire store to open Monday morning. Made it back home in six and a half hours after the tire was replaced.

I hope to be my "normal" self by tomorrow.

I'll have a new beer on by the end of the week-stay tuned.

On Tap Tomorrow...

EURO

PILS

Unlike the mass produced fizzy yellow "pilsners" brewed with adjuncts (corn/rice), our true style pilsner beer is brewed with 100% of the highest quality pilsner malt and Saaz hops from the Czech Republic. This golden lager is aged slowly at just above freezing for a clean, crisp finish. I LOVE saaz hops, so I add fresh Saaz hops to the fermenter during aging resulting in a wonderful floral aroma and thirst quenching finish.

My son and I leave for our first big camp out in Wisconsin Friday, so I'll wish you a happy weekend now as tomorrow will be busy with getting the pilsner on and packing up.

Drink your Pilsner!

Blue Bastard Now On Tap

The Two Rivers Apricot Ale is now gone and the Blue Bastard is now on tap.
I'm hoping to get the new lager on by the end of the week. Stay tuned for details.

Two Rivers Apricot Ale Now On Tap

The fist keg in our Summer Fruit Limited Reserve Series is now on tap.

Two Rivers Apricot Ale:
A light ale with the addition of natural apricot and spiced with just a dash of coriander as a nod to Belgian summer beers.
I'm not sure how long this will last, but it will go quick.

The next keg in the series will be:
Blue Bastard:
The offspring of our Golden Ale. A light gold ale Infused with natural blueberry. A refreshing summer brew for the hot days of August.
I'll update the blog when it goes on.

Check Out The Wee Little Ones

The hops in the back yard are well on their way. Looking foward to harvesting. Can anyone say fresh hop dry hopping?

I'm interested in how much of a bounty I will get.

Not sure what approach I'm going to use for drying yet, but I have some ideas.

Up Next

Coming soon will be our Summer Fruit Limited Reserve series:

Two Rivers Apricot Ale (with a touch of coriander).
Blue Bastard Blueberry Ale.

There will only be one keg each of these.
Stay tuned to this blog for release dates and more details, because these wont last long.
Beside being a whole lot of fun to brew, these are a nice way for me to "test the waters". If there is enough demand for these special brews they may come back as a full batch some time in the future.

You Gotta Be "Hopped" Up On Something!

Sadly, today will be the last day for the Maple Moon. I was very happy how this beer came out and I will miss it. It's been my go to session beer. Hopefully the demand will be there so I can brew it again next year.
So, thats the bad news, but here's the good:
On tap tomorrow...
Keg Hopped Deep Seven.
We cram fresh hops into a keg and fill it with our Deep Seven IPA. Let it sit a few days to meld with the hoppy goodness, then put it on tap-Yum!
The first keg of the series is dry hopped with Pacific Northwest Cascade hops. -Update: All gone
Keg two will be dry hopped with Goldings and Fuggles from the UK.
Test kegs have worked out great and feedback has been amazing.
Come on St. Cloud, show me you love your hops!
I also have two new lagers brewed and coming soon...
I'll keep you posted.

Follow The Liter

Now available at McCann's:

One liter dimpled mugs for your beer enjoying pleasure.

Carefull...that's a lot o' beer!

Watch for liter specials during the week.

Perfect for the new patio.

Patio News

Short and sweet on a Monday.
The patio is now open for your beer drinking pleasure.

Something to try...

Today I mixed 1/2 Dubbel Donker with 1/2 Honey Raspberry ale and WHAMO! Very tasty. The fruity/spicynesss with the underlying chocolate of the Donker meld well with the raspberry and honey. Feel free to ask your server for this mix in a pint, or try a growlers worth to bring home.
I was put thorugh the ringer yesterday. I pulled my calf muscle the night before and woke up with my allergies on full power and a good limp. A visit with the oral surgeon late morning topped it all off. My mouth was on fire the rest of the day. The boys tempted me at band practice with Scotch, but I could only imagine the searing pain if it hit spot where the doctor knifed me. All in all the day was a blur. Feeling much better today I am happy to report.

McCann's Honey Raspberry Ale Now on Tap

Our newest seasonal may be the perfect beer for summer. Brewed with the highest quality Belgian malt and honey from local producer Stoney Brook Farms to lighten the body. Natural Raspberry flavor is added after fermentation producing a thirst quenching light ale that is the perfect cure for Minnesota's Summer heat.

Patio on the Way

Work has begun on the patio on the North side of the building. Best case senario it will be open this weekend, but the goal is by July 4th. I'm really looking foward to the addition to McCann's.
In other news I wrenched out my back yesterday moving a air conditioner into the bedroom window, so I'm walking a little like a old man today. I guess my Olympic hopes are dashed.
And...if all goes well McCann's Honey Raspberry Ale should be on Friday. Look for more details here soon.

Hop Contract

I wrapped up my three year hop contract today. It's hard to know what I'll be brewing the next three years, but I made a "guesstimate" and also allowed for some growth. I'm not sure what the hop market will bring the next three years, but we are locked in and looking good. Grab a growler of Deep Seven IPA and relax with a pint knowing it will be around for a good long time. That's what I'll be doing tonight.

Last Fridays Fun

I had a great time last Friday with the Avon arts folks. Thanks so much to J.D. for the invite. I'll have more on the blog next week about his pottery and how it relates to McCann's. The reception had two great bands:
http://www.spaghettiwesternmusic.com/
http://www.thepinesmusic.com/
These folks are knock out musicians and if they are ever in the area again be sure to check them out. They all seemed rather partial to the keg hopped Deep Seven-thanks for the nice comments guys. All in all a great event. I told Benson from The Pines his guitar work reminded me of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Bo Ramsey only to find out the next day on thier website that he is Bo's son-I felt a little stupid about that. Ah well.

Gully Gusher

We sure have had our share of rain lately. Good for the garden, not so good for the spirits. Anyhoo...I've been trying to play keep up at the brewery lately. We are on track to have our best month barrelage wise since we opened. June/July was usually our slowest time of year at O'Hara's, so things are looking good beer wise. The restaurant business is just brutal these days. We have every damn restaurant franchise in this town and it's a battle for us locally owned establishments to keep up with them. I'm happy we have something unique(brewery) to offer folks that sets us apart from the "big" guys. We also have a new menu on the way very soon.
I'll be doing a beer sampling for the Avon Area Arts friends tomorrow night. They are having a festival this weekend:
http://www.avonartsconnection.org/
I have a "keg hopped" Deep Seven and a Summer Peach Golden Ale limited edition set to go on tap. If these go over well, you may see a special limited release at McCann's in the future.
Rumor has it I may see the first of our new tap handles crafted by pottery wiz J.D. Jorgenson.

Spring Hops

The hops I planted in early spring finally broke the surface today. The hops in the backyard are doing great and are almost full grown(as tall as my patio fence). I've ramped up my gardening all around this year and I have really been enjoying it. Good to get dirt under the finger nails.

Say it-it's Fun!-Dubbel Donker!

Our next Dark Seasonal will go on tap Thursday, May 29th. Dubbel Donker(say: Doo-bull Donker/Translation: Double Dark). Here's the 411:

This style of dark Belgian ale is hard to find here in the states. In fact, we might be the first US brewery to brew one(correct me if I'm wrong). Brewed with Belgian pale, black, special B and chocolate malts, dark Belgian candi sugar and a blend of secret spices. Fermented with a Trappist monastery brewery yeast and aged a good long time. A strong ale best enjoyed in moderation.
7.7% ABV

Six Month Anniversary!

Hard to believe six months have gone by. We are celebrating Friday May 30th-Sunday June 1st.
Specials on our beer are:
Friday:
$10 bottomless pints 6pm-close.
Saturday:
$1 pints
Free taco bar Saturday & Sunday 4-6pm.
Heck of a deal!

I have added a current beers on tap list on the left side of the page.
Look here for info on our next Dark Seasonal Tuesday, May 27th.
Enough for work on Memorial Day-talk to you tomorrow.

Party on the Patio

McCann's will be installing a patio next month. Now you will be able to enjoy our fine brews outside with friends. I think this will be a nice addition.
Dry hopped the next batch of Deep Seven today. I add fresh hops directly into the fermenter for more hop flavor and aroma. Spent the rest of my time cleaning the mash tun and some kegs. Tomorrow I will move the new dark seasonal to bright tank storage. Nice busy work going into the Memorial Day weekend.

Bramble

I'm only putting this up on the blog so faithfull readers will get first crack at this VERY limited release.
Bramble is a Blackberry Robust Porter. Large ripe blackberries are added for a secondary fermentation. It was then aged for five and a half months. Hints of ripe fruit in the nose hint at what's to come. The beer is slightly tart with a balanced roasty malt flavor.
There are only six growlers available. Price is $20 a growler. One growler per person. You may want to call ahead for availablity. First come/first serve.

Weekend/Monday

I spent Saturday out in the rain for a few hours getting the local mountain bike trail in shape for riding. We had a good turn out in spite of the rain and Shared a beer or two afterward with good friends. Now, if I could just get out riding. My time management skills are suffering as of late and I seem to find more and more excuses to not go out and ride-I've got the gut and man boobs to prove it. I need a event to train for.
I have been riding my fixed gear Mercian to work and boy did I miss this bike over the winter-fun!
Cleaned beer lines and kegs today. Good Monday tasks.
Oh, and the post office changed McCann's address:
3320 3rd St. N.
St. Cloud, MN 56301
Still at turdy turd and turd.

Maple Moon Ale Release

Our Maple Moon Ale is now on tap.

Here's the 411:

Native Minnesotans called the early spring sap run the "maple moon" (or maple month). This natural sweetener has been used for centuries in Minnesota. Our Maple Moon ale is brewed with traditional floor malted organic pale ale malt from England and three other specialty malts. We add 100% pure maple syrup during fermentation which contributes a pleasing "maple/nutty" background. We are excited to bring this unique beer to Central Minnesota. 4.6% ABV

From 5 to 6

Tomorrow marks the day that we go to five taps of our beer to six. Our goal is to give Central Minnesota great variety in local hand crafted beer. The sixth faucet will not always have something on, but I'm gonna do my darnest to keep it stocked as tank space dictates. I also hope to start doing cask beer soon, which will expand on the variety of our beer you will see at McCann's.
We will also release our Maple Moon Ale tomorrow if all the stars align. Look for more details here on this great session beer.

Arbor Fest Pics

Just a few pics from last Fridays Arbor Fest. This was my first time at the fest and it was great. I always wonder how much business we get from beer fests a good drive from our home, but with all the questions we got about where we are located and folks mentioning they were going to make the trip up, I'd say it's time well spent.

Around 500 Minnesota beer lovers had many great beers to choose from. I brought four beers which is a record for me. Hope to do more in the future.

I'd like to thank Nick from Surly Bicycles for his help during the evening. Nick helps us out at most of the festivals and has recieved many beer karma points. If you need a bike-buy a Surly.

Speaking of bikes...I was almost wiped out by a car on the commute to work this morning because the driver was to busy watching a dog take a dump in someones yard-nice. There's a nice way to go-scrubbed off the planet 'cause rover is doing his morning business. At least the guy wasn't on his cell phone.

McCann's helper Nick about to strangle Colin from Barley Johns after he won the Best of Show award.

Way to go Colin!

Arborfest This Friday

I wanted to point you beer lovers in the direction of St. Paul Friday.

Check out the website for more details:

http://www.familytreeclinic.org/arborfest/

Not sure what we are pouring yet, but Deep Seven is a for sure, probably the Black

Forest Bock and something else.

Our beer stock got hammered over the weekend (a good thing), so I'm playing catch up.

There was some confusion over the Growler special, but it is Mondays and Wednesdays. $5 fills it.

Growler Special

Here's the best deal going.

Monday and Wednesdays you can refill your growler for $5. Yep, five bucks.

With the price of beer going skyward you can't beat this

and you get to support your local brewery to boot.

The Big Dump

Central Minnesota got hit hard with snow overnight. A guy still has to brew, so away I went this morning in crappy road conditions.
10 barrels of brew later, some shoveling at home a managers meeting at 2pm and the gig tonight.
A good productive day.
The Cannery Row show will go on as scheduled tonight. The roads really are not that bad now. Come and listen.

Cannery Row-Friday-McCann's

We will be playing at McCann's on Friday the 11th. 8pm start. We will be playing upstairs instead of downstairs; sorry for the confusion.
Added maple syrup to the next seasonal today. I wanted to wait for the active part of fermentation to slow down a bit so the maple aroma would not get scrubbed off. We'll see if it works.
I have had trouble finding a local maple syrup producer, so I had to go the store for some. I purchased 100% pure grade A. $75 of syrup and the cashier didn't bat an eye. She probably thought I had one hell of a pancake breakfast coming up.
I may do a post fermentation addition, so if anyone knows a local producer let me know.

Cannery Row Show Canceled

Due to a double booked room we will not be playing Friday. We are working on other dates. I'll keep you posted.

UPDATE 4/7: Looks like we may still play Friday-upstairs. Stay tuned.

Cannery Row-McCann's April 11th

Cannery Row will be playing downstairs at McCann's once again on April 11th, 7-10pm. Can't beat a night of good music and beer I always say.
I spent most of yesterday trying to track down ingredients for a upcoming seasonal. This one is going to be something special I think. Lets just say it was inspired by a dark choclate candy bar that had candied orange peel in it. I'll leave it at that for now.
After getting dumped on with more snow again yesterday, things are melting here pretty well today. I'm more than ready for spring at this point.

Black Forest Bock on Tap

Here's the 411:

We are pleased to introduce our first lager Black Forest Bock. Bock in German translates to goat and this beer has plenty of kick. German monks would brew these strong lagers to get them through their fast during lent. Our version is a bit of a hybrid Schwarz(black)Beer/Bock. Starting with a traditional bock base we added some black malt to add a soft roastyness. A deep dark mahogany color with a caramel, toasty/raisin bread sweet malt character you will enjoy.
7.3% ABV

Want Some Trippel Trouble?

Ya better hurry. Only two kegs left.
Our Black Forest Bock will be up next. Details on that will be posted when it goes on tap.

Website is Live

Check out our new website:

McCann's


Don't forget about me though.
I went in early today and now I'm hiding at home while the St. Patty's madness is happening. I'll enjoy a growler of Old Shep Stout and some single malt at home tonight to celebrate the snake herder.
Tomorrow our grand opening starts. Do not miss the Grand Growler Event that goes until Saturday. Buy a growler for $2 (or bring one in that you already have) and get a refill for $4! Did I just type that?! The long hours have apparently gotten to the owners. That's a heck of a deal folks.
I want to thank the Cloudy Town Brewers home brew club and author Doug Hoverson for a great March Mashness event this weekend. It was really great meeting and talking to some of you. Judging turned out to be a marathon. I may not have another porter for while (after judging eleven). Local home brewers are truly making steller beers.
I'm already looking foward to next years event.

Cannery Row at the Downtown Art Crawl

Just a quick note that my band Cannery Row will be playing the St. Cloud Downtown Art Crawl tomorrow 5-9pm. We will be at the Federal Building. Coffee Infused Porter will be on tap. Stop by and say howdy.
The Cloudy Town Home Brewers March Mashness home brew contest will be Saturday pretty much all day. There will be the last of the Coffee Infused Porter on tap in the basement. See the post below on the Amber Waters book signing/presentation event that night.
St. Patty's festivities have started and will go until Monday. Following that is our Grand Opening. Details on that soon. Call McCann's at 320-217-5800 for more info.
McCann's is supporting KVSC's Huskie hockey coverage Friday and Saturday. Go Huskies!
Busy days ahead!

Old Shep Stout on Tap Tomorrow

St. Patty's is the time for stout and we are pleased to introduce our Old Shep Stout:

Named for a old canine friend, our Old Shep Stout is as faithful as man's best pal. Brewed with five different malts, including an ample portion of roasted barley for that inky blackness stouts are known for. Layers of espresso like/dark chocolate undertones combine with a well balanced body.
A true session stout that can be enjoyed all night long.

Local road cyclists know the legend of Old Shep-It will be a mystery to everyone else.

Limited Release! Coffee Infused Prairie Porter

Thanks to local St. Cloud coffee roaster Muggsy's Beans, we are proud to introduce our Coffee Infused Prairie Porter. We cold pressed and infused Muggsy's Papua New Guinea Arabica beans in our Dark Seasonal Prairie Porter resulting in a nice coffee flavor up front that melts into a roasty/chocolate finish.

There will only be four kegs of this special brew. Growlers will be available, but when it's gone, it's gone.

Check out Muggsy's

Brewers Guild Meeting

It was a pleasure hosting the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild last night. Always good to touch base with the other brewers in this great state.
Go out and buy some Minnesota beer for this weekend and help support our local brewing folks.

Amber Waters Signing/Presentation

Doug Hoverson will be doing his book signing and presentation on Minnesota brewing history March 15th at 6:30. This will be part of the March Mashness festivities brought to you by the Cloudy Town Brewers home brew club (more info at thier link to the left). This will be a great way to start off our St. Patty's fun and grand opening the following week. Hope to see you there.

McCann's Golden Ale Shirts Are In!

We have recieved our first batch of McCann's Golden Ale shirts. We are still waiting on XXLs, but they should be here soon. Show your support for your local beer/brewery by wearing it proudly around town and at social events. Other McCann's brews will be represented as demand dictates (I'm pushing the boss for Deep Seven next).

McCann's New Website

Our official website should be done soon. Stay tuned here for details.
In other news...
We will be having our grand opening week March 17th-23rd. More details soon!
Our new menu is out and it is greatly expanded-come check it out.
Now that the business is out of the way...
Todd from the Cloudy Town Homebrewers club joined me for a brew session yesterday. Good to get to know him a little better. Todd bribed me with his delicious honey from his bee friends for a chance to brew. I believe you can purchase some at the MinnCo homebrew shop in St. Cloud. We hope to use some in future brews.

Friday's Show

Thanks to everyone who came to Cannery Row's show last Friday. We were very pleased with the turn out. I don't think the staff was ready for that many people, so next time we will be more prepared. We have the best fans ever. No lie.

Cannery Row Tonight at McCann's!

We will be playing downstairs at McCann's tonight 7-10pm. Hope to see some of you there. If you like roots/Americana music you should enjoy us. For more information on the band see the link to the left.

Thanks Barley John's!

It was looking like I wasn't going to squeeze a stout in for St. Patty's this year, but I'm going to put the up coming Doppelschwarzbock on as the regular seasonal and put a stout in it's place for our next dark seasonal release. Now my only problem was I didn't have any roasted barley on hand. I gave a call down to Colin at Barley John's in New Brighton and he was able to part with a bag-yee haw!
So...we will have a stout on for March.
Go visit Barley John's next time you're in their neck of the woods and have a pint or two. The beer is fantastic not to mention the Canadian Bacon/pineapple pizza-seriously you can't get me to eat one of those any where else, but theirs is out of this world.
So far this week I've managed to dislocate my left ring finger sledding with the kids and cutting my pinky open when a mug handle snapped off while I was doing dishes. All this before I play guitar Friday night at McCann's. Oh, did I mention I have a cold also, so singing should be interesting. Hope my band mates can carry me.

March Mashness/Book Signing

I wanted to give everyone a heads up on the upcoming Cloudy Town Brewers March Mashness home brew competition. It will take place at McCann's March 15th. Check out the clubs link to the left for more details.
Doug Hoverson will be signing his book Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota that day at McCann's. Doug will also give a presentation on Minnesota's brewing history. I'll post the time when it has been confirmed. I read the book cover to cover-it's great and a treasure to any Minnesota beer lover.

Winterfest 2008

The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Winterfest was a blast! It was great meeting many of you and we heard some very nice comments on the beer. Our booth was in between Barley John's and Surly (thanks Nick) which was great. So many beers that I didn't get to try, but everything I did sample was fabulous. The Deep Seven IPA was the first to empty for us and the Trippel Trouble followed soon after. We only had a smidge of Prairie Porter left at the end of the night.
Thanks to everyone who paid us a visit. I can't tell you how happy I am to be back brewing and sharing my beer with you.
Photos of the fest below.

The McCann's work force was all smiles.
Myself and Greg are the
"see no evil" monkeys.


What is that strange growth on Greg's shoulder that amazingly looks like Colin from Barley John's?

A busy night.

Pipers are a must have at a beer fest!

A shot from above.

Trippel Trouble on Tap Tomorrow

Our Trippel Trouble will be on tap tomorrow. Here's the skinny:
Belgian Monastery breweries have been making the worlds most interesting beers for many years. Many of these beers are only available inside the monastery walls only for the monks enjoyment. Beers of high strength are brewed to sustain the monks during their fasts. Our Abbey style Trippel is one such beer. Trippel means that it's three times the strength of a regular beer. Brewed with over 900 pounds of the highest quality Belgian malts and candi sugar. Belgian candi sugar looks like "rock candy" and contributes a "rummy" flavor to the beer. A Belgian monastery ale yeast gives this beer a fruity/spicy complexity while maintaining drinkability despite it's strength. Hints of honey, caramel, apricot and a subtle spicyness are experienced in it's flavor. This beer is served unfiltered and pours a tawny gold. A strong, wonderful beer for cold winter evenings.
1.082 O.G.

It was nice meeting with the Cloudy Town Home Brewers last night. I was able to sample some wonderful beers and a great apple/peach still cider. A nice warm up for Winterfest tomorrow.
Hope to meet some blog readers at the fest. If you read this blog, please stop by and say hi. I hope to have photos of the fest up this weekend some time.

Little Abbey Status

If you are a fan of our Little Abbey Ale ya better act fast and get your share before it's gone.
Up next is the Trippel Trouble which is resting nicely in the bright tank.
One correction from the last post: I will be playing the Monticello Dunn Bros. not the Buffalo location.
A big hello to the folks at Brau Bros. Brewing. Thanks for the visit Friday. Dustin's beers are available across the state. Go out and try some and support a local brewery.
If you have never done it, home brewing is a great hobby and a excellent way to learn the art of brewing. The Cloudy Town Home Brew Club will be having their monthly meeting at McCann's Wednesday at 7:30pm. They are very welcoming folks and will help you on your journey to brew wonderful beers. Stop on by-maybe Bruce the president will buy you a beer (it says so in their newsletter).

Growlers For The Big Game

Don't forget to pick up some growlers Saturday for the big game. You could also stop by McCann's for the game-we'll be running $5 craft brew pitchers all day!

I'll be reorganizing our living room, dining room and TV room all weekend. Band practice at my house on Wednesday, so we gotta get it done.

I also picked up a gig next Saturday at the Buffalo Dunn Bros. 11-? with my sister in law. I love last minute shows that are not prepared. Just play what ya know and try to back up the others. Way fun. My first show with my new acoustic guitar, so I'm excited.

Have a good weekend.

and the Winner is...

J.D. Jorgenson is the winner of two Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Winterfest tickets. Thanks for all of the entries. It was REALLY tough to choose a winner. The poems I recieved were great as well as the other essays. Minnesotans are truely passionate about beer and their local breweries. I'm also happy to see folks are thinking about the "green" benefits of buying local hand crafted beer. I plan on doing some blog entries on some of the things I do at the brewery to be a little more earth friendly.

Here is the winning entry:
I believe brewing beer is an old art, craft and trade that needs to be held on to like the old Carnegie libraries. Today there are far too many historic buildings being torn down to be replaced by a faint glimpse of what they were. Brewing good beer is very similar I believe. I view brewing as an art form. The time, patience, labor, craftsmanship and love put into brewing are the same attributes fundamental to fine furniture making, writing, timber framing, stone building, blacksmithing, pottery and other art forms. These attitudes, lifestyles, an awareness to detail, should be passed on family to family, generation to generation, artist to artist, brew master to apprentice. I am a firm believer in quality not quantity. That’s why I believe in what McCann’s is doing, you are home brewing small batches to be appreciated and shared. Unlike a number of macro breweries that focus on quantity, McCann’s focuses on taste, depth, aroma and texture. While I do not brew anything but coffee, I do know that brewers such as yourselves, Fitgers, Town Hall Brewery, Surly and a few others make us want to support our local breweries because you transform brewing into an art form. We want something handmade and full of flavor because it fits with a fine night of cooking food, music, friends, family and great conversation. If we don’t support our local brewers, artists and folk arts I believe we will soon loose our identity of who we are and where we live. The small town, front porch, back roads and our sense of adventure rely on this knowledge to be passed on and held firm and continued. The pace of our lives will continue to get faster and faster. Sitting down and enjoying a pint or growler of Minnesota home brewed beer with friends, and appreciating another person’s labor of love slows us down and reconnects us. It brings us back to our hometown, the front porch, that wonderful meal and to the friends and family we wished we would see more of.

Best of luck to McCann’s Food and Brew. May there be many years of great beer.

Winterfest Ticket Give-A-Way

I told you it would be good. I have two Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Winterfest tickets to for a lucky Minnesota beer lover. These babies are worth $45 a piece and the event is sold out.

You ask...what do I gotta do?

Write me a essay about Minnesota beer. Why it's important to support your local breweries, history, funny stories, etc. Just make it about the great beer in Minnesota.

Email this to be at:

laumb2@yahoo.com

Put "Essay" in the subject line.

You got until Monday, January 28th, 6pm CST

Yes, it's short notice, but think of it as a good weekend project. I will announce the winner Tuesday, January 29th. Winner will be contacted by email. Of course, I will publish the winning essay on the blog, so try to keep it somewhat family friendly.

Cannery Row Live at McCann's!

My band Cannery Row will be playing at McCann's Friday, February 22nd-7-10pm. If you are a fan of Americana music come check us out. Check out the link on the left for Cannery Row's MySpace page.

Tune into the blog tomorrow as I will have a very

special prize give away. Seriously-it's a good one!

Some Updates

I brewed our first lager last week. This one is gonna be another big brew. I'll release more details as we get closer to it's release. I've been busy getting my things together for Winterfest on February 8th. Running through the draft set up making sure there are no leaks, etc. There may be a surprise beer that is not mentioned in the Winterfest program. It's aging now and we'll see how it comes along.

Trippel Brew

Brewing the Trippel went great Friday. I got a 1.083 OG which is what I wanted. Fermentation is chugging along well today. This one's gonna be tasty.

High Bank Amber Review

Our High Bank Amber Ale had a nice review in the D'Lish section of yesterdays St. Cloud Times. Thanks for the kind words Bruce!
Today started with me trying to track down my missing Belgian yeast that Fed Ex didn't deliver Monday(sorry Dean). Lucky for me they didn't ship it back and I was able to pick it up at the local Fed Ex facility.
I recieved my malt order today. The back feels pretty good after moving 87 55# bags twice. Must be getting back into brewing shape.
I brew the Tripel Trouble tomorrow. This is the big brother of my old O'Hara's brew Dubbel Trouble. Fasten your seat belts folks!

Settling In

Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm settling in at the brewery trying to get the day to day tasks taken care of.
I'm waiting for the next order of grain to arrive anyday. Yeast and othe items are rolling in. I got the table tent beer menus done today, but I'm still waiting for the signs of our logos to get done.
The Prairie Porter got a very nice review on Beer Advocate.com, so thats cool.
Prepping to get ready for the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild's Winterfest hobbling draft equipment together.
I have also been reading the book "Fitgers-The Brewery and It's People" by Clarence "Coopen" Johnson. Very interesting read with great photos.
I need to be practicing my guitar more, but it's hard finding time. The flatpicking tunes are starting to sound a little rusty. Hopefully I'll get the fingers back in shape by the time Cannery Row starts playing out again after our holiday break.
I've settled on a Tripel for the next seasonal, but I'm up in the air about doing a Doppel Schwarzbier or a bock for the next dark seasonal. Maybe a Doppelschwarzbierbock? Hows that for a hybrid?

Deep Seven IPA Now on Tap

One for the lovers of hoppy craft brews. Seven deep layers of flavor consisting of three English malts and four hop varieties (2 U.S./2 English). Generous portions of hops are added to the brew kettle and hops are also added to the fermenter for a wonderful hop aroma.
It feels great to finally have all of the beers on. I'll be doing staff training tonight and tomorrow to get them up to speed. Things are coming together. Still waiting on signage to be done which is a little frustrating, but I have learned to be patient. We have some fun things coming in the future so stay tuned.

Prairie Porter Now on Tap

The first in our Dark Seasonal line up. Brewed with four English malts and two English hop varieties giving this beer a dark, rich, roasty background with light smokey undertones. Bittersweet chocolate flavor develops in the finish. A very nice ale for the winter time to enjoy with friends.
Deep Seven should be on tomorrow.
I have a Tripel and Doppelschwarzbier planned for the next seasonals.