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.