Name: Jamie Robinson | Hometown: Cushing, MN
Beer
There is no doubt that my brewing style is heavily influenced by Town Hall. My visits to Town Hall in its infancy were my inspiration to start homebrewing and eventually my inspiration to open a brewpub. Big malt, hop forward, bold flavors are the backbone to the beers I like to brew.
American craft brewers brew some of the most innovative beers in world, many times creating bold new styles, like Black IPAs, and West Coast Pale Ales. There seems to be no end in sight to the innovation, with infusions and barrel aged beers. While I like these methods, and will use them occasionally, they won’t be the focus of my brewing.
The focus of my brewing will be on taking the characteristics of the craft beer classics like Bell’s Two Hearted and Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale and intensifying what people love about those beers. That’s not to say there won’t be some adventurous beers coming out of the brewery. There are constantly new hops and new malts being introduced to brewers. These along with seasonal ingredients, herbs and spices will be used. And don’t forget, we will be able to smoke our own malts for a smoky take on classic styles. I promise you this: I won’t bore you.
- Cheers!
Beer Descriptions
We will have 12 draft offerings. During our first year we will offer four year-round house beers and two rotating seasonal selections. The remaining six taps will be dedicated to local craft beer offerings. As we grow, brewery expansion will allow us to offer more seasonal beers.
Honey Wheat Ale
This is a crisp, lightly hopped American wheat ale brewed with honey from Sorensen's Honey Farm. Honey added late in the brewing process makes this beer honey-forward. From the aroma to the finish, you will know there is honey in this beer. Enjoy during patio season or as a nice break from the big beers of winter. 5.5% ABV. 25 IBUs.
Light Rail Pale Ale
This is a lightbodied, hop-forward pale ale. Copious amounts of Cascade hops late in the brewing process, and another huge dry hop addition in the fermenter will remind craft beer lovers what they love about this style. The intense hop aroma will make you think IPA, but the bitterness is dialed back to showcase the characteristics of this classic hop varietie. And at 5.5% ABV, you can enjoy a few of them.
Big Jim IPA
With Town Hall’s Masala Mama and Surly’s Furious, it seems as though there is a new Minnesota style of IPA emerging. Because these are two of my favorite interpretations of the IPA style, I decided to make my own intense IPA. Cascade, Mt. Hood, and an enormous amount of Columbus hops late in the brew and in the fermenter give this beer the hop punch IPA lovers crave. There is also a significant malt backbone and complexity to this beer to stand up to the hop intensity. At 7.2% ABV and roughly 90IBUs, this is my tribute to the style I call the Minnesota IPA.
Smokehouse Porter
As far as porters go, this one is heavier on the caramel malt and lighter on the roast malt. 5% of the base malt is smoke in-house for a smoky complexity. This beer will pair well with most of our menu items. And weighing in at 6.2% ABV it can also be your winter warmer.
SEASONALS
Ground-Rule Double IPA: 8.8% ABV 95 IBUs 10oz pour $5 regular/$3 happy hour
In the 2nd of three in our baseball series we’ve stepped away from our regular malt and hops for this beer. The malt richness comes from Cargill Special Pale malt and Castle Cara-Ruby. The intense hop character comes from heavy late additions of Summit hops. Summit hops are a variety with a lot of complex flavors and aromas. Notice notes of pineapple, lemon, onion, and garlic.
Hefeweizen: 5.4% ABV 11 IBUs $5 regular/$3 happy hour
A traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen. Staying true to the style, all German malt, hops and yeast were used to brew this refreshing summer patio beer. The only thing not German is the Minneapolis water. This is the first of many Hefeweizen batches to come.
