When: 7pm Wednesday April 7th
Alas, spring has sprung. The snow has melted. Grass is growing. Stupid Canadian geese are stupidly migrating their stupid way back to the stupid north.
As the Earth begins it annual renewal, so too does a local brewery bring about its own renewal in the form of August Schell Brewing Company’s newest addition to the Grain Belt line, Nordeast. Giving a nod to the predominantly Polish neighborhood that gave birth to the Grain Belt family, Nordeast will be released on Wednesday the 7th, only in NE Minneapolis. You’ll find it at Surdyk’s liquor store and at NE bars and restaurants on the 7th. Wider distribution begins on the 8th.
Grain Belt has been a household name in Minnesota for quite some time. Their history and presence in Minnesota deserves more than I have time to give in this post, but I’ll cover some of the essentials for you. The Minneapolis Brewing Company first created the signature brand in 1893, referring to milling prowess of the Midwest in its name. The current Grain Belt logo featuring a red diamond overlaying a bottle cap premiered in 1938, with the gaining popularity of bottling beers. Not long after, the famous Grain Belt neon sign was erected on Nicollet Island.
Following prohibition and World War II, consumer tastes led the great shift of beer production to the macro-lagers that dominate the market today. In response to demands for a smoother, less intense lager, Grain Belt Premium was released in 1947. Minneapolis Brewing Co became Grain Belt Breweries in 1967, after acquiring several other regional brands of beer. At it’s peak, Grain Belt Breweries was the 18th largest brewer in the United States.
Then came the era of the moving brand. By 1975, the popularity of national brands forced Grain Belt to sell, and by ’76 the new owner closed the brewery’s doors. Brewing of the Grain Belt label moved to G Heileman Brewing Company, and took a back seat to its signature line, Old Style. Heileman fell on hard times in the ’80s and sold the brand to the Minnesota Brewing Company. Premium’s popularity found a resurgence, but that didn’t keep MBC from going bankrupt. Brewing finally moved to its current home of August Schell Brewing Co in 2002.
If we forgive Premium light, Nordeast will be the first new beer with the Grain Belt name in over 50 years. It’s promoted as an “American amber lager,” whatever that means. Presumably, it will have a darker malt bill, leading to a heavier body, and–gasp–a note of hops. If you’ve ever had a Premo, the mention of hops flavor you’ve made is to the lack thereof. And because it is a beer, it will also feature “smooth taste with an excellent drinkability,” because that is an incredibly specific, yet rare quality in the beer world</sarcasm>.
Since we’re all just a bunch of conformists, it might as well be time for Minneapoholics to renew our efforts as well, to bring friends together over good food and drink. To do so, the forth (of hopefully many) Minnepoholics Anonymous support group will be held at Whitey’s World Famous Saloon, at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, April 7th.
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