What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol. 11
FINNEGANS, the first ever beer company to donate 100 percent of its profits, added a brand new beer to its roster last summer , Dead Irish Poet now comes to life every October – January.
The Dead Irish Poet extra stout was crafted, brewed and packaged thanks to the incredible support of 260 backers in a Kickstarter campaign held last summer. FINNEGANS worked closely with Damian McConn, head brewer of Summit Brewing Company to create the new brew. The extra stout has a rich body and bold flavor, with hints of dark chocolate, espresso and cherries. Inspired by the history of McConn’s homeland, the extra stout is a throwback to pre-World War I beer from Southern Ireland.
Holding true to its name, the Dead Irish Poet has higher alcohol content of 7 percent and a smooth yet brooding, dark taste. The stout pays homage to great Irish writers like James Joyce, William Butler Yeats and Oscar Wilde.
The Dead Irish Poet is available on tap and a part of the Saintly Sampler Pack: a 12-pack containing 6 Dead Irish Poets, 3 Irish Ambers and 3 Blonde Ales. Perfect for holiday parties and autumn bonfires, there’s something for everyone in the Saintly Sampler Pack.
“The flavor profile on this beer is out of this world,” says Jacquie Berglund, the rambunctious FINNEGANS CEO. “I am not a stout drinker, but I love this beer. It’s a stout that any beer drinker will love, especially at this time of year. And it’s only available for a limited time so beer drinkers and FINNEGANS supporters have got to get their hands on it before it’s gone.”
It’s a great time of year to meet the Dead Irish Poet and drink your favorite of the FINNEGANS beers. November 1 through December 31 FINNEGANS loyal distribution partners match all sales profit donations in the company’s annual Drink Like You Care campaign.
FINNEGANS has donated over half a million dollars over the past 14 years and continues to find innovative and inspiring ways to give back. For more information on the Dead Irish Poet and FINNEGANS visit www.finnegans.org.
Available in the Saintly Sampler 12 Pack and Limited draught 1/6bbl & 1/2bbl
Please check with your sales person on availability and pricing (please note some products are not available in certain markets)
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.10
The fall weather has arrived and flavors of cinnamon, ginger, all-spice and nutmeg continue to run through my thoughts – Thankfully, it’s not too late for pumpkin beers. One of my favorite beers to marry with these flavors in our autumn food is Jack’O Traveler Pumpkin Shandy.
Jack’O Traveler Pumpkin Shandy embodies the darker side of Shandy complete with a perfect balance of real pumpkin and everyone’s favorite autumn spices. This wheat beer is brewed with fresh pumpkin so you know you’re in for a real treat. Try some today – taste and embrace the fall season.
Malt Varieties: 2-row malted barley, malted wheat
Hop Varieties: Hallertau Hallertau
Special Ingredients: Real pumpkin
Alcohol: 4.4% ABV
IBUs: 7
Driven by an obsessive love of high jinks, the Jack-O Traveler spent his days cooking up mischief for everyone who crossed his path. One of his favorite pranks involved tricking unsuspecting bar patrons into buying him beers and then skipping out just when it was his turn to buy a round.
So clever was Jack, he even scammed the devil himself into granting him a reprieve from hell. Unfortunately for our Traveler, when his shenanigans finally caught up with him and he died, the man upstairs wanted nothing to do with Jack either.
It’s said that after Jack was barred from heaven, the devil gave him a burning coal, which he promptly put into a carved pumpkin to light his way. Legend has it that he wanders the earth to this day, searching for innocent bystanders to hoodwink into buying him his favorite beer, a pumpkin Shandy.
Jack-O Traveler is an alluring wheat beer illuminated by the tastes of fall. He strikes a perfect balance between bright refreshment and seasonal spice. Jack is brewed with fresh pumpkin, for a delicious dark-hued, Shandy-inspired beer.
Available in package and on draught 1/6bbl & 1/2bbl
Please check with your sales person on availability and pricing (please note some products are not available in certain markets)
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Online Weekly Newsletter Vol.9
We’ve seen the tremendous success of Not Your Father’s Root Beer in recent months within Bergseth Bros. territory. It’s quite astonishing how fast this brand has grown locally and on the national level. We’re very excited to announce the addition of Not Your Father’s Root Beer on draught and in cans!! Keith Bergseth, General Manager of Bergseth Bros. stated, “In less than a year NYFRB bottles has become one of the top selling SKUs. To support the success of this brand, new line extensions have been offered. Not Your Father’s Root Beer Draught and Cans are an excellent addition to this family.”
Not Your Father’s Root Beer is the result of ambitious creativity, a rich family brewing heritage, and tireless commitment to premium American Craftsmanship. After Tim Kovac and his son experimented with brewing as a hobby for several years, Tim formally committed to the craft in 2010 by opening Small Town Brewery in Wauconda, IL. His brewing focus developed as he unearthed his unique family brewing history which dates back to his great grandfather – an English ship captain – in the 1600′s. Utilizing his ancestors brewing practices – which included fruit-based recipes consisting of specific herbs, flowers, and various fruits versus hops – has inspired Tim’s passion for deriving innovative offerings, such as Not Your Father’s Root Beer, from modern brewing’s heritage and underpinnings.
Not Your Father’s Root Beer is a category-defining Ale brewed with unique spices. An unrivaled evolution of timeless American root beer in taste and color. Not Your Father’s Root Beer, 5.9% ABV, has earned a “World Class” rating of 98 on Beeradvocate. Brewer Tim Kovac’s creativity and painstaking commitment to flavor complexity result in an unmistakable offering that masterfully blend hints of sassafras bark, wintergreen, anise and vanilla. A smooth and balanced ale. Not Your Father’s Root Beer has a broad appeal from discerning craft beer drinkers to non-beer drinkers.
Watch the Video Below To Discover the Tradition of
Small Town Brewery with Brewmaster Tim Kovac
Not Your Father’s Root Beer Now Available On Draught and In Cans!
Also Coming Soon Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale, sometime late November.
Please check with your sales person on availability and pricing (please note some products are not available in certain markets)
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.8
Today I’m excited to introduce a new product to Bergseth Bros. – GUINNESS Nitro IPA. By bringing Guinness-style nitrogenation to an IPA, the Irish brewer has created a hop-forward India Pale Ale with the qualities of a classic Guinness pint — namely balanced flavor and aroma, creamy mouthfeel and a perfectly formed and long-lasting head of dense bubbles.
It can be a challenge to reinvent the wheel when your business was formed in the year 1759. To withstand the changes through these 256 years one learns to do things exceptionally well and this is exactly what Guinness has accomplished with its world class Stout. Locked into a 9,000-year lease when founder Arthur Guinness began operations at St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, Guinness is dedicated for the long term.
Known for its black, velvety stout, Guinness has ventured out to brew other beer styles and its latest project is a brand new IPA that is served on nitro in lieu of normally only using carbon dioxide. The new can of Guinness Nitro IPA uses the same delivery method as that of can of Guinness Draught Stout with the use of its widget. This technology was introduced in 1988 and gives Guinness Draught its famous smooth, velvety texture all in a portable container. “Guinness perfected the art of adding nitro to beer,” states Keith Dunne, Guinness Beer Ambassador. This delivery of using a blend of both CO2 and N2 is said to produce approximately 240 million bubbles from a single can of Guinness.
Guinness Nitro IPA was developed by a select group of brewers from the famous St. James Gate Brewery located in Dublin, Ireland. More specifically this beer is part of “The Brewers Project” that is brewed at Brewhouse No. 4. This group of brewers is in charge with Guinness’ creative development that channels its energy into the Brewers Project. These brewers were recently tasked with brewing a brand new IPA that was led by brewer Luis Ortega whom developed this new IPA recipe. Below is a video from Guinness that describes this tenuous process.
GUINNESS Nitro IPA Behind the Beer – Video
“IPAs are complex and hoppy, but for some beer drinkers the bitterness can be too much,” explained Ortega, the brewer who created this beer’s recipe. “We aimed to make a balanced, smooth beer. Guinness perfected nitrogenated beer more than 60 years ago, so we believed we could really add something new to the style. There’s plenty of hoppy flavor, with citrus aroma to the fore, but the nitrogen rounds it all out. The mouthfeel is fantastic, and the use of Guinness yeast gives it an echo of the character of our famous stouts.”
From Stout to IPA – The GUINNESS Story
Guinness Nitro IPA Stats: 5.8% ABV 44 IBU
Serve: Best enjoyed straight from the can or served from the tap in a Guinness Gravity glass
Can: Straight pour into a Guinness Gravity Glass
Draught: Traditional two-part pour using a Guinness Gravity Glass
Currently Available in 4/6 Cans – Draught available soon.
Please check with your sales person on availability and pricing (please note some products are not available in certain markets)
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol. 7
Bergseth Brothers is excited to announce the addition of North Dakota’s newest brewery, Rhombus Guys Brewing Company to our fine line of products available for distribution in North Dakota.
Two weeks ago we had the pleasure of touring the brewery and tasting through their amazing line-up of craft beers. I was astonished at the detail and craftsmanship that went into the renovation of the historic opera house transforming it into a cutting edge brewery but most importantly the quality of the beer was out of this world.
Left to Right, Rhombus Guys Brewing Co-Owner Matt Winjum – Bergseth Bros. Staff: Lance Schiltz, Joel Rehder, Ryan Bergseth & Keith Bergseth at Rhombus Guys Brewing Company
Co-Owner, Matt Winjum led our Bergseth Bros. group on the brewery tour. Every step of the tour Matt was beaming and smiling ear to ear, his compassion for Rhombus Guys Brewing Company was hard to deny. After taking my first sip of beer I realized why Matt was so proud of what they had accomplished. The under taking of transforming the historic opera house into a brewery was a big hurdle and making quality craft beer right out of the gate is a huge accomplishment. North Dakota should be proud and commend what Co-Owners, Matt Winjum & Aaron Hendricks along with Brewmaster Chad Gunderson have achieved in such a short amount of time.
Raise a pint of Rhombus Guys Brewing Company Beer in celebration!
Rhombus Guys Brewing Company beers available on draft:
Blond Ale: 4.8% ABV – 16 IBUs
American Wheat Ale: 5.0% ABV – 20 IBUs
American Amber Ale: 5.5% ABV – 25 IBUs
American Pale Ale: 5.5% ABV – 32 IBUs
India Pale Ale: 6.5% ABV – 60 IBUs
Porter: 4.8% ABV – 30 IBUs
Oktoberfest: 5.4% ABV – 24 IBUs
I included a great article written a by Brian Kaufenberg from Growler Magazine – Enjoy!
From the start, Matt Winjum and Arron Hendricks have seen the world from a slightly different angle. In the early 2000s, when conventional wisdom said a college degree was necessary to get a job, the 18-year-old college freshmen decided to create their own employment. Their idea was a mobile smoothie stand to bring to summertime festivals and events around their hometown of Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
Perhaps it was an unconscious rebellion of fitting into a prescribed box or just that they forgot to measure twice and cut once, but the shape of their hand-built smoothie stand would give them a name and vision that would define all their future business ventures.
“When we stepped back and looked at it, Arron said, ‘That thing is not square it all. It’s all slanted like a rhombus,’” recalls Winjum. “And we said, ‘That’s great, that sounds perfect,’ and we just turned it into a lifestyle and a motto from then on. You know, think outside of the box. Don’t do the same thing that everyone else is doing.”
In the 10 years since starting the Smoothie Rhombus, “the Rhombus Guys” have opened four restaurants, including the beloved Rhombus Guys Pizza locations in Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota, on the way to fulfilling their dream of opening a brewpub.
The Rhombus Guys are, left to right, Arron Hendricks, Chad Gunderson, Matt Winjum
Rhombus Guys Brewing is now open in the historic Metropolitan Opera House in downtown Grand Forks, located just a block and a half from Rhombus Guys Pizza. Winjum and Hendricks purchased the building more than a year ago and started renovation on the 5,000-square-foot first floor last November.
In December, they hired Chad Gunderson as the head brewer. Gunderson, a University of North Dakota graduate, got his start in brewing at Leech Lake in Walker, Minnesota, before moving to Montana where he brewed at Lewis & Clark Brewing and Mighty Mo Brewing in Great Falls. In January, he returned to the Red River Valley area with his wife and daughter, and began testing recipes for the new brewpub.
Gunderson will captain Rhombus Guys’ 15-barrel brewhouse equipped with four 30-barrel fermenters and a 30-barrel brite tank. His beers will be traditional renditions of popular styles including ambers, IPAs, pale ales, and stouts that will complement the restaurant’s food offerings.
The menu at the brewpub is a clear departure from the Rhombus Guys Pizza concept. Instead of pizza and beer, they seek to elevate classic bar fare with the area’s first gastropub. Porter-braised pulled pork, fish and chips, shrimp and grits, and warm pretzels from scratch are just a few of the options that will be available
Kaufenberg, B. (2015, July 28). Now Open: Rhombus Guys Brewing Company. Retrieved from http://growlermag.com/now-open-or-damn-close-rhombus-guys-brewing-company/
Available from Bergseth Bros. in North Dakota……