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The Ringer now available in growlers. Plus, American Craft Beer Week is here...but food trucks aren't?
Posted Monday May 14, 2012
And some other beer-related tidbits.

***Update: The Stanley's NE Barroom event scheduled for Tuesday, 5/15 has been postponed. We'll update this space when we know a reschedule date.***

Craft brewing has always been an exciting industry to work in (or is it more accurate to say "live in?"), but that may be more true now than ever before. Last weekend,we traveled to San Diego for the annual Craft Brewer's Conference.  CBC is always a good time, but this year, the energy in the air was almost visible. Craft beer is hot all across the country right now, and new breweries seem to be opening every day. It's great to see that the rest of the country seems to be undergoing a craft beer renaissance, similar to what we are experiencing here in the Twin Cities. The craft beer tide is rising, and all ships (ie, breweries, if you're metaphorically challenged) are rising with it.

One of the most exciting developments in the Fulton universe in the last couple months has been the opening of our taproom. Many of you have already visited us (and for those who haven't, what are you waiting for?) and enjoyed yourself, from what we hear. Drinking a pint of fresh beer at the brewery is a fine thing, but one of the things that's made it even more fun has been the addition of our friends from the food truck community. Fresh beer, hot street food, and cool people form a sweet combination. So, we were surprised when we found out last Monday that our scheduled truck was told they couldn't operate here...and that nobody else could either. Apparently, the city has a downtown operating zone for food trucks, and our brewery is just a few blocks outside of that. To make a long story short, we're working with city licensing, Mayor Rybak, and our Councilman Don Samuels to right the situation. They've been very supportive and responsive, and we're pretty sure things will be back to normal soon. Which is good, because we're starting to get hungry...

Speaking of taproom news, here's some other pertinent info for you: First of all, The Ringer is now available in growlers. For those of you who haven't yet had it yet, The Ringer is our new American Pale Ale. It's a lighter bodied Pale with splendid citrus hop flavor and aroma. And at 5% ABV, it's a perfect one to take home and enjoy on the patio on a warm afternoon. Or morning, we suppose.

Next up: brewery tours! Yes, 6+ months in, we're finally getting the idea that people are interested in brewery tours. Beginning later this month, we'll be offering first-come, first-served tours on Saturday afternoons. Look for more an announcement with more details in the very near future.

In our world, every week is a craft beer week of sorts. Nonetheless, we especially enjoy the official American Craft Beer Week, which begins today (Monday the 14th). Bars & restaurants all across town are putting together a fantastic sampling of events to make sure you get your craft beer fix any day of the week, no matter where you are. Today, the Gold Nugget in Minnetonka will be tapping a keg of The Ringer, one of the few kegs that will make it out of the taproom this year. On Tuesday, Stanley's Barroom in NE Minneapolis is doing a craft beer & cigar pairing. We suggest the Maduro cigar with our Worthy Adversary, which will be randallized with oak chips, vanilla beans, and coffee beans. If that doesn't do it for you, look for us at Bryant-Lake Bowl on Wednesday, where we'll do a mini-tap takeover. This is more of our beers than we've ever had in one place at one time, and a great way to try some of the more rare Fultons in the family. The taps will include Lonely Blonde, grapefruit infused Lonely Blonde, The Ringer, Sweet Child of Vine, Sweet Child infused with orange peel and Cascade hops, The Libertine, and War & Peace. We recommend pacing yourself. Finally, on Thursday we'll be soaking it up at the Butcher & the Boar's brand new beer garden, where (in addition to all of the amazing food) you'll be able to enjoy cask-conditioned Worthy Adversary. To cap off the week, we'll be hopping on the Avalon riverboat for the 6th annual Stillwater Brewer's Bazaar. Most of our local brewery peers will be there as well, so it's a surefire good time.

We hope to see you out & about at an event this week. Thanks for supporting American Craft Brewers!