What began many years ago as a quick-witted solve to a brew day that included some no-show wet hops, 300 entered the world in a whirl of single hop mastery by our (then) very small brew team. Our first iteration, named "Batch 300" after the number of that brew on our downtown brewhouse, was an instant hit. But with Mosaic Hops in super short supply, and no bottling line (at the time) of our own, Batch 300 soon lived only in memory and on Untappd reviews.
Fast forward to January 2015.
With the opening of our NE MPLS production facility the year prior, and more generous hop quantities secured, we proudly brewed and bottled (now named) 300 for the second time at the top of the year. Again, 300 came and went with the devoted fandom of a true legend (and at warp speed). It took us but a few weeks after release to begin fervently seeking more Mosaic vowing to ourselves to "make it year-round".
Soon thereafter we did, finally, secure the quantity of Mosaic we'd need to bring 300 into our flagship beer lineup. And not long after that we expanded availability into 4pks of tallboy cans. Everything was right in the world and everyone was happy.
Well, kind of.
6 packs of bottles are great. And 4 packs of tallboy cans are great, too. But we kept hearing from you that 12 packs of our award winning IPA were needed. Well, we heard you loud and clear...Today we're pleased to announce that 300 IPA is now available in 12 packs of 12 oz cans. Snag a dozen at your fave local retailer and bring an exalted status to your fridge with this MN hop royalty.
Wow. 2020 was a doozy.
Keeping up, keeping safe, staying home, staying sane...they’re all intertwined right now. Like many of you, we’ve been waking up each day and putting on our “optimistic face” and venturing into the world (even if “the world” means a basement office) with a sense of uncertainty. The challenges of running our business come in many forms and they come daily. Some days we fare better than others, some days we fall flat on our faces (and that’s ok, too). We’re all doing our best.
One of the challenges that we’ve been circling around now since when we all went on lockdown last year: What to do with the Fulton Gran Fondo?
Well, all you faithful Fondo fans know that we pushed the event not knowing what the rest of 2020 would look like (and, for the record, it was a mess). After reluctantly canceling the event for 2020 we staked out this May as a good option. Well, here we are in Spring of 2021 with a clearer view of the year ahead and we need to move the event again.
(okay, just stick with us!)
But we didn’t come here just to give you bad news.
If you know Fulton (and we think you do), then you know that when we do something, we do it all the way. We might be writing to you about pushing this year’s Fondo, but we’re also writing to you to tell you why it will be bigger and better than ever.
First, the date: Saturday September 25th, 2021. Mark it down, save the date. Cool? Got it? Good.
The Ride. If you’ve signed up for the 2020 Fulton Gran Fondo then you are already signed up for the 2021 event. We’re rolling over all 2020 registrations in an effort to keep things simple, quick, and easy for everyone. For those who wish to ride with us but haven’t registered yet, now’s the time. We’ve opened up registration in the same tiering style as in the past. If the new date doesn’t work for you and you’re seeking a refund for last year’s registration, please follow the *instructions listed here on our Fulton Gran Fondo website. As in years past, we will publish the route and accompanying Strava/Garmin/other digital files when it gets closer to the actual date.
**Piccolo riders! Don’t fret because you don’t see a signup for the Piccolo ride yet. We’re reworking what our “party ride” is going to be this year because we’re switching up all our routes. As soon as we get it figured out, we’ll open registration for it. If you’ve already signed up and wondering what’s going, don’t worry, you’re good.
The Party. We don’t know about you, but we could use a proper celebration right about now. But come September, we’ll reallllly be ready to party (AND we will be vaccinated!). We’re already crafting our biggest, funnest, most impactful party to date and can’t wait to share all our plans with you in due time.
One piece we CAN share immediately is that Fulton Gran Fondo is joining forces with another event postponed by the pandemic to create one of MN’s biggest bike culture gatherings ever.
That’s right: You’re getting a full-on Fondo-ARTCRANK mashup in September 2021.
We’ll have more on this as we get closer to the fall, but we wanted you to be the first to know. We can’t wait to ride (and party) with you all. Stay safe!
*Refund Instructions over on the Fulton Gran Fondo site right here.
At long last the wait is over! Extreme patience pays off this week in spades with the arrival of our Old Fashioned Sweet Child of Vine release. We dialed up our drinking buddies at Jameson and managed to persuade them to send us enough barrels to age a volume we could bottle. Well, we sure are glad we did because this is one of our tastiest releases to date. Oh, don't take our word for it (we're biased, duh), one of Fulton's longest standing fans and friend has some of his own kind words to share.
And while we're on the topic of our latest release , we want to talk about another special drop with some friends of ours. Season 6 of Dabbler In A Box preorders have begun! We're in great company in this mixed 12 pack, surrounded by a lot of MN brewery pals. These packs are limited in nature, and will book up quick. Don't sleep on this goodness.
There's a saying we've all heard a gazillion times that goes, "All good things come to those who wait". Well, today that couldn't be more true from our vantage point. After many years of interest and requests from fans of this legendary IPA we are elated to announce that 300 12 packs of 12 ounce cans are on their way (and soon!). Keep your eyes peeled here (and all over @FultonBeer social) in the next couple weeks for exact timing.
The Bicycle Film Festival Minneapolis is happening virtually Feb 26 - Mar 7 (which means it starts today!). Hosted by BikeMN & Our Streets MPLS. BFF Minneapolis presents an international short film program that will appeal to a wide audience from film connoisseurs to avid cyclists and everything in between. Get your tickets now.
Inspired by an iconic cocktail, aged in the barrels of the most iconic Irish Whiskey ever, and now freshly bottled and on it's way to you.
Walking into the brewery today in the middle of our bottling run was a treat like non-other. The smell of our new barrel-aged Jameson collaboration (even through a mask) was immediate, welcoming, and a reminder of the pure anticipation for a project like this to come to fruition. And the aromatic effect is just the beginning of your sensory adventure once you crack open a bottle. Old Fashioned Sweet Child of Vine is at once incredibly familiar yet totally and uniquely new. It's a real treat in the truest sense.
So go ahead. Treat yourself.
Old Fashioned Sweet Child of Vine is available in the market beginning next Monday (2/22) in 4pks of 12 oz bottles and in limited draught. The Fulton Taproom begins pouring it Wednesday (2/24). Now THAT is something to look forward to.
We reached an exciting and important milestone this week in the crafting of our forthcoming collaborative release with our pals at Jameson. After months of patiently watching and waiting, we racked (beer speak for transferred) our Old Fashioned Sweet Child of Vine from the oak barrels it's been residing in back into stainless for its final steps before bottling. This close to the finish line it feels like time has begun to slow down on its own, making our month's end release feel like forever from now. But in the shortest month of the year we know that's right around the corner. Stay tuned.
TWENTY TWENTY ONE!!!
The kitchen has hit its stride, the new brewhouse is in. We've got seated indoor guests again. It feels like...(wait for it)...things are a little more "normal" around here every day. And while we acknowledge there's a bounty of hurdles still ahead, we're happy to report we've got new things to look forward to and to enjoy in this moment right here. Speaking of which, we've got 3 new colorful and delicious* additions to the taproom kitchen menu. You can see them and the others here. Everything is available for dine-in or take-out (perfect for game day). You do you.
And if you're grubbing on Fulton food you know you've got to wash it down with Fulton beer. Right? To keep with the theme of new, we're pleased to have another super small batch beer we're calling Lager Star on draught. What happens when we lager some Hopstar wort and skip the dry-hopping? Well, grab a pint and find out.
* Protip: Get the tacos.
Way back on the first day of the new year (which feels like eons ago already) we dropped the first episode of our first show on what we are calling Fulton Public Access. Today we released the second episode. The show is called "The Beers I Bought" and we wanted to give you a little background on it.
Ever wanted to know what lager your fave chef drinks while they're cooking? Maybe you've been curious about trying something new but looking for recommendations? Or perhaps you just need a few laughs while infinitely scrolling Instagram. Whatever your motive our new show "The Beers I Bought" should be right up your alley. Depending on the episode it'll be at least one part comedy, one part local notoriety, and 6 parts beer. We'll be airing episodes periodically this year with familiar faces from the Twin Cities. You can watch Episode 2 below or follow us on Instagram and be sure to see each episode (and other features!) when they go live.
Old news? You probably already know we reopened for indoor seating a couple of weeks ago (you knew that, right?). We're super excited to welcome you all back indoors with us! So get yourself a reservation for inside or outside, mask up, and come visit us for a familiar good time just like the good ol' days of taproom hangin'. Our kitchen is open, we've got new beers (Pale Ale Project and Lagerstar) and we installed some space-age technology into our HVAC system to help #StopTheSpread of everyone's arch-nemesis: the virus.
We're doing our best to help you breathe easier (figuratively and literally). We hope to see you soon.
Ask a large enough sample of brewers and chances are a bunch of Pale Ales will come out on top. It’s certainly true at Fulton. Some of our very first homebrews were Pale Ale, and each of us can trace our earliest craft beer crushes to a Pale Ale or two. And if you sneak into our houses (that’d be weird, please don’t) you’ll find a few in our fridges or at least our recycling bins.
When we visit other breweries, the first beer we’ll look for on the menu is a Pale Ale. The style is a bellwether of sorts. Much like IPA, Pale Ales are a canvas for hops artistry. They can be packed with layers of flavor and aroma, yet they require balance and restraint and are far less forgiving of flaws than IPAs. If a brewery can nail a Pale Ale, you can bet pretty much anything else they brew is going to be spot on as well.
Simply put -- Pale Ale is the quintessential American craft beer, arguably deserving of more credit for the success and growth of our industry than any other beer style. And in an era when breweries seem to be using more candy and cereal than malt and hops in their beers -- we think it’s time to rediscover the Pale Ale.
If you’re still with us, you’re probably thinking: yeah, it’s about damn time Fulton started brewing a Pale Ale again. Glad we can agree on that! But rather than trying to settle on just one recipe, we created the Fulton Pale Ale Project. By definition, the Pale Ale Project is about experimenting and iterating on one of our favorite beer styles, while utilizing only the four traditional categories of beer ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast. We’re concocting a litany of expressions of the style, from using some of our favorite Southern Hemisphere hops, to introducing engineered yeast strains, to old school iterations featuring venerable hops like Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus. It’s part brewing plus one part mad science plus zero gimmicks equals all delicious and all fun.
The best news? The delicious and fun part starts now. To celebrate our taproom brewery reopening (again), our first version is on tap in the taproom right now. We’ll be using our newly commissioned 3 barrel taproom R&D brewhouse to continuously churn out new iterations; expect to see one or more on tap at any given time this year. Some will be here and gone in a week; others will be around longer.
The taproom is only the beginning, though. Every few months, we’ll be releasing one of our favorite versions in 6-packs of bottles. The tricky part? The six-packs and labels will change colors with each release, but we’re not printing all of the specifics of each brew on the packaging, so you’ll have to check the Pale Ale Project beer page here on our website to learn more about what’s in each one. The first packaged version will be hitting liquor stores in March.
We're super excited to welcome you all back indoors with us! So get yourself a reservation, mask up, and come visit us!
There's no reason to go thirsty in January when you're drinking with Fulton. Our non-alcoholic Hop Water recently hit our distribution channels, and just in time for those who might be taking a 'lil break this month. But whatever your reason to pick up a Fulton Hop Water, you can kick 'em back without any hesitation knowing that it's zero carbs, zero sugar, and zero alcohol. Zero never tasted so good.
Fulton Hop Water is available where you already purchase Fulton. If your favorite retailer doesn't carry it, ask for it! We also invite you to come pick up a 6pk at the Fulton Taproom with your next to-go order.
Who reading this right now thought 2020 was going to go down the way it has back when we were all making new years resolutions last December? (not us!) 2020 was so chocked-full of zingers out of left field that we sometimes lost our ability to see above the figurative (and literal) fires and smoke to see what we had gained amidst all the loss. That thing we had been stock-piling all year? One word-
Appreciation.
Like you, we filled in all the blanks this year with time spent well. Like, truly well. As in doing the things most meaningful, rewarding, and lasting. We hunkered down, we tightened our figurative belts, we zoomed in lieu of gathering around our dinner tables, stadiums, and favorite venues. We navigated a new world of "unknowing" and we got sharper, stronger, and more appreciative along the way. And it's that last bit that we want to remind you of today, on this last day of this (insert your own adjective here) year:
We are so thankful for you.
We can't do what we do without you. Whether you're a restaurant or bar beer buyer, one of our faithful distributors, a liquor store cashier, or some guy or gal picking up a quick 12pk of Fulton on their way to a distanced backyard hang. We're here today, after this zany year because all of you decided to keep Fulton in your lives. And for that, we are forever grateful.
We hope you bring in the new year tonight with gusto, whatever that looks like to you. Be good to each other out there.
See you next year,
Much love.
It's like UHF + Waynes World + Mystery Science Theater...oh, and with beer. First episode of one of our features we're calling "Beers I Bought" airs tomorrow. Let's get weird!
What do you get when you age an iconic Minnesota IPA in the oak barrels from the world’s largest Irish whiskey maker with ingredients inspired by a legendary cocktail? Well, you’re about to find out soon! For the first time ever we're about to bottle one of our Jameson barrel-aged beers. And while we're ready for an Old Fashioned-inspired beer RIGHT NOW, the oak barrels aren't done sharing their flavors quite yet. Look for the release of "Sweet Child Old Fashioned" in February. Spring, as it turns out, is already looking up.
For those of you who've ordered take out food the past couple weeks or have (very) recently come to visit us outdoors on our patio; thank you. We all know it's been rough this year and it should go without saying (though we're saying it now, again) that your support has meant the world to us. We are here because of you, truly.
For those visiting us soon, our holiday hours are as follows:
