Anniversary Date Night in the Southwest Twin Cities Metro
First stop for the evening was Enki Brewing Company. It was well recommended by a beer-loving friend. The tap room was small and rustic but inviting, with a beautifully landscaped patio and a cozy fire to cuddle up next to. While enjoying our beer, we overheard talk of a new facility with a larger tap room and full canning line coming soon.
Enki had 8 beers on tap, and their flights ($10) featured any four. Naturally, Carl and I each got a flight so we could try them all.
Our favorites:
Carl and I both really liked the Cacao Porter. It had a great chocolatey taste and robust maltiness without being too heavy. I wouldn't want to drink a whole glass on a humid Minnesota day, but a cool evening around the campfire seems entirely appropriate.
The Hootenanny Hefe was my next favorite. At 6.0% it's definitely on the stronger end of the style but it packed a delicious banana bread punch.
Our less-than-favorites:
None of the beer we had here was bad. The pale ales were a bit boring, especially by American "punch you in the face with hops" standards. My least-favorite was probably the III Anno - Triple IPA. To me, it overwhelmingly tasted of licorice, which is not a flavor I like in anything that isn't also dark and malty. It was one of Carl's favorites, however, so take that with a grain of salt. The Journey Pale and Reunion Red were the last to be chosen when we divvied up who got to drink what after initial tasting, but like I said, nothing was bad. Both were drinkable and very appropriate for an outer-ring suburban market who just wanted some easy to drink, well-made craft brews.
In summary:
This place is definitely worth checking out if you're in Victoria, and I'd buy a six-pack of the Cacao Porter once the canning line is up and running. Given the distance from our home, we'll probably not be back, but if it was our neighborhood brewery you'd find us and our dog lounging around the fire on a regular basis.
Waconia Brewing Company
255 Main St W, Waconia, MN
255 Main St W, Waconia, MN
Our next stop was the Waconia Brewing Company in Waconia. We got there shortly before closing time (10pm), but there was still a healthy number of people hanging around the bar. The website boasts "cabin feeling when you can't make it to the cabin" and I think they deliver on that front. The decor is rustic but refined, there are games for the kids, and a food truck parked across the street. It was definitely a better atmosphere than I expected when driving up to the strip-mall location. They had a small but well-outfitted patio, but since it was so close to closing we opted to sit inside.
Waconia had 10 beers on tap with flights that let you pick any 6 for $12. Had we gotten there earlier we definitely would have tried them all, but we chose the WacTown Wheat, 90K IPA, 255 Amber, Pontoon Pale, Mo' Summa Saison, and the Mo-Winta Milk Stout. We chose well and were not disappointed.
Our favorites:
My favorite beer of the night hands down goes to Waconia's WacTown Wheat. This beer would earn a spot on the flagship list of almost any brewery in the state. It is delicious, fruity, and light, almost reminiscent of a Munich Rüss. The citrusy notes from sweet orange peel and mandarin orange extract are emphasized by Magnum and Amarillo hops. This is a beer I could happily drink all summer. And spring. And fall. Seriously, just bring me a glass right now.
Carl's favorite was the Pontoon Pale Ale. Of the two pales, it was the one I preferred as well, but I'm not a fan of the style as a whole. This beer was heavy on the tropical notes, compliments of the Mandarina Bavaria and Amarillo hops. It was beautifully clear with a crisp, dry finish.
Our less-than-favorites:
I was happy with all the beer we got here, but I'd have to say I was a bit disappointed by the Mo' Summa Saison. It was described as a tart, fruity saison, but I found those flavors to be overwhelmed by the farmhouse funky notes characteristic of the style. Not a bad saison if you embrace the farmhouse "horse blanket" funk, but not quite as advertised.
I was happy with all the beer we got here, but I'd have to say I was a bit disappointed by the Mo' Summa Saison. It was described as a tart, fruity saison, but I found those flavors to be overwhelmed by the farmhouse funky notes characteristic of the style. Not a bad saison if you embrace the farmhouse "horse blanket" funk, but not quite as advertised.
We almost ordered the Single Hop Sorachi Ace, but thought better of it when told it was heavy on the dill and other off flavors that can come from the Japanise hop.
In Summary:
The tap room had a sign that read, "Waconia is a drinking village with a fishing problem." With beer like this, it's easy to live up to that expectation, especially with a distillery and a winery/brewery close by. This little gem is worth an afternoon trip from the cities.
Beers on tap: 10
Beers on tap: 10
Wild Mind Artisan Ales
255 Main St W, Waconia, MN6031 Pillsbury Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419
Oh, what a fortuitous find. Wild Mind opened literally 9 days earlier and boy are we happy we found it. Wild Mind specializes in wild, sour, farmhouse, saison, and rustic ales through barrel aging and blending, but unlike so many American sour breweries, Wild Mind seems much more focused on the balance of sour and funky flavors instead of just slapping you in the face with lactobacillus and pedio. The beers are truly unique because all of their yeast is cultured from wild Minnesotan sources like trees and wildflowers. The taproom is modern, sleek, and absolutely stunning. Wild Mind does not yet have flights, we're told they're coming some day, but they do let you have two-sip samples of pretty much anything you'd like.
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| The sleek and modern bar clearly has enough taps for more than 5 beers at a time. I can't wait to come back and see what else they produce. |
Our Favorites:
All of them. We tried four of the five they currently had on tap. After sampling, I ordered the Hoppy French Saison. As stated above, I am not a fan of over-hopped beers and tend to steer clear of anything marketed as "hoppy." The intense gooseberry flavors in this very drinkable beer completely won me over. It was delicious.
Carl ordered the Hoppy Rye Wild Ale. Earthy rye perfectly balanced with crisp citrus made this a very, very tasty beer with just the right amount of Belgian funk.
In Summary:
This is a brewery to watch out for. Everything we tried reminded me of the best Belgian ales we sampled on our trip to Brussels last year. The tap room is breath-taking. Even the bathrooms are adorable and bright! The only downside to this brewery is that it's tucked back in an industrial area off 35W and 62 back behind Northern Brewer. I worry that the lack of residential and other commercial businesses nearby will prevent them from getting the following this brewery deserves. In my opinion, it's easily the best new brewery in Minneapolis since Lakes & Legends. If you're heading to Northern Brewer on a weekend, definitely swing through and pick up a tulip. You'll be happy you did.
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| Tangerine ladies room! I hear the men's room is lime |
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