Mary and Meg, authors of Babes and Brews. D*mn glad to meet ya.  We’re here to take to take over for our predecessors Pat, Luke and Jack (better known as Beards and Brews).  While the Beards have left some big mugs for us to fill… and empty, we feel confident our passion and experience for beer will help us to steer you right.  To offer you some assurance, we’ll have you know that we are professional beer connoisseurs. From Iceland, to Italy, all of the way to Ireland, we have tasted it all (ya… we went abroad).  

Back to school, back to Sal’s, back to big mugs. As a bartender here at Sal’s, to my question, “so what can I get you tonight?” I often get the response, “Surprise me, whatever you think is good.”  We are here set the record straight and tell you what you should get at this next week’s big mugs…after all with such a big mug, comes BIG responsibility.

We decided to begin this journey with help from none other than the trusted and esteemed Mr. Kyle Schneider (Dale Jr., Boss Man, the guy behind the bar, you know who we’re talking about).  It’s 10pm on a Tuesday, and he has poured out for us three of the finest taps Sal’s Bar and Grill has to offer.  These beers form a rainbow of colors, with light colored Corona Premier, honey colored Beaver Island Brew Tribute Summer IPA, and indigo stained Third Street Brewery’s Blueberry Shandy.

First off is the Corona Premier.  If you’re sick of Sal’s Light, this beer is your new go-to drink.  With only 90 calories, this golden hued brew will help you find your beach even in Saint Joseph, Minnesota.  Its taste is light, and leaves you feeling as if you could have five more (but probably don’t do that).   

Beaver Island’s Tribute Summer IPA for daaaaysssss (Meg’s favorite).  This beer boasts a bold hop and the richest flavor of today’s tasting. Though IPAs are not for everyone, this one could be. With a balanced flavor,  even the most virgin of beer tasters can find an appreciation for this one. Thanks to our good pal Will, this one was a gimme. “It tastes like every other IPA on the market. Facts,” Will Fischer, SJU Class of 2020, single and ready to mingle.

Our final review today is of Third Street Brewery’s Blueberry Shandy. This beer’s blueberry aroma smells good even before you taste it. When the Hula tap is empty, a shandy mug is the best way to go! It’s satisfying combination of beer with blueberry soda is sweet, even, and easy to drink.

Gals, get your dirndls, guys, get your lederhosen - even if we aren’t abroad this fall semester, we can at least drink like it! We’re back with our weekly programming to provide you with the know-how to drink right during the weeks-long celebration of Oktoberfest. 

Do not be fooled by the name! Oktoberfest traditionally begins its celebrations the third weekend in September and lasts all the way through the first week of October. The original Oktoberfest celebration dates all the way back to 1810, and as a Bavarian King Ludwig I and his betrothed Maria Theresa’s wedding feast.  The happy couple invited the whole city of Munich to party it up with them at their reception- surprisingly enough, SJPD did not bust the gathering. The first Oktoberfest celebration included horse races, traditional food, and marzenbier, which means “March beer” in German. Marzen is a medium to full-bodied lager traditionally brewed in March and served at Oktoberfest.  (Talk about planning ahead!!)

We began our selection with Summit Oktoberfest. Our favorite St. Paul brewery takes a stab at this traditional Bavarian beverage!  Summit’s interpretation of marzenbier translates nicely in rich, toffee malt flavors. Though its crisp hops originate all the way from Germany, this beverage has a bite as snappy as a Minnesota fall breeze. 

With a name like Spoetzl, you could hardly be surprised that this brewery’s craft is rooted deep in German tradition. Spoetzl really went crazy naming their seasonal marzenbier by also dubbing it ‘Oktoberfest.’ This brew’s crisp, caramel hops pack a flavorful punch that pair perfectly with a warm soft pretzel (can be purchased at your local KwikTrip). We recommend pairing the pretzel with warm gooey queso (also can be purchased at your local KwikTrip).  What the heck!! While we’re at Kwiky why not throw in a couple bosco sticks and marinara too!! (Thanks Bridget, you’re my favorite cashier <3 -Meg)

This review would not be complete without a genuine, German imported marzen. Thanks to an extensive collection at Coborns, we stumbled upon Hacker-Pschorr Original’s, wait for it…, Oktoberfest. (Now THIS is something that I can get behind - Mary). Grab yourself a bratwurst from the St. Joe Meat Market, slap on some sauerkraut, and wash it down with this earthy-toned ale to send your taste buds on a journey all the way to Munich! If you are looking for an easy-to-drink brew, this is the drink for you.

Now, if the sounds of this selection make your mouth water, and if you feel that your German roots are needing to be tickled, you can find your very own “Rocktoberfest” celebration put on by St. Joseph Catholic School this coming weekend! This 21+ event provides live German music, a German food buffet, and of course- German beer!! Start practicing your polka, people, study up on your marzenbiers, and you’ll be set to rock everyone’s socks off at Rocktoberfest!  Prost!!

Greetings, loved ones. Let’s take a journey.  Your babes and brews are excited to invite you to join us as we embark on a two-week saga: “Babes and Beaver Island Brews.” This journey took us far beyond the known realms of St. Joseph and Collegeville and brought us out into the wild unexplored St. Cloud.  We knew not what we would face, but we have returned bearing good news. For those of you who may not know, the St. Cloud area is home to a plethora of local breweries that have become quite infamous around the Midwest. If you head straight down Division Street, you’ll find yourself at Beaver Island Brewery like we happily found ourselves just the other evening.

Our first brew of the week is ‘39 Red IPA. This beer is like the Khal Drogo of beers—bold, dark, strong and, to be honest, slightly intimidating too. The ‘39 Red is a dark IPA with bold bitterness that is not for the faint of heart. The Red’s flavor is a complex blend of Scottish and Belgian malts and Pacific Northwest hops. This combination of ingredients produces hints of a dark roast and citrusy flavors and aromas.

Next, we tasted the River Hopper Hazy IPA. Jam-packed with Simcoe, Cascade, El Dorado, Mosaic and Citra hops, this IPA was inspired by a crisp summer wine and we think it delivered. This can be paired perfectly with a charcuterie board by the warm fireplace… or maybe just the fireplace on your laptop. 

Finally, the Trail Hop Juicy IPA. This brew looks like liquid sunshine and it tastes like it, too. Though summer is long gone, this IPA gives you that same refreshing feeling as a jump in the lake to cool off after basking in the sun… we can dream right?  With bright citrus-flavored hops and aromas, this IPA’s light taste will carry you away to warmer, sunnier days. The Trail Hop is sweet and easy to drink, and the perfect beer to satisfy.

Tune in next week as we continue on this journey into the unknown with three new flavors from Beaver Island’s best!

Welcome back to week two of Babes & Brews’ Beaver Island Odyssey! As we venture further into the longer nights of Minnesota winters, Babes & Brews, ventures to the darker side of St. Cloud’s very best breweries. 

Let’s talk about dark beers. For those of you who have not ventured to the dark side of beers, what is stopping you? Rich, malty and often filled with the flavors of coffee and/or chocolate, these brews are often considered a dessert beer because of their sweet composition. This week we tasted two of Beaver Island’s stouts, Sweet Miss Coffee and Vanilla and the Sweet Miss Nitro Chocolate Oatmeal, along with a dark barley wine, called the Olde Steamboat.

The Sweet Misses are similar in texture and weight, and both very smooth. Brewed with the UK’s finest malts, flaked oats, milk sugar and fair trade cocoa nibs from Ecuador, this chocolatey goodness is thick, rich and
dangerously delicious. The Sweet Miss Coffee and Vanilla is frothy, full and delightful to drink. We were very pleased to discover that this Beaver Island stout can be enjoyed from the comfort of our own campus at Br. Willie’s Pub! Infused with nitrogen, the Sweet Miss Nitro Chocolate Oatmeal brew is airy and smooth, much like our beloved Guinness. With a rich aroma of dark roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate, we felt as though we had just been handed a nitro brew from our local Starbucks. 

The Olde Steamboat was a fun one to drink! With a combination of European malts, English yeast and hops, this barley wine delivers a rich, complex maltiness with hints of caramel, toffee and dried fruits and a flavor that stood out after having tasted both stouts. Though much lighter than the stouts, this black sheep of our tasting this week was not light on flavor. With the hints of caramel and toffee hitting our noses before the glass even touched our lips, we knew we were about to be taken on a journey to Flavortown and we had quite the time when we arrived—though we unfortunately did not see Guy Fieri when we got there.

That’s a wrap for Babes & Brews Fall 2019. We would like to thank our loyal readers for embarking on this journey with us as well as the lovely staff at The Record for taking a chance on two girls who just really like to drink beer.