#TheBlog

Why are Surly and the rest of the Alliance of MN Craft Brewers going on about the #FreeTheGrowler campaign? Rep. Jim Nash explains.  

In the spirit of other weekday timekillers like Minesweeper, Cosmo relationship quizzes, and doomscrolling, Surly offers the following Minnesota March Bingo Card. Some of these things are evergreen while some are very much specific to the month and year we’re all trying to get through. There are also a handful of non-subtle promotions for Surly … Continued

As a craft beer enthusiast, you’re likely aware of the aluminum can shortage our industry faces. (If not, here’s the nickel version: Pandemic leads to people drinking beer at home from cans instead of at bars from glasses. People drinking beer at home buy in bulk, depleting the supply faster. Same thing happens at the … Continued

The season’s upon us, whether you asked for it to be or not. As we attempt to make the best of the worst holiday season ever, at some point you’re going to need to sit down, take a moment for yourself, and enjoy a beer. We offer the below Surly pairings for some of the … Continued

We asked our in-house mixologists to use their not-insignificant time cooped up at home this fall to create some custom holiday cocktails with a Surly beer base. They came through in a big way. Here are four drinks that will deck the halls with boughs of holly, metaphorically: Supreme Margarita  Ingredients 1.5 oz. silver or … Continued

The hits just keep on coming. Since the pandemic began, we’ve all faced uncertainty and the need to constantly adjust to changing circumstances. This weekend was no exception as we learned that one of our employees tested positive for COVID-19. Everyone, guests and employees, who came into close contact with the employee have been notified … Continued

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Surly has had to adapt, change, pivot, and change again, all in the hope of pushing the two sides of the business–the Brewery and the Beer Hall–through this unprecedented situation and the economic disaster that’s followed. The Beer Hall had to make the most significant changes … Continued

A lot of our favorite fall rituals are cancelled, postponed, or still up in the air. As we continue trying to make the very best of the very worst year, Surly Brewing would like to offer some alternatives that can pick up the slack until whatever “normal” looks like returns. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: From the Big … Continued

Welcome to the strangest goddamn 4th of July weekend ever. (OK, the 1776 one was also weird, but that’s because it was brand new and toilets weren’t invented.) As we all continue adapting to everything 2020 throws at us, one thing you needn’t worry about is which Surly beer pairs best with your holiday plans, … Continued

We stand with our community in the fight for justice for George Floyd. We see the community’s pain from a critical lack of resources. We join the community in demanding justice, equality, change, and police reform. We’ve struggled with how to use our voice to support our community. We struggle with how to look past … Continued

The emergence of COVID-19 and the resulting public health crisis has shaken us all to our very foundation. The response from health care professionals, government officials, and the public at-large to mitigate the rapid spread of the virus has been unprecedented. Here at Surly Brewing Co. we’re trying to make sense of the situation. We’re … Continued

We were really looking forward to Opening Day at Target Field. On the brewery side, we had more locations and beers at the ballpark, including the major league debut of Grapefruit Supreme. On a personal level, more than a few Surly employees were going to spend Thursday at the yard, soaking in the return of … Continued

Many of us are spending more time at home lately. And by “more time” we mean “all of it.” Watching daytime TV the other day (might have been Ellen or Dr. Phil or one of those shows where people sit at a table and talk over each other for like an hour), we saw an … Continued

We miss live music. We miss encores and wristbands. We miss First Avenue. As you know, First Avenue postponed or cancelled upcoming shows at all their properties due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s a substantial loss for them, their employees, the bands, and the entire community. What you can do: Buy First Avenue gift cards … Continued

Surly Nation, Providing you an environment that is clean, safe, and fun is what Surly Brewing and our destination brewery are all about. The coronavirus pandemic has required us to take action to make sure this is still an option and we’ve taken every step to ensure our doors will remain open for your drinking, … Continued

Darkness Day is over. For now, at least. The annual celebration of our legendary Russian imperial stout is officially on hiatus. The move from Brooklyn Center to Somerset, WI, while necessary to keep it safe and create a better experience, also made it very apparent that this event needs to happen here in Minnesota. And, … Continued

Thanksgiving is this week. You think you’re ready. You’re not. The armada of snowstorms, the request to bring a side you don’t know how to make, the relatives who show up out of nowhere—these obstacles and more loom in the distance, foreboding in their quiet, gravy-laced menace. Here are the things to look out for, … Continued

Kim Syring is Surly’s Quality Lab Specialist, and performs the critical task of ensuring your Surly beer tastes good. With science. She was recently asked to give a presentation at the Master Brewers Association of the Americas Conference in Calgary, Alberta. Her topic: The development of controlled spoilage studies to determine microbial tolerance limits. Short … Continued

Given our Upper Midwest home base, we’re often asked when Surly will be available in Michigan. After all, Ironwood is only two hours from Duluth (Deb from Ironwood has pointed this out to us a couple times on Facebook). Good news for Deb, Ironwood, and the entirety of the Lower and Upper Peninsula: Surly is … Continued

Yeah, about that. We updated our website last year. One of the things we updated was the field where you enter your email address to subscribe to the newsletter. IN THEORY: That email address gets routed to our newsletter service, and you get next week’s newsletter. IN PRACTICE: That email address got routed to the … Continued

At first blush, there might not be many similarities apparent between Arizona and Minnesota; however, the two states share many important things in common. We love Larry Fitzgerald. We’ve all loaded up the Touch Tunes on a desperate Friday night with Gin Blossoms deep cuts. And there are significant chunks of the year where the … Continued

When we were looking to name our new rye IPA in 2018, we wanted it to have a sense of place. Given that it was coming out in the dead of a Minnesota winter, we settled on naming it after the record low temperature for Surly’s state of birth. We had no idea just how … Continued

The season’s upon us, whether you asked for it to be or not. In the tumult of work and school and shopping and travel, at some point you’re going to need to sit down, take a moment for yourself, and grab a pint. We offer the below Surly pairings for some of the situations that … Continued

Thanksgiving is this week. You think you’re ready, but you’re not. The surprise snowstorm, the request to bring a side you don’t know how to make, the relatives who show up out of nowhere—these obstacles and more loom in the distance, foreboding in their quiet, gravy-laced menace. Here are the things to look out for, … Continued

There are very few Minnesota institutions like the State Fair. You know how there are multiple Paul Bunyan statues here and people have hard opinions about which is the best one? This is like 12 days of that particularly regional pride, manifested in deep fryers, Holsteins, and free lip balm from the local paper. Now, … Continued

Road construction. The two words that make Minnesotans cringe the most, more so than “Gary Anderson” or “zipper merge”. It impacts us all, even non-drivers. Multiple, concurrent apartment/condo projects across the Greenway from Surly’s Prospect Park location have turned one side street into gravel and narrowed another to about half of one lane. Both are … Continued

Welcome to Minnesota. You probably have a lot of questions. We don’t blame you. It’s cold (it’s been colder, as someone already told you) and there are giant piles of snow and people keep talking about “Juicy Lucy” and you don’t even know a Lucy. Here’s what we can tell you. Please enjoy Nicollet Mall. … Continued

BEER HALL HOURS: Closed December 23-25. Open 11 am – 8 pm New Year’s Eve. Open 11 am-4 pm New Year’s Day. Normal hours of operation all other days. Regardless of how or what you celebrate (or don’t), one thing is absolutely true: it’s the holiday season, and we need to do something about it. … Continued