Surly’s first variety pack of 2020 is designed for these post-holiday months, as we trudge our way out of winter’s grip. There will be days where the temperature sneaks above freezing and you lose your mind a little. There will be days with a foot of damn snow and snarled traffic and you lose your … Continued
You may have seen that we’re putting Darkness Day on hiatus. Our reasons are here. Our goal is to resurrect it at our Minneapolis brewery when it’s legal to do so. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild is working to change our current laws and give consumers more choices. Currently, laws prohibit breweries that brew more … 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
We’ve selected Surly’s 2020 Darkness Artist, and it is Minneapolis illustrator Barbara Guttman! We asked her for a brief bio to introduce herself to Surly Nation, and she obliged: “Barbara is a Minneapolis-based comic book artist, illustrator, and bone collector creating stories about monsters, witchery, and making the best of a bad decision.” Barbara’s work … Continued
There are many reasons to hold your wedding at Surly: the one-of-a-kind venue, the dedicated, on-site event coordinator, the state-of-the-art A/V system, everything. But today, we’d like to focus on two of the most important things: food and beer. The Food You have to eat on your wedding day. This is easy to say but … Continued
The second round of our Flawed February Bracket is set, with #1 seed Minnesota Nice dominating, while #14 seed Duck Duck Grey Duck and #15 seed Zubaz scored huge upsets over Paul Bunyan and Hotdish. And the guy who canceled us on Twitter for being mean to a body of water can rest easy knowing … Continued
The BC Small Batch series prides itself on experimentation, whether we’re aging Mexican lagers in tequila barrels or pushing the hop envelope as far as nature and our brewing equipment allows. February’s entry in the canon is no different. Brewing a bold and flavorful lager is an ambitious task, but we’ve never shied away from … Continued
The winners have their flights/hotel rooms booked. Our staff has the stamps and ink for your passports–look for the people in the red Surly beanies from Love Your Melon if you have any questions. Our Beer Garden is prepped, all our bar partners have their kegs (and in at least one case, a goat), and … Continued
Surly is a longtime supporter and sponsor of The Loppet Foundation. Surly Gives A Damn volunteers assist with everything from course construction to clean-up, and you can find us manning the taps in the Loppet Village at the Surly Beer Garden for attendees and competitors. Especially the competitors. This winter is no different, as Surly … Continued
If you’re familiar with our brewery, then you’re likely familiar with Surly Gives A Damn. Our charitable arm, SGAD focuses on giving back to the communities that built us, both in time and money. Stocking food shelves, planting trees, cleaning up parks, Toys for Tots drives, building an entire damn house–the list goes on and … Continued
So, you’re getting married. First of all, congratulations! You probably weren’t expecting a leading independent craft brewer to tell you this today, but it’s just the beginning of the positive difference Surly can make for your wedding. If you’re tying the knot in 2020, particularly in the fall or winter, Surly would love to host … Continued
Executive Chef Ben Peine and our culinary team revamped our daily Beer Hall offerings, adding new options to never-leave-the-menu favorites. All of them are available now and all offer an excellent reason to get out of the house this winter and try something new with your hog frites. MUSSELS—these return to our shareables section in … Continued
We’re not so different, you and I.
Surly’s first variety pack of 2020 is designed for these post-holiday months, as we trudge our way out of winter’s grip. There will be days where the temperature sneaks above freezing and you lose your mind a little. There will be days with a foot of damn snow and snarled traffic and you lose your … Continued
Our first seasonal release of 2020 stands out in a crowded IPA market by taking a little from the new school and a little from the old school for a beer that sends your palate swirling. Dots & Loops IPA finds common ground between citrusy and tropical flavors and a pleasingly bright and bitter bite … Continued
Making an approachable beer that still gives you the hop character and juiciness of a hazy IPA isn’t rocket surgery. It’s Rocket Surgery. This uncomplicated, easy-drinking ale has an abundance of Citra, Simcoe, and Amarillo hops and the juicy, citrusy flavor of a haze bomb twice its size. Debuting in our 2019 Hop Pack, Rocket … Continued
We’re headed to Breckenridge, CO later this week for the 20th Anniversary of the Big Beers Festival right in the heart of the Rockies at the Beaver Run Resort. Not only will Omar and Aaron bring some heavy hitters to Saturday’s main event, they’ll also be stationed at a number of pre-parties, which you can … Continued
When formulating Surly’s 2020 release calendar, we had a couple choices: Introduce a CBD-infused, barrel-aged, hard seltzer smoothie in cans that explode if handled by a non-first-born son, or Make hop-forward beers with undeniable flavor and aromatics, be they clear as a bell or hazy AF. We chose wisely. These three beers begin hitting shelves … Continued
Furious48 has some winners! Congratulations to Walter from St. Paul, Christopher from Bloomington (MN), Jared from Denver, and Eleanor from Chicagoland. They and their +1s will all be partying on our dime from Friday, January 31 to Sunday, February 2. But that’s not all. We’ve scheduled a weekend’s worth of activities and every member of … Continued
It’s the coldest and darkest time of year. When metal legend Avril Lavigne sang “It’s a damn cold night,” we felt that. What better way to cope than with pizza and pinball? This January and February, our friends at Tilt Pinball Bar are setting up a pinball residency in Surly Pizza Upstairs with a variety … Continued
When are we open? When are we closed? When are we open late? When are we closing early? Can I get on a tour? ANSWERS TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS ARE REVEALED BELOW: Monday, December 23rd Beer Hall: 11am – midnight Pizza: 4pm – 10pm Tuesday, December 24th – CLOSED Wednesday, December 25th – CLOSED Thursday, … Continued
Black cats skitter. Ladders loom. Mirrors break. Danzig writes a song that Johnny Cash covers. The calendar reads Friday, December 13. Disregard these ominous portents and remember: You make your own luck*. Let Surly make your beer. (*This does not apply to any counselors at Camp Crystal Lake reading this. You should heed these ominous … Continued
Our final BC Small Batch release of 2019 shares a name with one of our tattoo-loving staff’s favorite things. (Besides metal/hardcore bands with names your parents are iffy about.) Sharp and clean like an artist’s line, Fresh Ink packs a dangerously drinkable, sweet-tart punch. Blackberry and black currant puree elevate this imperial kettle sour, 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
It’s that time of the year again. The quest for a perfect gift is underway. A thoughtful expression of love and friendship that delights and surprises the people in your life. But enough about them. What’s in it for you? Surly has your back. From Black Friday (11/29) through 12/31/19, every $50 in gift cards … Continued
2020. Just looking at that number, it feels like there should be jet packs and flying robot dogs. Instead we have *gestures at all the remarkably stupid stuff around us right now* this. Fortunately, there’s beer. Without further ado, let’s introduce the 2020 Surly Brand Calendar. NEW YEAR-ROUND BEERS Grapefruit Supreme. It started in our … Continued
The BC Small Batch series encourages our brewers to experiment with unexpected flavors and collaborate with our fellow independent craft brewers. November’s selection fulfills these expectations with a vengeance. Introducing Magic Formula for Peace, an imperial oatmeal stout with espresso and citrus, courtesy of Surly, Chicago’s Mikerphone Brewing, and Modist Brewing in the North Loop. … Continued
The response to Black Horsemen Danish-style black lager, our collaboration with metal legend King Diamond, has been astonishing. Fans from across the world (no, seriously: we just had a request from Moscow) have been asking how they can get the beer, including offers to buy used cans. While we can’t sell our beer online and … Continued
Surly Gives A Damn (SGAD) is looking to close 2019 out with a sustained barrage of damn-giving before and during the holidays, as we’ve lined up a series of events to flex our public service muscles. (If you’re new here, SGAD is the public-spirited side of Surly, dedicated to volunteer and charitable donation support in … 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
The good people at Brew Pipeline and TapRm in New York City did a one-time drop of Axe Man out east this spring. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, so much so that we’re doing a second drop with multiple brands this week. Expatriates and/or native New Yorkers who want to see what all the fuss … 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
Is the West Coast the Best Coast? That’s not for us to say here in flyover country. But we absolutely love a good West Coast-inspired IPA, market trends be damned. That’s why we made Yummi Bear, our 2019 fall seasonal. You’ll notice it says “inspired” up top. Departing from the dank, resinous profile of a … Continued
The Great American Beer Festival is upon us. The annual Denver convention is a craft beer lover’s Wonka factory, with hundreds of breweries in attendance and just as many pre-parties, after-parties, probably some during-parties too. There’s a lot going on is the point here. Not only will Surly be pouring at the Convention Center throughout … Continued
Furious48 has some winners! Congratulations to Walter from St. Paul, Christopher from Bloomington (MN), Jared from Denver, and Eleanor from Chicagoland. They and their +1s will all be partying on our dime from Friday, January 31 to Sunday, February 2. But that’s not all. We’ve scheduled a weekend’s worth of activities and every member of … Continued
King Diamond is embarking on 23 black masses across North America starting Nov. 2. To make the tour even more memorable, King Diamond has collaborated with Surly Brewing Co., the Minneapolis-based craft brewery, for a limited release beer: Black Horsemen Danish-style black lager. The beer will be available at select venues within the Surly footprint … Continued
For some, going to Darkness Day weekend is all about being in the moment, and just letting the whole experience wash over you like a river made of imperial stouts. For others, it’s about making sure this guy, who we’ll call Terry, knows where the bottle shop is, when the bands are playing, and if … Continued
Seasons change. Summer turns to fall. Your buddy Kyle who wears shorts all the time begrudgingly wears jeans for the first time since April. Our Frost Pack eases the transition. The fourth Surly variety pack of 2019 features our Furious and Xtra flagships, a returning favorite from 2018, and a fresh new beer we’ve previewed … Continued
You’ve read about Darkness. You’ve read about the Variants. You’ve read about the guest breweries. You’ve read about the campground beers. Fine. That’s fine. But what have you done for us lately, Surly? Terrific question. Here are all the other beers Surly is bringing to the party on Darkness Day (Saturday, 9/28). Take a seat. … Continued
We now know what many of our friends are bringing to the Dawn of Darkness Beer Festival on Friday, September 27th–tickets here. Reminder: All these breweries are unavailable in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, and you can enjoy all-you-care-to-sample pours from 6-9 pm on Darkness Day Eve. We’ll have stouts, sours, a Shower Beer (no, really, … Continued
With Darkness Day fast approaching (Sept. 27-28, Somerset WI, tickets available here), it also heralds the annual arrival of the son of Darkness, ruling at its side with a black heart and dark energy all its own. In the unspeakable depths of our brewhouse, shrouded in ritual and ceremony, the beer known as Damien rises … Continued
Our September BC Small Batch selection is a returning favorite, and probably the most hop-forward beer our hop-forward brewery makes. 3DH, a highly aromatic and flavorful triple IPA, is available to all U.S. Surly markets beginning the week of September 2. One difference from last year: there are more hops, somehow. Head Brewer Ben Smith … Continued
What started out as a closely fought battle between two titans of batter-slathered wiener-dom turned into a rout, as the Pronto Pup cruised to an easy victory over the corn dog in Surly’s Corn Dog vs. Pronto Pup showdown. The contest coincided with the Minnesota State Fair, the Upper Midwest’s premier event for deep-fried foodstuff … Continued
After a successful draft rollout in June, Surly is incredibly pleased to announce a full brand launch in St. Louis beginning the week of September 2.Online Form – DRI RTW FOR RFT “I’m not sure there is a market where we get more requests to bring Surly brands than St. Louis,” said Bob Repp, vice … Continued
After a successful draft rollout in June, Surly is incredibly pleased to announce a full brand launch in St. Louis beginning the week of September 2.Online Form – DRI RTW FOR RFT “I’m not sure there is a market where we get more requests to bring Surly brands than St. Louis,” said Bob Repp, vice … Continued
After a successful draft rollout in June, Surly is incredibly pleased to announce a full brand launch in St. Louis beginning the week of September 2.Online Form – DRI RTW FOR RFT “I’m not sure there is a market where we get more requests to bring Surly brands than St. Louis,” said Bob Repp, vice … Continued
Every year, we look at ways to make the great Darkness Day (Sept. 27 & 28, Somerset, WI, tickets here) experience even greater. Never too much of a good thing and all that. One of the ways we’re doing that this year: More packaged beer. Many of you understandably hold onto your Darkness and variant … Continued
Can a non-traditional craft brewery make a traditional Oktoberfest? That was the challenge Surly faced as we contemplated the kind of beer enjoyed for literal centuries, from Munich to Minnesota. As it turns out, the answer is “Hölle ja.” Surly Oktoberfest is rich, sweet, and malty up front, bookended by a clean, dry finish with … Continued
Every great temple starts with a simple foundation and rises to spectacular heights. Temple, Surly’s BC Small Batch beer for August, earns the comparison. It starts as a relatively uncomplicated imperial kettle sour. Then the going gets weird: It’s embellished with pomegranate, mango, and peach additions. Then the going gets weirder: A heap of vanilla … Continued
Certain things are matters of settled law in Minnesota. It’s hotdish, not casserole. It’s WILLmer, not willMAR. It’s “leave the barest sliver of a cake donut in the box in the break room” not “eat the whole thing like a regular goddamn human being.” However, one thing continues to drive a wedge between us. Marriages … Continued
There are multiple places to Get Surly at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair, from the Midway to Machinery Hill. Enjoy flagships like Furious and four beers brewed exclusively for the occasion: Onesie Twosie LuLu Lucy: We still have people visiting our brewery asking if we have the hazy IPA we brewed for LuLu’s Public House … Continued
We’ve already revealed the 2019 Darkness art, courtesy of Tim Chapman, our 2019 Featured Artist. It’s our privilege to share with you his art for our three Darkness variants. If you need a refresher on what those are: Double Stuffed Darkness–Rum Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout with Vanilla Beans and Cacao Molé Darkness–Bourbon Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial … Continued
A select crew of Surly employees is headed south, as we visit Iowa for a whirlwind tour of some of the Hawkeye State’s finest craft beer destinations. We’ll be taking over taps, giving out swag, and asking to see the banished Cy-Hawk Trophy. Check out the schedule below:
Craft beer has always been about the hops, and in recent years that emphasis has only heightened: Single hop IPAs, experimental varieties, otherwise normal people with jobs and families who get into heated arguments about the merits of Citra vs. Mosaic on the internet where other people can see it. That’s why we’d like to … Continued
Demand, meet supply. The craft beer world’s bottomless desire for IPAs and hop-forward beers shows no signs of abating. Surly shares that thirst, and our latest variety pack is primed to quench it. Hop-heavy flagships Furious and Xtra-Citra are joined by two new contenders for cooler space this summer. Rocket Surgery A question our brewers … Continued
We encourage you to enjoy the impossibly refreshing Grapefruit Supreme all on its own. The bright flavor, gentle tartness, and crisp, citrusy finish make it an unbeatable crusher. That said, Surly’s in-house cocktail enthusiasts have also found it to be the perfect mixer. From basic drinks to complex cocktails, is there anything Grapefruit Supreme can’t … Continued
This summer, Surly encourages everyone to bring Xtra. Be it a party, cookout, wedding, pontoon, happy hour, family reunion, or a boiling-hot July Wednesday, Xtra-Citra brings an IPA wallop to the session beer party. When you bring Xtra, not only will you be the guest of honor wherever you go, you’ll join others throughout history … Continued
With certain beers, you just know. Surly wanted to brew a fruit-forward, lower-ABV beer for its second variety pack of 2019. It would be in market when spring started turning to summer and would be an ideal complement to the warmer weather. Many of our brewers are fans of German radlers, the oldest of old-school, … Continued
Seasonal summer beers, particularly in our part of the world, are often paired with bucolic imagery of lakes and cabins and canoes. We love a good pontoon beer too, but there’s another part of summer up here. The concrete and steel and heat of a city in the summer deserves a beer to call its … Continued
You can celebrate Twin Cities Pride and Get Surly at the same time this week! Here’s a rundown of how and where you can observe the occasion with us. TUESDAY, JUNE 18: Summer of Sound w/ Jana Shortal Our Tuesday DJ takeover in the Beer Garden features KARE’s iconic Jana Shortal, as she shares her … Continued
It’s time to make it official: Surly is expanding distribution to St. Louis starting the week of June 10. The initial launch will be draft-only, with bars and restaurants pouring core brands like Furious and Axe Man for Surly Nation’s newest outpost. “I’m not sure there is a market where we get more requests to … Continued
Surly loves a good, dark Mexican-style lager–we’ve even gone so far as to collaborate with our friends at Cerveceria Transpeninsular on one. Sun King Brewing out of Indianapolis shares that affection, along with our interest in what would happen if you tweaked this very traditional beer with a smack of dry-hopping and letting the situation … Continued
Excellence should be celebrated. Sustained excellence should be revered. The U.S Women’s Soccer team should be kings for life of all they survey. As they look to continue their domination of the Women’s World Cup this summer, Surly will be hauling our Big Ass TV (that’s its name, please be respectful) into the Beer Garden … Continued
Tim Chapman! Tim comes to Surly from St. Paul via Sydney, Australia. You know, the traditional journey that everyone takes. He’s creating label art for our 2019 Darkness line–the OG, the barrel-aged, and any variants. The art will be featured on bottles, posters, shirts, and at our annual Darkness Day celebration. It’s a full-fledged, paid … Continued
The people have spoken, and our May BC Small Batch launch will be (drum roll sound) exactly the same as April’s BC Small Batch launch. Space Race, a double dry-hopped hazy double IPA, rocketed off store shelves this month, moving as fast as any previous BCSB release. We know hazy IPAs are an in-demand style, … Continued
Surly is very proud to be a founding partner of MN United and an official member of the 2019 Black & Brew Collection at Allianz Field. There will be multiple places for you to Get Surly at Allianz Field all season long. Here’s a helpful map to guide you: We’ll also continue providing a pre- … Continued
What makes you Furious? This isn’t a question about what angers you the most. That could be anything–various global crises, insurance premiums, placekickers, etc. What we’re asking, as evidenced by the capital F, is: What makes you Furious? This started as an internal conversation at Surly. Our flagship IPA contains multitudes. It’s the beer that … Continued
Our April new release lineup is formidable, and rather than make you slog through a long introductory paragraph about hops and barley and the American West and the changing of the seasons, we’re just gonna tell you about ’em. Let’s go. SUMMER VARIETY PACK. We’re absolutely stoked for warm weather, and our Summer Variety Pack … Continued
We made it through winter. (Yes, we know it snows in April. Shut up, Matt.) This means it’s also baseball season, and you likely want to know where you can get Surly at the ballgame. Below you can find a map of all our can/draft locations. We’ll be serving Furious, Xtra-Citra, +1, Hell, and, getting … Continued
The arrival of April means spring thaws, baseball, and 30 Days of Biking. Surly is proud to once again sponsor The Joyful Riders in their campaign to get you, them, and everybody on a bike every day of the month. Take the pledge here. If you want to make Surly a part of your 30 … Continued
If you’ve ever put quarters down to reserve a turn on the Donkey Kong machine, made Gretzky bleed in your dorm room, or done the Carlton Dance in Fortnite, you need to cancel whatever plans you’ve made and check out The Science Museum of Minnesota’s Game Changers exhibit. It follows the evolution of gaming from … Continued
Surly constantly innovates and R&Ds new items and processes, and this is not limited to our brewery. The culinary team in the Beer Hall has spent these long, LONG winter months tweaking recipes, adding new menu items, and even traveling to a couple of America’s great food cities to learn, grow, and eat entirely too … Continued
Ice dams suck. You don’t need us to tell you this. As your roof sags beneath the weight of more snow and ice than should be legal, and with the forecast looking dire, Surly wants to make the best of your bad situation. Take a photo of your ice dam. Post it on Twitter, tag … Continued
Chromesthesia is a sense impression wherein someone hears a sound and sees/feels a color their brain associates with that audio cue. Often associated with genius, it seemed fitting to name our March BC Small Batch release Sound Into Color, as it’s a beautiful, brilliant beer. Complex, sweet-tart, and refreshing, this imperial kettle sour is brewed … Continued
Surly Rosé, our spring/summer smash of 2018, is back for 2019. The brainchild of Surly Head Brewer and unofficial rosé wine ambassador Ben Smith, this fruit-forward lager is unlike just about any other beer of its kind. Put another way, it’s a rosé-influenced beer that everyday beer drinkers like. “Over the last few years, we’ve … Continued
Surly Nation: Clear your schedule for September 27-28, 2019. Tickets on sale now!
Intelligent Design, if you’re unfamiliar, is a series of beers where one of our brewers gets to play in the sandbox (metaphor, there is no sandbox at Surly Brewing) and make their beer, their way. #6 is from brewer Barry Faust. It’s called Yummi Bear. Who are you and where are you from? Barry Faust. … Continued
Next week, a select group of Surly employees is going to Colorado. Their mission, which they’ve chosen to accept: Drink Surly all over Denver. That’s not all they’re doing, obviously. Maybe they’ll hang out at the mall, go to Illegal Pete’s, pick up the things they forgot at the hotel during GABF. You don’t know. … Continued
The post-funeral meal is an Upper Midwest constant. Mourners gather in a fluorescent-lit church basement to nibble on hotdish, drink weak coffee, talk about the weather, and go to town on the star of the show (no offense Uncle Earl you sold a lot of insurance RIP): the rich, decadent dessert bars crafted by the … Continued
We get a lot of questions online. Some are more consistent than others: “What are your hours?” “Where are you located?” “Is Ben going to grow his mustache back?” In the last couple years, though, nothing has been quite as constant as “So, is Surly going to brew a hazy IPA?” The polite answer has … 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
BeerAdvocate is the largest online community of beer enthusiasts anywhere, and they love to rank beers. Not like. Love. As craft beer has exploded over the last decade, the sheer number of beers for that community to rank has also spiked. For example, there are over 34,000 American IPAs as of this writing. To put … Continued
Intelligent Design, if you’re unfamiliar, is a series of beers where one of our brewers gets to play in the sandbox (metaphor, there is no sandbox at Surly Brewing) and make their beer, their way. #5 is from brewer Brenton Tuominen. It’s called Osmotar’s Forest Mild. Who are you and where are you from? Brenton … Continued
We tracked how many damns Surly gave in 2018. (Not included are the Surly beers we bought for our volunteers at the end of the day, but rest assured that every one of them was well-earned.) We share them with you now. If you’d like to make a difference in your community (and get … Continued
So You Wanna Brew a Beer is a Surly pilot brewing program that allows non-brewhouse employees to experience the brewing side of the business. They’re fully immersed in the entire process, from formulating the recipe to sourcing the ingredients to creation. We even put some of it on in the Beer Hall for consumers–our last … Continued
In the landmark case of Jacobellis v. Ohio, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart defined the difference between art and hardcore pornography as such: “I know it when I see it.” The search for Surly’s 2019 Featured Darkness Artist is underway. Who will it be? We’ll know it when we see it. (Your art, not hardcore … Continued
The polar opposite of a hazy IPA, a “brut” IPA is effervescent as hell. They get the bejeezus hopped out of them, with none of the bitterness associated with a West Coast-style hop bomb. The fruit-forward aromatics sparkle and pop. And, they’re dry. Really, really dry. Not in an unpleasant way, and when you do … Continued
Our first variety pack of 2019 welcomes the new year with a couple flagships, a favorite from 2018, and a new beer that embraces our Minnesota roots. The Thaw Pack is designed for these post-holiday months, as we trudge our way out of winter’s grip. There will be days where the temperature sneaks above freezing … 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
The 2019 Surly Brand Calendar is early this year (for us, anyway). The reason? We didn’t want to wait and tell you about all the good shit. Here’s what’s what: WE’RE CANNING A HAZY IPA Don’t bury the lede, as they say. It’s called One-Man Mosh Pit, and it joins our year-round roster of beers … Continued
Grindcore is a ferocious blend of heavy metal and hardcore punk. It’s also the ideal name for our final BC Small Batch release of the year, a ferocious blend of in-your-face coffee flavor and subtle stout sweetness. If you’ve been to the Destination Brewery lately, you’ve noticed that we have a hell-ton of beers tapped … Continued
The haunting images and rising death toll from California’s Camp Fire are almost too much for anyone to process. The scale of the damage defies comprehension, and the need to assist survivors is immediate and ongoing. No one understands this more than our friends at Sierra Nevada Brewing, as the Camp Fire happened in their … 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
The story behind Wake N’ Haze, our collaboration with Champion Brewing, starts with Darkness Day. We invited a hell-ton of breweries to pour at our 2018 release party, and if they wanted to send some people along with their kegs, go ahead, we’d get an air mattress and some couches. One of the breweries who … Continued
Quality has always been a key priority at Surly Brewing Co. We strive for the highest quality in every corner of our business – from the experience and food we offer in the beer hall to the beer we package and send out to your favorite bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and your home. Our quality assurance … Continued
Hopheads are some of our favorite people. They’re like this obsessed (in a good way) network of beer-loving thrill-chasers who always alert each other when the next object of their affection hits shelves or goes on draft nearby. It is our pleasure, then, to contribute to their next text chain/Facebook group chat, as they can … Continued
The final Surly variety pack of 2018 lands this week, and it’s ideally suited to the coming months. We call it the Frost Pack, and it’s crafted to pair with the features of the season. As with previous variety packs, beers-for-all-seasons Furious and Xtra-Citra are included, along with two new ones exclusive to the 12-pack. … Continued
What October loses in light, it gains in Darkness. Throughout the month, Surly will be releasing several beers, each one darker than the last, in anticipation of our beloved Russian imperial stout. (Yes, we’re also releasing WET, our flat-out amazing fresh-hop beer made with 6000 lbs of fresh-off-the-bine Citra hops, and it is decidedly not … Continued
Key words and phrases you need to know about the 2018 version of WET. 6000 POUNDS: The amount of Citra hops that were harvested at Gasseling Ranches south of Yakima, Washington. A GIANT DAMN TRUCK: Where the fresh hops were placed after harvest. DWIGHT*: The truck driver who drove these hops from Yakima to our Brooklyn … Continued
If you were waiting to get your Darkness Day Bottle Package, stop. Online sales for both end at 5 PM Central on Thursday. If you need a refresher, or have somehow missed every part of our Darkness Day media blitz: Tier 1: Darkness Day Bottle Package: Campground access from 12 pm September 28 to 12 pm … Continued
There are three ticket tiers for Darkness Day 2018. We’ve had some questions about what each one entails. We have answers, along with a hell-ton of other information. TIER 3: General Admission (purchase here) $35 Campground Access & Site from Friday 12 PM thru Sunday 12 PM Darkness Day Eve Access–At 5 pm, the gates … Continued
The massive 2018 Darkness Day lineup can’t even be contained in one day. For the first time in history, the traditional Darkness Day Eve bottle share/campout will have its own metal/hardcore soundtrack. (Get your tickets right here.) Contained herein is a brief description of each band, a video, and a one-sentence review from Dr. Professor … Continued
“The trouble with a lot of triple IPAs is that I’ve never really had one I liked.” This, from Surly Head Brewer Ben Smith, was the hurdle to clear for making 3DH, the triple IPA that’s our latest BC Small Batch offering. “Finding one I truly liked was difficult,” said Smith. “They’re under-attenuated, too boozy, and … Continued
Darkness Day is different this year. For one, it’s no longer in the suburban business park where our original Brooklyn Center brewery sits—we moved it 45 minutes east to Somerset, WI. For another, Darkness Day covers a full weekend, with the party and music starting Friday night before we pack it up on Sunday morning. … Continued
One of the benefits of holding our 2018 Darkness Day celebration in Somerset, besides creating a better overall (and legally sound) experience than a cramped Brooklyn Center industrial park can offer, is that Wisconsin law allows us to spend our favorite weekend of the year with our craft brewing friends. Not only can we pour … 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
Surly built its reputation on hops, even when that wasn’t the cool thing to do. (The Minneapolis bar owner who spit Furious out in front of Omar is foundational brewery lore.) Still, we hopped and dry-hopped and double dry-hopped the hell out of our beers, despite living among a radical sect of Scandinavians who think … Continued
One of the benefits of holding our 2018 Darkness Day celebration in Somerset, besides creating a better overall (and legally sound) experience than a cramped Brooklyn Center industrial park can offer, is that Wisconsin law allows us to spend our favorite weekend of the year with our craft brewing friends. Not only can we pour … 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
Our new BC Small Batch beer started as an attempt to solve a Beer Hall problem. The quandary: How to accommodate celebrants hoping to raise champagne toasts at our Destination Brewery for various weddings, birthdays, and graduations. This is extraordinarily difficult when you’re a Beer Hall, not a Champagne Hall. Our brewers got to work. … Continued
We’ve spent the last couple weeks featuring the most talked-about part of our 2018 Darkness Day blowout in Somerset: Darkness variants. We’ve experimented with complementary flavors for our Russian imperial stout in the Beer Hall and at select beer festivals, but never before to this extent. To say we’re excited to roll these out to … Continued
Surly Brewing’s Dave McGrath wasn’t even born out west. “I was raised in Miami, Florida, then I went to Wisconsin for college.” The journalism major-turned-homebrewer-turned-professional brewer found himself working in Minot, North Dakota, during the height of the Bakken Oil Boom. The boomtown atmosphere reminded him of the mother of all booms: the California Gold … Continued
The back-to-school sales are in full swing. The Vikings are practicing. The shuttered Circuit City by the mall is festooned with a COMING SOON: HALLOWEEN SUPERSTORE! banner. That’s right: The State Fair is near. Minnesota’s annual celebration of caloric intake and sitting on bleachers to watch local newscasters do their jobs kicks off on Thursday, … Continued
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring the most talked-about part of our 2018 Darkness Day blowout in Somerset: Darkness variants. We’ve experimented with complementary flavors for our Russian imperial stout in the Beer Hall and at select beer festivals, but never before to this extent. To say we’re excited to roll these out … Continued
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring the most talked-about part of our 2018 Darkness Day blowout in Somerset: Darkness variants. We’ve experimented with complementary flavors for our Russian imperial stout in the Beer Hall and at select beer festivals, but never before to this extent. To say we’re excited to roll these out … Continued
Barrel-Aged Oat Wine, or BAOW, is an updated take on an old favorite. Roughly based on the recipe for Surly Eight, BAOW adds some tweaks and a hell of a lot of oats for a highly drinkable beer that still packs a punch. We turn the floor over to Surly Head Brewer Ben Smith for … Continued
Want to win a Darkness Day Variant package? Here’s how: This one is for the Darkness Day vets. Have a great photo from past Darkness Days? A picture that represents the weird, wild spirit of the whole thing? Please send it to us via Instagram or Twitter (@surlybrewing) by Friday, July 13. Tag it with … Continued
What is the next hazy IPA? While that style shows no signs of slowing down (this is where we point out that we have a rotating series of them on tap in our Beer Hall), the beer nerd in your life can be found arguing in Beer Advocate comment threads about craft beer’s newest “it” … Continued
We have not one but two BC Small Batch Beers hitting the market this week. In addition to Rosé, we’re canning another Beer Hall favorite, Mosaic Kettle Sour. Summer is ideal for a fruit-forward beer. Mosaic Kettle Sour fits the profile perfectly. Only there’s no fruit. Our brewers have been trialing kettle sours for a … Continued
Ben Smith is the Head Brewer at Surly’s Minneapolis facility. Ben Smith looks like someone with that title: black t-shirt, black jeans, black boots. (Granted, he was wearing a Western-style plaid shirt during this interview, but go with it.) Ben Smith also loves rosé. “I’ve been a wine drinker my entire adult life, and really … Continued
#MERICA, Surly’s pre-Prohibition American lager, is back. Defined by flaked corn and soft hop aromatics, it’s an easy-drinking summer beer ideal for lawn mowing, hot dog preparation, and observing sunsets in the backyards, patios, and front stoops of the greater Upper Midwest. We first brewed it in 2015 for the annual D4th of July Party … Continued
Here we go. The first two tiers of Darkness Day ticket packages are now available. A third, Darkness-less, general admission tier will be released closer to the party (which, as noted many times now, is Saturday, September 29 at Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wisconsin). All tickets include a camping spot for you to use or … Continued
Want to get a little Surly in your Pride Weekend? We have an array of activities lined up all over the Twin Cities. They are listed below. PRIDE BINGO Kick off Twin Cities Pride Weekend with Pride Bingo in the Beer Garden on Thursday, June 21! This event is presented by Surly Gives a Damn, … Continued
As Surly looks at 12 years… This year, Surly will mark 12 years in the independent craft brewing industry. It’s had me thinking about what a wild and non-stop ride it’s been since the first keg of Furious sold in 2006. Every year, the plan is to release an anniversary beer that’s extreme. The … Continued
Welcome to Surly Pizza Upstairs. It’s on the second floor. Beer. Pizza. Any questions? Hours of operation: Monday-Thursday: 4-10pm Friday and Saturday: Noon-11pm Sunday: Noon-10pm We’re open nights and weekends because that’s when we’re at our busiest. We want people upstairs enjoying pizza and a beer rather than waiting in line. Also: It’s called Surly … Continued
Roughly every Friday from now until Darkness Day Eve, we hope to share a little bit of news on the event, which you may have heard is taking place on Saturday, September 29 at Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, WI. For the inaugural post, we want to start off with a bang. Here, then, is the … Continued
In our ongoing and frankly heroic quest to make Tuesdays good, we’d like to tell you a little more about Surly’s Summer of Sound. Every Tuesday ‘til Labor Day, a local music luminary will take over our Beer Garden (weather-permitting, but you live here, you know that already) and share the sounds that define their … Continued
We hope you enjoyed the 17 hours of spring we got this year in the Upper Midwest. It was a wild ride and will be fondly remembered by us all. We’ve heard some places get a few months of mild weather between howling blizzards and stifling humidity, but that sounds real unlikely. With summer apparently … Continued
The big pile of snow/crud in the Sears parking lot is gone. Road construction makes your phone’s traffic app more important than significant family members. The shovels and winter coats are put away WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION. Welcome to summer, Minnesota. Surly is celebrating the three months where we can safely go outside with … Continued
We love our Brooklyn Center brewery. This is not to say we don’t love our big, shiny Prospect Park brewery. It’s what brings the world Furious and Xtra-Citra and hog frites and pizza, it’s where people bring their excellent dogs to the beer garden in the summer, and it was a primary reason for changing … Continued
Our latest collaboration started like this: Let’s make a hazy IPA, only clear. This thought occurred, as such thoughts often do, at Grumpy’s in northeast Minneapolis. Surly’s Ben Smith and Fair State’s Niko Tonks were kicking back after work and talking about Fair State’s successful experimentation with hazy IPAs. Like Ben and fellow Head Brewer … Continued
Intelligent Design, if you’re unfamiliar, is a series of beers where one of our brewers gets to play in the sandbox (metaphor, there is no sandbox at Surly Brewing) and make their beer, their way. #3 is from brewer Robbie Denaway. It’s called Galactic Descent. It’s *shuffles papers, looks closely, looks again* …a hazy IPA. … Continued
Minnesota United second season of professional soccer is underway. It’s only right that Rising North Pale Ale, the official beer of Minnesota United, returns for its sophomore campaign as well. “Being able to partner with the team and MLS on this is fantastic,” says Surly Brewing owner Omar Ansari. “The fact that casual fans and the … Continued
Surly’s QC Boss Riley Seitz writes about the creation of The Familiar. “Proud” is the first word that comes to mind when I taste The Familiar, along with tart, juicy, fresh, crisp, citrusy, and bright. The Familiar is the product of learning, teaching, sharing, and curiosity. In collaboration with the Witch Hunt, we at Surly … Continued
Surly Festival Field is going to be a concert destination this summer. We have three big shows lined up already, and they all own. If you’d like to get your tickets and line up your calendar for the warm weather months, here are the appropriate links and intel: SPOON & GRIZZLY BEAR WHAT: Spoon and Grizzly … Continued
We have a new year-round, draft-only beer. It’s called Grindcore. Here’s what you need to know. It’s a nitro espresso milk stout. The nitro aspect provides a creamy, velvety mouthfeel that sets it apart from a CO2 beer. Expect full coffee flavor with the rich, slightly sweet body of a stout. “We’ve brewed several coffee … Continued
That’s a great question, headline. If you are at Target Field for a professional baseball game and you’d like a delicious Surly beer, we made a map to help you find it. Print, save, clip, and share with friends, family, and trusted advisers.
We knew Glen Perkins was retired. We knew he liked to brew beer. And we knew we wanted to brew a beer that we could pour at Target Field (where Glen used to work) and the bars and restaurants in the area for Opening Day and beyond. We asked him if he wanted to a … Continued
Can you draw a turtle, pirate or beer-drinking mythological monster? Wanna stick it to everyone who said your art was a waste of time? We’re looking for this year’s Surly Featured Artist. We’re continuing our annual tradition of picking one artist to create label art for our 2018 projects. The art will be featured on … Continued
Brewed for flannel, winter, bikes, basement rock shows, long hair, bars with minimal sunlight, and more. Our beer is made for this.
An old Minneapolis bus station. An abrasives factory in the ‘burbs. From these humble beginnings sprang the last great rock club in the country and one of America’s leading craft breweries. A collaboration just makes sense. First Avenue and Surly Brewing are proud to present +1, an easy-drinking, classic-style golden ale ideal for the Mainroom, … Continued
When we started canning and distributing 12 oz. 12-packs in 2017, the response was twofold: Alright, 12-packs! Surly rules! Where’s the variety pack? The first response was heartening. We like compliments. Thank you. The second response was understandable, because why choose between Furious and Xtra-Citra when you can have both? That’s why we’re pleased to … 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
We just celebrated our 11th anniversary. We’re gearing up for our 12th. But before we get to that, we’d like you to revisit an old friend. As you may recall, Surly TEN was an old ale aged on sassafras wood, with toffee, sherry, and caramel malt flavors. The wood-aging imparted a boatload (non-brewing term) of … Continued
The 2018 Surly Brand Calendar is brimming with surprises, new beers, and what we in the brewing industry call “cool shit”. We can’t wait to share it with you. Here’s what’s what: VARIETY PACKS When we started canning and distributing 12 oz. 12-packs, the response was twofold: Alright, 12-packs! Surly rules! Where’s the variety pack? … Continued
Throughout 2018, Surly will be collaborating with brewers from across town and across the world, and bottling the results for you to enjoy. We kicked around a ton of names for the series (Garage Karate, we loved you most of all), but in the end settled on…the Collaboration Series. “The spirit of collaboration in the … Continued
Outdoor soccer in northern climates runs into certain obstacles. Like, say, the fact that winter happens. And it just keeps happening. For months! Sure, you can find an athletic dome or some abandoned warehouse in Chaska to get your fix, but it’s just not the same as taking the pitch in fresh air under a … Continued
There are three things you need to know about Hopshifter, Surly’s newest year-round beer: It’s a new IPA. From Surly. That should be enough, but we committed to three things in the first sentence. It’s crafted to reduce gluten. The next one you have may very well be different from this one. Let’s address the … Continued
It’s nice to be able to answer the questions you get on social media in a positive, affirmative manner. Sometimes you simply can’t: To the person on Instagram who asked us to distribute Furious to all 50 states and sell it out of pop machines, the former will take some time, and the latter is … Continued
Pentagram is our dark sour ale, fermented on Brett and aged in red wine barrels for 18 months. What Barrel-Aged Pentagram does is take it one step beyond. After its 18 months are up, this Pentagram is moved from the wine barrel to the rye whiskey barrel, where it sits and thinks about what it’s … 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
UK-based Simpson’s Malt was founded in 1862, and over five generations, the Simpson family has provided their malting expertise to breweries and distilleries the world over. Their base of operations, Berwick-upon-Tweed, is a city on the England/Scotland border, and its name could not be more appropriate. “Ber” is Old English for barley, while “wick” is … Continued
Bike and beer lovers rejoice because it’s finally happening. Surly Bikes and Surly Brewing are teaming up to help produce the Surly Masher – the FIRST-EVER collaboration between these two iconic Minnesota brands! It all happens on February 11, 2018, when bikes and beer(s) meet for a celebration of winter biking at Surly Brewing. The … Continued
Get it, because we have a beer called Furious Black? We like to have fun here. Anyhoozle, like any self-respecting retailer, we have a fistful of screaming deals for the Surly enthusiast in your life on this, the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. And if that person is you, hey, treat yourself. You deserve … Continued
Hey, remember a couple weeks ago when it was 75 and the falling leaves and warm autumn breeze were like an embrace from an old friend? Anyway, that’s done now. It’s winter and you don’t know where you put your gloves* and everyone forgot how to drive and the weather will try to straight up … Continued
Ultimate is one of the fastest growing sports in the world with over five million people playing in North America. Today, Omar Ansari, owner and founder of Surly Brewing Co., announced he is joining the global expansion of the sport through his purchase of the Minnesota Wind Chill, the state’s first and only professional American … Continued
When we found out Minnesota United, our local MLS team, was moving into TCF Bank Stadium for a spell while their new stadium was under construction, we wanted to do something. We’re a brewery with a giant beer garden just down the street, so we had two groundbreaking, outside-the-box, Galaxy Brain ideas: Make a beer … Continued
Wet hop beers are worth the trouble. You have an incredibly limited window in which to brew them. The farther away you are from the hop fields, the more hoops you jump through to make it happen. Your brew team and equipment get pushed to their limits. The result, through planning, skill, and a big … Continued
You line up for Darkness Day. You get your wristband. You purchase your allotment of 2017 Darkness. Now what? Given that you’re at a brewery, and you maybe want to cellar those bombers, can we suggest trying some of the other beer we made for the occasion? Many of which are Darkness Day exclusives? We … Continued
The varieties of metal music are astounding. Any genre that contains both Bon Jovi and Napalm Death is going to have more breadth and depth than any “it all sounds alike” stereotype will lead you to believe. If you can’t square this concept in your head, look at a different genre: Merle Haggard and Sam … Continued
Darkness Day is a thing that should not be. We didn’t plan it. We didn’t start it. If we had, it wouldn’t be the same, and maybe wouldn’t exist. This one is entirely on Surly Nation, and we ride the wave (“the wave” = booking the bands and making sure there’s enough beer and food … Continued
That’s a great question, headline. If you are at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center for a professional hockey game and you’d like a delicious Surly beer, we made a map to help you find it. Print, save, clip, and share with friends, family, and trusted advisers.