This Week's Beer News: Sad Times at Falling Knife
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Some sad news to kick off this week’s email: Our condolences to the team at Falling Knife Brewing in Minneapolis, whose owner and chief brewing officer, Tom Berg, passed away last week at just 46.
Berg loved craft beer, the local music scene and Timberwolves basketball, famously helping to make Falling Knife a big destination for Wolves games since opening the brewery in 2019. He was also a part of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Board of Directors.
Coverage of Berg’s passing came from CBS News, KARE-11, and Bring me the News. Brewery Chief Revenue Officer Dan Herman told Fox-9 that "his heart that was big enough to love everyone gave out."
His family has started a GoFundMe to help with funeral, memorial and ongoing other expenses, and a public memorial will take place next month.
WGN-TV checked out the new Crust Taproom from Crust Brewing.
Speaking of pizza, Chicago Food Magazine reported that craft beer destination Roots Pizza is stretching their Quad Cities pizza menu into tavern style … and adding macro lagers to their draft lineup.
Crains reported on the listing of the former Revolution Brewpub space for sale. Asking price: $3.75 Million.
MolsonCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley announced plans to retire at the end of the year.
Tangled Roots Craft Beer and Kitchen is now open in Washington Square, a little east of Peoria. More coverage here.
St. Louis Magazine has some recommendations for a road trip to Dubuque, which includes Dimensional Brewing and Textile Brewing Company. (My recommendation? Paul’s Tavern, opened in 1948 with the most impressive taxidermy display I’ve ever seen in a bar.)
In Mt. Pleasant, Epicenter goes inside the Shifties Taproom from Mountain Town Brewing Company at Summit Smokehouse. It’s a little convoluted.
In Marquette, the Blackrocks Brewing expansion is nearly complete, including a lot of changes to the 100-year-old house they started out in.
The owner of Fulton Brewing talks to KARE about the ways tariffs are already affecting his brewery, including additional costs and holdups in customs for products from Canada.
RacketMN shares five MN beers to try this month, including an Anchovy-hopped hazy from Haggard Barrel and a smoked farmhouse ale from Hammerheart.
Maple Grove’s OMNI Brewing is changing its license from a small brewer to a brewpub, meaning they can sell their own wine and open additional locations - but no longer distribute their own beer. Probably some math worth doing at other breweries as well.
The latest Missouri Craft Brewers Guild collab beer is this Belgian-style tripel, being brewed by 30 different breweries in the state to raise funds for the guild.
Cleveland Magazine goes inside the new Market Garden Brewing taproom at their production facility, which opened on Saturday.
The Canton Rep talks to drinkers, brewery employees and the deputy director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association about breweries adapting sales downturns, governmental warnings, and, of course, tariffs.
Isthmus says that the new taproom from Lone Girl Brewing Company is settling into its space nicely.
Wayfinder MKE from Explorium is now open in the former Good City Brewing Company space.
Saying “we’re in survival mode,” the owner of Titletown Brewing talks about the increased costs coming to their bottom line thanks to tariffs.
Milwaukee’s beer garden season is underway.
After getting started in 2020, Radix Fermentation is getting ready to open a new brewery with a taproom in a former Cudahy firehouse.
How have I never heard of this before? From OnMilwaukee: “For the fifth straight year, Black Husky Brewing will host the TimVitational strongman event at which you can watch brewery co-owner and brewer Tim Eichiger lift ridiculous amounts of weight for a good cause.”
Vinepair’s annual list of the best beer destinations around the world is out - the closest location to the Midwest is Pittsburgh, but they make a strong case for Bengaluru, India.
Men’s Journal did an interesting “macro light lager vs. craft light lager” blind tasting, with some interesting results. Craft lagers - including one from Hop Butcher - did well! And so did Budweiser.
Constellation (owner of Corona and Modelo) reported a 1% drop in sales last quarter, which they’re attributing to the recent crackdown on immigration.
Monster Brewing is done brewing beer in Utah (beers for their Squatters and Wasatch brands will be brewed elsewhere) and Tilray is pulling the plug on Hop Valley’s production facility, though its nearby taproom will remain open.
He’s not just an owner: Jason Kelce stars in a new and “unhinged in the best way” Garage Beer commercial campaign.
Last week’s most-clicked link: Block Club’s visit to Crust Taproom.
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