Craft Beer at The Happy Gnome
I suppose it’s not really a fair review of the Third Annual Firkin Fest held in tents outside The Happy Gnome in St. Paul, because I didn’t actually attend. However, I did get pretty close. I had hoped to experience the festival this year after just missing it last year, but by some strange cosmic coincidence I was already planning to meet some friends at The Happy Gnome to simply enjoy some good beer on a Saturday afternoon.
The Happy Gnome has one of the most diverse selections of craft beer anywhere in the Twin Cities. If you are a fan of odd, seasonal microbrews or strong, fruity Belgian ales, this is the place for you. Most drafts are served in their own special glassware and are pulled fresh from one of 70 taps. The fun does not end there, however, since they also have a bewildering selection of 400 bottles to choose from. And if beer is not your thing, you might have trouble picking something from their whisk(e)y menu of some 300 options to keep you happy all night long. All of those choices inspire an incredible food menu that is constantly changing. This isn’t your typical bar fare either. It’s no secret that drinking here isn’t the only thing that makes gnomes happy.
Click here and take a bigger gulp of this article →
Cheeky Monkey Deli, Selby Avenue, St. Paul
While it’s not the same beer-drinking experience as The Happy Gnome across the street where there are dozens of tap beer choices (including several Belgian ales at any given time), the Cheeky Monkey Deli has a good selection of bottles as well as several on draft. The nice thing for me was that they keep their taps clear of Standard American Lagers (that means no Bud, Miller, etc. on tap, folks)!
I seriously appreciate a restaurant that has a small but decent beer selection in a time when there is just no excuse for places that have a dozen versions of only one style. I can’t even begin to guess how many times have I asked a server to recite their list of draft beers only to hear, “Bud, Bud Lite, Mich, Mich Lite, Miller Genuine, Miller Lite, Coors, Rolling Rock. . .” and so on, to which I reply, “Thanks, I’ll have a glass of ice water.” Not that there’s anything wrong with a Pilsner—I enjoy a good Czech lager as much as the next average American—but let’s be honest, most of these are nearly the same, if not only slightly different when you compare them to the multitude of styles the world has to offer.
I’ll admit, I am sucker for anything that comes out of Bell’s Brewery. Their Two-Hearted ale is perhaps one of the best IPA taste-alikes in the Midwest, and the Oberon which was available tonight is always a seasonal crowd pleaser. However, I decided to try something new. I picked
Click here and take a bigger gulp of this article →
Subscribe to Summit Sips
Fan
Most Popular