Surly — Adj; bad-tempered, unfriendly.
Probably not the best name for a brewpub. Don’t know about you but I don’t want to anticipate being treated by a surly wait-person as I ask for a favorite brew.
But then when you’ve changed the laws in a state to suit your brewing & beer needs and the desires of your patrons, I suppose you’ve earned the right to puff up your chest and be a bit….well, surly.
But no worries here. The folks at Surly Brewing are as pleasant as can be, even on a cold, windy Minnesota afternoon.
Wife Persimmon & I meet friends for a beer (or 3) on our travels throughout the USofA. Although not beer drinkers, they knew we were and suggested the place.
Sitting outside in the expansive beer “garden” was a bit challenging but the beers warmed us up thoroughly.
15 on tap, a good variety but I was particularly aware of their signature brew; an elusive little darling known as “Darkness.” This is one of those special releases, once every year, that when the day arrives, beer geeks everywhere salivate. However, having been on the road for 2 months, the day had escaped my attention. Not, however, my alert sons who informed me that Darkness was released in October.
As we sipped, I excused myself, jumped online and discovered “the day” was in October…the 15th to be exact which just happened to be…the day before!!!!
Are you kidding?? I missed it by a day??????
Shit.
But the Universe was watching over me and my ex-lawyer friend started asking those lawyer-type questions and determined that, yes indeed…the release day was the day before — however, the bottled Darkness would begin showing up in stores the next morning, Monday. So we downed our Coffee Bender (cold coffee, delicious) and our Witch’s Tower and headed off to St. Paul for dinner.
It was an early night. I had a mission the next day.
We arose at 7:00 am because we had been informed the beer would be arriving when the local liquor store opened at 9:00. Having been at this game for awhile, I knew I needed to be near the front of the anticipated long line. A quick 5-minute drive and we were indeed at the head of the pack….the non-existent pack. “Well,” I thought, “perfect. My bottle is guaranteed.” Then we noticed that the store opened not at 9:00 but 8:00, only moments away. “Hmmmm,” I pondered. “Why are we the only ones here? Don’t Minnesota beer geeks know about this? Or do they have some special pusher-man to home-deliver Darkness?”
Regardles, the doors did indeed open on time at 8:00 but, when asked, the guys said “Nope, no delivery yet.” Damn. “But,” he said, “give me your number & I’ll call you when it arrives.”
Right. Sure you will, I thought but what the hell…couldn’t hurt and who knows, maybe this time…
Long story short; we went to breakfast and almost 4 hours later, my phone rings – it’s Dustin telling me the beer was there. Another short 5 minute drive and I’m the first to buy. One man is behind me. That horrendous line never materialized. Why? Don’t know. Minnesotans certainly know about Darkness and mark its release date on their calendars but unlike some other special releases in other states (can you hear me Colorado? California?) there is plenty to go around. True, I was only allowed 1 bottle but wife Persimmon also bought one…and a good friend, who just happened to know a fella who ran a liquor store, was able to acquire 2.
So I left Minnesota a happy man; 1 bottle each to 2 sons, 2 bottles for my-own-self and 2 bottles shared with that special beer “mule.”
All of this is just to praise Surly Brewing and their incredible brews.
Link to this Review at beermapping.com
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