Newsletter: Two years down and still kicking

The hop fields of Crosby Hop Farm, in Oregon

December 15th marked the second anniversary of our first big brew here at Burning Brothers (whoa, it feels like it was only yesterday), and January 30th marks the two year anniversary of beer leaving the brewery in cans (alright, maybe it was awhile back). It’s been a dazzling ans sometimes dizzying ride, so thanks for living this adventure with us!

Our first pallets of Roasted were picked up by our Minnesota and Wisconsin distributors this past Wednesday. Look (or even ask) for them at your local retailer, as they are available now!

Ask the Brewer

Where do you get your hops from?

The majority of our hops come from Crosby Hop Farm, located in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Several interesting things of note about Crosby, beyond the sheer size of their operations, are their sustainability, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and their Salmon Safe certification. We can see the puzzled looks… the “Salmon?” question lingering in your mind… what do hops have to do with Salmon?

The river that flows through the Willamette Valley is home to spawning salmon and Crosby is one of only a handful of Salmon-Safe certified hop farms in the U.S. In addition to maintaining 5% biodiversity on their farmland, they use formulations and safe application strategies from certified crop consultants, protecting their watershed and the creatures that inhabit it. Hence, their Salmon Safe Certification.

Our fresh hops come from Mighty Axe Hops, here in Minnesota. Mighty Axe is still fairly young, at least for the hops industry, as hop vines take many years to mature and produce usable cones. The craft beer explosion here has provided a market for fresh, locally grown hops, which Mighty Axe, and almost 100 other Minnesota hop growers, are stepping up to fill.

Taproom Tidings

This weekend we have the return of the Signature on Wheels crew for Friday night, and on Saturday we will be joined by the new to our taproom Peanuts and Popcorn. We will be open our regular hours, with growler and grumbler fills all of the days we are open.

  • Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey, Cranberry Shandy and Raj-Agni IPA
  • Thirsty Thursdays $1 off pints and $2 off growlers (No growler or grumbler fills after 8pm, cuz it’s the law!)
  • Gingerbread Custard Cupcake from Groundswell, gingerbread with pumpkin custard and spiced whipped cream

Final Thoughts

Just a quick note about our holiday hours, especially for those who want to have beer available for getting together with friends and family.

We will be open on Wednesday, December 23rd, from 4-8pm, then closed both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

We will be open on New Year’s Eve until 8pm, but will be closed on both the 1st (Happy New Year’s!) and the 3rd (for our staff holiday party).

Also, If you are still looking for that perfect gift for your beer loving recipient, give us a call or stop in. We have growler gift sets, shirts, hats and gift cards available in any denomination.

As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook, Singing TelegramTwitter or Google+.

Cheers!