Happy Solstice Drag, Donate Blood, and have a Merry Beery Christmas!

If you’re reading this, it probably means that you’re doing your best to take a break from your family get-together, and we respect that. But we’re going to keep it brief all the same, because all we really want to do this week is wrap some presents, have a pint or two, enjoy some eggnog, and look for our own excuses to take a little break from extended family. 
But we’d be remiss if we didn’t say thank you to everyone who came out Saturday for our Winter Solstice Radiance Drag Show! It was a fantastic night with some incredible acts (who knew someone in high heals could dive into a roll on a cement floor and make it look safe?) and an audience who ate up every minute of it! We even got to play a little game of “who was it who left the religious pamphlets on the tables and bathroom?” at the end of the night! Seriously, you had to pay a cover to get in, and no one stood out to us as someone who might be there for a covert protest of sorts. Whatever, we enjoy a little mystery as much as the next person. Whoever it was, we hope they enjoyed the show!
For now, we’re gearing up for Festivus tonight, Dec. 23! Ditty Wish will be hosting with music by Sam Miltich, and there’ll be feats of strength and an airing of grievances and, with luck, a few Festivus miracles. Music starts at 5 p.m. and additional shenanigans around 6 p.m.

Later in the week, make sure to take a break from the eggnog long enough to come to the taproom for our blood drive! There’s always a need for blood, so your donation just might save a life. You can schedule online here, sponsor code 4858, or contact Trudy at 218-740-1542 or tyoungren@mbc.org. The blood bus will be here on Thursday, Dec. 26, from 12 to 7 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Be sure to hydrate before hand!
We’re also excited to have our very own McKeon Roberts gracing the Klockow stage on Friday, Dec. 27 as well! We’re going to start the last weekend of the year with a little bit of style, charm, and rhythm. Music starts at 7 p.m., no cover. 

And with that, we have nothing else to add except have a merry Christmas! With luck it’ll be merry and bright, full of delicious food and drink, and surrounded by the best of friends and family. 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer drops this past week:

Local, etc. -

  • S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

  • Bottles & Brews - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Lake Store - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Red Eye - Swan River

  • Blackberry Junction - Blackberry

  • Bear Ridge Pizza - Cohasset

  • Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

Iron Range, etc. -

  • MJ’s Resort - Pengilly

  • Marge’s Liquor - Eveleth

  • The Great Outdoors Bottle Shop - Pengilly

  • SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing

  • Keyboard Liquor - Chisholm

  • SuperOne Liquor - Virginia

  • Sawmill Saloon - Virginia

Da Nort, etc. -

  • Ely Liquor - Ely

  • Frontier Sports - Marcell

  • Bigfork Wilderness Bar - Bigfork

Bemidji -

  • Northern Off Sale Liquor - Bemidji

  • Tara Bemidji - Bemidji

The Many Holidays at Klockow Brewing

There are times when I’m proud to be a member of the human race, and this is one such occasion. I mean, not to put too fine a point on it, but it is a great week! Not only do we have the great fortune of being able to look back at the likes of Storyteller Sunday with Stay Human, Ridley and the Rascal: 2 Chaotic to Christmas, Ditty Wish Ventures to do a GAMESHOW, as well as the debut of our Third Tuesday Trivia, but we’re happy, nay, privileged to be able to look ahead to such things as the return of the Radiance Drag Show, Open Mic, and Festivus! 
But I’m sorry, I appear to be burying the lead. My main point on why it’s such a great week is because Thursday, Dec. 19, is the grand return of Magic Roundabout, our Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Vanilla Stout. Why is this so exciting, you may ask? To quote Tasha, the brewery co-owner and good taste impresario, “So here’s the thing, the best beer we’ve ever done, hands down, is Magic Roundabout. I’m going to say that on the record, it is Magic Roundabout.”  

Yes, it will be back. It’ll be back on tap. It’ll be back in cans. And it’ll be back in bottles! We’ve taken a little hiatus on imperial beer bottling, but it looks like supply chain issues have resolved themselves enough to get some 750 ml bottles again. So crank up the heat on that colored wax, we got some bottles to seal!

Which, I should add, is right on time for Christmas. The only question is, who do you like enough to give a bottle of Magic Roundabout to?? Hopefully the answer is: yourself. 
But it ain’t Christmas yet! We got another holiday this Saturday; Winter Solstice! For all you pagans or just those of you who enjoy turning points on the solar cycle, we present to you Radiance! Our first drag performance three months ago was an amazing night, one we knew we had to replicate. And what better time than Winter Solstice to bring those fabulous queens and kings back?! The performance, which is 21+ and $15 at the door, starts at 9 p.m. and will go past midnight as our own Malachy Koons (who is more well known for his work at KAXE) will be DJing a dance party following the show. The energy was just too infectious at the last show, so we figured we’d channel that into an after party this time!
If dancing the night away ain’t your thing, maybe singing in the afternoon is more your cup of tea. With Solstice out of the way, might as well sharpen your caroling skills because we’re going to be doing an old fashioned bar sing following Open Mic on Sunday, Dec. 22. We normally do Open Mic on the last Sunday of the month, but the fourth Sunday will just have to do for December. Works out nice though, since it would feel weird to sing Christmas Carols after Christmas! This is likely going to be a monthly thing, the bar sing, since there’s an ocean of bar shanties out there just dying to be sung with a pint in hand. So c’mon out for the inaugural sing; I guarantee you know at least a few of these classic songs!
Though if Christmas just ain’t your thing at all, and you’ve rained blows down on your fellow shopper over a doll for your son for the last time, maybe you should come celebrate Festivus with us. On Monday, Dec. 23, the traditional day of Festivus, we are going to have a day of music by Sam Miltich, a potluck dinner, an airing of grievances, feats of strength, and of course, plenty of Festivus miracles. Hosted by Ditty Wish, there will be joy and merriment in abundance, particularly when it comes to the leg-wrestling. 
After that… Merry Christmas! 
But in case you’re looking for an extra dish to share for the holiday…

EAT YOUR BEER!
You don’t have to look too long before you find a recipe that requires a pint of beer. Some of them even have you put it in the food (slaps knee). Case in point, you could look in the Minnesota Brewers Cookbook and find a ridiculous amount of them. One such recipe is from our very own Tasha Klockow, and is for Asparagus Risotto. All you need is:

  • 6 cups broth

  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter

  • 1 large onion

  • 1 pound asparagus, cut

  • 2-4 cloves of garlic

  • 2 cups Arborio rice

  • 1 cup Crosswind Kölsch, or any other light, dry beer

  • 1/2 cup frozen peas

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

  • 1 lemon

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Put the broth into a pot and bring to a boil. Chop the onion and asparagus, and put the asparagus ends in the broth for added flavor. Reduce heat and simmer. 
In a large pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and salt, cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add rice, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes. The edges of the grains will start to turn translucent.
Add 1 cup of beer and continue to stir for about two minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Then, using a strainer, carefully pour 5 cups of the hot broth into a measuring cup and add to the rice. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 18 minutes, stirring every 6 minutes. Add more broth if it absorbs too quickly. 
With 6 minutes left, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan and add asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes, then add peas and cook for 1 minute then remove from heat. Asparagus should still be crunchy. 
Add 1/2 cup more of the hot broth to the rice and stir constantly to get a creamy texture. Add Parmesan and stir until well combined. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. 
Finally, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the juice from the lemon (as little as half the lemon, or the entire thing). Fold in the asparagus and peas add salt and pepper to taste. 
Then enjoy! May your Christmas feast be full of great eats, delicious drinks, and plenty of good cheer! Prost!! 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer drops this past week:

Local, etc. -

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Locker Room - Coleraine

  • Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Lake Store - Grand Rapids

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Eagles Club - Grand Rapids

  • Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • NoPo Coffee - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Itasca Curling Association - Grand Rapids

  • Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids

  • Rocket’s - Cohasset

Metro, etc. -

  • Northbound Liquor - Cambridge

  • Isanti Municipal Liquor Store - Isanti

  • Lexington Liquors - Lexington

  • 61 Liquors - Maplewood

  • Ombibulous - Minneapolis

  • Top Ten Liquors - Roseville

  • Stinson Wine, Beer, and Spirits - Minneapolis

  • South Lyndale Liquors - Minneapolis

West world, etc. -

  • Landmark Liquors - Perham

  • Brew Ale’s & Eats - Perham

  • Dorset Corner Off Sale Liquor - Park Rapids

  • Red River Liquor Co. - Akeley

Upcoming Games with a Light Lager

Anyone else miss the sun? I swear it still exists somewhere, but it’s been so long I’ve all but forgotten what it even looks like! If you told me with enough confidence that it was a purple square in the sky, I just might believe you. 
So what are we going to do about it?? The obvious answer is probably to have a drink, and we could make a few recommendations to you, but maybe you want a healthier option. Again, we could tout some of the various health benefits that have been foisted onto beer over the years, but let’s go for some more obviously healthy options. Like exercise. Like yoga! 
Brewery Yoga with Kelly is back this Saturday morning, Dec. 7, starting at 10 a.m.! This one-hour vinyasa yoga is open to the public prior to regular taproom hours and only costs a donation to the local non-profit of Kelly’s choice, this month being Great Tails Animal Rescue. Suggested donation amount is $15, but individuals are welcome to pay what they can. 

This will be the start of a new monthly routine for us. So mark your calendars for the first Saturday of the month, dust off your yoga mats (or simply roll up your well-used yoga mats), and come early to Klockow for a refreshing and healthy start to the day. THEN have a beer. 
We’re starting things off slow this month, but stay tuned because it’s gonna be a busy one! We of course have our second Sunday Board Games and Records Day coming up this weekend, which sounds like an amazing way to spend a day given the weather lately. Honestly, take a look outside and tell me with a straight face you’d rather do something out in the dreary cold than to hang out with friends, playing a game while kicking back a couple pints and listening to random vinyl records. Can’t be done. So, yeah, see ya’ll this Sunday. 
And of course there’s the next installment of Ditty Wish Ventures to do a GAME SHOW! Always the second Thursday of the month, for December she’ll be doing her vision of the $10,000 Pyramid, where contestants will be paired up with Klockow staff to win fabulous prizes (ie, free pints). Which is why we’re also dubbing it the $10,000 Beer-amid. That’s from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12. Come see the ridiculousness!


Ok, What Is That?
American Light Lager. We’ve all had one. Even if you don’t know it, you’ve had one. Pretty sure red-blooded American babies have one as their second bottle ever. 
But you may ask, “what are you even talking about? Isn’t this section about things most customers haven’t even heard of? We all know what an American Light Lager is.” Surely, and I would have guessed that too. At one time at least. But let’s just say it’s happened too many times where a customer, dragged into the taproom by his craft-beer buddy, has asked for whatever is closest to a Bud Light. And once I’ve said, “oh good, we have an American Light Lager on tap,” I didn’t see a knowing grin. No, surprisingly often, I see a blank-stare shrug and then “Ok, can I try it?” as a response. At least at that point they try it, like it, and then order it. So let’s take a second to talk a bit about what they are!
The birth of the “American Lager” goes back a long ways, so for convenience we’ll start at the beginning of the big-beer era: the founding of Anheuser-Busch. In the mid-1800s, A.B. was one of many regional breweries, but was beginning to make a big splash that no-one could’ve seen coming. Most breweries were making heavier, maltier beers, but many of the German immigrants, especially those who moved to warmer climates like around St. Louis, Missouri, found that it was more enjoyable to drink some of the light, crisp lagers of their home country. By 1876 when they released their flagship, a scaled-back version of an old-country golden lager called Budweiser, it was the beginning of the end of the regional breweries that had peppered the landscape, paving the way for the big national players. Americans had fallen in love with this simple, German-influenced, golden lagers, and they couldn’t get enough of them. In the United States, the style had all but taken over, with Budweiser being the single most sold beer. Before we knew it, you could say “beer-flavored beer” and people knew what you were talking about. They meant a Budweiser. 
And it stayed this way for a long time. Other breweries competed for dominance, such as Coors and Miller, but the beer style remained the same. That was, until 1973, when Miller Lite hit the scene, an even lighter, crisper, version of the beer we all knew and loved. All we needed to hear was John Madden say “tastes great, less filling,” and there was a new major beer style. The idea was that it wasn’t a “diet” beer, even though it had less calories, but that it was just a “light” beer, so you could have more of them. Very similar to its predecessor, the American Light Lager is defined by having lower alcohol content, a light, almost watery body, no hop character, and a very simple aroma and palate mostly characterized by corn, rice, and other grains. They’re light straw colored. And at most you’re going to get a touch of apple sweetness. But short of someone attempting to give a description on what these beers taste like, no one actually cares about any of that. What fans of the style typically care about is that they’re cold, they’re crushable, they’re plentiful, and just plain taste good. They’re simple and crisp for a reason, and that reason is we’re drinking them while watching the game and not at an organized beer tasting. 

A Stranger lost in the snow

If you want one at Klockow, you can either ask for whatever is closest to Mich Golden, or you can be more direct and ask for a Stranger Ranger! It is our answer to all those customers who were maybe brought here by their beer-connoisseur buddies but just want something familiar, or to the folks who know they’re going out to eat and just want something light, or for anyone who wants just one more so a low ABV crisp lager simply hits the spot. Have it on tap or take home a four-pack! 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer drops this past week:

Local, etc. -

  • Unwined Up North - Grand Rapids

  • Locker Room - Coleraine

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

McGregor -

  • Mark’s Bar - McGregor

  • Willey’s Sports Shop & Spirits - McGregor

Duluth, etc. -

  • Woodland Liquors - Duluth

  • SuperOne Liquor - Duluth

  • SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake

  • 27 Liquors - Duluth

  • Duluth Tap Exchange - Duluth

  • 7 West - Superior

  • Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace - Duluth

South, etc. -

  • Scandia Olde Towne Liquor - Scandia

  • Northbound Liquor - Cambridge

Happy Thanksgiving from the Klockow Brewing Staff

Here we are, the big day just around the corner, Thanksgiving! Hope you remembered to thaw your turkey and picked up enough green beans from the store! Yes, it truly is one of the great holidays (history and origin notwithstanding), for it is the one holiday in our country with no pretense other than to feast! That doesn’t mean we don’t individually have our favorite little traditions outside of stuffing our gobs. Just means that there aren’t any other socially mandated activities, like gift giving, church services, etc. Heck, there aren’t even Thanksgiving cards!  
So we thought we’d take a moment to share with you some of our favorite Thanksgiving foods and traditions, straight from the mouths of the Klockow staff. 
It’s not a competition, but if there’s a winner for most popular food to eat amongst those that work here, potatoes take the trophy (Tasha, Andy, Adrianne, and Nathan). This is followed by green bean casserole, which both Jamie and Nathan named as a favorite to make/share for those big family gatherings. And why not? It’s easier than it looks, tastes better than you’d guess, and is generally a fan-favorite. (Side note: does anyone else find it odd that we call everything “hot dish” in Minnesota except for green bean casserole?)
Though if passion for a favorite is what it takes to make a food a winner, that would have to go to cranberry sauce, which Malachy named as his “answer for everything.” 
Some other notable favorite dishes include ham (Zach the “ham man”), stuffing (Andy and Jamie), pistachio pudding (Amanda), and of course, turkey (funny enough, only Andy said turkey). 

Nathan and a turkey breast.

But what is a big feast without people to share it with?! Some of our staff’s favorite traditions and memories involve bringing people together. Having long worked in the restaurant industry, Amanda shared how she and her husband Kyle have “hosted what we called transplant thanksgiving. So all the line cooks and servers who didn't have a place to go would all come over and we'd cook rich, decadent meals like truffle butter turkey. Always loved that feeling of community with industry folks.” This is similar to what Tasha said about “having a ‘Lost Boys’ Thanksgiving for Andy and his friends who had to open Guitar Center at 4 a.m. on Black Friday when we lived in the cities.”

Amanda dreaming of future leftovers with Kyle and friend Ashley.

I know it’s crazy to say, but sometimes the people you’re eating with are actually family! Nathan noted “though I have enjoyed personally cooking an entire spread for just Rachelle and I (like last year’s Cornish Game Hen feast), we do tend to see extended family this day too.” One of Zach’s favorite memories of Thanksgiving was “playing flag football up at grandma and grandpa's with all the cousins and uncles, ice skating if the lake was safe, and listening to all the stories when everyone was together.” Jamie looks fondly on her running tradition of having “a sleep over at my BIL and SIL Wednesday night to mentally prepare for hosting Thanksgiving; AKA we drink and eat appetizers and play games.” 

Adrianne honing her Betty Crocker side.

Some of us looked back fondly at the Thanksgivings of old, when we were kids. Sometimes we helped out, like Amanda recalling back when “my sister and I used to wake up at like 4 a.m. with my grandma to stuff the turkey (that had been brining the previous day) and she always made us sew it shut!” Or maybe we didn’t help, like Adrianne: “I would color in the Star Tribune turkey while watching the parade; AKA staying out of the kitchen.” Or maybe it was something else entirely, like Nathan’s “the Tuna Thanksgiving.” 
Admittedly, some of us have better Thanksgiving memories than others. Good thing this isn’t a competition, because Andy and Tasha would take the pumpkin pie on this one. Quoth Andy, “Thanksgiving is when I proposed to Tasha! She had been frantically cleaning the house and almost found the ring I’d cleverly hidden in my jacket pocket. I waited until she was in the middle of making s'more pie and proposed! The pie is now forever known as ‘Engagement Pie.’"
The day will ultimately come to a close though, and you’ll be divvying up the leftovers amongst guests. That’s when you’re going to have to talk to Amanda, who named as her favorite food “Post-thanksgiving leftovers, stoner food edition. Lefse quesadillas with turkey, stuffing, and mac. Pan fried. Dip in cranberry sauce and gravy. Ima leftover queen. Challenge me!” So yeah, she might have some ideas on what to do with your leftovers.

Cornish Game Hen and friends.

And with that, we hope that you have a wonderful holiday! Make sure it’s filled with good cheer (and maybe more than a couple beers), a full plate, and a bunch of new memories. Happy Thanksgiving!! 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer drops this past week:

Local, etc. -

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Itasca Curling Association - Grand Rapids

  • 38 Outpost - Grand Rapids

  • S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River

  • Balsam Store - Bovey

  • Ron’s Korner Market - Bovey

Bigfork, etc. -

  • Kocian’s - Bigfork

  • Big Fork Wilderness Bar - Big Fork

  • North Star Lake Resort - Marcell

  • Hayslips Corner - Talmoon

The Range, etc. -

  • SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing

  • Rocket Liquors - Virginia

  • Silver Creek Liquors - Virginia

  • KM Corner Store - Nashwaulk

  • Keyboard Liquor - Chisholm

Ely, etc. -

  • Insula - Ely

  • Zup’s Food Market - Ely

  • Stinky Pete’s Tiny Weed Shop - Ely

A Look at Reoccurring Events, and Some Thanksgiving Suggestions

As I write this first sentence, the first snowfall of the year is happening; and much like this first snow fall, this sentence isn’t amounting to much.
But this little dusting is just a further reminder that the seasons are changing and we need to be prepared for the winter months ahead. That could be making sure your snow tires are put on your car. Maybe it means you finally have to tune up your winter commuter bicycle, if that’s your thing. Any amount of home winterizing is dangerously close to being too late to do, and you should probably pull that box of hats and gloves out of the garage. 
Ahh, but how wonderful it was, not even that long ago! Temperatures around 50. Sun shining. And Ditty Wish held her first game show in the Klockow taproom, the beginning of the new monthly series Ditty Wish Ventures to do a GAME SHOW! Last Thursday we had a live production of Family Feud on the Klockow stage, with four different “families” competing against each other, all trying to figure out the most popular answers to some truly ridiculous questions (seriously, how many different things have teeth? Especially when the number one answer was simply “animals”?!?) 

Ditty Wish, in her sparkling dress, did her best Richard Dawson impersonation, and all the contestants did a wonderful job of not only playing the game, but coming up with back stories for how their “families” were composed. A highlight was the team comprised of long-lost sisters, all named Ditty, who were there to reunite with their last sister, Ditty Wish. 
Game show nights will be consistently on the second Thursday of the month, though the specific game will rotate. Next month will be the $10,000 Pyramid (or Beer-amid, if you will)! So pop it on your calendar, from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12. 
Another lovely thing to look back on with a tinge of anticipation was last weekend’s Storyteller Sunday! It’s one of those days here in the brewery where we all chill out a little bit for an afternoon of spoken word art, as some of the finest voices in the greater Grand Rapids area gather to tell us all a little tale. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always a little curiously entertaining, we’ve been excited to bring back Storyteller Sunday on the third Sunday of the month following its summer hiatus. And if you missed it, fear not: Michael Goldberg of Stay Human on 91.7 KAXE was on hand to record the stories, making them all eligible for broadcast on an upcoming show. 

Which brings us to the tinge of anticipation. Next month, on Sunday, Dec. 15, Michael Goldberg and Stay Human will be co-organizing Storyteller Sunday with a line-up of amazing writers from around the state, as well as from here at home. So since you’re already putting things on your calendar next month, might as well pencil this one in as well! 
All this talk of anticipation for upcoming events this next month or so brings something else to mind: the holiday season is approaching! We’re right on its doorstep, in fact. News of this may bring about mixed emotions, but rest assured, it will be ok. Maybe even great. For coupled along with all the family gatherings and the gift exchanges and travel, etc., is the most glorious part of any holiday: the eating and drinking. 
Now, as you may have guessed, we have a few opinions on the best drinks for all your holiday affairs. And since we allow mix-and-match four packs, you’ll definitely be able to have something for everybody at your Thanksgiving feast. Want to try to pair something with the turkey? Have a Schönfeld Honey Wheat Ale. Want to pair something with the entire spread? You could do worse than a Ryetasca Roggenbier. Need to appease your trendy cousin who fancies themselves a hop head? Supply Line Hazy IPA is clearly the right choice. Are your parents worried that you brought local brewery beer because they’re convinced that “craft beer” just means “hoppy beer”? Better include a couple Stranger Ranger American Light Lagers. Got an especially picky relative and you don’t know where to start? Just ask whoever is behind the bar and we’ll ply our trade to get you the best beer for your crew as possible. 
And of course, if you’re daunted by the scope of the food spread, not to mention how you’re going to handle a whole day with extended family, we do have our Klockow Shrubbery line of THC seltzers. At 10 mg per can, it shouldn’t take long until the edge is taken off and the munchies kick in. 

EAT YOUR BEER!
So what about the eating? We’d like to think you already have that under control being Thanksgiving and all, but maybe you’re joining a larger group and have been tasked with bringing a dish and you still just don’t know what that might be. Assistant Brewer Russ Alioth actually has you covered with a recipe he enjoys making from time to time: Beer Bread! All you need is…

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 12 oz of BHK Nut Brown Ale

  • 1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients and beer until just combined and pour into a greased loaf pan. Pour melted butter over the mixture. Bake for one hour, then remove from pan and allow to cool at least 15 minutes. And what you have is a hearty and crumbly bread! Russ definitely recommends the BHK Nut Brown Ale, though he feels confident that the Ryetasca Roggenbier (German Rye Ale) and the Woodland Legacy (Amber Lager) would be quite good as well.
If you want to go for an even bigger, richer flavor, try our Downwind Smoked Chocolate Stout. And if you want to get a little crazy, there’s always Travelin’ Jack IPA on one side and Mlinar Delight Raspberry Smoothie Sour on the other. Though let us be clear, we do not actually recommend the IPA or the sour for your beer bread. But if you’re feeling oddly adventurous, we’d love to hear if they turn out at all!

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer drops this past week:

Local, etc -

  • Eagles Club - Grand Rapids

  • Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids

  • Zorbaz on the Lake - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Locker Room - Coleraine

  • Bottles & Brews - Grand Rapids

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • NoPo Coffee Co. - Grand Rapids

West world, etc.

  • Dorset Corner Off Sale Liquor - Park Rapids

  • 1894 - Perham

  • Continental Divide Brew Pub - New York Mills

Minneapolis, etc.

  • Ombibulous - Minneapolis

  • Isanti Municipal Liquor Store - Isanti

  • Stinson Wine, Beer, and Spirits - Minneapolis

  • South Lyndale Liquors - Minneapolis

  • Liquor Works - Forest Lake

  • Princeton’s Liquors - Maple Grove

Remembering Brian Crowe

It rained the day of your funeral,
so all we saw was gloom.
But all these drops innumerable;
they made the flowers bloom. 

This week’s blog is going to be a little different. Of course we want to do things like highlight and hype upcoming events, such as Ditty Wish Ventures to do a GAME SHOW on Thursday and Storyteller’s Sunday this weekend. That’s what the blog is for, after all. But last week, as you may have heard, a frequent regular and friend of brewery, Brian Crowe, passed away unexpectedly. So we’d like to spend a little time remembering our friend. 
As a bartender here, I’ve spent a lot of time talking with Brian about all sorts of things. The running joke is that regardless of the topic, it always came back to food. At one point, there was a discussion that since cheese cake exists, shouldn’t it be logical that there should be a cheese pie as well? As it happens, this turned into a more-than-a-year long running conversation, involving multiple people. But Brian was the only one who made the mistake of saying that he was going to make one! To date, there has never been a satisfactory definition of what a proper “cheese pie” should even be; the best sounding recipes ended up being closer to a quiche, and we were specifically going for a dessert.
I’d like to think Brian would roll his eyes and say something like, “really, you’re going to bring that up again now?” if he could see that we’re talking about the cheese pie again. But that’s just the stuff you think about when someone is gone. The whole eye-rolling thing would be just for show, though. He’d actually love that this is what we’re talking about. 
Another thing one tends to think about when someone dies so young is what they haven’t done yet. Brian said he’d make the pie because he loved to cook, so much so that he had plans of quitting Pepsi to run a food truck. Issues surrounding health insurance and the initial investment gave him pause, but these were things that he just knew he had to work around. The food truck was going to happen. He regularly would show me trucks and trailers he found for sale that would be a good platform for this new business venture. He even had a list of locations to park where he knew he’d get a good influx of people for lunch. 
We just have to make peace with the fact that his food truck will never park outside the brewery. And that’s hard. We don’t want to think that. 
But what is easier is being thankful for the time we had with Brian. We’re fortunate enough to be able to remember the good times and the laughs. All the times he would say “ok, one more” after he swore he was on his last beer, all because another friend came in. And all the little things that we don’t even remember today, but will be reminded of because he left enough minor impressions to always have a call back. 
Speaking of call backs, Brian was the first non-employee to be interviewed for this blog. So we’ll leave you with a few of his own words…

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: long-time regular at the taproom, Brian Crowe
Question: How long have you been a regular here?
Brian Crowe: I think only about three years, as a regular. It hasn't been that long. It took me awhile to actually come here, and I don't know why.
Q: What's your favorite Klockow beer?
BC: I don't necessarily have a favorite. I have multiples that I like a lot. Supply Line (Hazy IPA), One Aught (Cold IPA), Siduri's Garden (Saison); depends on the season, depends on the day.
Q: If all those are on tap, which one would you pick?
BC: Probably Siduri's Garden, because it's the least likely to be on tap! Or just for a short amount of time, I mean.
Q: When you're not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
BC: Mountain Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch. It's my coffee.
Q: Sticking with the theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
BC: A lot of smoked barbque. Ribs. I like smoked fish. And I've become a fan of sushi!

Brian Crowe

Q: What do you do for work?
BC: I'm employed by Pepsi Cola as a service technician. Which means I fix anything that dispenses Pepsi products; bar guns, fountain machines, coolers, vending machines. I've done just about every job in the company over 25 years.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
BC: Camping, curling, and hanging out by a bonfire!
Q: What's a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
BC: That's difficult. I can't think of anything... Only thing I can think of is that I've participated in BBQ contests, rib contests. In three years, we went from 9 out of 10, to third. It was ribs.
Q: Was there a secret to your success?
BC: Yeah, and it's a secret! But we did change the recipe. We went from 9th, to 7th, to 3rd, and it was the last year that we changed the recipe.
Q: And lastly, if you could be transported back to any time or place in history, when and where would it be and why?
BC: Oh gosh... Actually, the land rush days when everybody was claiming their lands, where it was a free-for-all run to stake your land, I'd like to go back and see that. That's kind of a cool thing; now it takes so much to get a piece of property. Back then, well, you had to work hard on it to make it work, but you worked for what you got. Now you work for everything but you can't get as much.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer drops this past week:

Local, etc -

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids

  • Blackberry Junction - Blackberry

  • Red Eye - Swan River

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Unwined Up North - Grand Rapids

  • KM Corner Store - Nashwauk

  • Timberwolf Inn - Marcell

Bemidji, etc. -

  • Bemidji Curling Club - Bemidji

  • First City Liquor - Bemidji

  • Lakeview Liquor - Bemidji

  • Tara Bemidji - Bemidji

  • Beehive Offsale Liquors - Bemidji

International Falls, etc. -

  • SuperOne Liquor - International Falls

  • The Rocky Ledge - Kabetogama

  • Revelation Ale Works - Hallock

Cuyuna, etc.

  • Happy Tree - Emily

  • Deer Haven - Remer

  • Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill - Baxter

  • Remer Municipal Liquor Store - Remer

  • SuperOne Liquor - Crosby

  • SuperOne Liqour - Baxter

Rocky (in a good way) Past and Gamey (also in a good way) Future

We did the Time Warp… for the first time. And we look forward to doing it again next year, but we’re just going to have to wait on that. In the meanwhile, we’ll bask in the glow of the beauty that was last week and remember what it’s like to have that kind of fun. Because it was fun. It was fun as hell!
If you don’t know what we’re talking about, that means you missed our Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing party! We took part in that long tradition of interactively watching this cult classic, with all the noisemakers, bells, jeers, newspapers, and even toast that have made the movie the unique legend that it has become! The night began with an amazing set by local psychedelic groove band, the aptly-though-temporarily named The Time Warp, which brought people down on the dance floor and set the right mood for what the rest of the night would offer.

And when it was all over, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the taproom more messy than I did when the lights came back up around midnight. But as they say, many hands make light work, and there were no shortage of Good Samaritans to help with the cleanup. 
All of this was the day after MN Beer Day, when the throngs of the thirsty crowded the taproom in order to get their hands on this year’s annual Beer Day pint glass! We’re no stranger to busy days, but damn… we seem to have underestimated how many people wanted this glass! We had about 80 glasses for sale, which we thought was a safe amount to procure in order to sell out of but not run out of too early. Given the fact that the glasses were gone by a quarter to 5 p.m., we clearly did our math wrong. 
More important than bad math, what this means is that we owe you a thank you! MN Beer Day is the day set aside to celebrate local brews and the people that make them, and you all came out in force to make it a worth while celebration! We felt the love with every pull of the tap handles, every gulp of the suds. It was just another example of the beauty of last week that we want to hold on to. It’s one of those things that sustains us in more ways than one. 
Looking to the future… we still have plenty of that great beer we’ve been celebrating! But if you want more than that, (sigh) fine. How about a game? Or, even better, a game show! Next Thursday, Nov. 14, starting at 6 p.m., Ditty Wish will be hosting a new series happening here in the taproom: Ditty Wish Ventures to do a GAME SHOW! You may know her from our monthly Open Mic, or from her various musical appearances at a venue near you, but Ditty Wish… well, maybe I’ll just let her explain the show, as well as introduce herself a bit:

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Emily Slaubaugh AKA Ditty Wish
Question: How long have you run Open Mic at Klockow Brewing?
Emily Slaubaugh: I… has it been three years now? Three years. Two and a half, maybe. That sounds about right. 
Q: And in all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
ES: I really like Siduri’s Garden (Saison). That’s probably one of my favorites.
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
ES: Well, right now I’m drinking root beer! I drink a lot of tea; a lot of black teas and green teas. Really any kind of tea.
Q: You’re a big tea person.
ES: A big tea person.
Q: What are some of your favorite foods that you like to pair with these teas?
ES: It’s often in the morning, so I’ll have it with eggs. Or toast. Or hash browns. 
Q: Any other favorite foods in general?
ES: I like a good taco.  Singing Chihuahua Tacos especially are my favorite. I miss them. 

Q: So what do you do for a living?
ES: Right now I’m working at running my own business where I’m freelancing fully. That involves a lot of performing. I’m still playing under the name Ditty Wish. So trying to do more performing. I’m going to be hosting more stuff coming up at Klockow…
Q: Yes, I understand some of this new business involves not just music but other things.
ES: Other fun things! Starting next week, on Thursday, Nov. 14, I will be hosting a live game show at Klockow! So we’re going to have contestants come up. We’re doing Family Feud for this first one, but in the future we’ll be doing different ones: The Newlywed Game, the $10,000 Pyramid… or Beeramid, if you will. 
So it’s gonna be a lot of fun! It’ll be a fun community event, I think. We’re going to have contestants come up to play the game, I’ll be up in a sparkly dress hosting, and at the end I’ll have some games that anyone can come up and try, like Minute to Win it. 
Q: So how will that work for people who will just be showing up?
ES: Well, it’s going to be fun to watch, even if you’re not participating. Our contestants are pre-selected this time around. So if you come and watch, it’ll be a good time. And when we get to the last 30 to 40 minutes, we’ll ask for volunteers to come up to play these other games.
Q: Speaking of fun, what do you like to do for fun?
ES: You already know I like to play music. That’s a fun thing I like to do. I also enjoy being outside. I like going on hikes and riding my electric scooter around. Oh, and I like playing games: board games, card games, that kind of group games is what I’m into.
Q: What is a fun/interesting fact about yourself, perhaps something not too many people know?
ES: A lot of people already know this, but I don’t think everyone does. I was born in Canada, and so I am a Canadian citizen as well as a U.S. citizen. 
Q: That is interesting. Don’t know if it’s fun, but it’s definitely interesting.
ES: It’s fun for me!
Q: Ok, last question: if you could wake up tomorrow and be amazing, as in world-class, at one thing without having to train for it, what would it be and why?
ES: Hmm, well I need to decide between giving a fun answer and a practical answer.
Q: You could give both if you like.
ES: Ok, my fun answer would be improv. Because it looks very fun but I don’t think I could ever do it. It’s just something that… I enjoy taking it in, so I feel like I would enjoy performing it as well. Just seems like a fun skill to have.
Q: You need to be quick-witted, so yeah. How about the practical one?
ES: I’ll say picking up languages. So to be able to learn all the languages really fast. 
Q: That’s almost a super power.
ES: And very practical. Some people have a good knack for it. 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Bob’s Country Market - Bovey

  • Bottle’s & Brews Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Timberwolf Inn - Marcell

  • NoPo Coffee - Grand Rapids

  • Timberlake Lodge Hotel - Grand Rapids



Enjoy MN Beer Day with Chad's Meat Wagon

We don’t feel old, but we’re certainly no spring chickens anymore. I mean, 7!?! It was exciting coming up to our anniversary last week, but now that it’s passed, all we have is the realization of the indifferent passage of time, and the cold comfort that we’re wizened from our years as we ignore the inevitable decay of our bodies. 
Which is why we went for a group bike ride last night! We’re not giving up without a fight! 
Our Biking for Beer: A Spooky Spokes Bicycle Pub Crawl was, dare I say, not scary at all. In fact, we all had a lovely time! Especially as we looked at the forecast the week prior and saw cold rain projected for yesterday, odds seemed good that the ride was going to be cancelled. And sure enough, it did rain in the morning, but it gave way to mere overcast skies that even broke up a bit in the late afternoon, and the temperature hovered around the mid-40s. Honestly, one could ask for waaay worse weather for a bike ride. 
And what’s more, about half of us dressed up for the occasion. A special thanks to Jon from Ardent Bicycles for being our repair and tire pump guy, and for doing the whole ride in a hot dog costume! 

But still we must look forward. The past might be pretty and sparkly, but we can’t dwell on it lest we miss the present and fail to prepare for the future. Good thing we planned ahead and got our order in for the Minnesota Beer Day annual limited edition pint glasses!! It may not be a major holiday. It might not be cause for people to gather around the table and say what they’re thankful for. We may not spend a month putting up decorations for MN Beer Day, or sing Beer Day carols. But it’s the day that we hoist a glass, literally and metaphorically, to the “brave” men and women who go to work every day to bring that glorious craft malt beverage that we all love into the world and into your hands. That alone sounds like something worth celebrating. And if it’s not, you can just come on in for our day-long happy hour! In addition to the $10 pint glasses that come with a free first fill, we’ll be doing $5 pints all day! So c’mon in on Friday, Nov. 1 for MN Beer Day!

Now someone just needs to work on some MN Beer Day carols. Perhaps “Oh IPA Oh IPA, how hoppy are your bubbles.” Or maybe “On the first day of Craftsmas my true love gave to me, a Pale Ale that’s not too piney.” No? Ok, we’ll keep working on it. 
In the meanwhile, if you just wanna do some fun group sing-a-long, perhaps we can tempt you here this Saturday for our Rocky Horror Picture Show night! We’ll be doing a full audience participation viewing, with all the cursing and jeering and toast throwing one has come to expect from a respectable Rocky Horror night. We’ll have short cue scripts so that y’all know what to do, but let’s face it, there are plenty of people who know the movie like the back of their hands, so we’re not exactly gonna stop you if you wanna sing along or throw out your favorite jeer. 
Movie will be at 10 p.m., and prior to that, we’ll be having music from The Time Warp, a GR based psychedelic groove band that is not actually called The Time Warp but are temporarily named that for the night. See, we’re all getting in the spirit of things! Music at 8 p.m., movie at 10 p.m., and then we just set you nuts loose on an unsuspecting world. 
THEN GO VOTE ON TUESDAY!!

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Chad Yost of Chad’s Meat Wagon
Question: As the owner of Chad’s Meat Wagon, how long have you been running the trailer, and how long have you been coming here?
Chad Yost: Funny story, I started this seven years ago. My first year in operation was also Klockow’s first year. I was brand new, they were brand new, and I would say we just entered into an incredible partnership, business owner to business owner. We actually did the soft opening, the day they opened with the family, friends, and employees that helped turn this into the brewery. And the following day we were here for the grand opening for the public. So we’ve been here since day one!
Q: Fortuitous timing! So in all that time, do you have a favorite Klockow beer?
CY: I’m not a big beer drinker. But I do like that Upwind (Irish Blonde Ale). That’s my favorite.
Q: When you’re not drinking the Upwind, what do you like to drink?
CY: I drink whiskey mostly, as my choice of alcoholic beverages. If it’s a beer and I’m at home, I’ll usually just drink a Mich Golden Light. I’m not a very robust connoisseur of darker, heavier beers. [laughs]
Q: This might be a silly question to ask, but what’s your favorite food?
CY: You know, gosh, people ask that, but I don’t know if I have a favorite! Everybody loves pizza. My go-to, at a restaurant, if I can get fried chicken, that’s probably my favorite.
Q: But you are famously known for your barbecue. Do you have a favorite thing to make that you sell in the Meat Wagon?
CY: My ribs, on the bone, that’s my favorite. I take the most pride in my ribs because that’s the reason I started cooking barbecue was because I like ribs and I could never find a rib place around that was consistently giving me what I want. I’m not a competition cooker. I cook for my customers and what I like, and that’s for the ribs to fall off the bone and be tender. So I started that, and that’s my number one favorite thing that I do. 
Q: Well you do a good job with that! 
CY: Thank you!

Q: Obviouosly you are the owner of Chad’s Meat Wagon as well as its namesake. Tell me a bit about what the day in the life is like in the Wagon?
CY: A lot of people think that owning a food trailer would be fun. Your get to sit outside and sell. And that’s the culmination of our day, when we’re sitting out with the window open. But there’s so much work that goes on in my driveway at home, all the meat prep and the smoking and the pulling and constantly cleaning inside. So there’s a lot of work that goes in to sitting for a day.
A lot of our pork butts will cook prior the day we sit. And then I’ll put the meat in, get it hot and ready to serve that day. But our ribs and everything else on the menu is prepared fresh the day that we sit. Our morning starts off with getting everything prepped and ready to go so that when we show up here at the brewery, the food is hot and ready to be served so customers aren’t waiting.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
CY: I’m an avid hunter. I fish a little bit in the summer, but not much. The fall is my time. Many people out there might recognize my email address as duckaholic68@yahoo.com. I took that email address way back when email first started because I’m an avid duck hunter. I go to North Dakota every year and spend time out there duck hunting. And November is rolling in so I’m getting ready for deer season. That’s pretty much what I like to do. I work my summers so I can live in the fall.
Q: What would be fun/interesting fact about yourself that people might not know?
CY: The people that know me well just know that I love being around people. I’m a very outgoing person and I really enjoy the interactions with my customers and visiting. One thing that people may not know about me is how passionate I am about my business. If I meet someone new, or if I’m talking to a couple on the phone about a wedding, I talk very fast, I get very loud, I get very excited about what I believe in and what I do with my business. I guess the more I talk, the louder I get! [laughs] 
That and I’ve done stand up and I write poetry! I did it about four times at the Joke Joint Comedy Club in the cities. And that dream’s not dead. So we’ll see.
Q: Last question: If you could eat barbecue with anyone, living or dead, who would you pick and why?
CY: My mom. My mom passed away back in 2020, so she’s never really got to see what I’ve done as far as the cooking aspect of my life. My mom cooked at various restaurants in the area and was a fabulous cook - always cooked our meals growing up. I would like her to see what I’ve done. Part of her lives on in me through my cooking. So I would love to share one of my meals with my mom.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Itasca Curling Association - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids

  • Eagles Club - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Ron’s Korner Market - Bovey

  • Hollywood Bait - Bovey

Duluth, etc -

  • New Scenic Cafe - Duluth

  • 7 West - Duluth

  • Boulder Tap House - Superior

  • Wussow’s Concert Cafe - Duluth

  • SuperOne Liquor - Duluth

  • SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake

  • Dovetail Cafe - Duluth

McGregor -

  • Big Zandy Zorbaz - McGregor

Existential Thoughts with Klockow (PLUS MN BEER DAY!!)

Do you experience the passage of time? As a physical entity, are you affected by the phenomenon of entropy? Are you human?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then might we suggest checking out the goings-on at Klockow Brewing! This all starts with the fact that it is currently our Anniversary Week, Year 7!
Can you believe that it’s been 7 years already? Seems like only yesterday that our brew system churned out its first batch of Travelin’ Jack, and look at it now: still making a ton of Travelin’ Jack. But not all things have stayed the same! With over 500 batches of beer made, there’ve been more different styles made here than you can shake a stick at. And whereas we began with only serving beer and selling crowlers in the taproom, we now can a significant percentage of all beers brewed with our in-house canning line, and outside can and keg sales make up a majority of our business model. 

Honestly though, it’s kind of surprising how much has stayed the same. Sure, there are little differences like the new small glass growlers and the fact we got rid of the pews against the wall. But when it comes to the overall look and feel and taste to the place, we’re still just Klockow; that quirky little brewery in the northwoods. That, more than anything else, is worth celebrating. 
We look forward to seeing you come in this week! We have a huge 7-centric sale going on all week as a thanks to you, our favorite customers. That means $7 4-packs and growler fills, $7 shrubberies, $17 shrubbery 4-packs, and $70 shrubbery cases. 
Though if entropy is getting you down, perhaps a little exercise is in order. Good thing we have you covered there too! On Wednesday, Oct. 30, we’re bringing back our Biking for Beer: A Bicycle Pub Crawl. This time, in honor of the season, it’s A Spooky Spokes Bicycle Pub Crawl, meaning that we’re expecting to see everyone in their very best bike-friendly Halloween costumes (anything with flowing robes might be tricky, no matter how cool it would be to see Dementors floating down the street). 

Same as last time, we’re starting our ride at Rapids Brewing Company before riding across the river to Klockow and finally south of town to Pickled Loon Saloon. We’ll be starting at 4 and trying to keep each stop to about a half hour so as to keep the ride in some sort of day light. We definitely recommend you bring bike lights though. Light issues aside, we are aware of the time of year, so we’ll be paying attention to see if the weather is going to cooperate with us. If it’s too cold or otherwise too lousy, the ride will be canceled, so check for updates. The rest of the details for the ride will be on the event page, so check it out and we’ll see you on Wednesday! 
Then after that if the human in you likes community efforts, might we interest you in a taste of this year’s Minnesota Beer Day? Klockow Brewing Company is a participating member in MN Beer Day 2024, meaning that we will be carrying the limited edition 2024 Beer Day glass in our taproom on Friday, Nov. 1. All day long, we’ll be showing support one glass at a time to the people behind the beer throughout our state. And for only $10, one of these glasses can be yours, and we’ll even fill it up for you. 
If our anniversary week is about thanking you, the customers, then MN Beer Day is about thanking us, the brewers. So we hope to see you here that day as we celebrate craft brew throughout the state! 
So what about time? I suppose we could do the Time Warp again. Yes. Yes! Let us do this, on Saturday, Nov. 2, let us come together out of the storm for a Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing party! Starting at 10 p.m., this will be a full-on audience participation event, with all the yelling and cajoling and junk throwing that have made these traditionally-midnight showings as infamous as they are throughout the country. We just think it’s our turn to have some of that fun. And to get warmed up, come early for The Time Warp, a psychedelic groove band straight out of Grand Rapids, MN. Music starts at 8 p.m. during regular business hours. Movie at 10! 


We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Tia Marie of Smoke on the Water
Question: How long have you been a client of Klockow?
Tia Marie: Five and a half years!
Q: And where is our beer on tap for you?
TM: When I started off at UnWined, Klockow was the first place I contacted as far as having beer on tap. And with Smoke on the Water, it was the same thing. I can’t imagine having a bar and not having Klockow beer on tap.
Q: Always good to hear. What are some of your favorite Klockow beers, either to drink or have on tap for your customers?
TM: Supply Line (Hazy IPA) is one of my favorites, both to drink and to have on tap everywhere I’ve been. But my favorite… Guardians of the Beam (Barrel-Aged Imperial Brown Ale) is my absolute favorite beer of all times. I kept a bottle for my people that I love to open and share. It’s just delicious. I love all the barrel-aged things that you do. 
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
TM: I’m far more of a coffee/tea person. I wish I was a water person! I’m getting back into it though I’m not really good at that. Otherwise, if I’m going to have a drink somewhere, and it’s not a Klockow beer, it’ll be a Jack Daniels.
Q: I’m a little surprised you didn’t say wine!
TM: I’m surprised as well. But I’m not that much of a drinker for someone who owns an establishment. I love wine, but I don’t open a bottle of wine by myself because then what am I gonna do with it?
Q: What are some of your favorite foods?
TM: That’s a really good question. Do you want me to list local favorites around here, or…?
Q: However you want to answer the question.
TM: I love ethnic foods. I wish we had a Thai restaurant in town. I make Thai at home! Fuji is one of my favorites. I do not attempt sushi at my house! I’m not good at it. 
Q: It’s harder than it looks.
TM: Pastas are great. And give me a steak! 

Q: Tell me a little bit about your establishment, Smoke on the Water, and what do you do there?
TM: Smoke on the Water is a little restaurant in Coleraine. It’s an old fire hall that we refurbished. We’re starting our second year, so things are starting to firm up much better. A lot of experiments in that first year. We have wood fired food. Homemade soups have become my love, so I make two or three every day. That’s been a passion of mine that I didn’t know I had. And we’re trying to get a smoker in there so we can expand our menu a bit more. 
Otherwise we have craft cocktails as well. Amazing beers. Klockow’s always highlighted. Right now we have seltzers. At some point we hope to get back to where we wanted to be, making wines and ciders, but the state has to catch up with us. 
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
TM: I swim. That’s my favorite. I swim a mile every day. But that’s stopped with the cold, so just a few days ago. Just got a fat tire bike, found one on the marketplace. So I’m going to play around with that and see if that’s my new fun! I love to read. I have to get a book from the library because I like to feel the books, and I like keeping our libraries going. Playing cribbage is one of my favorites; well, any board games I love to play. And you can tell I’m happy if I’m home and have my record albums playing along with a candle. That means I’m going to be home more than 45 minutes! 
Q: What would fun/interesting fact about yourself?
TM: I’m from a family of nine. They adopted me as number 8 out of 9, so they’re a very wonderful breed.
Q: You’re adopted?
TM: I’m adopted. So family is very important to me.
Q: Where a lot of your siblings adopted?
TM: No, I was the only one. Actually, their oldest daughter had me, and so my parents found out about me when I was six weeks old. They had had me in an orphanage, but she hadn’t signed the papers. So they found out about me, came and got me, so there you go! Best thing ever to happen!
Q: So your parents are biological grandparents?
TM: Yeah. And it’s wonderful. Now I have a great relationship with my birth mom. Everything has worked out how it has supposed to be.
Another fun fact is that I rode my bike across country when I was 20. My pedal bike. Coast to coast, from Seattle to Atlantic City, back before cell phones.
Q: Last question: You have a time machine and can go to any year, future or past, what year would you pick and why?
TM: Definitely past, not future. I’m thinking when my mom and dad were younger, back after World War II… late 40s, early 50s, when they were raising their families. Just listening to their stories when they were alive of their lives back then, seems like a wonderful time to go back and just see what it was really like. Before that I was thinking about the flappers and all that, but there was so much going on in our country back then.
Q: Yeah, pros and cons.
TM: And there were pros and cons then too, but I think it was a simpler time. At least they pretended it was, so I’d like to go back and see if it was!

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • SuperOne Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room - Grand Rapids

  • Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • 38 Outpost - Grand Rapids

  • Blackberry Junction - Blackberry

  • Bottles & Brews Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Rocket’s - Cohasset

  • Bear Ridge Pizza - Cohasset

  • S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River

  • Tavern on the Range - Bovey

Westworld, etc -

  • Landmark Liquors - Perham

  • Vergas Liquor Store - Vergas

  • Brew Ale’s & Eats - Perham

  • Seven Sisters Spirits - Detroit Lakes

  • 1894 - Perham

  • Dorset Corner Off Sale Liquor - Park Rapids

  • Continental Divide Brew Pub - New York Mills

Iron Range, etc -

  • Marge’s Liquor - Eveleth

  • MJ’s Resort - Pengilly

  • The Great Outdoors Bottle Shop - Pengilly

  • KM Corner Store - Nashwauk

  • SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing

  • Keyboard Liquor - Chisholm

  • Crossroads Convenience/Liquor Store - Iron

  • SuperOne Liquor - Virginia

North, etc -

  • Timberwolf Inn - Marcell

  • Boathouse Brewery - Ely

  • North Star Lake Resort - Marcell

  • Frontier Sports - Marcell

  • Mike’s Drive-In Liquor - Ely

  • Ely Liquor

South, etc -

  • Westside Liquor - Waite Park

  • Top Ten Liquors - Roseville

Feeling Cultured Going into Anniversary Week

You know how when people ask you “what’s new?” and you totally blank as if nothing new has ever happened to you in your life? Well, that is definitely not us lately! 
Go ahead, ask us what’s new.
…
Funny you should ask, because for starters, we got new swag! T-shirts arrived a couple weeks ago (four new colors), and mid-weight hoodies just showed up this week (four colors as well). Oh, how our poor merch closet overfloweth. So to help entice you to pick up some new seasonal clothing, and subsequently help us with our bloated hangers, the new hoodies even have our unofficial motto: To Beer or Not To Beer… Is That Even a Question?

Never let it be said that we’re not cultured. Actually, that reminds me of a fart joke…
But there’s no time for that! There’s so much new stuff that’s happening here, like the fact we just held our second Books & Brews: Spooky Book Fair. Same as before, our friends at Wildflower Bookshop didn’t disappoint with their spread of books, and it didn’t take long before the taproom started filling up with regulars as well as new faces, nearly all of them checking out the tables on the stage. As for our part, being the cool cultured people we are, we put out sheets with beer and book pairing recommendations, just in case you needed the help. For instance, if you’re interested in history, we recommended our Münchkin Märzen. True crime? One of the THC seltzers. Erotica/romance? Obviously the Mlinar Delight Raspberry Smoothie Sour. 

And attendees of the first Books & Brew event may remember that we had an info sheet on our various beers that are named after Stephen King characters. Quite fitting, especially since we’re in the midst of the spooky season, after all. But would you believe it, we only have ONE King named beer on tap at the moment!! If it wasn’t for bad planning, we’d have no planning at all. So yeah, we skipped that info sheet this time.
Hey, at least I wore my Kafka cockroach T-shirt this time. Talk about being cultured!

If all this reading has put you in a storied kind of mindset, perhaps we can recommend you come to the taproom this weekend for Storyteller’s Sunday! It’s the return of the storytellers after the summer sabbatical, and to properly mark this return, Michael Goldberg of Stay Human on 91.7 KAXE will be recording the different tales for possible air time on the show. As always, Storyteller’s Sunday is open to all storytellers, whether you planned something in advance or you just happen to be reminded of an interesting thing that happened years ago and you wanna wing it. And being October, the theme this month is “eeriness.” With any luck, we’ll hear a few ghost stories this time around. In fact, I know of at least one. Maybe yours will make it two. Story time is from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20. 
And all this is the precursor to our anniversary week! And what, you may ask, is happening for that? In short, just a big thank you to you, the fabulous customers. And no, don’t be modest. You’re totally fabulous. Who else has such impeccable taste?? To thank you for seven years of keeping us in business, we’re holding a seven-centric sale the whole week. From Oct. 21 through 28 (yes, we’re aware that is 8 days), shrubbery is now $7 a can, $17 for a 4-pack, and $70 for a case of 24! 
And beer is $7 for a pint! Yeah, we know that’s what it always is. Just gonna have to deal with it. To make up for that, we’re making beer 4-packs and growler fills $7 as well! 
To cap off the week, on Friday, Oct. 25, is the return of Brothers Burn Mountain! It’s really easy to remember what time they start: 7:00 p.m.
And that’s basically just the next week. We’ll get into the stuff happening at the end of the month next time. Spoiler: it’s all pretty awesome too.
Ok, now that we got all that out of the way: What did the unimpressed butt have to say? Pfft. 

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Klockow Forklift
Question: We’re sitting here with the Klockow’s forklift. How’re you doing today?
Klockow Forklift: Oh, a little sleepy. My battery is kinda low.
Q: Tough to hear. How long have you worked here?
KF: I was one of the first employees, even before any of the humans were hired!
Q: That’s impressive. Well, in all that time, what’s your favorite Klockow beer?
KF: Uh, my favorite is probably the distilled water.
Q: But that’s not a beer?
KF: Lamosezwhat.
Q: What?
KF: Hmm?
Q: Nevermind. So, why the distilled water?
KF: Ooh, it charges my batteries real good. I got a real big battery.
Q: That’s fair. So… uh… besides the distilled water, what else do you like to consume. 
KF: Love plugging into my charger for electricity! Then the water comes full circle, so that my batteries hold the charge so that I can work hard and lift heavy things. Not that you would know anything about that.
Q: Oh, wait. What was that? 
KF: …
Q: But anyway yes, I hear you lift very heavy things.
KF: Not to brag, but I am stronger than Max.
Q: …That’s f***king ridiculous. 
KF: Hey believe it or not.

Q: I’m gonna wait for proof. In the meanwhile, I hear that people that are forklift certified are infamously sexy. Why is that?
KF: As per law, and for safety in general, only the elite can operate me. And there’s an air about those folks: they naturally get more women, they’re more attractive in general, they study hard, they fill out paperwork, and they even watch crazy YouTube videos.
Q: That makes sense. This is all very logical. So tell me more about what you do at the brewery.
KF: I suppose, just this once, I can take a command from someone who isn’t forklift certified. Let’s see, I’m kinda the workhorse in general. I go outside a lot. Get to move things out of trucks. Lift heavy things. I’m so strong, I’ve lifted all the tanks back there.
Q: All of the tanks?
KF: All of the tanks. And the canning line. The brewing system. I’m pretty strong, I’ve lifted it all. Not gonna lie.
Q: That is impressive. You might be stronger than Max. What do you like to do for fun though?
KF: Honestly, just lay low. My top speed isn’t too fast, so I just move around at a walking pace. Not into that speed stuff. I just wanna chill.
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself, besides being stronger than Max?
KF: Fun story, one time my accelerator got stuck wide open.
Q: Really? What does that mean?
KF: That means I wasn’t even thinking about it and was just going! Luckily, my operator was certified. So in that panicked situation they were able to stop it and fix my accelerator.
Another fun fact, I get serviced multiple times a year. There’s a special company, they come by and give me a whole once-over. You know, greasing the parts and dusting off any build up that they find. Those are the days I look forward to, when the attention is all on me. That’s the day that I get sexy.
Q: Alright, last question: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
KF: I’d have to say flight. Being so strong, I’m kinda heavy, so I can’t really get off the ground. If I could have the power of flight, like even just on a plane, I’d be the happiest piece of machinery ever.
Q: That’s a wonderful dream. But wait… you’re real heavy. You’re super strong. One more question… could you lift yourself?
KF: Uhhh… that is the ultimate question. Could I even lift myself?? [stares longingly in the distance with the existential dread]

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Bottles & Brews Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Unwined Up North - Grand Rapids

  • NoPo Coffee - Grand Rapids

North of metro, etc. -

  • Home Town Liquor - Braham

  • Milaca Off Sale

  • Liquor Works - Forest Lake

Minneapolis, etc. -

  • Princeton’s Liquors - Maple Grove

  • Top Ten Liquors - Roseville

  • South Lyndale Liquors - Minneapolis

  • Ombibulous - Minneapolis

Books and Brews and Roggenbier and Roberts

It’s common knowledge that once into October, when autumn is in full swing and a chill returns to the air, the new national hobby is to stay inside with a warm drink and a good book. Well, nights not withstanding, that proverbial chill has yet to really emerge. So… I don’t know what that means. At minimum, it means it’s still a good time for a cold beer of any number of lighter styles, from wheats to shandies, which is good because we still have plenty of those available in our taproom! But, if you want to get a head start on all things fall and winter, we have a beautiful selection of darker malt beer as well. 
But what about that good book? 
Two good options for that would be 1). to finally grab one of those ol’ tomes off your shelf that you’ve been putting off, or even better 2). to come to Klockow on Wednesday, Oct. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. for Books & Brews: Spooky Book Fair edition. 
Our good friends at Wildflower Bookshop will be back in our taproom with their mobile pop-up shop with another wide selection of great books. As the theme would suggest, there will be plenty of horror titles to choose from, but fear not if fear-inducing literature isn’t your jam. As per usual, there will be a little something for everyone. 

The last time we hosted Books & Brews, the place was packed! Definitely surpassed our expectations, on both ends. Wildflower was thrilled with the turn out, and were very happy to have so fewer books to box up at the end. And it was just plain ol’ fun. So many people were browsing and picking out books, then going to tables to talk about what they had found. With pint in hand, they thumbed through the pages of their big score before closing out and heading home to finish their books. And with luck, we’ll have the same kind of day next Wednesday.

Ok, What Is That?
Roggenbier. That’s a word on our menu. A word that many people have asked, “Ok, what is that?” So maybe we should take a second and break this beer down for everyone. 
In short, Roggenbier is German for “Rye Beer.” And as the name suggests, the primary grain used for this style is rye. Those practical Deutschlanders really do know how to name a beer style! But we won’t just leave it at that. The longer story is that Roggenbier first originated in Europe in the Middle Ages, but then wasn’t brewed for hundreds of years, only recently making a subtle come back. 
As is the case with many styles of beer, Roggenbiers were first made as a necessity since they came from areas where rye was the most plentiful grain available. The people needed beer, and rye was just the grain to do the job. The problem with this is that rye was also used to make bread, and, well, the people needed bread too. Though we’d hate to argue that bread is more important than beer, at the end of the day, it just might be. But even if there technically was enough to go around, redirecting resources for brewing affected the prices of these grains, subsequently increasing the price of rye bread. For this reason, the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 was put into effect, which stated that beer could only be made from water, hops, and barley (and yeast, though these little creatures weren’t named as an ingredient in the original law). These laws, also known as the Reinheitsgebot, had the desired effect of partitioning which grains were used for each commodity in order to keep prices down, as well as to ensure that no undesirable preservatives were used in beer, such as stinging nettle. 
Seen as a victory in maintaining German brewing traditions and a landmark in food safety regulations around the world, it did have the unfortunate side effect of destroying numerous beer styles, namely Roggenbier. 
Hundreds of years passed. Nearly half a century in fact. And in 1987, regulations in the purity laws were loosened to allow other grains to be used in the brewing of beer in Germany, and a number of styles reemerged from their long hibernation. Funny enough, a previous loosening of the laws had allowed wheat to be used in beers long before this, meaning that Hefeweizens were legally allowed for a much longer time, but Roggenbiers were only finally able to see the market again in the final years of the 20th century. 

Despite what the picture shows, Ryetasca is actually served in pint glasses.

Much of their comeback, as quiet as it has been, has come from the new craft beer scene in the United States. It’s both traditional and lesser-known, which makes it catnip to hipster beer nerds, not unlike us! Here at Klockow, you’ll find an example of this style in our Ryetasca, which we just released at the end of last month. This beer nicely highlights rye as a grain, bringing out the hallmark spice of rye as well as subtle touches of candy sweetness, expressed as notes of banana bread and clove. 
The weather is inevitably getting colder, and this medium dark malt beer is just what’s needed for that transition of the seasons. Come have a pint in the taproom and/or take a 4-pack home! 

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: McKeon Roberts
Question: How long have you worked here?
McKeon Roberts: I started working here… would’ve been the fall, September, of 2023. So about a year.
Q: But you haven’t been here the entire time, correct?
MR: Took a little gap off, would’ve been April, 2024, to the beginning of this month, October of ‘24. So I basically took the summer off. 
Q: What were you doing?
MR: I have a background in outdoor media. So I was working for an outfit called Virtual Angling as a content creator, filming anglers and guides across the Midwest and delivering how-to educational fishing content.
Q: Very cool! But in all the time you’ve worked here, what’s your favorite Klockow beer?
MR: I’m going to go with - currently - 22 Hop Rd., the Wet Hop Hazy Pale Ale. I think this year’s batch is very, very delicious. So that’s been a go-to of mine, of recent. I think long-term, Billy Bumbler Belgian Tripel is just an outstanding beer. It’s award winning for a reason, obviously. It’s the beer that really turned me on to Belgian beers. It’s just a clean, perfect beer, in my opinion. 
Q: Good answers, both. When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, or beer in general, what do you like to drink?
MR: I tend to go with the seasons. I heavily lean on the hoppy side of things. That being said, I start to do the seasonal transition, whether it is a brown ale, porter, and stouts as we get deeper into the colder season. But for the most part, I lean toward a hazier IPA. There’s just a million of them out there that do a great job with that. So yeah, anything hoppy and hazy definitely takes my palate for a ride.
Q: Nice. Sticking with this theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
MR: Well, lately I’ve been taking an approach of eating what you catch or kill. So yeah, just paying more attention to what you put into your body and knowing where it comes from. So that being said, I eat a lot of game birds, like ducks or pheasants or grouse. A lot of venison. Adrianne here sells eggs and so I buy two dozen eggs from her a week. Eggs and bacon pretty much every day for breakfast. So I like that heartier, know-where-it-comes-from type foods, I guess. 
Q: Do you manage to hunt and fish all year round then? Or do you stock up?
MR: Yeah. Well, there’s regulations on seasons. I fish year round; of course in Minnesota, the game fish season closes February through May. But there are other fish out there to be had that are edible. So I eat fish all the time because I fish all the time. And when fall comes around, that opens the door to hunting season and being able to eat that stuff. Otherwise, in the summertime, for meat consumption, going to local farms and getting a bunch of really good bacon and pork chops… things from local farmers. 

Q: So what do you do at the brewery?
MR: I am mainly a beertender. So serving suds to all the local faces. And just recently started doing some production work in the back. Today is my first day! So labeling and all the things that make taking beer from our facility out to greater Minnesota, having a helping hand in that. 
Q: So I think I know what some of this is - you’ve already talked about fishing and stuff - but what do you like to do for fun?
MR: My two favorite things on earth are fishing and music. Fishing in general, just being outside… I’m a super biology nerd. Wildlife biology, plant biology. Just being outside in nature and observing things, you know. Just encountering critters. It’s essentially related to Pokémon, honestly. You look for rare things in their environment, that that really excites me. 
Fishing is the closest thing to my heart, for sure, and music. So very, very heavily involved in the local music scene. It’s one of my biggest passions that I throw myself into. 
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
MR: First thing that comes to mind is, you know my first name is somewhat unique. It’s a last name. But McKeon is my first name. And I got my name because my mom was pregnant with me at the time, and my dad just finished Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” The actor who plays the little boy in “The Wall,” his last name is McKeon. So he looked up at my mom and said, “How about McKeon?” And here I am.
Q: That’s hilarious. [laughs] I had no idea. I suppose that’s why it’s a fun fact! Ok, so we’re down to the last question. If you were granted the ability to know when and how you die, would you want to know? And why or why not?
MR: I’m going to go with my gut, hip shot here, but I think I’d rather not know and still live every day with the intention of having surprises and never knowing what’s next anyway. So when the day comes, and it’s a surprise, then that’s how it was meant to be. That’s where I’m at with that. 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Bottle & Brews Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Locker Room - Coleraine

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Unwined Up North - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids

  • Eagle Ridge Golf Course - Coleraine

  • Rocket’s - Cohasset

  • Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids

  • Willey’s Sports Shop & Spirits - McGregor

Bemidji -

  • First City Liquor - Bemidji

  • Lakeview Liquor - Bemidji

  • Northern Offsale Liquor - Bemidji

  • Beehive Offsale Liquors - Bemidji

St. Cloud -

  • 7 West - St. Cloud

Up nort -

  • The Rocky Ledge - Kabetogama

Post-Klocktoberfest Time For Reflection

For some, Labor Day is the official beginning of fall. For others, it’s Sept. 22. For us, it’s after Klocktoberfest is over. 
There’s a solemnity to the brewery this week, as if we’d completed some grand quest. Even in the brew house itself, Zach and Russ are just canning the ol’ standbys Travelin’ Jack and Itsa Seltzer today. There’s been a return to normality, our basic lives. The monotonous work of make beer, sell beer, and repeat has taken hold. Much like how the philosopher Albert Camus speculated that Sisyphus found peace in his daily toil, so do we here at Klockow. After all, the only thing we really want to do is make beer for y’all. 
But before we settle into this new routine, I gotta say, what a weekend!! If you didn’t make it here last Saturday, you missed a hell of an event. We started off quiet and gradually cranked up to full volume as more than 500 people filed through our doors over the course of the day! We sold out of our annual ceramic mugs, which was no big surprise, and put an enormous dent in our KFest glass inventory as well. Our Münchkin Märzen flowed like water into the glasses and steins of the many patrons, and the music kept people in a festive mood long into the night! And, to borrow a well-deserved cliche, a good time was had by all. 

And now we’re all tired. Many of us got here early on Sunday morning to tear down the tent and put the taproom back together. And now that that is over, we’re scaling our hours back to fall and winter times: 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Though the weekends are staying the same: noon to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. 
So what’s next, you may ask? Well, I suppose there are some things. I’ll have yo know that we’re damn close to our anniversary week, where we’ll be celebrating seven glorious years of beers! And before that, the return of Books & Brews, our partnership with Wildflower Bookshop! And now that it is in fact fall, that means that Sunday Funday is back in full swing too. We’ve, of course, maintained Open Mic with Ditty Wish and Board Games and Records all summer, but the glorious return of Storyteller Sunday will start again on Oct. 20. Drink and Draw is sadly off the calendar, but keen-eyed viewers of our Facebook page and website will see that we’re doing a wire wrapped ring workshop this Sunday, Oct. 6! Seating and supplies are limited, so be sure to sign up in advance! 
Looking ahead, maybe things aren’t so monotonous and bland after all. Maybe that mindless repetition we were looking forward to is merely an illusion, and that each day brings with it their own unique surprises. Maybe there’s no such thing as the predictably zen toil that Sisyphus was condemned to. Maybe, just maybe, the only thing certain is uncertainty. 
Whew… don’t know about you, but I need a beer. 

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Lee Reiners
Question: Mr. Reiners, how long have you been a regular here?
Lee Reiners: I moved here in 2019. So I’d say 2019!
Q: In all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
LR: That’s a hard question, but really, any of the barrel aged beers: the Hays on Tay (Scotch Ale), the (Magic) Roundabout (Vanilla Stout). I also love the Guardians of the Beam (Imperial Brown Ale with Wild Rice). But if I’m looking for something a little bit lighter, Stranger Ranger (American Style Light Lager).
Q: Oh, so you just go for the complete ends of the spectrum when it comes to beer?
LR: Yeah, pretty much everything but a sour is what I’m interested in.
Q: And when you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
LR: Like I said, anything but a sour when it comes to beer. Otherwise I’m a bourbon drinker. If we’re talking non-alcoholic, water and coffee! 
Q: Looks like we’ve covered the grounds here.
LR: Gotta have water. Gotta have coffee. Gotta have bourbon.
Q: What are some of your favorite foods that you like to wash down with these various beverages?
LR: I mean, I just finished eating Singing Chihuahua tacos; almost every time that I can get those tacos, I will. Otherwise, burgers.
Q: You’re a burger fan?
LR: I’m a burger fan. A good burger fan.
Q: What constitutes a good burger to you?
LR: That’s a tough question. I don’t know if I could tell you exactly what it is. Something you feel. [Laughs] I don’t have an answer.
Q: I like that. Like it’s a burger with soul. 
LR: A burger with soul.

Q: So what do you do for work?
LR: I work remotely for a cybersecurity company based out of Minneapolis. So I do tech support for that company, and I’ve been doing it for eight years. 
Q: Cybersecurity. So I imagine you can’t go into too many details or you’ll have to kill me?
LR: Yeah, something like that. [Laughs]
Q: What do you like to do for fun when you’re not protecting the cyber?
LR: Honestly, when I’m inside, I love gaming. Board games, card games, video games. I’m just really into that. Outside, I just like being in nature. 
Q: Once again, the ends of the spectrum. 
LR: Opposite ends of the spectrum. I do spend a lot of time outside, just sitting in a lounge chair, just enjoying the breeze, bourbon in hand, enjoying the sounds of nature. 
Q: So what’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
LR: I once broke my kneecap in a competitive dodgeball league.
Q: What?
LR: Yeah. I tried to dodge like Neo, and I was not able to.
Q: First off, I did not know there were competitive dodgeball leagues.
LR: They exist. They’re out there.
Q: And you broke your knee? Like your kneecap?
LR: Yeah.
Q: I’m still having troubles picturing this. This is an aggressive game of dodgeball. 
LR: I zigged when I should’ve zagged, and I dislocated my knee. I thought it was just a dislocation, but when I got it X-rayed, the kneecap was broken. 
Q: That is definitely a fun fact. It’s horrible, but it’s very fun. Ok, last question: you’ve been kidnapped by terrorists. You need to pick the main characters from a video game to save you. Who are you picking and why?
LR: [Thinks pensively for some time] Probably a character like a Tom Clancy character. I don’t have an exact answer though. Wasn’t ready for this one. [Pensive thoughtfulness continues] Yeah, I still stick with my answer, a character from Tom Clancy. Maybe Master Chief from the Halo series. 

Editor’s Note: After the recorded interview ended, Reiners shouted, “Jack Reacher! I should’ve said Jack Reacher!”

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

  • Bottles & Brews Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Locker Room - Coleraine

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Eagles Club - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Lake Store - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids

  • NoPo Coffee - Grand Rapids

  • Rocket’s - Cohasset

Duluth, etc -

  • SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake

  • SuperOne Liquor - West Duluth

  • SuperOne Liquor - Cloquet

  • DECC - Duluth

  • Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace - Duluth

  • 7 West - Duluth

The Big Event Itself: Klocktoberfest!

It’s not a holiday. It’s not even an event that hails from this country. But it’s the biggest party in the world and we want in, even if it’s just a piece. What am I talking about? Why, Oktoberfest, of course! And because of our affinity for portmanteaus, our little slice is called Klocktoberfest. 
If you’re a local Grand Rapidian, there’s a good to fair chance that you’ve celebrated Klocktoberfest with us in the past six years we’ve held this event. But perhaps you’re less familiar with the OG, including why it is what it is. So let’s take a moment and learn a little bit about Oktoberfest.
Celebrated annually in Munich ever since 1810, Oktoberfest is one of the biggest and longest running events in the world, anticipating more than 6 million people every year and 2 million gallons of beer consumed. And why are millions of people annually showing up in the Bavarian state of Germany? Was it due to a unification treaty, making it the biggest Founders Day celebration in the world? The anniversary of some great war that demonstrated the need for peace? Did someone see a comet and foretell doom lest they party their asses off?? No, none of these things! It’s literally the wedding anniversary for Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen! You know, that famous couple… (Yeah, I’d never heard of them either.) When the happy couple got married in 1810, they invited the entire city to celebrate and held festivities for two weeks, including a horse race (which remained an integral part of Oktoberfest for about 150 years) and of course huge amounts of traditional food and beer.
Imagine throwing a wedding reception so epic that people insisted that it happen again the next year. And now imagine one so epic that’s still happening annually more than 200 years later. The Crown Prince, who later became King Louis I of Bavaria, was a proponent of the arts who was integral in transforming Munich into the artistic center of German, so it makes sense that he’d be behind one of the country’s most prominent cultural festivals. So each year, going for 16 days and ending on the first Sunday of October, the party simply continues! Various events take turns being prominent, from horse races to parades, but the central perk of drinking fest bier and dressing in traditional garb has brought millions of people out annually, and that’s not even including all the smaller iterations that take place wherever Germans happened to have immigrated. 

So what can one expect this Saturday here at Klockow Brewing Company for Klocktoberfest? The first thing you’ll see is an inordinate amount of people wearing traditional Bavarian swag. Think lederhosen. Think German Alpine hats. The next thing will be the music. If you thought you could come to an Oktoberfest celebration and not get knocked over with some raucous live polka music, you’d better think again! In the same way that a room full of people who hate country music are all of a sudden singing along to every line in a Dolly Parton song, there’s no such thing as someone who doesn’t love polka at Klocktoberfest. We got Nathan Neumann kicking things off for us to keep it traditional, but we’re getting more into the folk side of things by late afternoon with The Lindula Brothers and ending the night with MorningBird. 
Amongst all this music you’re hearing, you’ll probably also notice the different games throughout the parking lot, many of them hosted by local non-profits. I’m talking Nagelspiel and Bier Spatzier. And what is this? It’s a bouncy house for the kids, and even a giant inflatable Wack-a-Mole game, no doubt for the kids at heart. 
If that isn’t enough for you, and I hope it’s not, there is plenty of beer. We have much of our regular menu of good drinks, like the Supply Line Hazy IPA and the Stranger Ranger American Style Light Lager. But the star of the day is always the Münchkin Oktoberfest, our traditional Märzen. A huge hit every year when it’s released, we’ve been selling it like we’re about to run out since it was first tapped at the beginning of the month. But we won’t; we made damn sure of that. At least not until after this weekend. 
And to sop up all those delightful suds, we are obviously going to have Singing Chihuahua Taco Truck! Ok, maybe not the most Bavarian of food options, but we just love working with them. That, and they make a killer Rueben-Style taco. That’s some Bavari-Mexi food fusion right there! And for dessert, be sure to grab a cup of small-batch ice cream from our friends at Borealis Creamery.
If that’s not enough to satisfy our lovely customer-base, well, we’re just out of ideas. With luck we’ll have scores of happy, tipsy people with safe rides home by the end of the evening. 


We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Susan Sheker of Singing Chihuahua Tacos
Question: How long have have you been coming here, both as a customer but also as the food truck?
Susan Sheker: Pretty much, I think, we started about the same time. It’s been maybe six years. I can’t remember… were we here the first year? Eh, it’s been five or six. 
Q: That’s a good amount of time. So in all that time, what’s your favorite Klockow beer?
SS: Well, right now it’s Billy (Bumbler Belgian Tripel). I dunno, I like the Oktoberfest beer a lot. And Hays on Tay (Scotch Ale). If I had to pick a favorite, right now Billy is my favorite. 
Q: What about Billy speaks to you?
SS: I dunno, it’s just smooth… yeah, I just like the flavor of it. 
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
SS: Umm, I mostly like to drink Klockow beer! But I do occasionally get the Mango White Claws. And sometimes a little tequila every now and again. Not so often; mostly it’s Klockow beer. 
Q: You’re most well-known around here as being part of the Singing Chihuahua Taco trailer. So what are some of your favorite foods?
SS: My favorite foods besides tacos, or just in general? [Laughs] 
Q: However you want to answer that question.
SS: Probably one of my favorites is tacos. Mostly I like Mexican food, all kinds of variety of Mexican. I could probably live off of tacos and pizza! 
Q: They’re good foods to live off of — endless variety!
SS: Right! You can put anything on a taco and put anything on a pizza! Just be creative. 

Q: So what do you do in the taco truck? And besides that, what else do you do for work?
SS: In the taco trailer, I mostly run main grill, which means I cook all the meats. Do all the shells. Put it in the rack and get it ready. Then usually Gus will put the toppings on and serve them. If we’re in the (Farmers) market or an event, I’ve got two other people in the trailer. Sometimes three. Riverfest we had five people in the trailer total! Everybody works a station.
I prefer the grill over the window lots of time because I also work at the post office as a clerk, so I deal with people all day there. Sometimes it’s nice to get in the flow of things on the grill. It’s cool. It’s kind of like a dance; coordinating things and everything has a different cooking time. I didn’t think I’d like running the grill when we started the trailer. So I was at the window and he was on the grill. And the first big event we did, neither one of us could switch because he didn’t know the cash register and I didn’t know how to run the grill. That was our second time out! 
So we quickly learned we need to multi-task. 
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
SS: I like to ride my horse, which I never get to do. I like to go fishing, which I also don’t get to do in the summer. [Laughs] Next week, darn it! I’m going fishing! 
Um, any kind of art: painting, drawing. I don’t spend much time doing that, but I’d like to get back into it a little more. And reading. I can seriously get lost in a book. 
Q: Nice. So what’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
SS: Because I’ve always been a horse person, I used to rodeo, which was a lot of fun. I grew up in western Nebraska, so there’s a lot of ranches and people with high-end horses. Rodeos are a family event, and I’m the only person in my family who likes horses. So my dad got me a truck, got me a trailer, and found a horse that was acceptable. I high-school rodeoed most of my junior year and all of my senior year. I ended up third in the state in polls, and fourth in the state in barrels. So I got to go to national finals in Wyoming, which was a total hoot! 
Used to do three rodeos a weekend, in the trailer by myself. Sometimes I’d bring a girlfriend. It was a lot of fun!
Q: We’re down to the last question: What’s your favorite holiday and why?
SS: It used to be Halloween because you could dress up and be someone else for a night. Roll playing is fun, I like that. But now that I’m older… gosh, I don’t know. Probably Christmas. Just because I really love going out and getting a tree, decorating it, hanging out with the fam, cooking the turkey. 
Q: I asked that question on the off chance you’d say something like Labor Day. [Laughs]
SS: Labor Day is good because I don’t have to go to work, but then Tuesdays after a holiday at the post office are a nightmare! So anytime you get a day off, it’s kind of like - [stressed-grumble sound]. 

EDITORS NOTE: Saturday is Singing Chihuahua Tacos last day for the season! Be sure to come out for a bite before they’re gone… until next year.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor North - Grand Rapids

  • Swan River Red Eye

  • Bottles & Brews Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Balsam Store - Bovey

  • Gosh Dam Place - Deer River

  • Ron’s Korner Market - Bovey

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River

  • Zorbaz on the Lake - Grand Rapids

Bigfork, etc -

  • Kocian’s - Bigfork

  • Timberwolf Inn - Marcell

  • Antler Store and Motel - Bigfork

  • Big Fork Wilderness Bar

  • Frontier Sports - Marcell

Range, etc -

  • Super Smoke Shop - Virginia

  • The Great Outdoors Bottle Shop - Pengilly

  • Crossroads Convenience/Liquor Store - Iron

  • SuperOne Liquor - Virginia

  • SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing

  • Keyboard Liquor - Chisholm

  • KM Corner Store - Nashwauk

  • Marge’s Liquor - Eveleth

  • Sawmill Saloon & Restaurant - Mountain Iron

  • Silver Creek Liquor - Virginia

Ely, etc -

  • Trapline Liquor - Embarrass

  • Insula - Ely

  • Ely Liquor

  • Zup’s Food Market - Ely

  • Mike’s Drive-In Liquor - Ely

Post Drag, Wet Hops, and Yes... That is His Last Name

It’s a week of sober reflection here at Klockow Brewing Company. 
But that’s just because we’re behaving ourselves prior to next weekend’s annual Klocktoberfest! 
All jokes aside, we are deflating a bit after a huge weekend here at the brewery. In many ways, it was pretty standard, as far as our normal business hours were concerned. But you may have seen that we also hosted an after-hours event on Saturday, Iron Range: Radiance Drag Show! A first for us as a business, we initially got both great feedback and a few wet blankets. The later folks didn’t seem to amount to much because audiences exceeded expectations (more than 100 tickets sold, far beyond standing room only)! The evening: phenomenal! The audience: electric! The performers: what word to use other than fabulous! 

So if there is, in fact, any actual sober reflection happening here this week, it’s concerning how we can make drag shows a more regular occurrence here at Klockow Brewing Company. It was too successful to be just a one-off, so stay tuned for future dates. 

Ok, What Is That?
If you’re a regular brewery visitor, there’s a distinct chance that you’ve seen this phrase thrown around a bit, especially this time of year: wet hop. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not the colloquial term for jumping in a rain puddle. No, it’s much better! To properly explain it, though, first we need to talk a bit about how most beer is made. 
The core ingredients in beer are water, malted grain, yeast, and hops. Maybe you’ll find a beer that’s fruited or otherwise has some adjuncts to the recipe, but those four are the main ingredients. Looking specifically at the hops, a lot of people might be surprised to find out that the hops that are used in nearly all beer production, from the smallest microbrewery to Anheuser-Busch itself, use processed pelletized hops. The reason for this range from quality control to longevity to convenience. They’re easier to measure, their flavor is concentrated, they have a longer shelf life. In short, it’s a bit of a no-brainer to send those hop cones to become dried and processed into little bits that look like rabbit food when it comes to commercial scale brewing.
But it sure is fun to use hops fresh off the vine! And boy what a difference it makes in flavor. 
“The hops are literally plucked from the vine when they’re at their peak in the growing season - they’re ready to be harvested. And within a day or two we turn them from wet hops into our beer,” said co-owner and master brewer Andy Klockow.

Wet hop is the freshest designation of hops, as even a “fresh hop” beer includes a drying period in order to help preserve the hops. Wet hop, on the other hand, have to be used immediately after harvesting, sometimes only within a few hours. 
“You get more dankness, some grassiness, and really just capturing what fresh hops smell like and taste like,” added Andy. 
Besides the time constraint when it comes time to use wet hops, there’s also the quantity question. On average, it takes five to ten times the quantity of hops brewing this way because you’re also bringing along any moisture and other vegetal matter that processed hops would not have.
We’re talking about this now because of the release this week of our 22 Hop Rd. Wet Hop Hazy Pale Ale, a favorite brew of ours amongst people who care about fresh ingredients. All the hops were grown locally at CR Hops Farm.
“We chose to do a wet hop because — it’s about catching the essence of hops at their peak freshness,” said Andy regarding the 22 Hop Rd.
Of course, anything that seeks to capture freshness of flavor is going to be, at its core, temporary. We wish our wet hop pale ale wasn’t so fickle, but alas, tis the nature of the beast. But the good news is that it’s out RIGHT NOW, and will be for many weeks! The freshness might be fleeting, but we’ve got some amount of time here. I mean, it’s not like it has the life span of a mayfly or something.  

It’s not often that beer drinkers get to enjoy what the wine community calls terroir, or sense of place. For wet hop ales, though, the flavor of the garden comes through in ways rarely seen in beer. You don’t just get to taste the sum of its parts, but also a hint at where those parts came from. And because of that, no two wet hop ales will ever be quite the same, no matter how hard you try. 

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Anthony Beer
Question: How long have you been a regular here?
Anthony Beer: I don’t know about regular, but I’ve been coming here since pretty much the beginning. Probably around 2018, in that neighborhood, yeah.
Q: You’ve had a lot of time to think about this, so what is your favorite Klockow beer?
AB: I’m pretty seasonal with my beer, with my drinking. I think the best overall I’ve ever had — and this isn’t just Klockow, it’s anywhere — is Magic Roundabout (Barrel-Aged Imperial Vanilla Stout). I think that is the best, but I also can’t drink that in August when it’s 85 degrees out. When it’s warm, I really like the Superior Lobe (Hefeweizen). And the colder it gets, I transition to the Oktoberfests and the BHKs (Nut Brown Ale) and the barrel-aged stouts. 
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
AB: What do I like to drink or what do I drink? Because on the daily I drink too many Busch Lights. [Laughs] But I do enjoy a good bourbon in many different capacities. On the daily, it’s Busch Light and the simple cheap stuff, and then when I can it’s the good bourbon. 
Q: Very economical! With this good bourbon or Busch Lights, what do you like to eat with that?
AB: If you look at me, you can tell that I like food. So I think that my favorite food overall is going to be a good surf & turf. I love a good ribeye with lobster. If I had to pick a last meal, I think that would be it: ribeye with lobster tail. 

Anthony Beer

Q: What do you do for work?
AB: I’ve been with the city of Grand Rapids for a little over 11 years, and I work full-time at the cemetery as the assistant cemetery sexton. I do all the maintenance; equipment maintenance, grounds maintenance. Dealing with customers. Selling graves. And obviously completing burials and things like that too. 
Q: What do you like to do for fun though?
AB: For fun, I’m a big hunter and fisherman. That’s probably the most common thing that I do that’s fun for me. I do steelhead fishing in the spring and bass and Muskie fishing through the summer and fall. And once fall hits, I’m a big duck hunter, and get into deer hunting a little bit. 
Q: More things to eat!
AB: Yeah, lots of food. Lots of good eats. 
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
AB: See, now this was the question that I was worried about.
Q: Everyone is.
AB: I was worried about two questions, because you always have some damn wildcard question that’s ridiculous, and then you have “what’s interesting about you” question. I have a lot of interests and I do and am involved in interesting things, but when you ask a question like that, you realize how damn uninteresting you are as a person. [laughs] 
Q: Everyone has something that most people don’t really know. 
AB: Man, I dunno. Probably the most interesting thing that I can think of that people might now know is that I have a love and appreciation and passion for aviation. I’ve been going to the air show in OshKosh, Wisconsin, every years since I was 4 months old. Other than 1990 when my brother was born, and 2014 when my oldest daughter Gracie was born, and I think one other year when we weren’t able to make it, I’ve been there every year for the past 39 years. Now I volunteer for a week to help set up the convention and the show. If there’s something people don’t know — everybody knows I hunt and fish. Everybody knows I’m a grave digger. Not a ton of people know that I’ve always had a passion for aviation. 
Q: See, that’s a great answer! But now, the last question: you’re dropped into a jungle island and you’re only able to have two items with you… besides clothing. You’re not naked. What are those two items and why?
AB: Probably a… well, number one for sure would be a ferro rod, or a ferrocerium rod. It’s basically like a flint but better than a flint for starting fires. It’s able to be wet and still start a fire. And then honestly, in a jungle environment, probably a pot to boil water. To be able to hydrate. Because beyond that, I think I can fashion things I need to procure food. Like I said, I hunt and fish quite a bit. So I would hope those two things would be able to keep me alive. I can purify water over the fire. Cook food over the fire. So a ferro rod and a pot would be the two things that I’d bring into a jungle environment if I could only have two things. 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Bottles & Brews Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Bear Ridge Pizza - Cohasset

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Locker Room - Coleraine

  • Eagles Club - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • 38 Outpost - Grand Rapids

  • Rocket’s - Cohasset

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • NoPo Coffee Co. - Grand Rapids

Little Falls, etc -

  • Westside Liquor - Little Falls

  • Vintage Pub - Askov

Twin Cities, etc -

  • Princeton’s Liquors - Maple Grove

  • Stinson Wine, Beer, and Spirits - Minneapolis

  • Scandia Olde Town Liquor - Scandia

  • Home Town Liquor - Braham

  • Isanti Municipal Liquor Store - Isanti

  • South Lyndale Liquors - Minneapolis

Brainerd, etc -

  • Deer Haven - Remer

  • Westside Liquor - Baxter

  • SuperOne Liquor - Baxter

  • SuperOne Liquor - Crosby

  • Red River Liquor Co. - Akeley

  • Happy Tree - Emily

West World -

  • Brew Ale’s & Eats - Perham

  • Dorset Corner Off Sale Liquor - Park Rapids

  • Landmark Liquors - Perham

  • Continental Divide Brew Pub - New York Mills

  • Vergas Liquor Store - Vergas

North -

  • Revelation Ale Works - Hallock

Post-Riverfest is a Drag (Show!)

Big things are a brewin’. And I ain’t just talking about beer. 
Ok, so maybe that’s over-selling things a bit, but wouldn’t you be all wide-eyed with excitement after such an amazing weekend? Riverfest was a great success, not to mention we sold a crap-ton of beer. But let’s back up a little bit; this is supposed to be the recap portion of the blog, after all. 
Ardent readers may recall how we were excited to see Brothers Burn Mountain on Friday. Well, we got the news early in the day that they were sadly having to cancel the show last minute due to an injury. So if you came into the taproom for anything other than a beer and/or to see Nathan behind the bar, you were out of luck. But on Saturday, we loaded up the Klock-Box with kegs and plenty of shrubbery to bring over to the library where our beer trailer was sitting in wait for the day ahead. We tapped the lines and iced it all down while listening to the Riverfest line-up do sound tests in the distance. And then the floodgates opened and… we were never bogged down because we were set up to be a well-oiled machine from the very beginning. 
Sorry, if you were looking for a story about how we got our asses handed to us by the Spoon fan club, it just didn’t happen. Takes more than thousands of thirsty festival goers to get us down! 

But as we bid adieu to Riverfest, we can now look ahead to other things. I did say things are brewing, after all! Of course, we’re continuing our preparations for Klocktoberfest! It’s one of our biggest days of the year, and the release of our Münchkin Märzen is a hotly anticipated event in its own right! Well, first step is done, and now we await the big event (with a pint of Münchkin in hand at least). 
First though, we here at Klockow Brewing are excited to be hosting Iron Range: Radiance Drag Show! If you liked them at Itasca Pride, you’re going to love them at the brewery! We’re doing one of our rare after-hour, cover-charge events for the show this Saturday, Sept. 14. So starting at 9 p.m., be here to see Range-area performers such as ThatQueerIsa, Dixie Diamond, Spectrum, IzzySain, and Clint Toures! Tickets are $15 and are available at the door.

As a side note, some of you may be aware of the push back we’ve received regarding this show. You’ve maybe also noticed a lack of response from us, but that’s only due to our proud policy of not feeding the trolls. For anyone who has a problem with the existence of drag performers, all we can say is just don’t come. For as odd as it is to have to remind people of this, there is no existential threat due to flamboyant costumes coupled with dancing and lip singing. I dunno, just remove the stick and try to find some joy in your lives or something. 
Everyone else, we’ll see you on Saturday!!

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Kyle Lussier
Question: How long have you been a regular here?
Kyle Lussier: Since the first time coming here, which I would say December of 2020, when you could only be outside. Yeah, pretty much ever since then.
Q: What do you think of the inside then, now that you’re allowed in?
KL: I like it. I like the new tables. Missing the pews, but you know. Entropy is underlying, everything is going to break down and change at some point. 
Q: Sorry, they were too full of church farts. [Laughs] But in all this time, what’s your favorite Klockow beer?
KL: I’ve been thinking about this all day. I’ve got two. I’m going 22 Hop Road (Fresh Hop Pale Ale), and Absence of Light (Black IPA), which I feel like has only been here once. But it needs to be here more. [Laughs] 
Q: Well one of those is coming back soon! But when you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
KL: I drink a lot of Pabst Blue Ribbon. I drink kind of a rotating domestic beer. So it might be Old Style. It might be Hamm’s. Might be PBR. And from there, anything local, pale ale, IPA. Bent Paddle, Summit, Fulton, all the hits. All the classics. 
Q: Widely available and easy to choose. Sticking with the general theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
KL: Favorite foods. Hmm… That’s tough. I think more, I guess, in cuisines and ingredients. So Thai food, for sure. Raw fish, whether that’s sushi - Japanese, or crudo - Mediterranean. Um, cilantro… like bowls of it. [Laughs] Citrus… Acidic foods. Spicy foods.
Q: This basically leads into the next one: what do you do for a living?
KL: I’m a chef by trade. Currently I get paid to cut grass. So my heart’s in the kitchen; my wallet’s on the golf course. 
Q: But you may be doing that temporarily, but you’re in the process of starting a restaurant.
KL: Yes, in the process of opening a restaurant (The Pines). Been working on it for four years, and it should be open, hopefully, in the next six months. 
Q: So going back… maybe some of the favorite foods will lead into this, but tell me about some of the food that will be at this restaurant?
KL: It’ll be casual fine dining. Upscale but not stuffy. So sustainable seafood, local agriculture as much as possible, seasonal rotating menu, and whatever else pops into my mind! 
Q: So just as loose as your favorite foods.
KL: Yes, exactly. All the good stuff! That’s the best way to put it.

Kyle Lussier happily at the Pabst brewery.

Q: So if it’s good, it’ll be there. No doubt opening a restaurant is a lot of work, and you have a side job in addition. What do you like to do for fun though?
KL: What do I like to do for fun? I golf. I consume a lot of YouTube media. Movies. Been crushing podcasts for the last four or five months, so that’s been fun. Mostly history podcasts. Um, hanging out with my dog and my wife. And bellying up to bars. That’s a passion! Something I’m pretty good at too. [Laughs]
Q: So what’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
KL: Let’s see here… I played drums for 20 years in a variety of crazy, weird, experimental rock bands. I was also in a Harry Nilsson tribute band. Spent many, many years thinking that I was going to make it in the music world. But then I realized I could make it in the cooking world instead. And they actually pay you! [Laughs]
Q: Oh yeah, people will pay good money for food! But last question: Michael Bay is directing a movie about you. What kind of adventure are we going on?
KL: We’re definitely going on, like, a whirlwind, 3-day bender across the entire planet where you try to eat as much delicious food and drink as much local beer as possible. But there’s explosions everywhere I go, because it’s Michael Bay. 
Q: How’re you saving the world by doing this?
KL: Because there’s such an abundance of good food and beer that it needs to be dealt with, and there’s only one man who will take the job. [Laughs]
Q: One man with the gumption!
KL: Yeah, that’s right, one man with the appetite and the thirst!
Q: I’d see that. I may not see it twice, but I’d check it out.
KL: And it’ll be Matt Damon playing me also. He’s got the blend of seriousness, dashing good looks, and also a little silliness. 

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids

Bemidji, etc. -

  • Liquor Lodge - Turtle River

  • Beehive Offsale Liquors - Bemidji

  • First City Liquor - Bemidji

  • Lakeview Liquor - Bemidji

  • Keg n’ Cork - Bemidji

International Falls, etc. -

  • Gateway General Store - Kabetogama

  • The Rocky Ledge - Kabetogama

  • SuperOne Liquor - International Falls

The Science of Taste, and a Word from One of Our Music Experts

People regularly tell us just how much they like our beer, often asking “How is it this pint is so good!?” I’m sure Andy and Tasha would be upset to have me divulge the secret, but… eh, what the heck! 
It’s the taproom music. 
Though not widely studied, the past decade has seen much more interest in the multi-sensory aspect of eating and drinking. Surely, we taste it, but much of the detail we get out of flavor is due to scent (both before going into our mouth as well as after, which is referred to as retronasal olfaction). But before any of that happens, as the saying goes, we feast with our eyes. And we haven’t even said anything yet about mouthfeel. Kinda hard to eat food without touching it. 
But did you know that the subjective way that we interpret taste can be widely influenced by the music we hear when drinking? It should come as no surprise that if we’re listening to a song we like, and generally feel happy because of that, our entire experience is enhanced! Flavors become more vibrant. Our opinion of the different tasting notes: more positive. But did you know that the science goes even deeper than that? It’s been proven that if you listen to music with high notes, this will accentuate the sweetness of what’s in your glass. Have some bitter flavors, like hops? That calls for low notes. 
I bring this up because it’s a particularly good weekend to enjoy Klockow, in the taproom and elsewhere, due to the presence of Brothers Burn Mountain this Friday and Grand Rapids Riverfest on Saturday! 
For anyone who hasn’t experienced a Brothers Burn Mountain show, they’re certainly a spectacle to behold. This modern jam band has a sound that is a fusion of ethereal mood and untamed drumming. Poets in in both word and sound, the Brothers always bring in the crowd and always leave them wanting more… no matter how much they give them. 

Brothers Burn Mountain.

And even that is just a taste, an amuse-bouche, to the line-up for Riverfest the next day! I mean, you can rest assured that it’s going to be a great show when it starts in the early afternoon with Corey Medina and ends with Spoon in the late evening. And through it all, you can bet your bottom dollar that Klockow will be there, on site with a chilly beer trailer, pouring glasses of suds for the festival-goers. And I’m willing to bet that those are going to be some of the best damn tasting beers you’ve ever had. Just get lost in the music and we’ll do the rest. 


We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Malachy Koons
Q: First off, how long have you worked here?
Malachy Koons: [Long pause] I should’ve prepared better. [Laughs] Um, I began this summer. I wanna say around mid, end of June is when I started. And then in July got regular Thursday evening shifts.
Q: But your day job is…
MK: My day job is I work at KAXE Community Radio station right here in Grand Rapids. I’m a producer there and I host music programs.
Q: In all your time here, what has been your favorite Klockow beer?
MK: The (Spawn) Pilsner and the (Hale Lake) Helles have not been on tap since I’ve been here. I surmise that they’re going to become my favorite. I’ve never tried them. But traditionally those are my favorite beers. My favorite so far has been Siduri’s Garden (Saison).
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
MK: Probably my favorite beer is the coffee pale ale from Earth Rider Brewery. I lived in the Duluth area for awhile, so I’m very fond of beers over there. It’s where I really started drinking beer. The other would be the Cold Press from Bent Paddle.
So both coffee beers!
Q: So do you like coffee too?
MK: Love coffee.
Q: I figured. [Laughs]
MK: Yeah, makes sense. But good coffee beers are hard to find. They’re all over the place, but not always good.
Q: What are some of your favorite foods?
MK: Hmm, love tacos, but my all time favorite food is gnocchi. With a pesto sauce. Various meat option usually, but that can change. It’s more about the gnocchi.
Q: Is that something you can find around here, or is this something you make at home?
MK: I’ll make it at home. Best if my mom made it. And you can find already-made gnocchi. And then you just boil it; not sure if it’s freeze dried or what.

Malachy Koons

Q: What do you do here at the brewery?
MK: I am a beertender on Thursday evenings, so I pour people beer and chat with them if they would like to be chatted with. Hopefully I get that part right.
Q: That’s true. Not everyone wants to talk.
MK: And not every time. But yeah, pour people beer. Hang out. Hopefully pick good music.
Q: On that note, your main job is at KAXE, so you clearly know music pretty well. What can you tell us about some of the bands for Riverfest?
MK: Our headliner is Spoon, who are an iconic indie rock band. They started in the mid-to-late 90s, and I would say, since the early 2000s have been a critically acclaimed indie rock band. Always really consistent rock-based songs. They’ve got about 10 albums. I’ve never seen them live, but I’ve heard really good things about them.
We got Shakey Graves, which is kind of a mixture of blues and indie and Americana. I have seen Shakey Graves; really good live. He goes solo and full band. Has really catchy songs. And stage presence: level 100.
We have Sarah Jarosz, who is a folk-bluegrass prodigy. Started making music really young, in her teens. Has released a lot of albums already, and she’s just a little bit older than me. Really good singer, songwriter, and just a really good bluegrass musician who’s now doing some other stuff, like some folk, some country, some rock.
And we got S.G. Goodman. I’m super excited to see S.G. Goodman. She is from Kentucky and proud of it, but in a very “not everybody from the south is the way we are shown, but here’s the way we are” kind of way. And her music slaps!
Then we got Bemidji’s finest blues rock band, Corey Medina and Brothers. People may be more familiar with them, or at least their live show because they do play around northern Minnesota a bit. And they are always a killer live band. Very bluesy, rocky, sometimes getting into some Doors-y kind of stuff. Some Stevie Ray Vaughan kind of stuff. Yeah, just an awesome live band.
Probably more than you wanted!
Q: No, that was fantastic. But getting back to you, what’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
MK: I once, with a lot of help from my ex-partner, who actually spotted the car, we recovered my vehicle which was stolen. The cops didn’t seem to be making any progress, and we saw it a grocery store in Duluth. The cops still didn’t show up, so we tailed these people back to their house. And then finally reported where it was. And they got my car back and I drove it away!
Q: Oh awesome!
MK: I did leave a spare set of keys in the car though. So this was all my fault to begin with. I would’ve stolen it too! [laughs] But yeah, recovered a stolen car is the more interesting fact, on our own. Well, the cops did show up and help. But mostly it was us.
Q: Ok, final question, if you could go back and give any advice to your 18-year-old self, what would you tell them and why?
MK: My advice would be that thinking you have any idea what your life and career will look like right out of high school is ridiculous. But yeah, I could’ve skipped some steps or had an easier time if I wasn’t set on one thing.
So yeah, expectations out of high school: drop ‘em.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff




Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Willey’s Sports Shop & Spirits - McGregor

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Bottles & Brews Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Unwined Up North - Grand Rapids

  • Hollywood Bait - Bovey

  • Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Bear Ridge Pizza - Cohasset

Duluth, etc -

  • 7 West - Duluth

  • Woodland Liquors - Duluth

  • Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace - Duluth

  • Boulder Taphouse - Superior

  • SuperOne Liquor - Duluth

  • SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake

  • 7 West - Superior

  • New Scene Cafe - Duluth

  • 27 Liquors - Duluth

What Should You Drink When Work Is Over?

Ah, Labor Day. In honor of the labor movement. Those hard working men and women who not just built this country from the sweat of their backs, but who sometimes died fighting for the right to be treated fairly.
So if you’ve benefited from the efforts of labor, hoist a beer this weekend! And that is literally everyone, due to the creation of the 40-hour work week (with mandatory overtime pay after that), a minimum wage, laws against child labor, safety protocols, and even the existence of the “weekend” itself! And we haven’t even touched on the things they’ve built! So, yeah, that’s gonna be a lot of beer.
But every yin has its yang, so if you’re working hard, so shall you party. And the biggest party in the world is Oktoberfest. Maybe you won’t be going to Munich this fall to join the millions who annually make the beer pilgrimage, but fortunately here in Grand Rapids we have Klocktoberfest the last Saturday in September! And we have just the right beer for the occasion. Which brings us to…

Ok, What Is That?
Every late summer and early fall, breweries everywhere are releasing Oktoberfest beers. Maybe they’re your favorites. Maybe not. Maybe you don’t even know what I’m talking about. But odds are good you’ve seen that word associated with a cold, carbonated beverage.
Given how common it is, you might think this is an odd choice of beer to write about in this segment. But this beer came from somewhere, and it was called something else before we all just nicknamed it Oktoberfest. So let’s take a minute and learn about Märzens.
The German word März literally means the month of March, which is when Märzens are traditionally brewed. The beer then spends the entire summer slowly cold fermenting before being ready to drink by early September. The end result is a malty lager with a deep amber hue, and a clean, bready flavor. They’re a great cross-section between rich flavor and and smooth drinkability, making them a great beer for drinking copious amount of while celebrating. Though be mindful when doing so; they’re not a super high alcohol beer, but they’re no session either. Expect the ABV to be around 6%. As we like to say, enjoy responsibly.
Even though the Oktoberfest celebration has been happening annually since 1811, the Märzen as we know it today didn’t really come into existence until about 1841, though the name had been around for quite some time earlier. But Märzens are synonymous with Oktoberfest today because they were the official beer of the festivities from 1872 until 1990, when a golden malt Festbier became the new standard. That change didn’t matter to the millions of people that attend smaller Oktoberfest celebrations throughout the world, including here at Klockow. Our Münchkin Oktoberfest is the official beer of our annual Klocktoberfest, which will be on Saturday, Sept. 28. A Märzen in every sense of the word, including being brewed in March, Münchkin is a robust and toasty beer, with no notable hop character and a beautifully smooth mouthfeel.

Prost!

But if you’re now feeling sad because it just sounds so delicious and Klocktoberfest seems so far away, fear not! Münchkin will be released this Friday! We’ll have plenty for the fest, but come get your first taste this weekend.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Early 20th Century Laborer
Q: Thanks for joining us today!
ECL: It’s a fine break to be away from the high steel.
Q: So how long have you been a laborer?
ECL: Since I was just a wee lad. Tall enough to hold a shovel, big enough to work.
Q: Oh my… well, you’ll be glad to know that things have changed.
ECL: What d’ya mean?
Q: Well, child labor is illegal now.
ECL: So what’s all this I hear about goin’ on in Arkansas?
Q: Nevermind that. Let’s get back on track. What’s your favorite Klockow beer?
ECL: Whatever one gives me the nutrients and calories to keep my hammer swingin’, and enough alcohol to numb me from the drudgery of my existence. So probably Downwind (Smoked Chocolate Stout).
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what else do…
ECL: Whiskey. Next question.
Q: Um, ok, uh, what are some of your favorite foods?
ECL: Whatcha mean, favorite? You ask your car what its favorite gasoline is? I dunno…potatoes, bread, meat when it’s available. Next.

Early 20th Century Laborer

Q: What do you like to do for fun?
ECL: In my limited free time, I like to dream of a life other than one that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. That and rest so I can do it all over again the next day.
Q: I see. Well, what’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
ECL: I worked 80 hours last week, and I don’t know what PPE is.
Q: Last question, if you could have one wish, what would it be?
ECL: Am I allowed to say unionize with my coworkers in order to advocate for better wages and safety? Because either that or drag the bosses into the street and beat them for the crime of our ongoing abuse in the name of record profits, which they make solely off our blood and sweat.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff

Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River

  • Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Bottles & Brews - Grand Rapids

  • Frontier Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Gosh Dam Place - Deer River

  • Balsam Store - Bovey

  • Pokegama Lake Store - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids

  • Rocket’s - Cohasset

  • Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids

  • Ron’s Korner Market - Bovey

  • Blackberry Junction - Grand Rapids

Bigfork, etc -

  • Big Fork Wilderness Bar

  • Frontier Sports - Marcell

  • Timberwolf Inn - Marcell

  • North Star Lake Resort - Marcell

  • Hayslips Corner - Talmoon

  • Antler Store and Motel - Bigfork

Greater Range, etc -

  • Silver Creek Liquor - Virginia

  • KM Corner Store - Nashwauk

  • The Great Outdoors Bottle Shop - Pengilly

  • MJ’s Resort - Pengilly

  • SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing

  • SuperOne Liquor - Virginia

  • Burnt Onion Kitchen & Brew - Biwabik

Ely, etc -

  • Mike’s Drive-In Liquor - Ely

  • Ledge Liquor Store - Tower

  • Ely Liquor

  • Insula - Ely

  • Stinky Pete’s Tiny Weed Shop - Ely

  • Boathouse Brewery - Ely

A Great Past Week, a Word From Our Barrels, and Who Put the Baltic in a Porter?

I feel good about how we just get to sit back and relax all the time here at Klockow. It’s a cakewalk, every day. We could do it in our sleep, and in fact, do most of the time.
Take this last week, for instance. Say, on Thursday, when the friendly folks at United Way 1000 Lakes stopped by for a leisurely afternoon of rounding up dozens of volunteers to unpack and repack box upon crate upon box of school supplies into hundreds of backpacks to help area kids be set up for success at the start of the school year. Seriously, what a snooze, as everyone bustled about to fill a trailer with the thousands of dollars worth of donated supplies (a huge thanks to everyone who came and helped! Countless kids are going to be better prepared for school because of you).

Then two days later, when we opened early on Saturday for the Run for Beer 5k. Basically a massage with gossamer feathers. We kicked back as over a 100 runners and volunteers and Minnesota Brewery Running Series staff made their way through the brewery, wanting round after round of beers. Close to half the runners had never been here before, so dozens of perambulating enthusiasts from throughout the state got to see how chill we are. Beside the nice bit of business done that day, relaxed though it was, out of the thousands of dollars raised from runner registrations, a portion is going to Great Tails Animal Rescue (seriously, what an amazing day with so many people! And we’re pumped to be able to further help our local animal rescue!).

Ok, What Is That?
It’s another typical day. You’re at the brewery, looking for a pint. Feels like a dark beer day, am I right? So there you see it: a porter. That’s a dark beer! But what’s this? It doesn’t just say porter; it says Baltic Porter. “So now what? Is it still dark? What makes it Baltic? Will I even like this beer?!” you silently scream to the indifferent heavens.
The short answer is, yes, go for it. It’s likely got all the things you’re looking for in a porter. Just be mindful of the fact that it’s probably over 7% alcohol; a good thing to keep in mind if you plan on having a few. Another thing to consider is that Baltic Porters, while undoubtedly a dark beer, tend toward the browner side. So if the bartender puts a pint before you and it isn’t black as pitch, do not be alarmed. They didn’t give you the wrong beer, and the brewer didn’t mess anything up.

So what’s going on? The longer answer to the Baltic Porter question is that, unlike their English Porter counterpart, which are ales, Baltic Porters are actually lagers. With a cold-fermenting lager yeast that does its job very slowly, Baltic Porters in the end have a cleaner body and mouthfeel than other porters and stouts, and tend to lean away from aggressive roasted notes. There will be some, but they stop short of bitterness. What you do tend to find is caramel and toffee notes, as well as dark fruit like plums, blackberries, and blueberries. Taste-wise, they have much in common with German Schwartzbiers (the literal translation to English is “Black Beer.” Gotta hand it to the practicality of those Germans!).
And not to bury the lead, but if you hadn’t guessed, yes, the style does originate from the Baltic countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. But where it gained most of its international popularity was when it was introduced to the working class of London back as far as the late 1700s. They lost popularity during the Cold War, but since the 1990s there’s been a slow resurgence. And due to their unique recipe, they are a godsend to niche breweries that only do lagers, since they allow them to have at least one classic dark malted beer on tap.

Here at Klockow, be sure to give our Pokegama Porter a try next time you’re in the taproom! This brew first originated from a collaboration with Revelaton Ale Works in Hallock, MN, back just prior to the pandemic in the winter of 2020. It’s since become a favorite amongst many of our regulars, as well as those just passing through. Though, of course, we still get the occasional person wondering why it isn’t as black as a stout.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: an Oak Barrel
Question: Alright, we’re interviewing Oak Barrel today.
Oak Barrel: Howdy, y’all.
Q: Let’s get right into it. How long have you worked here?
OB: Well, I wasn’t here right away, but probably a few months in they were able to get me on board and fill me with the good stuff!
Q: In all that time, what’s your favorite beer to age?
OB: Ooh, I gotta say, I love vanilla beans. That’s one of my favorite things. It really compliments, well, me!
Q: I’ve heard this.
OB: So Magic Roundabout (Imperial B.A. Vanilla Stout) it would be.
Q: When you’re not aging beer, what do you like to have slosh around in you?
OB: Well, when I was younger, it was a loooooot of booze. Lot of bourbon, whiskey, sometimes wine, sometimes gin. If I felt like taking a trip, I’d maybe do some scotch!

Q: That sounds exciting. So tell us a bit more about what your job is at the brewery.
OB: My job is pretty cool. I just get to chill. One of my favorite things is laying on a rack for maybe a year or two, not moving, just ebbing and flowing with the temperatures. But that’s what helps the beer along; if I get cool, my wood contracts, and if I get hot, it expands my wood! And all that beer gets… well, I sip a lot of it.
Q: So you lay around and sip beer?
OB: Yeah, pretty much.
Q: But then spit it out?
OB: Yeah, eventually. When they tell me too.
Q: Okay. (Awkward silence) So, um, tell me what you do for fun.
OB: I mean, mainly just sit around and chill on some racks, but like I said before, every now and then I get to travel to Europe. Because in my early life, like when I was a bourbon barrel, I could only be used once and then they’re done with me! They say, “Git on outta here!” So some of us go to beer right away. Some of us go to Scotland and get to age and sit for 15-18 years. It’s a nice little trip!
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
OB: Well, I’m self-sealing!
Q: Are you?
OB: Yes. I got these cool little rings around me that can get looser or tighter. My makers, they’re called Coopers… funny how every single one of them is named Cooper. But they put these bands on me, and they squeeze me together nice and tight; big hug! And then I make sure a drop doesn’t get spilled!
Q: Wow.
OB: Sometimes a little bit of drip.
Q: Impressive. Now, last question: If you could be any tree, what would you pick and why?
OB: Well, I think I was a tree once…
Q: Oh, oh I’m so sorry.
OB: That was a long time ago. I remember, hanging in the forest, my saplings around me…
Q: Oh my, I didn’t mean to…
OB: But, yeah, right, ok. But it’s been a fun ride since then. So, uh, no complaints.
Q: Good! I’m glad to hear that.
OB: Because I’m sure my family is still growing just fine.
Q: (Awkward silence) Right! I’m sure they’re just fine.
OB: Yep, just growing bigger and bigger and bigger. (Stares pensively off into the distance) Yep, just still growing.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Remer Muni Liquor Store

  • Sugar Lake Lodge- Cohasset

  • Sammy's Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids 

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room - Grand Rapids

  • Ravenstone - Coleraine

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids

  • 38 Outpost - Grand Rapids

  • Blackberry Junction

  • Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

  • Locker Room - Coleraine

Brainerd Lakes Area -

  • Boulder Taphouse - Baxter

  • Lake Country Liquor - Outing

  • SuperOne Liquor - Crosby

  • SuperOne Liquor - Baxter

WestWorld -

  • Red River Liquor Co - Akeley 

  • Liquor Depot of Staples

Twin Cities, etc -

  • MN State Fair - St Paul

  • South Lyndale - Mpls

  • Ombibulous - Mpls

  • Scandia Olde Towne Liquor

  • Stinson Wine, Beer & Spirits - Mpls

  • Eagle Liquor - Lino Lakes

We've Always Been a Family Brewery, and Families Care About Community

Oh my god. Seriously, where has time gone? Is summer almost done? Are kids going back to school already?
Not quite, but damned if it’s not coming quick. Speaking of which, the United Way 1000 Lakes Stuff the Bus Backpack Packing Party (sounds like a tongue-twister) at Klockow is already tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 15. For the last couple months, generous citizens have donated supplies to help low-income families have a few of the basics to be successful in school. Grand Rapids Target and Walmart have had Stuff the Bus events in order to gather the supplies, and it is all culminating at the brewery, where volunteers will be stuffing the backpacks with all the pencils, markers, notebooks, and various other sundry items that kids K thru 12 need for their school career.

We got lots of stuff and need many hands to help!

If you would like to help, you can still volunteer by going to volunteer.uwlakes.org. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, we need you tomorrow, village!
But it’s not all work and planning for the future. Sometimes you just need to kick back, relax, and run a 5K. Fortunately, this Saturday, Aug. 17, Klockow will be participating in the Minnesota Brewery Running Series! This fun run, much like the Backpack Packing Party, is all about giving back, as proceeds from registrations go to area non-profits in the communities of host breweries. As for us, we’ve chosen Great Tails Animal Rescue. We’ve long supported the mission of Great Tails and hope that they’re able to continue doing their amazing work!
If you’re not familiar, the Minnesota Brewery Running Series is an annual event that takes place at breweries around the state. This year, the earliest run was at Utepils Brewing in Minneapolis on April 13, and goes all year at a different brewery nearly every weekend all the way until Dec. 7 at Headflyer Brewing and Minneapolis Cider Co. This is the 12th year of the running series, and more than a half a million dollars has already been raised for various nonprofits throughout the state. For more information and to register, visit www.breweryrunningseries.com/minnesota. If you’re in the neighborhood, come on in to the taproom and ask if we have anymore $5 discount cards for registration! If you buy a pint, we just might give you one.
And on Sunday, you’ll see that Rapids Brewing Company is hosting their installment! It’s a whole Grand Rapids 5K destination weekend!

Just a Cool Story
In lieu of our normal staff or customer interview, we decided to do something a bit different this week. Last Thursday a man and his daughter came into the taproom, and had a story to tell.
Back in 2018, Adam and Karen were vacationing in Grand Rapids to get away from their home in the Twin Cities for a bit. For the previous year and a half, they had been going through the adoption process, and recently found out that they were “in the book,” meaning that they were finally visible to birth families. An important stage to be sure, but they still didn’t know how much longer they were going to have to wait.
After hiking outside of the Forest History Center, they checked their phones to see when the brewery opened so they could get a beer. What they found instead was a text, a voicemail, and an email from the adoption agency wanting them to call back due to some exciting news: the possible placement of their two-year-old daughter, Gabrielle.
After speaking on the phone for a bit, the agency sent them all the necessary paperwork as well as Gabrielle’s story.
“So we came to the brewery here, and we sat on our phone and went through Gabby’s story, and we ended up looking at your mural. And we were like, ‘Oh my god. This is amazing. There’s a father, a mother, and a two-year-old little girl,’” said Adam. “Well this is a sign!”

The mural in our family-owned brewery. The family if you hadn’t guessed, is the Klockows.

Things started moving quickly after this. They even had to leave their vacation early in order to meet with Gabrielle!
“And I kid you not, she even had pigtails in,” said Adam, recalling how the little girl in the mural did as well. “It was meant to be.”
For the last several years, they’ve continued to come to Sugar Lake Lodge in Grand Rapids for a summer vacation. And every time they come back up north, they always make a point to come to Klockow Brewing for a pint and a little walk down memory lane. When asked what her favorite part of her vacation so far was, Gabrielle said that it was coming to Klockow to see the mural.
“It’s part of her story.”
Gabrielle is now eight, and what’s more, she has a four-year-old brother, Isaac, also adopted. We’ve always known that this brewery is a special place, but it takes on a different form when you find out the ways that it’s special for other people. But perhaps it’s fitting, that this family-owned brewery is a source of memories for other growing families.

~

Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.

The Klockow Staff


Beer and Shrubbery Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

  • Sammy’s - Grand Rapids

  • Smoke on the Water - Coleraine

  • Eagles Club - Grand Rapids

  • Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids

  • Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

  • Bottles & Brews - LaPrairie

  • SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

  • SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids

  • Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids

  • NoPo Coffee Co. - Grand Rapids

  • Rocket’s - Cohasset

  • Raven Stone - Coleraine

  • Unwined Up North - Grand Rapids

  • Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset

  • Pokegama Plaza Liquors - Grand Rapids

International Falls, etc -

  • Ranier Municipal Liquor Store - Ranier

  • Ash Trail Lodge - Orr

  • The Rocky Ledge - Kabetogama

  • SuperOne Liquor - International Falls

  • Bootleggers Liquor - International Falls

Westworld -

  • Bemidji Curling Club

  • Beehive Offsale Liquors - Bemidji

  • Liquor Lodge - Turtle River

  • Northern Off Sale Liquor - Bemidji

  • Junkyard Brewing - Moorhead