Ah, June. Save for the June Bugs, which are a disgusting disgrace to the mere concept of life, a perversion of all that could be beautiful in this world, it’s a pretty darn good month. We’ve seen sunny weather but still have had no shortage of rain, so the world is back to green again! Especially since we were all so worried about another drought after the odd winter we just had, this all seems rather optimum! The liquid of life is feeding the flora.
Another drought that we want to avoid is a blood shortage. Which is why Klockow Brewing is hosting a blood drive today and tomorrow, June 5 and 6. The Memorial Blood Drive Van is in the parking lot as we speak, here from 12:30 until 7:30 today and 11:30 to 5:30 tomorrow. Sign up online at www.mbc.org/searchdrives (sponsor code 4858), or contact Trudy at tyoungren@mbc.org or at (218) 740-1542, or Gary at (218) 591-3002. There are still openings available!
(Btw, there are Girl Scout cookies too!)

We just had a great past weekend, featuring the artistic stylings of Tom Page and his collection of paintings, “Women with Attitude.” Page had a number of his works on display, all portraits of various women with a story to tell about how their particular form of “attitude” has brought them to where they are, or where they have yet to go. In addition to the artist talk, several of the women from the series were present and spoke as well about their experiences.

But maybe you’re the type of person who wants to make their own art. Well, are you in luck, because this Sunday we’ll be once again doing our Tie Dye Day at the brewery! Our good friend Therese Nett will be here to help guide everyone through the process of creating their very own original piece of wearable art, along with some visual aids to help you see in advance what the different tying techniques will create. We will have white Klockow-branded T-shirts for sale for $15 (price includes the dying), or you can bring your own white shirt or bandana and can tie dye them for just $5! Event goes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

And when you’re all done with your hippy-wear, don’t forget to bring your vinyl records to the taproom for our monthly Board Game and Records Day! You, the adoring public, are invited once again to bring your favorite records to help us play DJ for the day, as well as to try to organize a slew of group board games throughout the taproom! Who will conquer the world in RISK? Who is the smartest at Trivial Persuit? Something something something Settlers of Catan! All day the second Sunday of every month.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Nathan Bergstedt (Interviewed by Tasha Klockow)
Question: How long have you worked at Klockow Brewing Company?
Nathan Bergstedt: That’s actually a complicated question because I first started here when the place opened, and worked here for about a year. Then I left for about four years, but came back. And I’ve been here for about another two. So three years, but not in a row.
Q: In that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
NB: I don’t drink too much beer anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. Found out it didn’t agree with my stomach as much as it used to. But I gotta go back to the OG favorite, the Downwind Smoked Chocolate Stout.
Q: I’m so glad you didn’t say Supply Line! [laughs]
NB: Yeah, everyone else’s favorite is Supply Line, apparently! Amanda was the first to not say that, I think.
Q: What draws you to Downwind?
NB: My first loves with beer were IPAs, like so many other people. But I started moving away from them, and the first style of beer that I really latched onto - I didn’t drink a lot of them, but I loved them - were porters and stouts. And that was a particularly good one: real rich; loved the smoked character; the dark chocolate notes that goes so well with that dark malt. Just an extremely well-crafted beer.
Q: Would you say that your love for dark beer, porters and stouts, came before the Porters & Poetry event, or after?
NB: I dunno. There was probably some overlap. Porters & Poetry largely came about through its wonderful alliteration.
Q: So if you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what are you drinking?
NB: I’ve really become a wine geek in the last few years. So most often, at home, probably a wine. A little more specific than that, red wine… I’m doing a very good job at explaining myself here. But yeah, I really like Pinot Noirs and Nebbiolos, but also like richer, fuller wines like Cabernets as well. And that’s in addition to cocktails. Over COVID, I drank a lot more than usual like everyone else, but I turned it into fancy drinking by building up a home bar and making elaborate cocktails.
Q: Would you say that a lot of what you drink is in relation to what you’re eating?
NB: Not necessarily, though I do enjoy pairing wine with meals as well. That does come into play, but not always.
Q: So sticking with that, what are your favorite foods?
NB: I don’t know. I don’t do favorites very well. But whereas I don’t do favorites very well, I gotta say, as a genre of foods, it’s gotta be brunch! I’ve come to a point in my life where I take such care in making brunch dishes that my wife and I have started a Instagram page just for our brunches. And for food porn in general, but mostly brunches. It’s randstedt_brunch.
Q: And also, you have a three-drink per meal minimum?
NB: For brunch, yes. Otherwise it’s just breakfast.
Q: And also it’s not all alcoholic, it’s usually a coffee drink, an alcoholic drink…
NB: Yeah, it could be whatever! It’d be a little weird, but it could be nothing but alcoholic drinks… might suggest you have a problem. But it has to be three drinks minimum, otherwise it’s just a potentially fancy breakfast. You need to have some sort of a spread, otherwise it’s not fulfilling its goal of being the completely unnecessary, yet fulfilling, meal that brunch is.

Q: I appreciate your passion for brunch. So what do you do at the brewery?
NB: The vast majority of my time here, I’ve been a beertender. I’ve been the guy you see here on weekends. But lately, the last several months, I’ve been involved with events coordinating and social media work, including writing for this blog!
Q: So what do you like to do outside of the brewery for fun?
NB: I’m an avid bicyclist. I’ve done some bike touring. But I’m also a writer. I like writing poetry, plays; I’m working on an adaptation of Macbeth right now. The plan is for that to grace the stage at the Reif Center this fall.
Q: Any bike tours that you have on the bucket list that you’re dreaming about?
NB: I don’t know if this is ever going to happen, but it would be amazing to bikepack across Scotland. You know, really work your calves because it’s pretty mountainous, but then occasionally hit up a distillery and maybe have a bit of whisky and then carry on my way and try not to fall over. [laughs]
Q: What’s fun/interesting fact about yourself?
NB: Since we were just talking about bikepacking, my very first such trip was actually along the Mississippi River starting here in Grand Rapids all the way to St. Louis, Missouri. That was an amazing adventure! I think that fits firmly in the fun fact category.
Q: Would you want to go do the other half?
NB: Yeah, and at the time it was part of the plan, but that may or may not ever happen. There might be other trips that just happen instead.
Q: The last question, if you could be friends with any fictional character, who would it be and why?
NB: Hmm, the problem is that there are so many fictional characters that are entertaining, and you love them as characters, but in no reality would you want to be friends with them! [laughs] They’re entertaining because they’re awful!
Actually… so between my wife and I, she is easily the bigger Lord of the Rings fan. So I feel like she’s the one that should give this answer, though she would appreciate me saying this: Gandalf. Because, first of all, he’s basically this low-level god, and so he’s immortal and lives forever and has these various powers that he may or may not use. And the fact that he could means that who knows what life might come in store by hanging out with him!? But also, you might just hang out and smoke weed! He has a special penchant for people, well, let’s face it, like us, who just like to hang out and eat and drink. I think that he’d be an amazing friend to have.
Most of his life in Middle Earth is just hanging out with people. He doesn’t have to go on adventures, but he will!
Q: I think that that is THE answer. [laughs]

~

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-

Sugar Lake Lodge
Smoke on the Water
Pokegama Grill
Pickled Loon
SuperOne South
Pokegama Plaza Liquor
UnWined Up North
Cedar Creek
38 Outpost
Boulder Taphouse
SuperOne Foods North
Dutch Room
SuperOne Liquor
Eagle Ridge