Post-Klocktoberfest Time For Reflection

October 2, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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!

September 26, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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

September 18, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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.

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!)

September 11, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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

September 5, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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.

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.

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?

August 29, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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.

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.

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?

August 22, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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

August 14, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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

The New Guy has Good Taste in Food, also What's Up With Saisons Anyway?

August 7, 2024 Tasha Klockow

How many minutes are there in a year? What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Did you order the code red? If you haven’t noticed, we’re doing trivia this week for the chance to win a free entry into our 5K fun run on Saturday, Aug. 17, organized by the Minnesota Brewery Running Series (more on that next week). Every day, we’re posing a new question on Instagram and Facebook having to do with either running or beer, and the first person to come into the taproom with the correct answer wins a card good for a free registration as well as a lovely beer koozie! Worried that you have the correct answer but that you might be too late? Fear not, for even if the daily free registration is already claimed, we have a number of $5 off cards as well. So be sure to come in to tell the beertender your answer, that is, if you can handle the truth.

Ok, What Is That?
Maybe this has happened to you: You’re in a bar or a taproom and you’re looking over the beer list and see a word that is complete Greek to you. Not wanting to look foolish, you either ignore that beer entirely or you just order it in an attempt to look knowledgeable and hope for the best. If that word is “saison,” you’re in luck, because we’re gonna take a minute to let you know more about this style of beer in our new section, “Ok, What Is That?”
The French word for “season,” saison’s are a traditional Belgian beer hailing from the French-speaking region of Wallonia, Belgium. Farmers in the area would typically brew this beer in the winter to be ready for the summer. More traditional versions were fairly low ABV, and were characterized largely by a light body, spicy taste, and dry finish.
If you happen to frequent a lot of breweries or are just quite familiar with the selection at your local liquor store, you’ve probably seen a few beers referred to as “farmhouse ales.” Officially, there is a difference between a saison and a farmhouse ale, but let’s just say that Venn Diagram is a loose oval. For all practical purposes, especially in the U.S., farmhouse is a nickname for saisons. And it’s fitting, given that the style originated as a beer made by farmers, for farmers. What’s more, saison’s will often have a grassy, almost alfalfa flavor due to the unique yeast strains used.
But true to their history, where they were made by farmers with whatever ingredients were on hand, modern saisons can’t be pigeonholed into one exact flavor profile. Some lean more into their hops, while others are borderline sour. But nearly all of them can be characterized as having a rustic flavor, with strong fruit notes.
Here at Klockow, we have an annual saison called Siduri’s Garden. As our International Women’s Day collaboration brew, it’s one of the few beers on our menu that our brewmaster, Andy Klockow, has nothing to do with. Spearheaded by Tasha Klockow with the assistance of beertender Amanda Lussier and friend of the establishment Marit Bjordal, a saison was chosen because “it was one we all really liked that didn’t have a lot of representation,” according to Tasha. “I like the fact that it’s more herbaceous and complex than a lot of other styles.”

The herbaceousness was what they wanted to lean into the most when creating Siduri’s Garden, which is why the brew ended up being infused with ginger, coriander, rosemary, and grains of paradise. As for the name, Siduri was the goddess of fermentation in the Epic of Gilgamesh, so we sampled from her garden to make this herbal delight.
Siduri’s Garden is on tap right now, so come on by for a pint! And keep your eyes peeled for our gin-barrel aged expression of the beer: Siduri’s Elixir! It’s still aging, so be patient. Don’t worry, it’s more than worth the wait.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Russ Alioth
Question: How long have you worked here?
Russ Alioth: This time, or…? Um, coming up on three weeks this year. But I worked here three months, just on Fridays, last summer.
Q: And in all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
RA: Ooh, Song of Susannah is one of my tops for sure. I like the big, the bold, the hoppy. And it’s definitely not one of those sessionable beers, having five-or-six-a-day kind of beers. It just checks all the boxes for me.
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
RA: You know, I really enjoy bourbon. I definitely get into that. Otherwise, if not Klockow beer, some other craft beer variety. Recently been on the Drekker train with some of their sours or even a couple of their hazy IPAs. Just kind of exploring their catalog, as it were.
Q: Do you have a favorite bourbon?
RA: Um, favorite, or favorite accessible?
Q: Either, or both.
RA: Well, favorite and favorite accessible I’d probably do Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It’s one that’s on the more rare side, but when you can find it, it’s not cost prohibitive. It’s just a solid bourbon for the price. So if not craft beer, some good bottle of bourbon.
Q: Sticking with the general theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
RA: Can’t go wrong with steak. I mean, really any kind of variety there; however you want to cook it, however you want to do it. Really can’t go wrong. Big fan of mushrooms too, especially paired together. My wife and I like to do a proper steak dinner where we find it from the farmer’s market or whatever we can from the grocery store, then sauté up some mushrooms.

Q: What do you do at the brewery?
RA: A little bit of everything. Got hired to do production and some deliveries and a little bit of sales here and there. So making the beer, packaging beer, moving stuff around the brew house, as well as running the beer out to the far reaches of Minnesota. And part of Wisconsin.
Q: That’s a quite a bit of stuff, so when you’re not doing all that, what do you like to do for fun?
RA: Love to hike, love to be out in nature. My wife and I split our time between Grand Rapids and Ely, so when we’re not working, we’ll typically go up and do some of the plethora of trails up in that neck of the woods. Or canoe or just be out in some of the state and national parks. We like being outside and running around with the dogs, exploring and looking at mushrooms and plants.
Q: Do you forage then?
RA: I aspire to. I haven’t gone out and properly “this is what I’m going to do.” Every time we’ve gone out it’s just been on a regular hike, and I’ll find one, maybe two edible mushrooms. But it’s not quite foraging if you only grab one. Looking to do more.
Q: What would be a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
RA: Maybe an interesting fact is that this is my third career path so far.
Q: Ok, what were the other two?
RA: Straight out of high school, I went to the University of St. Thomas for a year chasing an Air Force ROTC scholarship. That ended up not working out, so my initial plan was military, then it transitioned to EMS. I went to Inver Hills Community College to be an EMS for the better part of a decade. And now I’ve moved on to beer just in the last four years.
Q: Do you feel like you’re progressing each time? Finding something more interesting each time?
RA: Definitely so more on the interest level in what’s going on. Not that EMS wasn’t interesting, don’t get me wrong. The time was right to move on and now I’m doing beer, which I love. And I have some more exciting things to do here at Klockow, and a lot more learning. The ultimate goal is to be that head brewer somewhere, but I got some time. No rush.
Q: Last question: If you could turn into any animal for 24 hours, what would you morph into?
RA: 24 hours? See, that’s tricky because my wife and I have talked at length as to if reincarnation is a thing that exists, that I wish to be reincarnated as a cat owned by a millennial. It’s such a cushy lifestyle, you’re just hanging. But 24 hours?
Um, probably a bird of some sort. Maybe something in the hawk variety to be able to buzz around and have some… I mean, if you’re gonna go bird, have some claws and beak action.
Q: Little less risk of being eaten by a bigger bird.
RA: Yes, a little less risk there! But yeah, I like that concept. Kind of smaller size, but deep in the woods, and, I mean, who doesn’t want to be able to fly.

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 -

Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids
Eagle Ridge Golf Course - Grand Rapids
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
Unwined Up North - Grand Rapids
Bottles & Brews Liquor - La Prairie
S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River
Locker Room - Coleraine
Dutch Room - Grand Rapids
Sugar Lake Lodge - Grand Rapids
Raven Stone Abbey - Coleraine
38 Outpost - Grand Rapids
Cedar Creek Grill - Grand Rapids
Sammy’s Pizza - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids
Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids

Pay it Forward and Answer Some Trivia, Demands Andy

July 31, 2024 Tasha Klockow

Where has the summer gone? Feels like just this past weekend it was 90 degrees with equal percent humidity. And here we are, mere hours away from August.
Fortunately, yeah, it’s still basically that temp. I say fortunately because, after all, we are purveyors of all things cold! It might’ve been uncomfortably muggy for anyone at the swap meet this past weekend who stopped by the Klockow beer garden, even with the cold glass of crisp lager, but that’s why we maintain a perfectly cool taproom (open 7 days a week, starting at noon). We’ve been told that it’s a wonderful place to hoist a pint with your friends, and we tend to agree.
But what if your friend isn’t there at the same time, you may ask? Is there a solution for your desire to buy a round in spite of your friend’s absenteeism? I’m glad you asked. Guests to our brewery may have seen our Suds 4 Buds window, right next to the off-sale cooler. This ingenious system of purchasing power allows you, the humble and generous customer, to buy an unlimited number of pints for friends, family, enemies, even complete strangers! All you need to do is tell the beertender who you are, for whom you’d like to buy a pint, and how many said pints you’d like to buy. Leave the rest to us; we’ll write it down. in our very best handwriting, all of that information directly onto the glass. It couldn’t be easier! If it could, we’d do it that way.

Well, I suppose there is one more thing you need to do: Inform your comrade that they have a beer waiting for them! If you don’t, you run the risk of it not being redeemed (we’ve seen a few that have hung out for quite awhile). But admittedly, sometimes you can’t tell the person, because you don’t know them. We’ve had people buy pints for veterans, first responders, math teachers, even people wearing Minnesota soccer swag. We even had someone buy a pint for Clint (any Clint). It was up on the glass for over a year when, one day, I heard a lady say, “Hey Clint, look at this!” My ears perked up the moment I heard the name. I knew what that meant. Sure enough, Clint came up and redeemed his oddly-won free beer. He even returned the favor and bought a pint for Richard (any Richard).
Getting a free beer sure is fun. Hell, getting free anything is a lot of fun! For this reason, we’re going to challenge all of you next week to win a free registration to the Klockow Brewing 2024 Brewery Running Series 5k! See our website or the Minnesota Brewery Running Series website for links to register, or you can answer one of our daily beer or running trivia questions each day of next week. A total of five (5) free registrations will be given away, one each day to the first person to correctly answer the daily trivia in person at the taproom. Subsequent correct-answer-havers each day will receive a discount code for registration. Questions will be posted on the Klockow Brewing Instagram and Facebook pages by 11 a.m. each day.
Stay tuned!

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Andrew William Klockow
Question: How long have you worked here?
Andy Klockow: I have worked here for seven years. Over seven years now, even though the brewery’s not quiet seven!
Q: That’s impressive.
AK: From the inception. [laughs] I think we officially became a business in January of 2017. Bought the building and got construction rocking all throughout the middle of 2017, and opened in October that same year.
Q: And in all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
AK: Ooh, I’m going to go BHK (Nut Brown Ale). I feel like it’s the underdog, but it’s still very popular. There’s never a time of year, or time of day, where it’s like “that doesn’t sound good.” It usually sounds good in any situation.
Q: That’s fair. Well, when you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
AK: Love coffee. I would almost rank coffee over beer. It’s getting close. The boys lately have gotten me into Diet Pepsi too. That’s been an interesting turn of carbonated caffeinated things to sip on. You just need that little extra caffeine to get through the day sometimes before you drink a beer!
Q: Sticking with this theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
AK: Hmm, favorite foods. I mean, you can’t go wrong with pizza and, like, good barbecue. Tacos might top all of that though for me, because I think anything can be turned into taco or burrito form and become superior to the form that it was.
Q: Would you be able to give an example of that?
AK: Think of a big breakfast spread, breakfast hash. You pop that bad boy into a burrito and throw some hot sauce on there, it just makes it a little more easily eatable and super enjoyable!

Q: Bringing it back a bit, what do you do at the brewery?
AK: Uhh, short answer is everything.
Q: What is the longer answer?
AK: Longer answer is I wear many hats, and I’m the first person to jump in anywhere needed. Whether that’s brewing, canning, delivering, sales, cleaning bathrooms, taproom, coming up with the recipes, coming up with the schedule and the rhyme and reason why we’re doing things… My hands are in every aspect of the business.
Q: The coming up with the recipes, that seems key. What percentage of the recipes are yours?
AK: I would say the vast majority. There’s a few one-offs like Siduri’s Garden (Saison) that I had nothing to do with, because that was the women’s day brew. And a couple that Max has done, one-offs like Roundabout (Vanilla Stout) and Wanted (Red IPA). Usually the way we do it is Max has an idea, we come up with the way that idea could work as a recipe, then I scale it to the system to fit.
Q: So this all takes a ton of time, no doubt, being one with everything. But what do you do for fun?
AK: For fun? Well, I’m a musician. I love playing bass. It’s my instrument of choice. And little known fact… well, more known fact now, is that Andy plays in a band and gets to travel a bit. But that’s kind of my vacation, my getaway, hanging out with friends and playing music.
Q: The fact that you’re in a well-known metal band used to be a fun/interesting fact. Well, it still is, but it’s much more known. So that aside, what’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
AK: Ah, that’s a good question… I have a pretty good short game in golf. I enjoy golfing. I’m not a great golfer. But anywhere from, say, 50 yards in, I can be pretty ace.
Q: Does that mean that you’re really good at mini golf?
AK: I’m pretty good at mini golf, yeah. That’s one of my talents. Got a 30 foot putt, I might be able to sink it! Actually just did last Friday!
Q: The last question, if you had unlimited funds for a luxury, completely unessential purchase - this is f**k-you money - what do you buy? One thing.
AK: I’m going to have to say a golf course! Let’s go for a whole course… if you got f**k-you money, then, yeah! Heck, I could buy the old Wendigo, right? Get that rocking again. I mean, I don’t know if it would actually turn into a business or just be a private course for me, myself, and I.
Q: By the rules of this question, you can’t turn it into a business.
AK: Oh good, so it’s just my golf course!
Q: You can work on your long game!
AK: Yes, exactly.

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 -

38 Outpost - Grand Rapids
Sammy's - Grand Rapids
Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Lake Store - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
Bottle & Brews - La Prairie
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Balsam Store - Bovey
Red Eye - Swan River
Deer Haven - Remer
Hollywood Bait - Bovey

Range cities -

Sawmill Saloon - Mountain Iron
Super Smoke Shop - Virginia
SuperOne Liquor - Virginia

Brainerd Lakes Area -

Jack Pine Brewery - Baxter

Duluth area -

Fitger's Wine Cellar - Duluth
Boulder Taphouse- Superior
SuperOne Liquor - Cloquet
27 Liquors - Duluth
SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake
Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace - Duluth

McGregor -

Willey's Sports Shop & Spirits - McGregor
Mark's Bar - McGregor

Marcell -

Frontier Sports - Marcell

A Message from our Resident One Piece Expert, and Some Contest Stuff

July 24, 2024 Tasha Klockow

We don’t want to brag. So we won’t.
…But if we WERE to have some horn tooting to do, we might talk about some of our fantastic craft beers, our excited and loyal local fan base, the accolades we receive from wide-eyed passers by, and our place in the community as a location where one can both have a quiet and relaxing pint one day and thrashing heavy metal party the next. But we’d do so humbly, with all humility, of course.
Why are we not bragging, you may ask? Because it’s time once again for the Grand Rapids Herald-Review’s Best of Itasca competition, 2024 edition! And we’ve been nominated for Best Beer Selection, Best Brewery, and Best Entertainment Spot.
We wouldn’t do anything as gauche as to campaign for the top spot in any of these categories. Heavens to Betsy, no! But in the spirit of competition, at least, I suppose we could make our case as to why we deserve to win. Once again with all humility, of course.

It’s important to consider quantity as well as quality when it comes to beer selection. Sure, one could load up with just a lot of different beers, but they gotta be good. And our record surely speaks for itself! And this is to say nothing of the wide variety of different styles that we make, from the obvious West Coast and Hazy IPAs, to the easy-drinking Irish Blonde and American Light Lager, to the unique Belgian Tripel and Saison, to the time-intensive Barrel Aged Hays on Tay and Throcken Red Wine Barrel-Aged Tripel. And it’s for those same reasons, as well as the fact that you can find all those and more at liquor stores and bars throughout the state why we make a strong candidate for Best Brewery as well.
As for entertainment, we freely admit that we don’t have the most shows. But if you look at the shows we do do, from stand-up comics, our 48-Hour Band Contest, the Erste Mai Punk Festival, Klocktoberfest, and the Panopticon concert, there’s clearly a reason why we were nominated.
And all of this is to say nothing of the fact that we have an extremely popular monthly Open Mic the last Sunday of the month, which happens to be this weekend! Ditty Wish will be back coordinating the army of artists we regularly see for this event, starting right as we open at noon and going until 4. It’s a great way to day-drink the day before heading back to work, with a little music and good company. The only complaint we ever have about it is that due to how many people we have sign up, we hardly get to hear Ditty Wish play! C’est la vie, I suppose. We can’t have everything, after all.

But we can have a lot, due to the friends we’ve made along the way. And we do like being a space for those friends. Members of Itasca Area Indivisble and Itasca Pride will be setting up for a trivia night here on Thursday, July 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. Though originally conceived as a private event for members, by having it here at the brewery, we’ve been told that they’re open to, and hoping to, have more people join in to take on the Trivia master! So do you have the useless-knowledge wherewithal to win?
There’s only one way to find out.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do. EXIT INTERVIEW EDITION: Max Chamberlain
Question: So, you’re leaving. What are you going to do next?
Max Chamberlain: I’m going to go back to school for a physical therapist assistant degree down at Lake Superior College in Duluth.
Q: Will we ever see you again?
MC: Of course! I plan on coming back real soon for Klocktoberfest. So I won’t even be gone over a month.
Q: How about after that? Will we be seeing you with any regularity?
MC: Yeah, on and off. I plan to be pretty busy with school. But it’s an hour and a half away from home, so I’ll be back up to visit my family often, so you can expect me to pop in whenever I’m around.
Q: You’ve been here a long time. What are some of the professional take-always that you’ve learned over your time here?
MC: Ooh, a professional take-away. What would you even describe that as?
Q: Some sort of job life lesson?
MC: I feel like I’ve had so much fun at this job that to call it professional is honestly a bit of an oxymoron, in a sense. I dunno, Andy and Tasha are such awesome bosses that they allow us a lot of freedom with how we do our jobs. It’s an ongoing bit that I’m supposed to work here at 9:00, and if you check my punch-in logs, it’s 9:20 every day! Because they let me get here a little bit late, and so long as the job gets done, I think they’re happy with my performance. I don’t know if that’s professional of me, but…
Q: Maybe that means you’ve learned the value in self direction?
MC: Yeah. I mean, take the work seriously, but be able to be flexible with it too. If something goes wrong, you got to be able to pivot and make it work. You don’t just go, “oh no, plan A failed. Now what?”

We asked Max to just act natural for a photo, so he did.

Q: I think that’s a great takeaway. So, you’re a big fan of One Piece. Tell us a bit about it.
MC: We’re going to get right into it, eh? To me, it’s the greatest story ever told. You know, it has its flaws for sure. I’m not going to say it’s perfect. But to me, it’s my favorite.
What is it…this year is, like, the 27th anniversary of it being written, and it’s ongoing! I think July 22 in Japan is National One Piece Day. It’s a Japanese manga, so a comic book, written by Eiichiro Oda. It’s a story about a pirate named Monkey D. Luffy who dreams of going on a grand adventure and finding the legendary treasure called One Piece and becoming the King of the Pirates. He makes friends along the way, gathers a crew together, and together each of them go about finding their own dreams looking to achieve the One Piece at the end of the road.
Q: Who do you think is going to be King of the Pirates at the end?
MC: I mean, the King of the Pirates will be Luffy for sure. At least to the fans. But in the world of One Piece itself, we all know it’s going to be Buggy. Buggy the Clown, the genius jester, he’s going to be King of the Pirates.
Q: Why is that?
MC: Because he has a trend of failing upwards! So it just makes sense that his greatest failure is going to lead to his greatest success.
Q: That sounds great, actually.
MC: Like I said, this is a near 30 year long story that is ongoing. It’s a daunting task if you were interested in jumping into it right now. I will say that there is a great Netflix live action adaptation that might be up people’s alley if they’re interested. I would highly recommend it. Like I said, I think it’s the greatest story ever. If you like action, adventure, and bits of comedy, I think it’s great. And don’t think it’s shy on emotion either! There’s a lot of heavy, dark scenes in there. Even though it’s written for a younger audience, there’s a lot that everyone can pull from the story.
Q: I mostly just wanted to give you a chance to talk and wax poetic about One Piece.
MC: Oh, we could go for hours longer, but we don’t have that much time!
Q: But since it’s your favorite, I wanted to do that for you. It’s going on the blog, but that was just for you. But one last question and this one is for us; if you could have a super power, what would it be and why?
MC: Hmmm… that’s tough. There’s so many you could pick from. I dunno, one I feel like I’ve always had in my brain since I was young would be to make more of me, just so I could get more stuff done. Even just one more duplicate. Then the idea would be, like, we could combine again and gain the experience that each of us got. So while I’m work, I could have another me at home studying. If that was the case, I could be doing this job and getting a PTA degree all at the same time! So that’s always a thought I’ve had since I was young, to have a copy that I then gain the experience from. Yeah, that would be the super power of choice if I could have that.
Q: Well thank you very much for your time, as well as for your time!
MC: Of course. Thank you for having me. Thank you to Andy and Tasha for hiring me nearly 7 years ago. It’s been fun, and it’ll be weird to be on the other side of the bar from now on.
Q: I’m sure you’ll still get a free pint every now and then.
MC: I’m sure I’ll still sneak in the back and use the employee bathroom.

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:

Coleraine -

Eagle Ridge Golf Course
Smoke on the Water

Cohasset -

Sugar Lake Lodge

Grand Rapids -

Pickled Loon
Hotel Rapids
Pokegama Grill
Sammy’s
Pokegama Plaza Liquor
Boulder Taphouse
SuperOne Liquor

Pengilly -

The Great Outdoors

Bigfork -

Antler Store

Marcell -

North Star Lake Resort
Frontier Sports

Deer River -

Kocian’s
S&S Bottle Shop
Gosh Dam Place

Ely -

Ely Liquor
Insula
Boathouse Brewpub
Zup’s Liquor
Stinky Pete’s

Embarrass -

Trapline Liquor

Eveleth -

Marge’s Liquor

Hibbing -

SuperOne Liquor

Virginia -

SuperOne Liquor
SuperOne Foods South

Max's Beer vs MACS's Canning: Or What Makes a Taproom Special

July 17, 2024 Tasha Klockow

It’s one of those days where everything is perfect. The weather? Gorgeous. The hangover? Nonexistent. The people? Not annoying. The beer? Wanted.
Now this is not just an accurate statement. Longtime brewer here at Klockow Brewing Company, Max Chamberlain, is having a hellava month! Not only this his last month here before moving on to greener pastures, but next week is the release of his signature IPA: Wanted Red IPA.

This pirate themed label has a few easter eggs, plus at least one reference to One Piece (the D prior to IPA doesn’t mean Double. You’re gonna have to ask Max about that, unless you too are a fan of the series).

It’s not out yet, but a few of us have had the privilege of giving it a little taste ahead of the formal release. It has a strong spruce note that hits you first, then a nice balance of earthy and caramel smells, until it brings it all back with that spruce again. Being an IPA, there’s a strong tannic bitterness on the palate right up front, but it gives way to a smooth, dare I say sweetness, before finishing with (say it with me now) the spruce note. And all of this is after you’ve had the joy of seeing it! Gotta hand it to those Red IPAs and their beautiful umber coloring. We recommend drinking it, but hell, it’s awfully satisfying just looking at.
It’s just too bad that it wasn’t around this past weekend. Could’ve been a good beer for the Biking for Beer pub crawl! A special thanks to everyone who was a part of the ride on Saturday, all nearly two dozen of you! Which that seemed like an impressive number given the fact that we started things out with rain! It didn’t last long though, and it all happened while starting things out with a pint at Rapids Brewing Company, so the timing was just fine. People of all ages on all manners of different styles of bikes then took off across the wet bridge over the Mississippi River and through the woods over to Klockow, where we had more beer and a couple tacos even! Then the big ride: south through town and past the farms for more than five miles to the Pickled Loon Saloon, where we were greeted like honored guests while we had even more beer and not a little bit of cold water too. Replenished and rehydrated, we tackled the hill right outside the saloon to bring us back into town (the people on single speed bikes only complained a little), back to Klockow where we gave away fabulous prizes generously donated by Ardent Bicycles!
We were constantly asked when we were going to do this again. So that probably means we should do this again, I suppose. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming biking shenanigans!

If you haven’t noticed, we’re not like other bars. There’s a good reason for that, namely, that we’re not a bar! If that’s confusing to you, allow me to explain. It starts with the fact that in the eyes of the state of Minnesota, not all breweries are created equal. It distinguishes between “breweries” and “brewpubs.” Our friends at Rapids Brewing Company, they are a brewpub, which means the state sees them as a restaurant that happens to brew its own beer. Licensing to do so allows them to make as much beer as they can sell onsite, as well as to have a kitchen and a full bar. You know, restaurant stuff. But they can’t distribute. You will not find RBC beer in liquor stores or on tap at other bars for this reason (unless they take advantage of a loophole where they brew one of their beers through an offsite contractor, but we’re not getting into that now).
Klockow Brewing Company, on the other hand, is a brewery. We’re a commercial facility with the sole purpose of manufacturing craft beverages, with the intention of selling a large percentage of said product to restaurants and distributing it to consumers throughout the state via various liquor stores. In addition to that, we are also able to have a taproom, where we can sell our beer directly to you, straight across the wall from whence it was made!
That’s the long answer. In short, we’re a taproom, not a bar. So let’s go over what that actually means!
* We’re dog friendly! Not all brewery taprooms allow dogs, but that is largely their prerogative. According to the state, since we don’t prepare and serve food, there is no real reason to not allow dogs. And we love them, so bring on the pretty pooches! We only require that they be well-behaved and on a leash.
* We’re family friendly! Being a wide open space with no servers (it’s pretty common for taprooms to just have beertenders with no table service), a lot of people like to host larger gatherings here and this often means kids. We even have games for them to play! But similar to above, we just ask that kids be well-behaved and on a leash. Ok, maybe not that far! In seriousness, we simply ask that you be mindful of your children so that they’re not disruptive to other guests.
* You can bring in outside food! This is why food trucks and breweries go hand-in-hand. Since we don’t serve food, you can think of the taproom as a privately-owned public space where you can bring your own picnic. Only catch: you can’t bring in outside alcohol. Legally the only alcohol that can be consumed onsite is what we make. Which brings us to…
* We only serve beer! Or malt beverages (looking at you, hard selzer). This is a big one for those who confuse us for a traditional pub. A gentleman over the weekend casually approached the bar ordered a beer for himself and an Amaretto Sour for his partner. As delicious as that sounds, I had to give the short spiel about how we’re just a taproom. But it worked out, somewhat at least… we do carry an assortment of craft pops and kombucha, so we do what we can to cater to a wide audience. Those things just don’t have alcohol, is all.
In basically all other ways that are meaningful to our guests, yeah, we’re essentially a bar. But if you were ever curious as to why we don’t have a kitchen, or why you never see RBC beer at liquor stores, or why that pedantic fellow at the table next to you made a big deal about this being called a BREWERY and not a BREWPUB, now you know.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: the Klockow Canning Machine
Question: We’re here talking with the Klockow Canning Machine. I hear you buzzing right now.
Klockow Canning Machine: Sure am. I am working hard today.
Q: Speaking of that, how long have you worked here?
KCM: I started during the pandemic, in 2 aught 20.
Q: Excellent. And in all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
KCM: I do not drink much beer. I just like to spill it.
Q: Do you have a favorite to spill?
KCM: THC seltzers make me feel funny.

Q: When you’re not canning Klockow beer, are you canning anything else?
KCM: I try not to. I am loyal to Klockow.
Q: That’s very good of you. What are some of your favorite foods?
KCM: Ooh, I like aluminum. Especially aluminum lined with epoxy and bpani. Oooh, that is the good stuff.
Q: So what do you do here at the brewery?
KCM: I am a work horse. I make sure the beer gets put in cans, sealed in cans, make sure the cans are not leaking… but I do not care if the cans are leaking. That is up to the owners.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
KCM: I buzz with anticipation whenever a canning run comes along. Just makes me so… [makes horrible buzzing sound]… makes me sooo happy.
Q: You seem to have a very one-track mind. You only ever do work. So what is some other fun/interesting fact about yourself?
KCM: Well they named me after the head brewer, who is leaving, Max. But I am spelled different: MACS, which means Micro Automated Canning System.
I am the better MACS, because I will never leave.
Q: I’m sensing something here, MACS. Do you have something against people you perceive to be disloyal?
KCM: I do not care who is pushing my buttons, but it is special when Max does.
Q: Ok, last question. If you could be a real boy, what kind of job would you want to have?
KCM: I would love to be a packaging line operator, so that I can be on the other side of the coin. Or a beat boxer.
Q: Well, MACS, you’re a good machine. Except when you’re not. Thank you for hanging out with us today.
KCM: You’re welcome.

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. -

Ravenstone - Coleraine
Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids
38 Outpost - Grand Rapids
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Locker Room - Coleraine
Cedar Creak - Grand Rapids
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
Sammy’s - Grand Rapids
Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
Bottles & Brews - La Prairie
Dutch Room - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids
Frontier Liquor - Grand Rapids

Cities & Surrounding Areas -

Stinson Wine, Beer, & Spirits - Minneapolis
Princeton’s - Bass Lake
Isanti Municipal Liquor
Vintage Pub - Askov
Ombibulous - Minneapolis

St. Cloud Area -

Westside Liquor - Waite Park

Brainerd Lakes Area -

SuperOne Liquor - Baxter
SuperOne Liquor - Crosby

Westworld Area -

Red River Liquor Co. - Akeley
Liquor Depot of Staples
Dorest Corner - Park Rapids
Landmark Liquors - Perham
Brew Ales & Eats - Perham
The Bottle Shop - Moorhead

Duluth -

The New Scenic Cafe

Brews, Biking, Board Games... and I Think That's The Name of a Ween Album, Adrianne

July 10, 2024 Tasha Klockow

My god, will no one rid me of this infernal racket?!
The canning machine is almost exclusively run prior to normal business hours for a very good reason: it makes the most horrible buzzing and rattling noise you can imagine. And it can go on for hours! The hellish persistent pang at least has one amazing silver lining though.
If you hadn’t guessed, it means we’ll soon have more beer.

Today’s ding marks the return of two great, albeit different, favorites: Stranger Ranger and Pokegama Porter! Our menu has been shy of some of the usual summer fare we like to serve, but that hardly seems to have mattered that much since a big seller for us recent has been our Roundabout Vanilla Stout. Perhaps it’s just a dark beer summer! For as much as we embrace tradition, we will gladly coddle new trends and fads as well. So if the people are yearning for it, may as well give them that delicious dark malty porter!
But there are few styles that beg no substitute when their time comes, and American style light lagers are just such a style. They’re light, they’re simple, they’re crushable, and they ask nothing of you but to carry on with whatever you were doing. They’re like an old dog, minus the crushable part. And now that actual summer weather seems to be upon us, the Stranger Ranger Lager has come not a moment too soon.
Speaking of actual summer weather, have any of you been putting miles on your bikes now that it’s warm and sunny? Biking for Beer is this Saturday, and it promises to be one of those days where we’ll be dying for a refreshing glass of suds between the stretches of road. So in addition to everything else, don’t forget the sunscreen!

We’ll be starting at 1 p.m. at Rapids Brewing Company for our initial gathering and pints before our short jaunt across the river and through the woods here to Klockow Brewing. We’ll be doing about 45 minutes to an hour at each place, so be sure to hydrate as well as beer-up at each stop! From Klockow, we’ll be doing the long leg of the journey, heading south through town, making our way to Airport Road down to Harristown Road and finally Hwy 169 to The Pickled Loon Saloon. Have a drink, replenish your energy with a bite to eat, and then we’ll climb back up the hill to the flat-ish land of the rest of the route back to Klockow for some prize drawings compliments of Ardent Bicycles!
If you haven’t been able to bring your bike in to Ardent for a proper tune-up, but still want to ride with us, there’s just a couple basic things you need to check. A big one is tire inflation. Check the sidewall of your tire for recommended psi for your particular tire (the skinnier the tire, the higher the pressure is the general rule). Next is your drivetrain. If you don’t already have any, pick up some bicycle chain oil and apply it lightly to each link of the chain. After rotating the pedals a bit to make sure the oil has snuck into each crevice, use a clean rag to wipe off any excess oil. Extra oil will only attract dirt, which gums up and slowly wrecks your chain and gears. This also is why a bicycle specific oil is recommended, and not something like WD-40 (unless you want to lube and wipe your chain twice a day). But after that, just make sure all the screws and bolts throughout your bike are tight. The last thing you want is for your handlebar to come loose mid-ride! This might not be as common as a flat tire, but if you’ve ever bought a bike from a big box store, you’ve probably noticed one or two loose parts.
Ta-da! You’re practically a bike mechanic now! Though you may have noticed that I didn’t say anything about shifting or braking. If you’re having problems with either of those, I recommend seeing a professional. They’re a little more complicated than can be explained here.
But what do you do after Biking for Beer is over, you may ask? What does life have in store for us after this beautiful day? Well, don’t despair. For starters, you could come back to the brewery on Sunday for our monthly Board Games & Records Day! You’ve earned a break, after all, so why not relax with some good music and a little gaming with your mates. Though if relaxation isn’t your bag, and you want a challenge, consider learning how to play A Feast for Odin.

Some friends of the establishment donated this game to us since they were moving and it didn’t make the cut. Why, you may ask? Because it’s ridiculously dense and complicated! They didn’t even finish punching out all the little pieces. So the challenge is this: come in on Sunday and learn how to play this game. If your team (max. 4 people) can be the first to learn and adequately explain to the bartender the intricacies of how this game is played, including some demonstration, you win a round of beers!
Best of luck to you, and may you raise a drink to Odin!

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Adrianne Reiners
Question: How long have you worked here?
Adrianne Reiners: Oh, gosh, a month. Just over a month. I’m a newbie.
Q: And in all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
AR: Well, I’ve been a customer here since 2017, so it’s been a little bit more than a month of drinking the beers. [laughs] I have to go with Billy Bumbler (Belgian Tripel). My default, if I’m not driving and I get to enjoy a drink, I will go with Billy Bumbler.
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
AR: Non-alcoholic is going to be coffee and water. It’s really just the other requirements for life. I think if I were gonna have another alcoholic drink: ciders, seltzers. Yeah, mix it up. Sometimes I’m having a Shrubbery from Klockow here, too.
Q: Sticking with the theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
AR: Anything with cheese. Um, chocolate. So if I could have a platter of cheese, a charcuterie board, followed by a chocolate cake, that’d be a perfect day! [laughs]

Q: So what do you do at the brewery?
AR: I am a beertender! I pour beers and I chat with regulars and I help foster community here at Klockow.
Q: And you’re learning some of the regulars. How’s that going?
AR: It’s great! It’s really exciting to get to know more people in the community since we moved here five years ago. We really haven’t had the chance to meet everyone, as transplants. And having worked for a couple other businesses, it’s just interesting meeting a different group of people that live in this community.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
AR: I thoroughly enjoy working on my farm. So we have a farm as a business, and we participate in the Grand Rapids Farmer’s Market. So in the summers I spend a lot of time outdoors, because we hand plant and hand water everything that we grow. Otherwise, my latest obsession has been playing Stardew Valley, which is a video game… also about farming.
I get out and about; spend some time with friends, family, and yeah. Low key stuff.
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
AR: Oh, I did not prepare for this. I prepared for the beer question! [laughs] I think that it’s really surprising to people when they find out I changed oil for two years. I worked for a quick service oil change company and in my interview with them, I told them I could tell you what color the car is and put air in the tire and gas in the tank. But I’m really good with customers! So they decided to hire me and I learned the rest!
Q: For two years?
AR: For two years.
Q: That is a fun fact.
AR: Yeah, most people are very surprised.
Q: For the last question, if you could bring back to life an extinct animal, or conversely bring to life for the first time some fantasy animal, what animal would you pick and why?
AR: What a question! There’s no way to prepare for this. I mean, when I think extinct, my immediate thought just goes to the Dodo bird. But I don’t know if we need anymore of those in our life. Um, I’m just obsessed with goats, but we already have them! Let’s bring back the sabertooth tiger.
Q: The sabertooth tiger! Why are we doing this?
AR: You know, because they’re mighty. They got big teeth. I dunno, I just think they’re a cool animal.

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
Pokegama Lake Store - Grand Rapids
Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids
Eagle’s Club - Grand Rapids
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
Bottles & Brews - La Prairie
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Eagle Ridge Golf Course - Coleraine
Hollywood Bait - Coleraine
Ravenstone Abbey - Coleraine
Rocket’s - Cohasset
Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset
Blackberry Junction - Blackberry
North Start Lake Resort - Marcell

International Falls & Kabetogama -

Bootlegger’s
SuperOne Liquor
The Rocky Ledge
Ash Trail Lodge

Bemidji -

Kegy & Cork
Beehive Liquors
First City Liquor
Lakeview Liquor

If You're "Sour" on "Independence Day," Let's "Taco" 'bout it

July 3, 2024 Tasha Klockow

This week, we celebrate our Independence Day. Which is funny, because July the fourth is actually the date on 1776 that we unveiled a sheet of paper that said we’re independent from Great Britain, to which Great Britain replied, “uh, nope.” For you history buffs out there, this declaration, so to speak, kicked off a bit of a revolution, and there was this whole war. The traitors to the crown eventually won, and it wasn’t until September 3, 1783, when the newly minted United States was recognized as its own independent nation, rather than just a collection of rebel scum.
So happy rebel scum day!
And in honor of such an auspicious occasion, we’ll be open only for the afternoon on Thursday, July 4, 2024, from noon until 4 p.m. So be sure to hit up our taproom for all your growler fills, your “July Four-Packs” (HA!), and your day-off-day-drinking pints! May your grills be hot and your hearts swell with the pride of patriotism. Then make that all-important appointment with your cardiologist.

Speaking of the ol’ red, white, & blue, we have a rare convergence happening at the taproom. We can’t even remember the last time that we had all three Mlinar Delight Smoothie Sours available: Raspberry, Mango, and Blueberry. Ok, so it’s more of a red, yellow, and blue, but you get the idea. But how fun that this happened to happen during the week of July Fourth! We’re down to our last keg of Mlinar Blueberry, and we recently brewed the Raspberry and the Mango. So grab your cans of the later to-go for the holiday, and help us finish off the former so that we can get the new ones on tap!

Wanna know what else goes great with a little Independence Day celebration? That’s right, barbecue! Chad’s Meat Wagon has been on a hiatus from the taproom this summer, what with all the other events happening in the area that have beckoned dear Chad away. But he’s still making it back here about once a month, and the next time is this Friday, July 5. Catch him and all his smoked meat from noon until 6!
Which is extra great, because we’re sadly not having Singing Chihuahua Tacos this week. And we get it. We all like our time off. And this week is a great one for time off! But… but, the tacos… (weeps gently in the corner). Be sure to hit them up every other week of the rest of the summer though, both here and at the Grand Rapids Farmer’s Market.
But speaking of Singing Chihuahua…

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Gus Sheker of Singing Chihuahua Tacos
Question: You’re one of the owners of the Singing Chihuahua Taco Truck. How long have you been running the truck and how long have you been coming to Klockow to sell your tacos?
Gus Sheker: This is the sixth year in the truck and the fifth year at Klockow.
Q: And in all the time you’ve been coming here, what’s your favorite Klockow beer?
GS: There’s several. I like Woodland Legacy (Amber Lager). I like Olwyn (Celtic Pale Ale). And I like the heavy ones, like Guardians of the Beam (Maple Bourbon Barrel Imperial Brown Ale).
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what are some of the things you like to drink?
GS: I used to drink a lot of gin & tonics, but they started to take hold. [laughs] But still, on a hot day, hard to beat a good gin & tonic with a little squeeze of lemon or lime, little ice. Just one or two, then let it go.
Q: What are some of your favorite foods that you like to eat?
GS: For sure pastas. Italian foods. I’m more of carbohydrate feeder. Hmm, I like cheeses. And if I eat meat, probably chicken, steak, or fish.
Q: But quite famously, you run the taco truck. What are some of your favorite tacos to make?
GS: Personally, I like the chicken curried taco that we make. And I very much like the Korean bulgogi barbecue that we do. It’s not really barbecue; it’s grilled steak. But I like that a lot. Nice bold chucks of ginger in it that you bite in that gives you a zing. It’s perfect.
Q: What would be your title in the truck? Owner? Head chef?
GS: The creator. I come up with the recipes. I come up with all the condiments. Whatever goes with the tacos, the rubs, the sauces. I create or modify or find new things to put on the menu. I guess I’m the steering engine of the thing.

Q: Obviously this all takes a lot of time, but what are some of the things you like to do for fun?
GS: I like to fish. And I like to sit and watch the woods. I like to walk. But I especially like to fish. That really centers me.
Q: What would be a fun/interesting fact about yourself? Maybe something most people don’t know.
GS: They probably don’t know that I’ve done multiple start-up businesses. This one is my fifth one.
Q: Really? What were some examples?
GS: Before this, I had a resort for 16 years locally. Before that, I had a custom furniture manufacturing business, Wholesale Interior Designers in Denver. I had a bookstore in Denver. And I was an independent carpenter. My company was called Iron Tree, also in Denver. And then the taco trailer. Five start-up businesses.
That’s probably what they don’t know. I start them up. Get them going. They’re usually successful. I get bored and move on and sell them.
Q: The last question: if you came across a magic lamp and a genie granted you only one wish, what would that be?
GS: Good health forever. Well, it’s sort of split. I wish there would be world peace too. It would be nice if there was peace in the world and not these stupid wars. People could just get along with one another. There’s plenty of resources. It doesn’t have to be hogged.

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 -

Ron’s Korner Market
Sugar Lake Lodge
NoPo Kitchen
Ravenstone Abbey
Cedar Creek
38 Outpost
Sammy’s
Pickled Loon
Smoke on the Water
SuperOne Foods South
SuperOne Foods North
SuperOne Liquor
Pokegama Plaza Liquor
Dutch Room
Bottles & Brews
Hotel Rapids

Big Fork & Marcell -

Big Fork Wilderness Bar
Hayslips Corner

Duluth & Superior -

New Scenic Cafe
27 Liquors
SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake
SuperOne Liquor - West Duluth
SuperOne Liquor - Cloquet
7 West Miller Hill
7 West Superior
Woodland Liquor
Wussow’s Concert Cafe
Salute Dispensary - Cloquet
Corktown Deli & Brews
Old Chicago
Dovetail Cafe

McGregor -

Big Zandy Zorbaz
Willey’s Sports Shop & Spirits

Post Pride, Pre Open Mic, and Yes... That is Her Last Name

June 27, 2024 Tasha Klockow

There’s an old saying, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” I don’t know what jabroni first said this, but it’s not bad. It might even be some really good advice!
And it’s also the phrase that popped into my head when, after unloading equipment for the beer tent at Itasca Pride this past weekend, a lady came up to me and asked if we were serving beer at the event. I enthusiastically said yes, and she responded, “So you agree with these ding-dings?”
I stared in disbelief for a second before saying, “Get outta here, lady.” I definitely had some more choice words to share, but unlike her, I decided to keep it nice. I carried on, thought about how she didn’t even manage to get her insult right (since when is it not ding-dongs??), and finished setting up the beer garden for what turned out to be an amazing first ever pride event in Itasca County!

It’s no secret that there were some protesters at the event, but much like that first little interaction that I had, they didn’t amount to much. They were outnumbered easily 100 to 1, and they reiterated the need for pride events since they proved that there are still people out there who would go to great lengths to deny the humanity of many of us. That being said, it was an amazing day filled with good food, great music, fabulous drag performances, and, of course, a more than decent pint of beer. The lawn and street outside Old Central School was decked out with rainbows and vendors galore, selling all manner of goods and otherwise just being supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Various news outlets showed up to document the huge crowds as they cheered and danced. And as another old saying goes, a good time was had by all.
With luck, next year will be even bigger! And to the organizers, we tip our chapeau to you.
Speaking of chapeaus, Klockow Brewing Company has just released our latest bout of swag! These killer hats come complete with decorative laces that double as a chin strap for those particularly windy days. And for added whimsy, each one has a secret pocket on the inside for stashing an emergency Benjamin or what have you.
And for the low price of just a quarter of a Benjamin ($25), one can be yours!

Once you have your fashionable hat, you might be asking yourself where you might want to wear it out? Well, have we got the event for you! This Sunday sees the return of our monthly Open Mic with Ditty Wish! It’s been a couple months, what with it being canceled last month for the Panopticon concert. This popular monthly bacchanalia has long brought out some of the finest amateur musicians in the area, as well as a few poets and aspiring standup comics. And what’s more, it’s all first come, first serve. Perhaps you have been harboring a dream of getting up on stage and wowing an eager audience with your vocal prowess. Well, this is your chance! Or you can just show up, grab a pint, and be part of the eager audience. Either way, everyone always seems to have a good time at Klockow and Ditty Wish’s Open Mic.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Jamie Beer
Question: How long have you worked here?
Jamie Beer: Klocktoberfest, 2019!
Q: And in all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
JB: Münchkin, which you can only get in September. Well, it comes out then. But yeah, our Oktoberfest is definitely my favorite, otherwise Raspberry Sour (Mlinar Delight) is my second fav. Well, and Superior Lobe (Hefeweizen). But Münchkin is 100% my favorite.
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
JB: Truly! Truly berry pack. I’m a seltzer girl at home. Or water. But mostly Trulys.
Q: Which is alcoholic water.
JB: Yes! Keeps you hydrated!

Q: What are some of your favorite foods that you like to use Truly to wash down?
JB: Tacos. I love tacos. Um, I don’t know, I feel like I’m kinda boring.
Q: So are you a regular at the (Singing Chihuahua) taco truck?
JB: Yes, we work that into our schedule, every Wednesday and Saturday in the summer. Let’s see, what else do I eat? I like meatloaf! I love meatloaf.
Q: Ok, that seems like a unique answer. What is it about meatloaf that you like?
JB: I don’t know. Well, it’s comforting. And I don’t think I make the same recipe twice. Like it’s just something I can just mess around with: put different spices, different things in there.
Q: That’s a very fair answer. More people should say meatloaf. But to bring it back here, what do you do at the brewery?
JB: I pour beer and talk about books.
Q: Are you full time?
JB: No, I’m the Monday girl in the summers. During the school year, I’m a special ed para. When school goes back in, the winter hours start, so they close Monday. And when school lets out, I come back on Mondays and hang out and talk about books. [laughs]
Q: So when you’re not a para at school or pouring beer here, what do you do for fun?
JB: Read books. [laughs] And I pretend to be a runner; I dabble. I like to hang out with my chickens. And I like to go camping.
Q: First thing you said was books, and you also said you like to talk about books. What are some of the books that you like to read?
JB: I’m smut girl. [laughs] I like dirty romance. Yeah, definitely romance. I dabble in thrillers, but I’m definitely a romance reader. Chef Kyle (Lussier) really wants me to read “East of Eden.” It’s on my shelf, but I feel like that’s above my pay grade. Some day I will get there.
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
JB: Augh, this was the one I was struggling with. Fun slash interesting? I don’t know what to say, like, I’m originally from Detroit? Umm… I really like Coney dogs! So in my hometown of Rochester Hills, Michigan, there’s a Coney Island called Lipuma’s. And whenever I go back to visit, that’s either the first place I eat at or the last place I eat at before I come home.
Q: For anyone who might not know, what makes a Coney dog a Coney dog?
JB: Chili sauce. No beans. Mustard only. And onions. Delicious. Ahh, I love it. And chili cheese fries.
Q: Lastly, if you were stranded on Mars, alone, with all the things you’d need to survive, what (1) musical album would you want to have with you, what (2) book would want to have with you, and what (3) utensil/tool would you want to have with you?
JB: It would probably be Adele. I don’t have a favorite though.
Q: Any Adele album. And what book?
JB: “The Great Alone,” by Kristin Hannah.
Q: I thought you were gonna say “East of Eden.” [laughs]
JB: Hahaha… like finally!
Q: And what tool or utensil?
JB: [thoughtful pause] Q-Tips. Yes, Q-Tips. I like Q-Tips. I don’t leave the house without a thing of travel Q-Tips with me. They’re in my car. So yeah, Q-Tips.

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 - Cohasset
Locker Room - Coleraine
MJ’s - Pengilly
Gosh Dam Place - Deer River
S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River
Rocket’s - Cohasset
38 Outpost - Grand Rapids
Great Outdoors - Pengilly
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquors - Grand Rapids
Sammy’s - Grand Rapids
Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids
Bottles & Brews - La Prairie
Frontier Liquors - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquors - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids

Bigfork and Marcell -

Timberwolf Inn - Marcell
North Star Lake Resort - Marcell
Frontier Sports - Marcell

Greater Range -

Burnt Onion - Biwabik
SuperOne Liquor - Virginia
KM Corner Store - Nashwauk
SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing
SuperOne Foods - Hibbing
Keyboard - Chisholm

Ely -

Mike’s Drive In Liquor
Ely Liquor
Boathouse Brewery
Insula
Stinky Pete’s Tiny Weed Shop

BINGO, PRIDE, and Tasha's Secret Hobby

June 19, 2024 Tasha Klockow

If you’re reading this, then that means you didn’t get washed away in any flood water. So congrats! I don’t know about you, but yesterday’s storm puts me in mind of a poem:

A Tornado Warning in Northern Minnesota

doesn’t usually mean much. Last tornado
I saw in this small town hovered overhead,
like a circular UFO, surveying the habits
of the people of the Iron Range before
deciding not to abduct any of us. We,
of course, just stood and stared at it.
We knew it wasn’t much to be scared of.
Not in Minnesota. Not in the forests. But
when I tried telling that to my dog, hunkered
behind the couch at every thunder strike,
my calm composure and humorous analogy
didn’t quite strike the chord I had hoped.
I imagine my slack-jawed approach to
this problem seemed out of place to him,
for why should only one of us have a healthy
fear and respect for the forces of nature?
Despite the fact that I know the signs in the sky
don’t mean that we have angered the gods,
my dog still might be on to something here.

But as you put aside any memories of bad weather, whether or not you have a dog, you should gear up for Itasca PRIDE this Sunday outside Old Central School! Beertenders Amanda and Nathan will be holding down the beer garden from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving up a solid selection of Klockow beers, including some N/A options. And despite the fact that we’d love for all of you to spend as much time in the beer garden as possible, we know that there will be far more people to see and things to do given that there will be nearly 50 different vendors there, not including various entertainment!
We’re all very excited for this event, as well as everything that it represents. The ability to live your honest life without fear, particularly in the face of generations of repression backed by violence, is something we should all aspire to. And if that’s not something to be proud of, I don’t know what is.

But lets say that you’re less of a festival person, but you still like to get out for a bit of fun. Let’s say, to play some BINGO, perhaps? If so, then you’re in luck! For the Judy Garland Festival will be in full-swing this weekend and Klockow Brewing Company will be hosting their annual Judy BINGO once again on Friday, June 21, starting at 7 p.m. It only costs $12 to play, and contestants can win fabulous prizes from the Judy Garland museum! And, win or lose the game, everyone is at least a bit of a winner because you’ll be in our taproom having a pint of delicious beer.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Tasha Klockow
Question: I just realized that the first question is kinda silly. But for continuity’s sake, we will ask it anyway. How long have you worked here?
Tasha Klockow: I have worked at Klockow Brewing Company since technically its inception, which was January of 2017. That’s when we incorporated.
Q: In all that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
TK: That’s like asking to choose a favorite child! Oh boy… I can tell you the best beer that we’ve ever done, which is different from my favorite beer. So here’s the thing, the best beer that we have ever done, hands down, is Magic Roundabout (Barrel-Aged Vanilla Stout). I’m going to say that on record, it is Magic Roundabout.
My favorite beer that I always reach for would probably be Ryetasca Roggenbier. I am a sucker for malty beers. I’m a self-proclaimed “malty bitch.” And anything that is malty, I’m probably going to be drinking that. So BHK (Nut Brown), Beatrice (Irish Red)… I have a very, very soft spot for anything rye based, including whiskey. So roggenbier would be it.
Q: So when you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
TK: I like to drink margaritas. And I like to drink rye whiskey. I drink a lot of water. Um… yeah. It’s gonna be water, which is the main go-to, after that it’s going to be chai anything. Chai tea lattes, chai teas, anything of that sort.
Q: So what are some of your favorite foods that you’re washing down with your favorite drinks?
TK: Well Singing Chihuahua Tacos, obviously. Every Wednesday and Saturday, it’s gotta be at the top of the list. We’re always waiting for that.
Being married to Andy Klockow, it also has to be breakfast foods. He’s very much a breakfast food enthusiast. So I love me some breakfast food! But basically anything in burrito form, I’m there for it.
Q: So breakfast burrito is your favorite food.
TK: Oh, yeah. And then, I mean, pizza, obviously. You can never go wrong with pizza.

Q: What do you do at the brewery?
TK: I think the better question is what I don’t do. Might be a shorter answer, if I say what I don’t do.
Q: Perhaps I can rephrase; what occupies most of your time?
TK: The main thing I do is think about this place. [Laughs] That’s the main thing I do. But otherwise, currently, as of November, I took over sales. So that’s basically what I’m spending most of my time on these days, is selling the beer. Whether that’s traveling to places to sell the beer, doing tastings, talking to people about the beer, asking if they need more of the beer, all that sort of thing.
And you’ll see me doing random things, like doing electrical work or refinishing tables or cleaning random things in the taproom… the list just goes on and on of the things that I’m doing.
Q: Obviously that’s very time intensive, but when you’re not doing that, what do you do for fun?
TK: I play video games. I’m currently working through my third play-through of Skyrim on my Nintendo Switch. I read a lot. And by that I mean I usually have a physical book going, an audio book going, and a Kindle book going at any given time. And then podcasts and reading up on gardening. I garden a lot. I spend time in the Y garden teaching children how to garden… in the summers, obviously. Then hiking, taking the dog out. Spending time with the kiddo. Yeah, that’s about it!
Q: What is a fun/interesting fact about yourself that people might not know?
TK: I know how to and enjoy making books.
Q: Making books?
TK: Making books. From scratch.
Q: Like binding and stuff?
TK: Yes. So making covers, making books, binding them up, the whole bit. Most people probably don’t know that.
Q: I had no idea.
TK: That’s really funny!
Q: For the last question, you’re being sold as an action figure; what two accessories come with you?
TK: Oh. What two accessories? It’s gonna be a really sad action figure. [Laughs] Action being the opportune word here. Hmm, probably, and unfortunately, my cell phone would be one. And a bottle of water. [laughs]
Q: Gotta hydrate!
TK: Those are the two things that I’m carrying around at all times is water and my phone.

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 -

Timberlake Lodge - Grand Rapids
Remer Muni Liquor Store
Sammy’s - Grand Rapids
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquors - Grand Rapids
Hotel Rapids - Grand Rapids
Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
Dutch Room - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids
Eagle Ridge Golf Course

Twin Cities, etc -

Milaca Off Sale
Isanti Muni Liquor Store
Ombibulous
South Lyndale Liquors
Stinson Wine, Beer, & Spirits
Liquor Works - Forest Lake
Wine & Roses - Forest Lake
Home Town Liquors - Braham
Princeton’s Liquors - Bass Lake
Top Ten - Roseville
Eagle Liquor - Lino Lakes
Marigold - Minneapolis

Brainerd Lakes Area -

SuperOne Liquor - Crosby
SuperOne Liquor - Baxter

Westworld -

1894 - Perham
Vergas Muni Liquor Store
Landmark Liquors - Perham
Dorest Corner Liquor - Park Rapids
Westside Liquor - East St. Cloud

If You're a Tie-Dyed Dad on a Mountain Bike, This Post Is For You!

June 13, 2024 Tasha Klockow

This is a rather controversial stance to take, but we’re nothing if not brave here at Klockow Brewing: we wish the wind would let up a little bit.
A more popular opinion that we tend to hold is that tie-dye shirts will never go out of style and that they’re the epitome of being awesome! Everyone should have at least three. We know that this is a popular opinion based on the turnout at our Tie Dye Day this past Sunday, where people young and old filled the taproom and our patio to twist and rubber-band up nearly our entire stock of white T-shirts, plus who knows how many shirts and skirts and bandanas that they just brought themselves.
The only problem with tie-dye shirts is that it takes 24 hours for the dye to set, so no one at the brewery on Sunday was able to show off their amazing works of art. Fortunately, we live in a digital age and social media is all the rage, so we’ve encouraged everyone to share pictures of their creations with us so that we might share them with you, the people. Stay tuned to our Instagram and Facebook pages for some examples of the good work our clientele has made.

Literally while writing the blog in the taproom, Scott Endorf walked in wearing the shirt he made last Sunday!

It should be noted that it’s not too late to have a little piece of last Sunday! Like I said above, we went through “nearly our entire stock.” All the rest got dyed by Tasha and our hippy guru Therese Nett, and will be for sale in the taproom soon! Also, a huge thank you Ashley Brubaker and Kelly Erickson for volunteering to help over the weekend. The day went smooth in no small part because of your help!

Did you know that this Sunday is Father’s Day? And what’s more, did you know that your average dad likes the occasional beer? I’ve been told as much, at least. And furthermore, did you also know that Sunday is double points day for our rewards program? If you’re not following the logic, what we’re saying is it might be a good day to bring your dad to Klockow Brewing this Sunday for a few pints and to sign up for our rewards program, if you haven’t already. You get a point for every dollar spent, and you get a dollar off every 10 points! Not only that, but they keep accruing and don’t expire. Maybe you too could be the next to join the 3,000 point club (do the math, that’s a hellava discount on your tab)!
And be sure to tell Nathan your best dad joke while he pours your beer, too. (Do you know when a joke becomes a dad joke? When the punchline becomes ap-parent!)

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Taylor Draper
Question: How long have you been a regular here?
Taylor Draper: Let’s see, since the quarantine. Since 2020, and at that time, of course, it was very limited. But yeah, I think that was the first time. I remember that, obviously, because that time was so rough and this was one of the few escapes that was really pleasant.
Q: In that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
TD: Right now, it’s the BHK-NA (Non-Alcoholic). Other than beer, I do like the Dukka Water (hopped seltzer water). But previously, when I did drink beer a lot, it was Traveling Jack (West Coast IPA).
Q: What about the NA do you like?
TD: I like it because it still captures some semblance of a brown ale. I don’t feel like I’m sipping on water or something that isn’t craft made. It tastes good!
Q: And when you’re not drinking Klockow beer or Dukka Water, what do you like to drink?
TD: I like the… we call them fizz waters. I don’t know the right word for it, but they have a lemon flavor. Um, soda water! But they have a store brand lime flavor at SuperOne, and it’s really good.
Q: What are some of your favorite foods?
TD: Well, I just had an encounter with curry. The curry chicken tacos Gus made (Singing Chihuahua Taco Truck) were fabulous. Blew me away!
But I guess it depends on how you define “favorite.” Like last meal before the electric chair?
Q: Sure.
TD: In that case, I’d go macaroni and cheese with some bacon.

Q: So what do you do for work?
TD: Oh boy, ok, well, part-time college instructor, teaching psychology classes. And then I test kiddos for autism. And then the third job is I work with probation in Itasca County. They’ll refer me recidivist, or serial criminal offenders that need some structured programming to build life skills, problem solving, and ultimately to not reoffend.
So those three. And I always have two, but I never have three going on at the same time.
Q: When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun?
TD: I fell in love with mountain biking! This was just like a month ago. [laughs] But I love it! Just can’t get enough of it. It kinda reminds me of surfing back in California. So I really enjoy that. That and maybe reading.
Q: You ride the Tioga Trails?
TD: Yes.
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
TD: Let’s see… I really enjoy shuffle board, but I haven’t played in years.
Q: So what is it about shuffle board that’s so intriguing to you?
TD: I think the simplicity I’m attracted to. I used to play back home with some buddies, have some beers. And the game was so easy to play, but it still had a competitive edge to it. And it’s very mild-mannered, very finesse oriented.
Q: Last question, if you were offered the chance to meet a great-great-great grandparent, or a great-great-great grandchild, as an adult of course, who would you rather meet and why? So to go into the past or into the future.
TD: I would go back because I’d like to steer the family away from inter-generational trauma. We had… there were a lot of twists and turns in our family history; we don’t even know who my grandpa’s father was. That’s beside the point. But I would go back because every family is a system, and all systems have their problems, and I think I could make it better. And that might affect the ultimate future down the line.
Q: Ok, so you’d want to change things?
TD: Yeah, I think so. I don’t think I’d want to go back for any other reason.

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 -

Unwined Up North
Ravenstone Abbey
Locker Room
Rocket’s - Cohasset
NoPo Kitchen
Hollywood Bait
Eagle Ridge Golf Course
Sugar Lake Lodge
Antler Store
Pokegama Grill
Pickled Loon
Eagles
SuperOne Foods South
SuperOne Foods North
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
Bottles and Brews
Pokegama Plaza Liquors
SuperOne Liquors - Grand Rapids
S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River
Frontier Liquors

Bemidji Area -

Liquor Lodge - Turtle River
First City Liquor
Lakeview Liquor
Northern Offsale Liquor
Beehive Offsale Liquor

Int'l Falls & Kabetogama -

SuperOne Liquor - I Falls
Ash Trail Lodge
The Rocky Ledge

Making Hippy Art, Donating Blood, and Finding Out What Nathan Thinks of Brunch

June 5, 2024 Tasha Klockow

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

Klockow's Summer Hours and Amanda's Adobo and Cocktail Hour

May 29, 2024 Tasha Klockow

As I write this, it is just after noon on Wednesday, May 29, year of our lord 2024. And there are customers in the taproom. Which means that summer hours are now in effect! We’re now open every day at noon, including Monday!
It’s relatively quiet as people acclimate to the new change, and school isn’t even officially out yet, so full-swing summer culture hasn’t quite happened yet regardless of what side of Memorial Day we’re on.
And that’s just fine. In fact, we all could use the breather after the weekend we had here at the brewery! Friday and Saturday saw a clear uptick in business as summer tourism came to town for the long weekend. And on Sunday…
PANOPTICON!!!
Metal heads traveled from both coasts to this small little hamlet in northern Minnesota to see a rare live performance of Panopticon for their Roads to the North album’s 10 year anniversary. The stage was decked out with stacks of amps and extra lights, the floor was cleared of all tables, and the brewery was opened up with a secondary bar and for a little extra space for the nearly 200 people in attendance to spread out. And the walls reverberated from the deafening sound of the atmospheric black metal that sprung from every string and drum.

We’d also like to give an extra special thanks to Woman Is The Earth for coming all the way from South Dakota to grace our stage, as well as all the die-hard fans who traveled so far to be here on such an amazing night. And who could forget Kyle and Spencer, who set up the sound and lights. A mighty thank you to all involved!

But now we look to the future. If the past was a metal concert, then the future is clearly an art gallery (that’s an obvious thing, right?). In another rare public appearance, local painter Tom Page will be filling the taproom with pieces from his Women with Attitude collection, a series that focuses on the strength, individuality, and je ne sais quoi that makes up the “attitude” of his various models.
”I found all the participants in this series of paintings to be lovely women. They were enjoyable to be around, spoke freely of their interesting lives, appeared engaged in self-empowerment working toward the future,” said Tom at the beginning of his artist statement.

The gallery will be up from 2 p.m. until close at 9. Additionally, there will be both artist as well as model talks at 4 p.m., where attendees will be able to get further insight and stories from the women involved.
As we look even further yet into the future, what is most interesting is what we’re not finding. With summer means any number of summer activities, and an all-too-short look at what the sun is capable of when it’s trying. So whereas we will be continuing with various miscellaneous events, we’ll be putting a couple of our Sunday Funday events on hiatus for the next couple months. Drink & Draw with Lily and Storyteller Sunday will return this September, so enjoy your Sundays off! Come this fall, we expect lots of drawing and storytelling.

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: Amanda Lussier
Question: How long have you worked here?
Amanda Lussier: I’ve worked here since December of 2020.
Q: And in that time, what is your favorite Klockow beer?
AL: I’ve thought about this a lot, because as you know, my go-to is Traveling Jack or One Aught. But I have, like, a top 5 of Klockow beer, and they’re all on the malty side. Beatrice is probably my number one. Hays on Tay Scotch Ale. Woodland Legacy Lager; big fan of that. The Münchkin Oktoberfest is one of my favorites! And the last one is Siduri’s (Garden Saison), because it’s me and Tasha’s (Klockow) and Marit’s (Bjordal) beer!
Q: When you’re not drinking Klockow beer, what do you like to drink?
AL: Well, you’re my cocktail buddy (staff interviewer, Nathan), so given the chance, my favorite cocktail is the Last Word. I love to sip on something that is elegant and wonderfully crafted. And honestly; can I mention this; your Espresso Negroni is one of my favorite cocktails too! [laughs] Can’t wait to have that again.
Q: Sticking with the general theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
AL: Hmm, I mean, I love food. Probably any type of Asian food: Thai food, Vietnamese food, I grew up with Filipino food. I’d say that my favorite dish ever is my mom’s adobo.
Q: Adobo. What is that?
AL: It’s chicken or pork that’s essentially braised in a soy sauce vinegar mixture, with garlic - lots and lots of garlic - and bay leaves. That’s a big one for that flavor. Serve that with rice, it’s fantastic.
Q: That does sound good. That sounds like my new favorite food! [laughs] Bringing it back home a little bit, what do you do at the brewery?
AL: I am a beertender. I pour beer, talk with our favorite regulars, and - I shouldn’t say that - and others. [laughs] Mainly, I love working here. So whenever the Klockows need help, I will help in any capacity. I will work off-sale events, special events like Frozen Fairways. I’ll label cans if they need it. If they need assistance on the canning line, I’ll do that too.

Q: What are some of the things you like to do for fun outside of work?
AL: I mean, speaking of favorite foods, I love eating and I love dining. I love talking about it with friends and family members. Love talking about service and experiencing good customer service. Outside of that, in town, I love going to karaoke almost every Friday. And yeah, in general, spending time with Kyle, my husband, and our dog and cat.
Q: What’s a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
AL: Ok, I’ve thought about this briefly, and I’m excited to say that I’ve just worked a lot of different jobs. I don't think a lot of people know that about me.
So out of college, I graduated with an art degree, so I worked in art museums for about three and a half years. In between major jobs, I’ve always been in the industry, bartending or serving. So after working in art museums, I got really interested in craft beer. So I worked as a beertender and that lead to brewing beer and working in production, and that was like completely out of my wheelhouse! And honestly, all of that lead me back to loving hospitality. And I think that is a strong suit for me.
Q: And the last question, if you could be the supreme dictator of this country long enough to make one edict, what would it be and why?
AL: Oh. Ooh. Uh. That is a loaded question! [laughs]
Well, affordable healthcare for everybody, because everyone deserves that. Everyone deserves access to taking care of their bodies and their minds without having to pay a lot, you know. I’m getting emotional! Our bodies are so valuable, and so are our minds! And our families and our partners and friends. We deserve 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 Drops this Week:

Local, etc -

Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset
Rocket’s - Cohasset
Eagle Ridge - Coleraine
Locker Room - Coleraine
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Bottles & Brews - La Prairie
Sammy’s Pizza - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Grill - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids

McGregor -

Mark’s Bar
The Craft House

Duluth & Superior -

New Scenic Cafe
Dovetail Cafe
Woodland Liquor
Fitger’s Wine Cellar
SuperOne Liquor - Pike Lake
Boulder Taphouse - Superior

Mary's Memorial Day Metal!

May 22, 2024 Tasha Klockow

Hello all!
It’s nearly time for Memorial Day weekend. This means many things; for starters, it’s a day of remembrance for those who’ve fallen in battle in service to the United States. It’s also the traditionally recognized start of summer, when school is let out and warm weather festivities are officially out in full swing! As such, Klockow Brewing will be starting our summer hours next week; open 7 days a week, opening at noon every day!

Well, with some exceptions. Memorial Day weekend also means it’s time to rock out with Panopticon this Sunday!! We’ll be closed for our normal business hours on Sunday, May 26, and we’ll still be closed on Monday, May 27 in order to recoup after a crazy weekend. That also means that there will be no, I repeat, NO OPEN MIC this month.

So aside from all that housekeeping on letting y’all know about our hours of operation, we’re super excited about the concert this weekend! Many people don’t realize that our own Andy Klockow is a heavy metal superstar, playing bass for Panopticon and regularly touring Europe where a bulk of their fans reside. And this year marks the 10 year anniversary of their seminal album, Roads to the North, which they’ll be playing in its entirety. What’s more, the show is going to open with South Dakota metal band Woman is the Earth! This SOLD OUT show will be one for the atmospheric black metal books.

And when we say sold out, we mean 100% sold out! We’ve been hearing from a lot of people excited to come to the show, but if you don’t already have tickets, we’re sorry to have to disappoint you.

But at the end of the day, we’re still a brewery. And that means beer. In addition to some of your regular favorites, be sure to have a pint of Lundr’s Lager and Sonntagsleerung Northwoods Lager this weekend, retapped just for the musical occasion. What’s more, Chase the Grain Northern IPA will be officially released this weekend, in all its sprucy, smoky, hoppy goodness.

Chad’s Meat Wagon gracing the parking lot of Klockow Brewing Co.

Post Memorial Day weekend, we’re looking forward to a grand summer, and that in part means food trucks! Do you know who we’re always excited to see but who has actually been here all winter long? Why Chad’s Meat Wagon, of course! As the only winterized food truck in Grand Rapids, we’ve been proud to partner with him for many years now, especially when he comes out with new menu items like smoked meatloaf or smoked burgers (not regular menu, only ever on special)! But summer means many different events, so Chad will sadly be torn away for various company BBQs, festivals, etc. Though as they say, if you love somebody, let them go. For if it’s true love, they will surely return. And since we’re talking beer and BBQ, you know we’re all in it for the long run! Catch Chad’s Meat Wagon at Klockow this Friday, from noon to 6 p.m.!

We Barley Know You, But We Hop to Change That. It’s the Yeast We Can Do: taproom regular Mary Procopio
Question: How long have you been a regular here?
Mary Procopio: Since the day they opened! And there were so many people in here, we had to stand back by the trash cans when we got our beer. It was chaos, because no one knew they had to come [up to the bar] to get beer. Our son had to tell us that!
Q: What’s your favorite Klockow beer?
MP: I would say Supply Line [Hazy IPA].
Q: That’s been a popular choice amongst the people being interviewed!
MP: Yeah, and I noticed that too!
Q: When you’re not drinking Supply Line, what do you like to drink?
MP: I like the Ursa Minor Galactic Face Slap [Hazy IPA]. It’s just like Supply Line but a little bit sweeter, little bit lighter. Otherwise my go to at home is Sierra Nevada Hazy IPA.
Q: You definitely like your hazy IPAs.
MP: I do. I’m pretty stuck on them.
Q: Sticking with this general theme, what are some of your favorite foods?
MP: I would almost say everything because I cook a lot, but… I like Mexican. I like to make soups. I like to make casseroles. Salads! Well, of course there’s always desserts, but that’s own thing.
Q: Ok, so what is a favorite dessert?
MP: I would say cheesecake. I like to make different cheesecakes. Well, and cookies. And banana bread! I have so many bananas right now. Everyone’s gonna get banana bread (Laughs)!

Mary Procopio with her favorite beer, Supply Line Hazy IPA

Q: What do you like to do for fun?
MP: You know me, I’m the crafter. I’m always doing multiple crafts. And I also like to play in the garden, which finally now it’s getting to be that time, if it would ever stop raining!
I started out sewing American Girl Doll clothes for four years. Then I got burned out, and I went to gnomes! I probably did four years of gnomes, and now I’m burnt out on gnomes. So now I’m trying to diversify; make a little of that, a little of this. Mostly home decorations. Who knows what I’m going to do?
Q: What would be a fun/interesting fact about yourself?
MP: Hmm, well, I’m the 12th child out of 13… I grew up in Indiana… Oh, one fun thing would be when Joe and I got married, I was the one who proposed! And he had to buy the cake and flowers and find the preacher.
Q: So you’re the one who proposed to him?
MP: Yep. His parents were coming out to see him, and I said, “We might as well just get married.” And he said, “Well, that’s a good idea.” And we went from there!
Q: You know, having spent a bit of time with both of you, I can see that happening.
MP: Kind of backwards, but it works; 43 years this year!
Q: And the last question, if you were given a week to spend $1 million, what would you buy and why? No stocks or bonds or anything like that.
MP: Hmm, how about if I built myself a shed, heated, which would be my own craft area that’s mine. Plus we would go on lots of vacations!
Q: So you’d pre-buy a bunch of vacations too?
MP: Yep, and of course I’d buy a lot of people beer (Laughs)! But yeah, I don’t think I could spend that much! Or, well, if I could buy a house, I’d do that. Because I’d want it on a lake.

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 -

SuperOne Foods North - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquors - Grand Rapids
Bottles & Brews - La Prairie
Smoke on the Water - Coleraine
Locker Room - Coleraine
Sugar Lake Lodge - Cohasset
Balsam Store - Balsam
Bear Ridge Pizza - Cohasset
Tavern on the Range - Bovey
The Great Outdoors - Pengilly
Kocian’s - Deer River
Gosh Dam Place - Deer River
Winnie Trading Post - Deer River
S&S Bottle Shop - Deer River

Westworld -

Doreset Corner - Park Rapids

Red River Liquor - Akeley
Liquor Depot of Staples
Continental Divide Brew Pub - New York Mills
Vegas Liquor Store
Brew Ales & Eats - Perham
Landmark Liquors - Perham

Marcell, Bigfork, etc -

Hayslips - Talmoon
Frontier Sports - Marcell
North Star Lake Resort - Marcell
Snowshoe Liquor - Marcell
Wilderness Bar - Bigfork

Greater Range -

Silver Creek - Virginia
Rocket Liquors - Virginia
SuperOne Foods North - Virginia
SuperOne Foods South - Virginia
SuperOne Liquors - Virginia
SuperOne Foods - Hibbing
SuperOne Liquors - Hibbing
Keyboard Liquor - Chisholm
Burnt Onion - Biwabik

Ely, etc -

Trapline Liquor - Embarass
Ledge Liquor Store - Tower
Ely Liquor
Boathouse Brewery
Insula
Stinky Pete’s Tiny Weed Shop
Zup’s

Superior -

7 West Taphouse - Superior

KLOCKOW BLOG COMING SOON!