From: lsmith@mega.cs.umn.edu (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.beer
Subject: Re: Questions about Minnesota Brewing Company
Date: 15 Oct 92 18:19:06 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Little Gopher Squids of the Poor

In article <1992Oct15.143227.18994@news2.cis.umn.edu> kimmel@staff.tc.umn.edu (Eric Kimmel) writes:
>In article <1bhp2nINNcn9@ub.d.umn.edu> serickso@ub.d.umn.edu writes:
>>Hello:
>>
>>   I was wondering if anyone knows a little history about the Minnesota
>>Brewing Company.  I am wondering who owns it, what brewing plants do they
>>use, etc.
>>   All I know right now is that they brew Pig's Eye, Pig's Eye Lean,
>>McMahon's Genuine Irish Potato Ale, Landmark, Landmark Light, and Grain
>>Belt Premium.  Do they brew any other beers?  
>>  Your information will be appreciated.  Thank you.
>
>A group of investors bought the old Schmidt brewery when Schmidt pulled out.

Heileman's pulled out. After the collapse of the Bond Brewing Empire. 

>Shortly after it was bought Minnesota Brewing held a public contest to name
>their beer.  There were several good ones including Landmark and Pig's Eye.
>They chose Landmark for their "top-line" beer.  After finding out how
>disappointed many people were with the choice they started producing Pig's
>Eye Pilsner, which of course, is now outselling Landmark mostly because of
>the name.  For cheap beers they're not bad.  Locally you can get a 12 of
>Pig's Eye for $4.50 or Landmark for $5.00.  I have not tried the potato(e)
>ale or Grain Belt.  I didn't even know Grain Belt was brewed there!

When we first heard they had chosen Landmark for their new beer, some 
friends and I decided to call it Pig's Eye because we liked that name
better. However, Landmark wasn't worth ordering so we just forgot about it
until MBC launched Pig's Eye Pilsner.

Pig's Eye was supposed to be a seasonal beer that they were only going to
sell until the first batch ran out. The demand for it was phenomenal and
the brewery has been getting orders for it from all over. One pub in England
supposedly had a special "Pig's Eye" event. Proving that packaging is 80%
of beer sales. Not a bad beer and well worth the ~$4.50/12pack.

There's also a Pig's Eye Lean.

Grain Belt - The Beer that Grew with the Great Northwest. Grew up with it.
It's one of those beers you order when you wander into a backwoods bar and
you don't want to offend anyone by ordering something strange.

If Kirby stays with the Twins I think a Puckett Pilsner is in order...

>Minnesota Brewing is definitely not microbrewery nor do they produce any 
>outstanding beers.  For that you might try Summit Pale Ale or a fine
>James Paige lager -- the two good microbrews from Minnesota.

I'm pretty sure they're doing Pete's Wicked Ale locally. They also had an
Octoberfest beer that won a second place at the Great American Beer Fest.
(Unfortunately, no one seems to have the stuff. I may have to visit Johnny's.)

Also of recommendation in Minnesota are the upper end of the Schell's lines.
The Octoberfest is good at the moment, but their wheat and pilsner are also
first class stuff.
--
     Lance "William Blake?" Smith     |   "Bring me my bat of burning gold!
         (lsmith@cs.umn.edu)          |    Bring me my pine tar of desire!
 "The Cat. He walked by himself, and  |    Bring me my glove! O clouds unfold!
    all places were alike to him."    |    Bring me my fastball of fire!"