The latest from Twitter: @ZenBoxIzakaya watches some goofy robots make ramen, @PizzeriaLola is searching for a new server, and @TravailKitchen is closed for the day for a private event.
A man cannot live on food and writing alone, which is why I also play a regular game of poker. And thanks to the ancient affinity between cards and booze, our group has turned into an informal beer club. We bring beers from across the state, country, and world to each game in bombers, bottles, cans, and growlers.
Last week we gathered together a group of players (including Heavy Table contributors John Garland and Jason Walker) to put Summit Brewing’s two newest offerings through their paces.
The first was Summer Ale, a summer seasonal with 4.9% ABV and 32 IBU that the brewery described as a “new take on a classic German Kölsch: a crisp, refreshing brew offering elegant fruity and flora aromas and toasted malt qualities.” It replaces Summit’s Hefe Weizen as the brewery’s summer seasonal.
The second was Saga IPA, a year-round release that clocks in at 6.4% ABV with 80 IBU. The brewery calls it “an assertive brew with a pronounced hop flavor and tropical fruit aromas.” [CORRECTION: We erroneously stated that Saga had replaced the Hefe Weizen.]
KARSTEN: Let’s start out with Texas Hold ‘Em. Simple.
JAMES: Ante? Blinds?
KARSTEN: We might want to do blinds, with this many people.
JAMES: OK, blinds. Once we get the flop we’ll pour some samples and talk some beer.
DAVE [raising before the flop]: I’m gonna raise.
JAMES: COME ON.
DAVE: Come on what?
JAMES: You’re allowed to raise, I’m allowed to give you [guff]. OK, anyway, let’s pour the Summer Ale.
[samples go around the table]
JOHN: I’m bored. This beer bores me.
JAMES: What bores you about it?
JOHN: It’s too light — there’s not enough body, it’s not as substantial as the rest of their beers. I know it’s a Summer Ale, but it tastes like carbonation is the main driving flavor component.
KEVIN: It’s pretty weak. I taste carrot undertones from the carrot I ate five minutes ago…
JASON: I’m not hateful. It feels like on a hot day it’d be nice. I like it when breweries do beers like this that aren’t trying to hit you over the head with something. That said, I’m not sure I’d buy this and feel like I’d gotten value.
JAMES: I would worry about the value prospect, but I like the balance, and I’m tasting a little bit of astringency … I really feel like if I’d just mowed the lawn I could pound one of these and really enjoy it.
I know that sounds like faint praise, but there’s really a place for that kind of beer. This is not my new favorite beer, but also I respect it and I understand it.
KARSTEN: In the context of it being a Summer Ale, it’s OK, but it’s probably not much more than that. I agree that it’d be good to pound after mowing the lawn, but it’s not a craving that a PBR couldn’t satisfy. And the value proposition is probably not there …
DAVE: I’m with all that. The first thing I tasted was that drinkability, but there’s a bitter edge that feels a little out of place if you’re going to be chugging something. Which I love to do.
JOHN: I feel like there are brands I know and look for when I’m looking for a sessionable beer, and Summit’s not one of them.
JAMES: So it’s kind of out of character for the brewery.
JOHN: I’d say so.
KARSTEN: The bitter quality wasn’t really an issue for me, because of the European palate for this kind of beer … it reminds me of a European-style Pilsner. But it doesn’t have the body that a European-style Pilsner would have.
JAMES: Well, let’s try the Saga IPA and see how that goes down. Continue reading Around the Poker Table: Summit Summer Ale and Saga IPA »

Owners Natalie and Josh Kelly; My Minnesota Farmer peppers & cucumbers; Bossy Acres Sunflower Shoots
An online farmers market makes access to local foods easier for Twin Cities’ customers
Serious locavores make a lot of effort to buy from their favorite farmers and discover those uniquely regional specialties that make eating locally so enjoyable. While it is easier to procure your weekly farm rations in Minnesota compared to many parts of the country, Minnesotans endure long winter months without fresh local vegetables. The limited number of winter markets, however, doesn’t mean farmers in the area aren’t working. There are still cows, sheep, and goats to milk, and chickens that lay eggs.
Natalie and Josh Kelly started Twin Cities Local Food to help make sourcing food from local farms a little bit easier. Twin Cities Local Food is in an online farmer’s market that lets local farms using sustainable agricultural practices market their products directly to customers in the Twin Cities, all year. The business was born out of the couple’s desire for access to more local food in the winter months and the challenge of coordinating on-farm purchases. Even though locally grown foods are becoming more abundant in markets and coops, there’s a growing segment of the community that gets a lot of satisfaction in buying directly from the farm.
While the internet limits personal connection of buying at a market, the Twin Cities Local Food web site allows farmers to describe their farm and explain their practices, so conscientious customers can make informed decisions about the food they purchase. The web site offers a variety of fresh, seasonal produce, grass fed meats, dairy, eggs, honey and some unique Minnesota finds like camelina and sunflower oils. Twin Cities Local Food even has fresh milled, whole grains that are grown and milled on the same organic farm. Try figuring out what farm grew your flour in a bag at the supermarket.
Twin Cities Local Food offers the convenience of shopping online. Customers are able to shop from Friday through Wednesday morning, and pick up purchases on Thursday afternoon. There are currently pickup locations in South Minneapolis and in Savage. Twin Cities Local Food plans to serve areas throughout the Twin Cities as the business grows.
According to Natalie Kelly, co-owner of Twin Cities Local Food, “We think Minnesota farmers are doing some great things for the local food community, and we’re excited to be able to offer them another venue to show off.” Natalie and her business partner / husband, Josh, also think the service can benefit the community by providing more economic sustainability for local farms, and giving customers access to healthier, tastier, and minimally processed foods.
For more information, visit the web site at www.twincitieslocalfood.com.



























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