It’s always tricky to write about a brewery that takes over an existing space. (I wrote about it earlier, if you follow The Tulip and Schooner closely.) Brühaven opened in Loring Park in June, in the building that formerly housed Lakes & Legends. And if you ever went to Lakes & Legends, you’ll immediately make comparisons when you step into the taproom, which has been touched-up but still feels familiar. But it’s another story behind the bar and inside the brewhouse.
Enter The Brühaven
The room is open and big with an industrial chic design that contrasts a stainless steel open brewhouse with warm, rustic barnwood in the seating area. Reflective subway tile and marble decorate the bar. While these themes have become cliche, in this particular space it’s cozy and effective, with the right blend, balance, and transition from the brewhouse to the bar. A large projector screen hangs, suspended in front of the brewhouse, to give visitors a glimpse of where the magic happens while blocking the “fishbowl effect” for the brewers. A newly added axe throwing cage creates a little more separation between work and play spaces too. You’ll also find pull tabs, darts, board games, and a couch – something for everyone. They’ve added open-air garage doors for warmer months.
Lakes & Legends’ legacy is its connection to the Loring Park community and it feels that Brühaven has matched that aesthetic and honed in. One new twist is the coffeeshop (they open early), which amplifies the community vibe. The crowd on a quiet Monday afternoon were puppy parents, a group of young families, and a mix of after-work think tanks and solo laptoppers.
The vibe of a taproom can be as important as the beer: If the room is a blast but the beer misses, you aren’t coming back again.
Brühaven had 14 draft beers, THC, coffee, seltzer, and seltzer bloody marys available. They distribute to about 10 bars and roughly the same amount of liquor stores. Our takeaway on drinking through the lineup in early December was that brewing experience makes a big difference. Co-founder Alex Doering brewed award-winning beers for Freehouse and lead brewer Jordan Nordby was last at Utepils – and the beers on our visit were all balanced, well-made, and unique. The IPAs are unsurprisingly the top sellers, but they brew a lot of lagers and everything we sampled showed a European-esque emphasis on balance and body over gimmick and “innovation.”
Lager Time
I began with Leitstern Light Lager, which reinforced my Lakes & Legends memories with a sweet profile that overshadowed its fizzy, crisp, and refreshing notes. It wasn’t for me, but it was also the only time I thought of Brühaven’s predecessor (with the exception of a legacy beer noted later). I would hold up Pup’s Premium Lager to summarize Brühaven: an amber lager with a balanced toasty note and underlying citrus flavors – simply a great everyday beer. The recurring observation was a focus on everyday beers with balance and depth.
Oktoberfest FestiBrü was a lighter-style fall beer: minimal caramel and nuttiness, leaning instead on the crisp lager experience with some of those toasty dark beer notes in an easy drinker, somewhat halfway between a Marzen-style lager and a festbier.
Brewer’s Soul Munich Dunkel was a top beer, big and rich in flavor but with a balance between pumpernickel and rye bread flavors, chocolate, coffee, caramel, caraway, and anise. It’s a roasty dunkel that will appeal more to porter fans than those looking for sweet caramel-like doppelbocks.
The final lager of our visit was Brunswick Black Lager. This was another hit, with light roast and coffee flavors, balanced with a smooth chocolate milk note, yet a hint of bitterness for a clean and perfect finish. Personally I might prefer a hint more carbonation but it was near perfection.
The IPA Files
The Minneapolitan is the house IPA, an old school beer that’s amber-hued, clear, and crisp. The flavor profile goes for classic toast, marmalade, and pine. It would pair great with the Pup’s amber lager, leaning a hint toasty but with a sweet citrus finish that turns a little bit mineral. My favorite of the three IPAs was Prog Rock, a straw-yellow hazy that is very juicy, leaning toward tropical pineapple, passionfruit, and papaya, but with a citrusy, sweet, and semi-dank finish. The mid-to-light body and sweeter profile remind me of cold IPAs.
Mixing it up, Bruges is a Belgian-style IPA that was also a hit. This one is dry and very fizzy, with a winter-appropriate bready profile along with notes of honey, juniper, and subtle fruity esters. Prog Rock is probably too sweet for some IPA fans, whereas Bruges could be too dry for others.
Something Fruity
The Original Limelight Factory is a wheat ale with lime. I won’t lie: I’m a sucker for fresh lime but I also think it’s a cheat in making a “crisp, refreshing” beer. This wheat ale is a light gold in color with dominant lime. While the majority of my beers were balanced and multi-dimensional (and gold-hued), Limelight was a bit acidic with the adjunct taking the spotlight.
In contrast, Pink Ribbon Strawberry Blonde was a top beer and a pleasant surprise. I’ve said it before in these writeups, but this is a prime reason I enjoy taprooms. I have my personal beer style favorites but it seems every brewery surprises you with an exception. I’m generally not into blonde ales or strawberries, but Pink Ribbon is just a perfectly balanced beer that marries the clean and smooth blonde ale body with a touch of strawberry. They aren’t going for jammy here, but instead a dry biscuity beer base with a lightly sweet berry balance to bring it to new places. While it’s a blonde ale in style, it should appeal to cream ale fans too.
Flux Mango Sour is a kettle sour with mango. It hits your tongue abruptly, but with a little more vinegar than sharp, natural tartness. Ghost of St. Gail Raspberry Ale, an homage to Lakes & Legends’ St. Gail, is described as “half mead, half fruit beer,” and it’s a raspberry forward, jammy beer that balances a lot of natural fruit (you can almost taste the seeds), but with hints of citrus and multigrain bread. I don’t get the Belgian character that was in the original recipe, but it’s a good fruit beer that tastes more like beer than juice.
Winter Indulgence
Sometimes the job calls for things you know you won’t enjoy. And, pointing to Pink Ribbon, sometimes you’re surprised. But Witching Hour Butterscotch Ale wasn’t one of those experiences. Doering says this is “borrowed” from his time at Freehouse, and it’s probably popular with the crowd that enjoys butterscotch candy. It’s a golden ale base with a fizzy and bready element, but it finishes syrupy sweet. If you like the classic candy, you’ll probably like this – but even a 5-ounce pour was too much for me.
Flipping that script though, Phoenix A reminds me of one of Freehouse’s best beers, Infinity (which I just learned won’t be back this year). This barrel-aged imperial stout is jet black in color and my slow flight-sipping rewarded me with a room temp 12.5% ABV tasting that brought out big notes of dark fruits like plum, raisin, prune, and fig in a velvety beer with additional chocolate and coffee tones. It favors dark fruit flavors over silky chocolate, and I knew immediately that I was bringing a can of this one home.W
Right Here, Right Now
My experience inside the Brühaven showed an adherence to tradition, yet made the recipes their own. I would say that the taproom captured that same victory. The best elements of Lakes & Legends’ aesthetic remain, similar but different: familiar and welcoming, a perfect blend and balance.
My visit began early, with TNT on muted TVs set to a jazz soundtrack. As I left, Monday Night Football took over. Besides the axe throwing cages, events seem to welcome outsiders, like the (now past) Fantasy Prom event sponsored by Dragons, Dungeons, & Drinks. Patrons from all walks of life relaxed with drinks, the staff were knowledgeable and friendly (they even helped a child through Wi-Fi challenges). In both the layout and decor you’ll find nods to the past (Hiii THC drinks are available) but, much like American craft beer as a whole, Brühaven honors the past while looking forward.