Jeff explained the basics of brewing to a crowd of roughly 30 and I got to ask a few technical questions to satisfy my curiosity.

They do exclusively ales – no lagers – due to the extended aging time (AKA “decreased profitability”) required to properly brew lager beer.Ĭo-owner and head brewer Jeff Williamson led our tour, which was cool of him (I’ve been to Surly three times without meeting Omar Ansari). They do four year-round beers (a Belgian pale ale, an American pale ale, an IPA and a porter) and seven seasonals. output in 2010) opened for business back in the spring of 2007 and runs a brew house purchased from a now-defunct San Francisco brew pub (that existed in a space near Fisherman’s Wharf now proudly occupied by a Hooter’s, ha!). I was able to add another to the list past weekend when some friends and I hit up Flat Earth Brewing over in St.

I’ve since been back three times, but the tour is often sold-out and I’ve only been able to get in once more. Other tours I’ve done include Surly (MN), Summit (MN), Miller (WI), Anheuser Busch (MO) and Tommyknocker (CO). My first brewery tour was of Lakefront in Milwaukee back in 2005.

One of my long-term goals is to tour every brewery in Minnesota, and as many in other states as I’m able to.

Flat earth brewing