Leinenkugel
Okay, I can't believe we've lived here 3 and half months and I haven't posted about Leinenkugel. That is pronounced "Line-n-kugel," but if you want to really sound local you will call them "Leinies." Leinenkugel is a beer, by the way. It's kind of the in-between, nicer-than-Budweiser-but-not-really-a-microbrew kinda beer, like Sam Adams is for New England or Yuengling is for Philly.
Regular Leinies are very nice, and I haven't purchased Budweiser or any other megabrew since moving out here. The Leinie beer that is really remarkable, however, is Leinie Honey Weiss. They sell it in bottles but for whatever reason it is not great that way. But draft Honey Weiss at the bars is great. They serve it with a slice of lemon. I've never liked lemon in my beer before but for some reason it really elevates Leinie Honey Weiss to a higher plane, like lime does for Corona. B and I assumed Honey Weiss was a seasonal summer beer and would be replaced by Octoberfest or something else by now. But when we were at the Mall of America a couple weeks ago we had an hour to kill before our movie started so we popped into a "mall bar" for a Leinie. We asked the bartender about it and he said, yes it started as a seasonal beer a few years ago, but the Honey Weiss has been so popular that all the bars he knows keep it on tap year round.
Leinenkugel is not strictly a Minnesota thing since it is brewed in Wisconsin. However, the beer is in every Minneapolis bar, and the "Leinie Lodge" has a big presence at the MN State Fair and the Metrodome. The brewery itself is close enough that I think B and I will have to take a tour sooner or later :-)
www.leinie.com
Regular Leinies are very nice, and I haven't purchased Budweiser or any other megabrew since moving out here. The Leinie beer that is really remarkable, however, is Leinie Honey Weiss. They sell it in bottles but for whatever reason it is not great that way. But draft Honey Weiss at the bars is great. They serve it with a slice of lemon. I've never liked lemon in my beer before but for some reason it really elevates Leinie Honey Weiss to a higher plane, like lime does for Corona. B and I assumed Honey Weiss was a seasonal summer beer and would be replaced by Octoberfest or something else by now. But when we were at the Mall of America a couple weeks ago we had an hour to kill before our movie started so we popped into a "mall bar" for a Leinie. We asked the bartender about it and he said, yes it started as a seasonal beer a few years ago, but the Honey Weiss has been so popular that all the bars he knows keep it on tap year round.
Leinenkugel is not strictly a Minnesota thing since it is brewed in Wisconsin. However, the beer is in every Minneapolis bar, and the "Leinie Lodge" has a big presence at the MN State Fair and the Metrodome. The brewery itself is close enough that I think B and I will have to take a tour sooner or later :-)
www.leinie.com
posted by James at 6:40 PM
1 Comments:
James,
You may be disappointed to know that Leinie's was purchased by SA Miller several years ago. However, it has not hurt the quality of the beer. The distribution is probably much better now.
Also, I don't remember Honey Weiss every being seasonal. As long as I was of drinking age, it was available.
Best,
Aaron
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