The Results are in … 2025 Minnesota State Fair Homebrew Competition

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Summit Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota August 15th-16th

Best of Show – Beer:
James Henjum, Bronze, Specialty Beer – Double Standard

Best of Show – Cider:
Aric Daul, Silver, Specialty Cider – Big Pink

Mead:
Jeremy Olsen, Bronze, Sweet Mead – Barrel 3.0
Jeremy Olsen, Silver, Pyment – Pyment
Mark McDonald, Silver, Berry Mead – Shirt Stain

Cider:
Aric Daul, Gold, Specialty Cider and Perry – Big Pink

Beer:
James Henjum, Gold, American Standard Lager – Summertime Light
James Henjum, Gold, American Standard Cream ale/Wheat Beer – Summertime
Dave Bance, Bronze, American Standard Cream ale/Wheat Beer – Baby Wrestler
Nick Stevens, Silver, Strong European – Midnight Rider
Art Arsenault, Bronze, Strong European – Yummy Porter
(co-brewed with Ross Winnberg, Nick Stevens, Jim Cotner)
Art Arsenault, Silver, English Barely Wines – This Old Thing
Ron Fitch, Silver, American Porter and Stout – Volstead Remedy
James Henjum, Gold, Specialty Beer – Double Standard

Complete results: https://mnstatefair.brewingcompetitions.com/
(results open in new window)

September 2025 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, September 9th, 7 – 9 p.m. (second Tuesday this month!)

We’ll be back at Falling Knife Brewing (thanks, guys … and thank you always, Tom). Bring your credit card and remember to tip well.

As is often the case with our summer club meetings, the first Tuesday of September is the day after Labor Day. To ease peoples’ schedules coming off the long weekend, and particularly for those who have kids going back to school, we’ll be moving the meeting to the second Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Topic-wise, those of you who picked up hops for the Brew for Good Alpha Kings inter-club comp, bring about 3 bottles-worth of your beer featuring the YCH Cascade hops. New for this year, they’ll only have one entry per club, so we will do a mini-BOS of SPHBC’s beers and pick the best at the Sept meeting. So if you haven’t brewed yet, get going buster.

Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Paying club dues is the hip thing for 2025. The club gets to keep the lights on with mundane things like web hosting and replacement parts for the club gear. Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a competition, there’s a code for a $5 discount on next year’s dues (https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/).

August 2025 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, August 12th, 7 – 9 p.m. (second Tuesday this month!)

We’ll be back at Falling Knife Brewing (thanks, guys … and thank you always, Tom). Bring your credit card and remember to tip well.

Aric will be walking the group through a vertical of Lift Bridge’s Commander, donated courtesy of Amanda and Guillermo.

October’s Brew the Style club challenge is Dark Mild, get planning and brewing for that.

Coming up this fall is a big Norwegian brew redux with friend of the club Ivar Geithung back in town, firing up the Club’s big copper kettle over an open flame. More details forthcoming from Ross. If you have another Big Brew idea, let me know and we can get it going!

Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Paying club dues is the hip thing for 2025. The club gets to keep the lights on with mundane things like web hosting and replacement parts for the club gear. Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a competition, there’s a code for a $5 discount on next year’s dues (https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/).

July 2025 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, July 8th, 7 – 9 p.m.

We’ll be back at Falling Knife Brewing (thanks, guys … and thank you always, Tom). Bring your credit card and remember to tip well.

This month’s meeting will feature Light American Lager (1A). Normally the base for off-flavor kits, we’ll see hout the “Flettromel of Beers” stacks up to the style guidelines.

Last month’s Brew the Style Saison Showdown was a great showing with about 5-6 saisons. Jeremy Olson came home with the first place bragging rights (and a comp’d State Fair entry). Jason is still hoping to relinquish the Beverage Belt, which he hopes to do with the next Brew the Style Dark Mild (13A) challenge in October. If you want to brew an easy drinker with a wide range within the style, give it a shot! You can use some of that brown malt you were always wondering what to do with. The winner gets an entry fee comped at the next competition, probably the Nordeast comp by that time.

The Big Brew system knocked out an American Wheat at Adam’s house. Coming up this fall is a big Norwegian brew redux with friend of the club Ivar Geithung back in town, firing up the Club’s big copper kettle over an open flame. More details forthcoming from Ross. If you have a Big Brew idea, let me know and we can get it going!

Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Paying club dues is the hip new thing for 2025. The club gets to keep the lights on with mundane things like web hosting and replacement parts for the club gear. Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a competition, there’s a code for a $5 discount on next year’s dues (https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/).

June 2025 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, June 3rd, 7 – 9 p.m.

We’ll be back at Falling Knife Brewing (thanks, guys … and thank you, Tom). Bring your credit card and remember to tip well.

This month the Brew the Style victim is Saison. Last place gets to take home the Beverage Belt and the winner gets an entry fee comped at the Fair and bring Saison-styled honor to the family name. If you also brewed a Saison, let Dave know so that he has a rough idea of beers.

May was a busy month for the Big Brew system, with both a Grisette and Czech Porter brewed. In addition to the beer brewed, it was a great opportunity to share brewing techniques and brews. Already on the docket is an American Wheat at a time and location yet to be determined. Even if you didn’t put your hat in the ring to brew in time, there will be more opportunities to use the system. And, you can also drop by and give the brewers ample support, second guessing, or the other direct critiques this club is known for.

Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Paying club dues is the hip new thing for 2025. The club gets to keep the lights on with mundane things like web hosting and replacement parts for the club gear. Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a competition, there’s a code for a $5 discount on next year’s dues (https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/).

May 2025 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, May 6th, 7 – 9 p.m.

We’ll be back at Falling Knife Brewing (thanks, guys … and thank you, Tom).

Katie Brine of Brine’s Fine Honeys will be bringing in some samples of Spanish and other honeys to taste. If you weren’t at Valkyrie’s to try these, you finally get your chance. Great stuff! (This was postponed from the April meeting due to weather – thank you, Katie!).

In May, we have an opportunity to serve homebrew alongside commercial beers at an event called Cheers For Beers to support HeightsNEXT. We’ll be doing this in collaboration with NBA. So far, we have three with room for at least a few more. If you have a great beverage you want to share at the event, bring it to the May meeting and we’ll put it through the ringer. The Cheers For Beers event is Friday, May 16 from 6-9 p.m.

Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Paying club dues is the hip new thing for 2025. The club gets to keep the lights on with mundane things like web hosting and replacement parts for the club gear. Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a competition, there’s a code for a $5 discount on next year’s dues (https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/).

April 2025 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, April 1st, 7 – 9 p.m.

We’ll be back at Falling Knife Brewing.

Bonus topic: Katie Brine of Brine’s Fine Honeys will be bringing in some samples of Spanish and other honeys to taste. If you weren’t at Valkyrie’s to try these, you finally get your chance. Great stuff!

Plus, Talkin’ Saisons.

Why Saison? In the “Brew the Style” club competition at last month’s meeting (Germain Pils), club member Jason Berg took home the “Beverage Belt” which entitled Jason to pick the next style for discussion. Jason picked Saison – which was one style that was dropped during Covid, so a great opportunity to catch up.

In May, we have an opportunity to serve homebrew alongside commercial beers at an event called Cheers For Beers to support HeightsNEXT. We’ll be doing this in collaboration with NBA. So far, we have two with room for at least a few more … more details at the April meeting.

Tom will have a nice selection at Falling Knife as always, so bring your hard earned cash money.

Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Paying club dues is the hip new thing for 2025. The club gets to keep the lights on with mundane things like web hosting and replacement parts for the club gear. Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a competition, there’s a code for a $5 discount on next year’s dues (https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/).

The Results are in … 2025 Midwinter Homebrew Competition (The Finale)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 25th-February 1st, 2025

Mead Best of Show: Steve Fletty, Passionista (M2E: Melomel)

Mead:
Table 42: Fruit Meads – Steve Fletty, Gold, Passionista (M2E: Melomel)

Beer:
Table 8: Porters & Stouts – Ron Fitch, Silver, Volstead Remedy (RIS)

Full Results:
https://midwinterhbc.com/competition/

March 2025 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, March 4th, 7 – 9 p.m.

We’ll be back at Falling Knife Brewing (thanks again, Tommy!).

It’s the March Brew the Style German Pils (5D) showdown. The winner gets a paid entry at a competition (fine print: this offer excludes the exorbitant entry fee for NHC) – last place takes possession of the “Beverage Belt” (literally a fanny pack that stores a 6-pack of cans) until the next Brew the Style, when they can brew something better and hand off the “belt.”

Tom will have a nice selection at Falling Knife as always, so bring your hard earned cash money.

Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Paying club dues is the hip new thing for 2025. The club gets to keep the lights on with mundane things like web hosting and replacement parts for the club gear. Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a competition, there’s a code for a $5 discount on next year’s dues (https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/).