Beer Snob

​Boundary Waters Box: Summit brings one back, adds a new beer

June 28th, 2017

If you plan on celebrating the Fourth of July with friends and family in Minnesota lakes country, the new Boundary Waters Box twelve-pack sampler by Summit Brewing is a worthy companion for any of your summer adventures.

Newly released this spring, it brings two special beers alongside Summit’s most iconic summer beers, and is boxed up in a package of cans that features new summer-themed art in an easy-open box.

Both the cans themselves and the Boundary Waters Box are loaded with…

Read more...


​Take a break from bitter with fruit beers

June 21st, 2017

Here in the upper midwest we love the summer season for so many different reasons but two of the big reasons I love summer are fresh produce and being outside with a beer in my hand. Sometimes, when I’m spending the day in the hot sun, bringing both together with a refreshing beer brewed with fresh fruit can not only quench my thirst quite well but often serves as a way to give my palate a break from all the bright and bitter hops that are usually part of my summer sippers. Not all…

Read more...


Back in time for a limited time: it’s Zima!

June 14th, 2017

Riding a double wave of nostalgia and clear beverages, the “original” clear malt beverage Zima is making a very limited comeback this summer. Inspired by the recent success of new flavored and mostly clear alcoholic malt beverages like Henry’s sparkling sodas, Truly, Spiked Seltzer and Smirnoff sparkling sodas, MillerCoors is bringing back a beverage that has, for the most part, been gone from the shelves for nearly 20 years so let’s turn back the clock and give some history of…

Read more...


​Summer wine season means a variety of rosé

June 7th, 2017

One of the true pleasures of spending nearly two decades in the local beverage industry is that I have seen so many changes within our market over the years. Driven by a strong local food movement, an influx of local breweries, wineries and even a distillery, the adult beverage crowd has begun to elevate their tastebuds.

Thankfully, our great local distributors have responded to this elevation of the wine, beer and spirits scene with a new abundance of great products and this year, good…

Read more...


​Fargo Brewing launches RedHawks Red Lager

May 31st, 2017

North Dakota’s largest and oldest brewery, Fargo Brewing Company, has proudly announced a new collaboration brew with the F-M RedHawks baseball team.

While it is only available at the F-M Redhawks stadium, Newman Outdoor field, fans of beer and baseball will be able to get it on tap as well as purchase a limited edition commemorative can at the Fargo Brewing beer stand.

The can art features a large baseball with the beer name and team uniform logo on it and a prominent picture of…

Read more...


Drekker adds cans to its lineup of packaged beers

May 24th, 2017

This Memorial Day weekend, thousands of hands will be reaching into icy cold coolers for a refreshing beer to wet the whistle.

Mark Bjornstad, co-founder and president of Drekker Brewing Company hopes that at least once during the first holiday weekend of the summer you are raising a beautiful 16 oz can of Drekker beer and giving out a hearty “Skål!” That’s right, folks, for the first time ever, Drekker beer is now available in a variety of different four packs of some of the…

Read more...


​Drumconrath: A wee bit of Ireland in Mapleton

May 17th, 2017

Late in March, just barely missing the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Drumconrath opened the doors to their brewery and taproom in the rapidly growing community of Mapleton.

For Mapleton locals, being able to catch up with old neighbors or meet new ones while drinking a pint of great beer that was brewed in their own town is not only a new source of pride but also something that has never been legal in Mapleton since prohibition ended.

And while his laid back demeanor and humble persona…

Read more...


​Junkyard Brewing now available in off-sales

May 10th, 2017

There are certain brewery names that are constantly requested by customers in the local metro area. Many of them, like New Glarus, Yuengling, and Dogfish Head will probably never become available for purchase at your local retailers, though these days we have been seeing more and more of the commonly requested breweries launching into the local market.

While it’s always great to see some heavy hitters giving our smaller market a bit of attention, we really love our local beer and…

Read more...


​Mezcal: Tequila’s history makes a comeback

May 3rd, 2017

Until very recently, there was probably only one option for those who were interested in tasting non-tequila mezcal. The Mexican heritage spirit that was responsible for the creation of the subcategory of tequila was very poorly represented most places, but especially in North Dakota.

For many of us in this part of the world, the only non-tequila mezcal we knew had that nasty little worm in the bottom of the bottle and was typically purchased as a gag gift or a dare.

That is very rapidly…

Read more...


​Cooking with beer (not just in your hand)

April 26th, 2017

If you are at all like me, you have been itching to fire up the grill and get down to some outdoor cooking. If you and I are really alike, you probably almost always have a beer in one hand when there’s a grilling utensil in the other. Why not be a bit adventurous and add some extra flavor to your food by cooking with beer?

There are countless different ways to enhance your culinary creations with the flavors of your favorite beers, and searching online will easily yield a wide…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry P&P Tracker Pixel for Entry EmpireAUG2021 Tracker Pixel for Entry 7Clans Tracker Pixel for Entry farrms Tracker Pixel for Entry Blackbird Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem2

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Rodeo is a family tradition for sisters Kate and Tera Flitton. The duo performs under the moniker Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls. The Utah natives will be performing along with bareback riders,…

Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m. doors open at 7 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, FargoCheck out this cult classic on the big screen as a live band performs along with David Bowie’s vocals, all while basking in the Art Deco glory…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA column on How Trumusklicans are trying to change historyIt took William L. Shirer a couple decades to write and then publish “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany,”…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Photos by Rick GionLiving in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comTelling Queer History is an LGBTQIA+ organization that utilizes oral storytelling and community building to educate, honor and collect oral histories. To honor its final year in operation, the …

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com Somewhere lost in the cultural scuffle of what it means to be transgender is that it is an absolute joy to experience the world in such a way. When you take away the societal prejudice and…

By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…