The Blog

"Go West, young man, go West." They say if you want a job done well, you’ve got to do it yourself. When it comes to selecting hops, the little green cones with the one-two punch of flavor and aroma, getting that job done right is essential to brewing our signature beers. To smell, touch, taste, and see the year’s crop of hops is why Indeed co-founders Tom Whisenand and Nathan Berndt, and head brewer Josh Bischoff, traveled to Washington state for this year’s lush, fragrant, colorful hop harvest.

Washington’s Yakima Valley is the epicenter of hop growing and processing, thanks to its ideal climate and long, well-established production history; they boast by far the largest percentage of hops grown in the United States. If it’s such a well-oiled machine, why bother making the trip before placing your order? As Director of Operations Tom Whisenand explains, “Like any agricultural product, the quality and characteristics of hop crops will vary from field to field, grower to grower, this side of the river to that side of the river. Selecting in person ensures that we get the hops that best match what we are looking for in each variety.” And this in turn ensures that the Day Tripper you sip today will taste like the Day Tripper you drink a year from now.

Another highly anticipated, highly unpredictable, but wholly worth-it part of the hop harvest is the opportunity to send back unprocessed hops to be brewed into very small batches of fresh hop beer. New to fresh hop beer? Head brewer Josh Bischoff's got you covered with a quick primer: "[Fresh hop] is a beer made with hops fresh off the vine that have not been dried or processed.  Even with great care in processing hops you do lose some oils and character of the non-processed hop. Part of what makes fresh hop beers special is you only have a small window to use the hops once they are harvested, ideally within hours, and [the hops] are only harvested once a year over the course of a few weeks." If this all sounds risky and high-stakes, it is, but the final product warrants the extra effort!

This year's fresh hop beer went off with nearly nary a hitch, and we're lucky to be tapping into the Mosaic Fresh Hop this evening in the taproom, and at both Red Cow locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul! But things don't always go so smoothly: there's an extreme time crunch from the moment the hops are harvested, then trucked on a dedicated refrigerated truck, and finally received miles away at the brewery before they're brewed into beer.

As Tom puts it, "A fresh hop beer is a logistical nightmare but what is delivered in the final product is something extremely special." Run, don't walk, to the nearest source; once this year's batch is gone, it'll be a long wait for another taste. This is as fresh, fragrant, and fleeting as it gets, so get your hands on some today.

When that “little nip” in the air turns into a full-on chill, what’s better than a quick warm up from the inside out courtesy of some gooey, melty, cheesy comfort food and a pint of seasonal beer? Try Bryant Lake Bowl’s version of Welsh rarebit on for size: the beer is in the cheese. Made with Sweet Yamma Jamma, it’s the second dish of The Kids’ Table (All Grown Up), our foray into fall cooking with our seasonal sweet potato ale.

Sweet and savory caramelized onions meet oven-toasted baguette, and for those folks playing at home, this might be the perfect time to layer on some crisped bacon or ham. Pour on a Sweet Yamma Jamma beer-cheese sauce brimming with a smoky-salty-tangy mix of cheddar, Parmesan, and smoked Gouda, sweet paprika and a faint kick of cayenne, and you’ve got yourself the fixings for the ultimate ease-into-autumn bite.

Enjoy at Bryant Lake Bowl, starting Monday September 15th through Sunday September 28th, or try your hand at Sweet Yamma Jamma Rarebit at your house. Good bread, good cheese, good beer: you can’t lose! (And we know you want to “win” your next Friendsgiving potluck.)

Sweet Yamma Jamma Rarebit, from the Bryant Lake Bowl kitchen

Makes 12 pieces, 3-6 snack sized servings

(1½  hours of prep, mostly unattended)

• 1 cup clarified butter
• 1 cup peeled fresh garlic cloves
• 3 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole or 2% milk
• 1 cup Yamma Jamma
• 1 tsp sweet paprika, plus more for dusting
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• 1 pinch ground white pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar
• ½ cup shredded smoked Gouda
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 1 crusty baguette

Place the butter and the garlic cloves in a small saucepan; cook over low heat until the garlic is completely soft and sweet (about 40-50 minutes). Remove garlic and reserved for another use.

Reserved ¼ c of the (now) garlic flavored butter and in a wide bottom fry pan cook the onions on medium heat until really well caramelized. Stir in salt. Reserve caramelized onion.

In a heavy bottom saucepan (1 ½ quarts or larger), place the reserved ¼ cup garlic flavored butter, stir in the flour well, and cook on low heat, stirring from time to time for at least 10 minutes (but do not brown the flour/butter mixture). Whisk in the milk until smooth and bring to a boil, stirring. Whisk in the Sweet Yamma Jamma until smooth, then whisk in the paprika, cayenne, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and continue stirring for 5 minutes.

Stir in the Cheddar first, followed by the Gouda and finally the Parmesan. Add salt to taste, if needed, being careful not to oversalt the already salty cheese mixture.

Preheat oven to 425 F and line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment or foil and slice the baguette into long diagonal slices about ½ inch thick.  Arrange the bread on the sheet pan and toast in oven until lightly brown, turning each slice over to brown both sides.  Divide the caramelized onions between the toasts and coat generously with the Yamma Jamma cheese sauce.  Place the pan back in the oven until the sauce is bubbly and beginning to brown.  Alternately, this step can be done under your broiler.  Dust the top with additional paprika.

Serve on a warm platter piping hot with a pint of Sweet Yamma Jamma on the side. Cooked bacon or ham may be placed between the toast and the sauce along with the caramelized onions.

When it comes to giving back, there are gestures big and small. Take our bike pump, mounted outside of the taproom’s patio gate for our two-wheeling guests. That’s one small thing we can do to encourage folks to bike over for a pint of freshly tapped craft beer: it’s fun, economical, and when done safely, good for the body. Then there are the big things we at Indeed Brewing can do, like hosting the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) here in the taproom as part of ‘Indeed We Can’ on Wednesday September 24th! If you haven't heard the word on 'Indeed We Can,' it's our charitable giving program, with which we welcome employee-selected nonprofits to our taproom for a night and donate the proceeds to their chosen cause.

The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota is dedicated to making Minnesota a more bike-friendly state through education and advocacy, and was selected for ‘Indeed We Can’ by Indeed Brewing Company co-founder Nathan Berndt. When asked why he chose BikeMN, he told us, “Growing up, I competed in both mountain and road racing, and worked as professional bicycle mechanic for almost ten years. As more and more people ride bike, there is a need for safety, educating and re-educating both bicyclists, motorists, and pedestrians about sharing the road, obeying traffic signals, and safety.”

Here in Minnesota we love our bikes, and we love enjoying the great outdoors on two wheels. The next step is to make sure we’re doing so safely, with the help of groups like the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. Join us in the taproom (by bike, if you please!) on Wednesday September 24th from 3pm - 11pm. Representatives from BikeMN will be here, too, performing free bike inspections and minor adjustments, sharing their vision of a safe and inclusive bike culture in our state, and of course, enjoying Indeed beer along with you.

In addition to BikeMN’s 'Indeed We Can' Wednesday, we’ve got a few other evenings planned:

• Affinity Plus Foundation, Wednesday October 8. Chosen by Ben Hering
• Center for Victims of Torture, Wednesday October 29. Chosen by Adam Burgstede

Save the dates! We'll see you in the taproom. #ColdBeerWarmFuzzies #IndeedWeCan

Bidding farewell to the bared skin and UV rays of summer can be hard, but remember: sweater weather means you can cover up and chow down on all the comfort food and drink fall brings. Toss those jorts aside and shimmy into something a little more comfortable with Sweet Yamma Jamma, Indeed’s seasonal spiced sweet potato ale.

We’re teaming up with four local Minneapolis eateries to bring you a taste of fall, crafted with our versatile, culinary-minded Sweet Yamma Jamma. Indeed Brewing Company, joined by Tiny Diner, Bryant Lake Bowl, Pat’s Tap, and Red Stag Supper Club, is proud to present: The Kids’ Table (All Grown Up), the beer-soaked holiday dinner you actually want to attend!

The chef behind each of the four restaurants has developed a recipe using Sweet Yamma Jamma as an ingredient, which will pop up on menus in consecutive two week installments, culminating in a three-course prix fixe harvest-inspired menu at the Red Stag Supper Club. Recipes from each restaurant will be available on our blog, and in select liquor stores where Sweet Yamma Jamma is sold, to help you prepare your own Thanksgiving feast at home.

First up is Tiny Diner, presenting Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sweet Yamma Jamma-braised Collard Greens, on the menu between September 1st and September 14th. In their own words, “The Tiny Diner and Farm is a small place with big ideas. We believe it’s the little things that count, so we’re creating menus with as many local foods as we can, including the stuff we grow ourselves.” Local beer meets local food to create a seasonal, sustainable dish you’ll want to savor while you can. We’ll meet you at Tiny Diner!

Sweet potato gnocchi with Sweet Yamma Jamma-braised collard greens, from the Tiny Diner kitchen

Sweet potato gnocchi:

• 1 pound of potatoes, roughly half Idaho potato, half sweet potato
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese- grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

With a fork, poke holes in the potatoes, and place them on top of a bed of salt. Cover and bake for roughly 2 hours. When they are fork tender, peel off the skin and pass them through a food mill (preferred and most reliable method), or grate them over the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. While potatoes are hot, add in the cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary. Fold in half the flour, mix, then add the rest of the flour. Do not over mix, dough should be slightly firm. Roll out into a rope and cut into bite-size pieces.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Turn the water down to a simmer, and add the gnocchi. Cook a small amount of gnocchi at a time, letting the gnocchi simmer for about a minute. Once the minute is up, tossed the gnocchi onto an oiled sheet pan or plate. Use within 5 days or freeze up to a month.

Indeed Sweet Yamma Jamma-braised collard greens:

• 1 onion, small diced
• 3 shallots, minced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 5 lbs collard greens, chopped
• 2 cans Indeed Sweet Yamma Jamma (sweet potato ale brewed with spices)
• Vegetable stock, homemade or low-sodium if store bought, to cover
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Sweat onions with garlic and shallots, then add the tomatoes, collard greens, Sweet Yamma Jamma, and enough vegetable stock to cover everything by an inch or so. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Top your sweet potato gnocchi with braised greens and broth.

Whoever said less is more never had to give up a front row spot at a long-anticipated show to battle the masses at the bar. Now, with the release of Indeed Day Tripper tallboy cans, folks won’t have to miss a beat.

The first chance to grab a canned pint of Day Tripper will be at First Avenue’s Main Room, where the Black Lips will be playing on Wednesday September 17th, with special guest The King Kahn & BBQ Show. Both bands boast unique yet similar takes on garage rock, and are notorious in the punk scene for their often wild, always unforgettable live performances.

Indeed Brewing Company is thrilled to be partnering with such a storied venue as First Avenue and this particular lineup of innovative, energetic, and talented bands to release this new product. “There’s nothing like a cold tallboy of craft beer at a show,” says Indeed co-founder Nathan Berndt. “It’s an enhanced experience, one Indeed hopes to spread around the Twin Cities’ wealth of live entertainment venues with the addition of Day Tripper tallboys.”

Indeed Day Tripper tallboy cans will be available exclusively at First Avenue on September 17th. Beyond the release at First Avenue, look for tallboys to be popping up in select Twin Cities music, theater, sports and stadium venues. More is officially more, so go big with Day Tripper tallboys, then go home safely, with a planned sober ride.