Surly Crafts Special New Brews in Brooklyn Center
Ever since Surly Brewing opened its destination brewery in Minneapolis, you may not have noticed what’s happening at its original facility in Brooklyn Center. There’s excitement there too. It’s where top-secret brewing is taking place, and our CCX News cameras got a sneak peak
“It’s amazing to have this facility still,” said Ben Smith, one of the head brewers at Surly in Brooklyn Center. “There’s a lot of history here, a lot of great energy too.”
If you don’t recall the Surly story, Brooklyn Center is where it all began in 2006. Omar Ansari converted his father’s abrasives metal business into a brewery. Fast forward to today, there’s people with lab coats and a room that says “Danger: Science in Progress.”
Riley Seitz is in charge of quality control. She makes sure that beer that gets shipped out is up to Surly standards.
“We do a lot of microbiological testing of our beer,” said Seitz. “Consistency is key,”
She added, “This is to make sure Furious tastes like Furious when it hits the shelves.”
Where New Surly Beers Are Created
While the company’s Minneapolis facility brews core brands like Furious, Hell and Xtra-Citra, the Brooklyn Center location is where the magic happens and new beers are created.
“Most of the brands you’re still drinking out there are still brewed at this facility,” said Smith.
Smith gave us a sneak peak of what’s to come, including BAOW! which stands for barrel-aged oat wine. Surly is also releasing small batches of limited edition beers called its “BC Small Batch” in honor of its Brooklyn Center roots.
“It’s kind of way to be a little more creative, have a little less risk, be able to do some things that are a little more outside the box than what we’ve been doing the past couple years,” said Smith.
From Fruit Infusion to a Beer for Wine Lovers
The BC Small Batch releases include came a pale ale brewed with lemon and grapefruit called Zest Crazed.
“You’re going to get a little bit of bitterness from the zest. You still get a really nice citrus character,” said Smith.
And the legion of Surly followers will be happy to know two new beers will reach stores July 2. One of them is called Mosaic Kettle Sour, with has a tropical fruit flavor.
“I’m excited about that one,” said Smith, a little bit of tartness, but not so tart that it rips the enamel off your teeth.”
And the other new release is one wine lovers can enjoy called Rosé Lager. Smith, himself, is a big wine drinker and a rosé fan.
“It’s very dry, we use a lager yeast, and finish with a champagne yeast and we use just a hint of black currant and strawberry purees to give it that essence you get in a nice rosé.”
Even if you don’t like beer, you can’t help but appreciate the art of making a new brew. And knowing what’s happening inside surly’s original home is the key to future beers.
“I think it gives a lot of perspective to why people are so excited about Surly, kind of our grassroots,” said Smith.
Surly Tours Return to Brooklyn Center
And here’s what else is new: the Brooklyn Center facility has resumed tours. They are free and take place the fourth Friday of every month, including this friday. You can sign up on Surly’s website. And yes, free beer samples are part of the tour. Surly asks attendees to bring a nonperishable food donation to support local food shelves.
