Arriving at Haggard Barrel Brewing Co. at 6:30 a.m. that Saturday morning, my mission had been simple: shadow a professional brewer using industrial equipment, do some backbreaking labor and gain a better appreciation of the process. An errant gasket changed that. But as a result, I saw a different side of what makes brewing so difficult — and what makes the craft beer community so unique.
Tag: James Figy
Paddlefish Brewing Co. opened in January 2024 in St. Peter, Minnesota. It's a community-focused taproom with brews for craft connoisseurs as well as light beer lovers.
Kölsch may be related to the other beers of the Rhine valley — Dortmunder export and the Altbiers of Dusseldorf. However, unlike those cousins to the north, Kölsch is truly part of the city’s culture.
What is a pumpkin ale really? They often get lumped into the PSL trend, but should it be? Let's talk to the brewer at Saint Paul Brewing. maker of the Mummy Train pumpkin ale, to find out.
So many of us are staying at home to help limit the spread of COVID-19, and a lot of our to-read book piles are slowly shrinking. Quarantine is very important for flattening the curve, but it's definitely rough on local bookshops, which must remain closed to the public in Minnesota for now. Since libraries are … Continue reading Twin Cities bookstores that can help you get lit even during quarantine
Yesterday, I covered the Mooresville fireworks celebration at Pioneer Park. I did this last year, too, when I was an intern for The Reporter-Times. But this year they didn't need a story, just photos. Since I was simply taking photos, I wanted to get some good shots. But there was one shot in particular that I … Continue reading O say can you see…?
The day I saw the hives, Stephanie and I swapped bee stories. Honeybee facts, statistics, jargon—this was our dinner conversation, while everyone else in the restaurant talked about the Pacers or something. We were eating Thai food that was abnormally hot. Yes, I know that Thai is known to be spicy, but this was so … Continue reading The Bee’s Knees
Robert Neal is a tall mountain of a man with booming voice and intense eyes. The first time that I saw Robert, he had a big black beard, long coat and overlarge pirate hat. He was playing Orsino in the strangest production of "Twelfth Night" that I've ever seen. (So, I guess, the weirder of two productions.) … Continue reading Robert Neal—actor and professor
If I say something stupid, which does happen, I prefer to be in the company of friends. Not famous people. But when I met Nikki Giovanni, I said something pretty stupid. Nikki was speaking for a diversity lecture at UIndy, and she kept bringing up Kurt Vonnegut, a personal hero of mine. So I recommended: "If you're … Continue reading Nikki Giovanni on Kurt Vonnegut and Antarctica
When I was an intern at Metonymy Media, I wrote a lot of blogs. Some were about cars or travel, and some were about other things that I had more or less interest in. But one of my favorite blogs was one I wrote about a trip that I took to the Emily Dickinson House in … Continue reading That time I visited Emily Dickinson’s house
James Figy 