I'm Surly for Surly

Back in my Minnesota days, I would bemoan my lot in life from a beer perspective. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a beer snob. Not a "reading the Beer Advocate" snob but after four years of living in St. Louis and drinking more Budweiser products than I could possibly imagine, I prefer the taste of a good beer. Having lived out in Oregon, I was used to a fantastic supply of micro brews all available as close as my grocery store. Imagine my surprise when I reached Minnesota. While micro brews were still available, the diversity of selection and ease of acquisition were both at a much lesser level than in the northwest.

Imagine my surprise then upon my return to Minnesota. Our friends Alex and Seth had turned us on to Surly beer. Led by Omar Ansari, a former ultimate teammate of Becca's, Surly was just getting off the ground and at that point was only available in a few taps in town. Needless to say they've taken the beer world by storm (securing Brewery of the Year from the aforementioned Beer Advocate and even a mention in the WSJ) and while they are still only available in Minneapolis and a few select spots in Chicago, we have been lucky enough to secure a few cans for the Davis household. In short, they make damn good beer and I wish it was here.

So despite being back in Oregon where I can find nearly any beer known to man, I find myself longing for that which I cannot have. I never thought I'd miss drinking Minnesota beers but with the emergence of Surly, I have to add that to the list of things I miss (All of our Friends, the State Fair, tailgating for Vikings games in subzero temps, etc.).

So if you're ever in Minneapolis, look the guys at Surly up. It is worth the trip. And for the native Minnesotans, drink more Surly!

BD

PS Surly's website: http://www.surlybrewing.com/