Minhas Craft Brewery
Monroe, WI
Available: AZ, CA. DC, GA, IL, IN, MA, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WA, WI
Minhas Craft Brewery is the second oldest continually operating brewery in the United States since 1845; also the oldest brewery in Midwest. The brewery is the home of the “World of Beer Memorabilia” on permanent exhibit courtesy of Herb & Helen Haydock.
ABV: 6.20
ABW: 4.95
Color: 4.80
Bitterness: 16
Original gravity: 1050
This golden lager is 6.2 percent―a pilsner with boots on! The foam dies quickly; is this to do with the can? It has the typical toasted malt nose of a true lager: The brewers have been around since 1845 so there’s some true European legacy in this beer. There’s a toffee/diacetyl note and a gentle hint of floral hops. Sweet malt leads on the palate but there are balancing notes from light hops. The finish starts sweet but becomes dry and hops make more of an impact while the toffee note returns to give a solid feel at the end. A pleasant and refreshing beer but at that strength I would expect a bit more depth and character. It needs more hop character to balance the malty sweetness that’s a tad cloying.
This beer has a deep gold color under a thin white head; not that you’re likely to notice if you’re drinking from the can. The sweet, fruity aroma is redolent of orange zest―I would not have thought this was a lager. Light bitterness props up a candy-like center and leads to a short finish. I’d somehow expected a pre-Prohibition-style pilsner, but this is its own thing. A bit sweet and estery for me, but try it with shrimp and a sweet chili dipping sauce.
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
Internationally recognized brewer and expert on traditional beer, Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster's Table.
Minhas has been in business for a few years, but the “brewing tradition” since 1845 was the acquired company.