Brau Brothers Brewing Company - 3 Trees IPA

Named after iconic maple trees at the Brau Brothers brewery, and representing the brewery’s first true IPA they have ever bottled, 3 Trees presents a lightly hazy copper-amber color with a head of off-white foam as it rests in our glass. On the nose, look for this IPA to present prominent tropical and citrus aromas conjuring notes of juicy mango, candied orange, and grapefruit zest alongside hints of stone fruits and some perfumed floral and spiced qualities. On the palate, there’s an ample dose of caramelization in the malty backbone of this brew, along with some toasted grain, but it’s those hops that dominate with bright notes of resinous citrus zest and a certain herbaceous tone. To us, the tropical notes take a secondary role here, along with some grassiness, and the hop bitterness easily counters and dries out a touch of malt sweetness. For pairing options, roasted meats with a citrus glaze sound good to us, as does a burger with thick-cut bacon and a fruity barbecue sauce. Cheers!

Straight out of college in 1999, Dustin Brau and his wife, Mary, bought a restaurant in the small town of Lucan, MN (approx. 200 residents), which they named BrauHaus. In order to attract more of the local population to come enjoy a meal in town, the duo decided to begin offering their very own BrauHaus beers made on-premises, thus turning their homebrewing hobby into a legitimate microbrewery. Their tiny 2-barrel system was barely enough to keep up with the demand of their restaurant, so in 2006 they moved their beer production to a larger building in Lucan. It was at this time that Dustin's brothers, Trevor and Brady, joined the enterprise, and their father, Dale, joined in to help too. With space to brew more beer, the team could now take the business to the next level. Brau Brothers Brewing Company was officially founded. A bottling line was installed and their beer began flowing out of the town of Lucan to retail accounts throughout the area. Additionally, they began farming their own hops and barley on a few acres of nearby land.

In 2013, an even bigger step was taken when Brau Brothers moved to an even larger facility in the city of Marshall, several miles to the west. BrauHaus was closed in order to focus entirely on the brewing company, which now enjoys 37,000 square feet of space, 3,500 of which is devoted to barrel-aging, allowing Brau Brothers to produce a wider variety of beers, including sours, not to mention their own line of sodas. The brewery's Tap Room offers over two dozen taps and, in addition to providing tasty pub fare including burgers, pizza, and sandwiches, also offers growler fills so visitors can take plenty of beer home with them. For more info, contact them at 507-929-BEER, or visit www.braubeer.com.