Brau Brothers Brewing Company - Moo Joos

Moo Joos is the flagship beer for Brau Brothers, accounting for over 40% of their annual production! Named after a childhood reference to chocolate milk, Moo Joos is a fusion of two classic beer styles: Milk Stout and Oatmeal Stout. Toasted and Flaked oats are implemented to provide backbone and an oily slick mouthfeel, while milk sugar (lactose) provides a creamy, sweet essence that balances with layered roasted and toasted malts. Brau Brothers uses a low-attenuating British-style yeast strain which ferments out quick and warm, leaving a lot of residual sweetness and a full body. Pouring a very dark brown with plenty of foam, MooJoos offers notes of dark stone fruit, cocoa and dark chocolate, with hints of caramel and creamy coffee. The brewery recommends treating this brew like a Zinfandel; match it with red meats, barbecue, and savory entrees. The beer also makes a perfect pairing with desserts such as black forest cake, tiramisu, and chocolate mousse. 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 visit them at braubeer.com.