Brau Brothers Brewing Company - No Wahala

This “tropical IPA,” as Brau Brothers has appropriately dubbed it, pours a very hazy light amber with a robust head of light beige foam. Look for a complex and layered fruity aroma offering notes of tropical fruits, berries, stone fruits, and citrus, along with secondary herbal touches of pine, all overlaid upon a caramel undertone. The fruitiness really explodes in the flavor with just tons of juiciness evoking tropical fruits and apricot-like stone fruits, bolstered by some light berry-like impressions and candied citrus. A super smooth and creamy malt backbone provides robust support, delivering plenty of honeyed and caramelized notes with moderate sweetness. The brewers have incorporated some toasted coconut, which adds a hint of toastiness while augmenting this hazy IPA’s tropical character. As with most hazy New England-style IPAs, the perceived bitterness balances the beer’s sweeter notes without being overly assertive, making for a delicious and approachable IPA. For pairing options, we’d look to fruity dishes like orange peel chicken or beef, apricot glazed pork chops, or Hawaiian barbecue. 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.