Land of Amber Waters

This post combines two of my favorite things: Beer, and using this little blog to highlight the achievements of people I know.

Just ran across this notice on a new book by Doug Hoverson - who ran cross-country and track with me back "in the day". We were also involved in local politics (Richfield, MN) for a time.

Cheers! From fine lagers to wicked ales—the complete history of brewing in Minnesota told here for the first time.

For centuries, brewmasters both professional and homegrown have pursued the perfect pour—a delectable combination of barley, yeast, water, and hops—and few states can claim as devoted a relationship to beer as Minnesota. For a time it seemed that every town had its brewery and a beer garden was a highlight of every local celebration. Dedicated home brewers and casual pub crawlers alike will be amazed by the tales of Minnesota beers and breweries featured in Land of Amber Waters.

Starting with its first brewery in 1849, Doug Hoverson tells the story of the state’s beer industry from the small-town breweries that gave way to larger companies with regional and national prominence (including Hamm’s, Grain Belt, and Schell’s) to the vibrant beer culture of today, led by a new wave of breweries such as Summit, Lake Superior Brewing Co., and Surly, as well as brewpubs like Town Hall Brewery, Fitger’s, and Granite City Brewpub, sustained by microbreweries, home brewers, and beer aficionados.

From the first illegal brewer at Fort Snelling to the craft brewers and major companies of today, nearly 300 breweries have opened and operated at one time or another in 125 cities and towns around the state. Complete with a comprehensive list of Minnesota’s breweries—including many never before listed in print—and more than 300 tempting illustrations of beer and breweriana, Land of Amber Waters marvelously chronicles Minnesota’s rich brewing traditions.

Now I can add Doug to a growing list of famous Richfield High School grads that I actually know/knew including The Legendary Jim Ruiz and Miss Richfield 1981 - I was class of 1980.