As Craft Beer Week unfolds in Rochester and surrounding areas, local breweries are marking the occasion with special releases that underscore both innovation and community connection within the Med City’s craft brewing scene.
At Forager Brewery, the spotlight is on the release of Nillerzzzzz 8, the eighth iteration of its widely acclaimed stout. In the bustling space tucked between the brewpub’s bar and kitchen, Cellar Master Jake Ryan and his team are bottling approximately 350 units of the barrel-aged beer—a process that highlights the brewery’s meticulous attention to quality.
“The cellar master entails a lot of the cold side of things,” said Ryan, explaining his role in overseeing fermentation and final preparations. This year’s version of Nillerzzzzz continues the tradition of using multiple vanilla bean varieties and aging the beer in whiskey barrels, a formula that has earned it top rankings in Minnesota three years in a row, according to beverage publication VinePair.
“This beer has been very near and dear to our hearts,” said Ryan. “It’s very well regarded both locally and internationally.”
The annual release has become a draw for beer enthusiasts, who often line up outside the brewery ahead of opening. This year’s launch, set for Saturday, coincides with Craft Beer Week—making it an even more meaningful moment for staff and patrons alike.
Across town at Little Thistle Brewing, another much-anticipated release is underway. Co-owner Steve Finnie is preparing to unveil this year’s version of the brewery’s Pride collaboration beer, Slay All Day—an all-Citra hazy IPA known for its bold citrus and tropical flavors.
“Hazy IPAs are one of the most popular beers right now,” said Finnie. “This is a beer just to celebrate the whole week, the whole event.”
Both brewers agree that Craft Beer Week is not just about beverages, but about building and honoring the culture that surrounds them.
“Beer can really be that vehicle to bring people together,” said Finnie, highlighting the community-oriented spirit of local brewing.
Ryan added that craft beer offers a chance to elevate the familiar and challenge traditional norms. “Everybody knows what a Miller High Life or a Coors Lite is,” he said. “For me, craft beer is the elevation of that.”
Despite the celebration, challenges persist in the industry. Rising material costs, brewing restrictions, and tightening consumer spending have tested local brewers. In Rochester, a city with five breweries, standing out remains key to long-term success.
“The identity of each brewery is different,” said Finnie, emphasizing the importance of differentiation.
Still, both brewers highlighted a rare advantage: collaboration over competition.
“Being able to find those niches while being able to elevate everyone else is a huge thing and a huge advantage for us in Rochester,” Ryan noted.
Craft Beer Week runs through Sunday, with events and limited releases planned across Rochester’s brewery circuit, continuing to spotlight the creativity and camaraderie at the heart of the city’s craft beer culture.
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