Summit Brewing Company- Tour and Tasting
A group of 7 other beer loving individuals and I visited this neighborhood staple for another glimpse into the brewing process and of course, a free tasting. Overall the facility is impressive; extremely clean and spacious. The craft brewery is not in operation on the weekend, but we were able to see where each wort is boiled, yeast ferments and the brew is bottled. Our tour guide was rather uninformed, but it was his last day on the job and may have been doing some sampling of his own. A cool fact is that all tours are given by volunteers who are paid in free cases of beer- a fun way for aficianados to connect and get the hook-up.

The Summit brand has been in production in Saint Paul for twenties years and is now served in bars and liquor stores across the midwest. Their signature brew, the EPA, leads diverse list of selections that also includes a Pilsner, an IPA and a Porter amongst other seasonal options. I was not overly impressed with their year-round options. However, their limited release Oatmeal Stout, brewed with caramel and dark malts, was highly rich in flavor.

If you're around the Twin Cities checkout the tour for yourself. They ask that you call ahead for a weekend reservation. More Information: SUMMIT BREWERY TOUR

Concert Review: The Killers. Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Saint Paul, MN. 5/15/07

Updated with video clip 5.21.07
Several months after the release of their sophomore album "Sams Town", the Killers returned to the Twin Cities. The venue is one where there really isn't a bad seat in the house so our view was great. The show began with "Sam's Town", which opened the night at a frenzied pace. Next up was the first single from Sams Town, "When You Were Young". The two hyper-paced tracks made for a well-calculated start to the concert. The crowd, ranging from 10 years old to 45, seemed to take longer than usual to let loose, but a few songs in "Mr. Brightside" drew the audience to their feet and connected both young and old in a singing session with frontman Brandon Flowers. Flowers was a true showman throughout the night and proved his talents across the best of both Sams Town and their debut album Hot Fuss.

The Killers opened their Saint Paul, MN concert at Roy Wilkins Auditorium with the title track from their latest album, "Sam's Town". Here is a clip I recorded as the show opened. The audio was poor so I dubbed the track over the video and tossed in a few pictures I took at the concert. Music hits around 1:14.

The rockers saved their most crowd friendly song for last as they finished the performace with "All These Things that I've Done". Every soul in the building was stomping their feet and clapping their hands when the "I've got soul, but I'm not a solider" chant hit. The moment was one of the better audience participation sessions I've been a part of, specifically when Flowers lowered his mic and let the thousands in the seats handle his job.

All-in-all the show was more than worth the ticket. In my experience, the energy of the Killers is hard to match and flowers is a truly individual performer with the vocals and passion to help this band withstand the unforgiving music industry. Sams Town is distinctly different from Hot Fuss, and seems to show the group's willingness to maintain their uniqueness while taking a progressive attitude with their sound. In listening to both albums, they really do not put out a bad song. If that is a sign of things to come then audiences can only expect their library of hits to grow and their concerts to become an even more comprehensive music experience.

Wednesday Night Fights

I Attended my first live boxing event yesterday and from just one experience I can understand why people who love the sport are sad to see it's decline over the last decade. The main event featured Saint Paul native Jason Litzau who, at 23, weighs in at 129 lbs and is the 11th ranked featherweight in the world. Coming off his first career loss on HBO, Litzau returned to the ring in front of a modest crowd and a live national audience on ESPN2.




Not knowing what to expect, a friend and I forked over $22 for a great front row balcony seat and sat back with a beer. After the first two fights I was already convinced that boxing was an entirely different and much more enjoyable experience live and that there is no way I would ever willingly take the beatings that these guys do. Litzau's fight revealed his cockiness and unwillingness to be a refined fighter. This kid just threw haymakers and was lucky to get out of the way of his opponents well-timed combos. If it wasn't for a late round surge, the "American Boy" would have left his birthplace embarrassed. Instead he got a few great hits in and left acting as though he was the best fighter on the planet.

Turns out the guy has reputation for being a bit too cocky and doesn't know how to block a punch. These clips tell that story. Clip 1- an interview in which his self absorption shines (and his stupidity) and clip 2- him getting knocked out while not covering up in the aforementioned HBO fight shortly after that interview. Gotta see the irony in the fact that he is trying to use the All-American image to fight and lose battles with foreigners.




Overall I found a new respect for boxing and shared a gut-busting laugh with the rest of the crowd when one of the ring card girls broke her high heel and went crashing to the mat. If a pro event comes anywhere near your city I would recommend attending. It's a whole new level of shock to see exactly how hard those punches are being thrown and the tolerance level of a fighter. Plus boxing crowds are a unique crossbread of individuals and personalities, not to mention gorgeous women, so if the fights suck you can always watch the audience.

You can catch ESPN's rebroadcast of the Saint Paul event this Friday. Check your local listings for exact details.

The next big fight, and what is being touted by some as the last big fight, in the boxing world is Oscar De La Hoya v. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. live on PPV May 5th. Plenty of bars will have the fight for free so if this post has made anyone interested you should check it out.

*The pics above are off of my phone (quality = poor).