Brewery of the Month – July 2017
Written by Alex T. – Happy Harry’s Brew Crew
For those who don’t know, Drekker is one of Fargo’s very own breweries. They are located in the heart of Downtown on 1st Ave., just a few doors down from the Wurst Beer Hall, and they first opened their doors late 2014.
Drekker Brewing pays tribute to the Nordic background that makes up a good part of the region. Their logo features a Viking, their beers and artwork are linked to their roots, and their name “Drekker” is derived from the heritage. Here is the founder’s description of where the word comes from.
drek’ker: A completely made up word based on a combination of the Old Norse words “drekka” which means to drink, “drykkr” which means draft drink and “drakkar,” the name for the feared dragon-headed longships that ruled the rivers and seas of Europe during the Viking Age.
Drekker was founded by Mark Bjornstad, Darin Montplaisir, Jesse Feigum, and Mason Montplaisir. All four share a love for beer and each one brings a certain skill to the table to keep Drekker running smoothly. Mark is the scientist behind the beer to keep it consistently tasting great, Darin is the head brewer, Jesse oversees marketing, and Mason is an engineer and keeps the taproom running.
Recently Drekker installed a couple of new tanks to keep up with demand and purchased a state of the art canning system to start canning their beer. The unit can kick out five 4-packs per minute, and is constantly running when each batch of beer is done brewing. Since May 24th their beers have been available at Happy Harry’s in 4-pack 16oz cans.
Beer Tasting Notes
Pushing Daisies Chamomile Witbier
Pushing Daisies is Drekker’s summer seasonal that contains a “heavy dose” of chamomile which is a member of the daisy family and is the reasoning behind the name. It pours a light yellow with a slight haze. The aroma is distinctively wheat and chamomile tea with a hint of lemon peel. The taste is floral with a hint of wheat and citrus. A very easy drinking witbier with great flavor. ABV – 4.8%, IBUs – 17
Wheez the Juice IPA
Wheez the Juice is Drekker’s take on the English style IPA. It pours a very hazy gold and the smell you get is very juicy and tropical hops with a hint of malt. The flavor is very much like the smell but you also get a hint of pineapple and mandarin oranges. This is a very smooth IPA that will keep your taste buds quenching for more as it goes down with ease. ABV – 5.5%, IBUs – 59
Broken Rudder Irish Red
Broken Rudder Pours a golden red in color and smells sweet, maltly, and tad nutty. The flavor up front consists of herbal bitterness but is soon taken over by sweet caramel and toasted malts. Over 15 pounds of honey is added to each batch of Broken Rudder which makes gives the beer that bit of sweetness and very smooth for an Irish Red. ABV – 5.0%, IBUs – 25. Beer Advocate: 85 points, very good.
To learn more about Drekker Brewing, visit: drekkerbrewing.com
Recent Comments