Brewery of the Month
August 2021
Written By Thomas P. – Happy Harry’s
Since 2008, Lift Bridge Brewing Company has created quality craft beer that supplies adults with what they need to slow down and enjoy life. Through every can, bottle or tap pull, Lift Bridge wants drinkers to experience the proud, fun Midwestern character and uncompromising natural ingredients that are incorporated during the brewing process.
The Lift Bridge brand portfolio can be found throughout the northern Midwest region. Lift Bridge now operates two production facilities and two taprooms. One taproom and production facility in Stillwater, MN, and a taproom and production facility in New Richmond, WI. The latter has been leased out from the Big Watt Beverage Co. who is a specialty coffee and plant-based energy drink manufacturer, which Lift Bridge Brewing Co has worked with in the past on an Irish Coffee Stout.
Lift Bridge Brewing Company recently expanded its operations by opening the taproom and production facility in New Richmond, Wisconsin. The production facility in Wisconsin is expected to brew up to 15,000 more barrels of beer per year. According to Lift Bridge co-founder Brad Glynn, the brewing company is remaining true to its Stillwater roots but is “looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunities that Wisconsin has to offer.” The Richmond taproom is 1,200 square feet and can seat 60 guests inside and 48 guests on the outside tables. Large LED menu boards, expanded beverage offerings for on-site consumption and to go orders and outdoor games were all part of design and development plans for the new taproom which opened in May of 2021.
Lift Bridge’s co-founders, Vice President of Marketing Brad Glynn (left) and CEO Dan Schwarz
Coming soon is a Farm Girl Refresh. One of their most popular brands since the Lift Bridge launched 13 years ago, Farm Girl has now transitioned from its longtime “Saison” style to that of a golden ale in a continual effort to make the beer as refreshing as possible. To successfully revamp Farm Girl, Lift Bridge eliminated some of the polarizing characteristics of the Saison’s Belgian yeast, while maintaining a malt sweetness, slight orange citrus zing, farmhouse appearance (slight haze), and providing some updated aromatic hops to balance out the malt sweetness. The refreshed, Farm Girl for 2021 and beyond is a golden ale, which uses a cleaner yeast strain, malts that include golden two row malt and small amounts of wheat and oats for a silky-smooth mouthfeel, and newer varieties of hops, including Calypso, which has some citrus and melon aromas. The new recipe maintains all of what Farm Girl drinkers have come to love and even accentuates those qualities with some silkier mouthfeel, fresher aroma, and crisp clean finish. The ABV has been increased from 5 to 5.5%.
The look and branding of Farm Girl has also been reimagined. From its beginnings, Farm Girl — which pays homage to the farmland throughout Minnesota and one founder’s wife, a self-proclaimed “Farm Girl”, who wanted something refreshing with a little bit of sweetness to drink — centered on deep red barn wood colors and a historic image of Minnesota’s past. For Farm Girl 2021, these elements remain intact but refreshed: there’s then a beautiful blue sky and a deeper background of historic farm buildings, all with the added tagline, “When the chores are done, it’s time for fun.”
“Farm Girl is truly the beer that started it, all so it’s only right that we kept its legacy vibrant, fresh and forward-thinking,” says Brad Glynn, Lift Bridge co-founder and VP of marketing. “We’re thrilled with the results and are confident that longtime Farm Girl lovers will be just as impressed with the new look and feel of an iconic beer.”
Lift Bridge has continued to innovate and reinvent themselves to stay current with the times while staying true to what their mission was when they started: Elevating life’s moment with the perfect pairing.
TASTING NOTES
Our flagship beer has a slightly sweet and smooth body with golden malts, wheat, and oats, perfectly balanced with a hint of citrus and melon hop profile. Taste what makes Farm Girl a Midwest favorite. ABV: 5.5% IBUs: 12
This beer is a limited release experience of summer coming. The aroma of a tropical breeze from a fresh mango grove leads into a light bodied blonde ale, finishing with a subtle mango sweetness that does not overpower the golden malt. ABV: 4.75%, IBUs: 15
A monstrous blend of fruit-forward hops is balanced out with golden malt, wheat and oats. Forget the bitter aftertaste – this New England Style IPA is smooth, citrusy ray of tropical sunshine in an otherwise chaotic world. ABV: 5% IBUs: 40
Aggressively hopped IPA with aromas of citrus, fruit and pine. A subtle malt sweetness with notes of caramel. ABV: 6.5% IBUs: 75
For more information on Lift Bridge Brewing visit their website: liftbridgebrewery.com
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