Good local beer: Indeed!
Helen Balmer, store supervisor at Lunds & Byerlys Kitchen, takes us behind the scenes at Indeed Brewing Company in Minneapolis:
We spend half of the year shoveling snow and finding our way to work in adverse conditions – all with a sense of pride. Why? Because, we’re Minnesotan and that’s what it means to live here. We’re a hearty bunch and when spring and summer come, we also embrace it with zeal.
Whether we’re working in our gardens, visiting farmers markets or just getting outside to breathe the fresh air, we’re as quick to embrace the sun as we are to face the cold. Fresh means something to us because we don’t take it for granted. We have to work for it. Indeed Brewing Company embodies that Minnesota spirit; with their beers, you’re taking a sip of Minnesota.
The Indeed brewery is nestled in the heart of northeast Minneapolis. On the day we arrived for a tour, there was still snow on the ground but the smell of spring was in the air. I could visualize their patio in the summer full of people laughing and enjoying the sun overhead.
We chatted over beers with Nathan Berndt, co-founder of Indeed. We talked about many attributes people at Indeed find important, but one really stuck out for me: First impressions.
My first impression of Indeed beer was of bright and fresh flavors that just grabbed me. After a beer is brewed and canned at Indeed, it’s out of the brewery and to the retailer usually within a day. When Nathan is asked about expanding nationally, he says the time it would take to transport the product would do too much to compromise the freshness and quality of the product. Indeed takes pride in being Minnesotan.
As my friend Kevin talks about in our first installment to this blog series, Minnesota is rich in culture and our local craft beer scene is another reflection of our love of creativity and of our own unique local flavor.
Leaving Indeed on that cold day, the taproom had gone from empty to being nearly full of people and lively chatter. Neighbors, co-workers and old friends all gathered over a beer. Whether you’re bringing a six pack of Indeed to a family gathering or coming to the taproom to enjoy it straight from the source, either way you’ll be taking a fresh sip of Minnesota, even during the coldest of winters.
Our Wines and Spirits stores carry Indeed beers year-round and they are always fresh!