Taste

What's cooking: Gift ideas from craft beer fest to 'Damn Near Perfect Cocktails' to Broders pasta feast

December 9, 2015 at 5:19PM
TOM WALLACE • twallace@startribune.com Assign#20012420A Slug: night051410 Date: May 10, 2010___ Several Twin Cities bars have gotten together to create Minnesota Craft Beer Week. The celebration of our burgeoning beer scene. The Town Hall Brewmaster Mike Hoops worked in the Town Hall brew facilty on Seven corners on Washington. _ IN THIS PHOTO: ] From the IPA to a deep Stout, the Town Hall Brewery keeps during out the winners. From left, Dortmunder Lager, A seasonal three, Hefeweizen, The
TOM WALLACE • twallace@startribune.com Assign#20012420A Slug: night051410 Date: May 10, 2010___ Several Twin Cities bars have gotten together to create Minnesota Craft Beer Week. The celebration of our burgeoning beer scene. The Town Hall Brewmaster Mike Hoops worked in the Town Hall brew facilty on Seven corners on Washington. _ IN THIS PHOTO: ] From the IPA to a deep Stout, the Town Hall Brewery keeps during out the winners. From left, Dortmunder Lager, A seasonal three, Hefeweizen, The West bank Pale Ale, and the Black Water Stout.bestmn2012 bestmn2012 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

2016 lineup for Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild

Here's the lineup of seasonal beer festivals next year from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, starting with a two-night Winterfest at St. Paul's Union Depot Feb. 26-27, for which tickets are on sale. The guild's 90 brewery members will break out their specialty beers, delivering a fresh rotation of breweries and brewpubs each night, plus a roster of Brewers Choice breweries pouring both nights. There's also food, beer seminars and music. You can order various discount ticket packages that include the All Pints North festival on July 23 in Duluth, the Land of 10,000 Beers Craft Beer Hall at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 25-Sept. 5 and the Autumn Brew Review on Sept. 17 in Minneapolis. Returning for its 16th year, the Autumn Brew Review is one of the Midwest's oldest and largest craft beer festivals, pouring hundreds of Minnesota and national craft beers from 130-plus breweries under the shadows of the Historic Grain Belt Brewery. For tickets and package details, visit tempotickets.com/mcbg.

Cocktails, close to perfect

Someone's got to do it. For three years, Doug Berdie and his wife, Elaine, of Minneapolis have been working on perfecting 30 favorite cocktails. The result is "Damn Near Perfect Cocktails," guided by the philosophy that attaining near perfect status can be better than always striving for perfection. The book, which they published themselves, includes highly detailed directions, suggestions for brand-name liquors, garnish ideas, entertaining text and photos of each cocktail. The book is available online through Amazon.com in spiral-bound and e-book versions. Cheers!

Minnesota's cookie

Food Network Magazine asked bakers across the United States to decorate a sugar cookie inspired by their home state and reflective of its personality. Minnesota's features the Duluth Lift Bridge with a bundled-up lass ice-fishing in the harbor, from Cookie Temptations in Duluth. Find it at cookietemptations.com, as well as in the magazine, on newsstands now. Nicely — or, icily — done!

Feast of the Seven Fishes

The Broder brood knows how to celebrate. Their seasonal Feast of the Seven Fishes is an extravaganza of seafood paired with wine. Here's smoked scallop crudo, marinated sea bass, semolina-dusted soft shell crab, veal-braised halibut, squid ink panettone and more. Tickets are $160 per person and include food, wine, gratuity and tax. The dinner is 6:30 Dec. 13 at Terzo, 2221 W. 50th St. in Minneapolis. To see if tickets are still available, visit broders.com.

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