You know that moment that comes after a long winter, when the sun pokes through and the grass springs loose and it's pleasant enough to sit outside and perhaps indulge in an adult beverage?
There's a word for that. Well, in Norwegian, anyway.
It's utepils — the literal translation means "outdoor beer" — a word that a soon-to-be local brewery and taproom now also bears.
"We know a lot about that in Minnesota," Utepils taproom manager Kelsey Bomgaars said. "So at our taproom, we really want to reflect that word."
OK, quick game of catch-up. Perhaps you've heard of Bryn Mawr, Utepils' original name. But after finding out a winery in Oregon also sports that moniker, they changed things up — and wound up with a name that might be tough to understand but they believe better suits their hatching business.
"We found this to be more of a blessing in disguise, actually," said Bomgaars, one of five owners including Dan Justesen, Jim Moore, Eric Harper and Jeff McClure.
As of yet, Utepils Brewing (225 Thomas Av. N., Suite 700, utepilsbrewing.com) — which figures to be one of north Minneapolis' first microbreweries — still hasn't brewed any beer. But the brewery owners (four of whom have worked in the industry) are planning a variety of traditional European styles for starters on their 50-barrel system: a pilsner, a kölsch, a Bavarian hefeweizen, a Belgian IPA and an alt beer reminiscent of the Düsseldorf, Germany, original.
The 150-seat taproom will also have lots of games — board games, perhaps pool and darts — and the Utepils owners plan to have a relationship with food trucks the way many taprooms do. Eventually, they want to have a patio, as well.
