Trail Pairings: Brau Brothers Brewing Co

Jul 25, 2016Bike Trails, Biking, State Parks, Trail Pairings, Trails

Visit our trail-friendly sponsor!
Minnesota Resorts offer plenty of vacation getaway choices

I stumbled out of the rain into the brightly lit taproom of Brau Brothers in Marshall, wiped the rain off my glasses and squinted at the beer menu on the wall behind the old fire truck, rigged with more than twenty taps.  There was a long bar in front of the truck and the rest of the huge space was filled with booths. In the back of the room I could see the familiar stainless  tanks and bottling equipment behind glass. The whole place was sparkling stainless and shiny chrome. Throw in a cherry-red, 1950s, beer-dispensing fire truck and I knew I had come to the right place.

Twelve beers and ten sodas on tap

“The truck is a pumper ran by the Lucan Fire Department from 1956 to 2006 and it’s the inspiration for the name of our Light Beer”, said Dustin Brau, owner of Brau Brothers Brewing Company. “The dome light is melted from heat, and the doors are misspelled, but he truck only has 3,900 miles on it and my Grandpa, my dad and my brother and I have all fought fires on the Old 56”.

Dustin started home brewing in the mid-1990s. He and his wife Mary graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) in Marshall with a degree in Culinology and Restaurant Management and started brewing in a restaurant in Lucan, MN “Simply to get people to drive to Lucan to eat”, he said. “The brewing industry blew up, and we were lucky enough to be along for the ride”.

They spun off the restaurant in 2008, and focused primarily on brewing for distribution. Officially, Brau Brothers came into existence in 2006, moved to nearby Marshall in 2013 and took over the former Runnings Fleet Supply building.

The main reason for the move was the ability to expand. “Very small towns make a great backdrop for a brewery, but they often lack the civil infrastructure to support a brewery of any size”, he said. “The ability to house a tap room also played heavily in our decision.  Something that wasn’t even legal just a few years ago, is now an important part of most breweries”. Today, Brau Brothers brews about 6,000 barrels each year, with a capacity to expand to 10,000 barrels.

Beertender Natalie Zobel draws a sample of Coffee Banana Ringneck

Brau Brothers is the first ever brewery in Lyon County and has spawned somewhat of a home brewing movement in the area. Members of SMASH, the Southern Minnesota Academic Society of Homebrewers, meet regularly at the brewery and it’s no coincidence that the craft beer appreciation and advocacy group formed when Brau Brothers moved to Marshall.

“Marshall has been extremely hospitable to the brewery and we receive tremendous support from the community – both from local beer lovers, and from the municipality”, said Dustin.

Jason Anderson and his wife Angela who visit the taproom two or three times a week share this local love. Jason is a member of SMASH and likes to stop in for a pint after his marathon training on the Camden Regional Trail. “I like the environment of the taproom. It’s a local business and we like to keep it local”, he said. “Home brewing is really taking off here and even the local hardware store started carrying home brewing supplies.”

The Beers:

These are my recommendations:

1.  Moo Joos Oatmeal Stout was my favorite. I’ve had it in bottles before, but it was even better on tap with just the right amount of sweetness. Very drinkable.

2.  Ivan the Great Russian Imperial Stout was a close second This one packs a punch with heavy malts and lots of hops, and it warmed me up with its 9%ABV.

3.  Old 56 It’s their lightest, least-hopped beer, so you can take that one guy you know who ‘doesn’t like heavy beers’ and bring him along. This one is a great all-day beer witj just over 4% ABV and only 10 IBU.

The Route:
I started from SMSU parking lot to explore Marshall’s city trails, which turned out to be a good way to see the city and its parks.They are a combination of signed street routes and standalone trails.

Marshall’s city trails are well marked

I was most curious about the Camden Regional Trail connection from Marshall into Camden State Park, though. The connecting city trail took me from the SMSU parking lot on the east side of town north along Highway 23, then east across the Redwood River on the north side of town (think counter-clockwise). On the west end, the trail turned back south along a dike and flood diversion channel.

Camden Regional Trail next to the Redwood River

 

Newly completed benches and plantings along the trail

 

 

Trail art near Lynd

 

Descending into Camden State Park

A one-mile road route hooked up with a scenic trail section that hugged the banks of the snaky Redwood River. Finally, at Victory Park, I reached the access to the Camden Regional Trail. From there, it followed Highway 23 past the village of Lynd to Camden State Park southwest of Marshall.

Steep drop-off selfie

I zipped down into the park through an area that was once a stone quarry, but is now covered in younger cottonwoods. At the ranger station I picked up a map of the park. Instead of turning around and going back the same way, the ranger suggested I make a loop through the park on the mountain bike trails and connect with County Road 25 that runs right through Lynd-Good thing I was riding my Pugsley.

Think of Camden State Park as a crumpled-up funnel stuck into a flat landscape with the Redwood River at the bottom. Inside the steep walls of the funnel, the trails are challenging and I admit I pushed up one hill. Once you get to the rim of the funnel, the terrain is gentler. As I made my way along the western edge of the park on the rim of the Redwood River Valley, I followed the Bluebird, Dakota Valley and Camden History Trails and a new half-mile feature the ranger called a ‘rake and ride’ trail, which is easy to construct and is supposed t ohave less environmental impact. To my left was undulating prairie, to my right, a tree line and a steep drop behind that. The last bit of the Camden History Trail descends back toward the river and gets rocky and steep. I took the opportunity and walked a little.

 

 

Bridge across the Redwood River at Camden State Park

 

The rolling hills of the Bluebird Trail

 

.

Just like the ranger said, I popped out of the woods and found the road back to Lynd, where I hopped back on the trail. By the time I got back into Marshall, I had covered about 40 miles. (In an earlier post I wrote about not having a speedometer or GPS, so this is an estimate)

What a great ride! That’s what I like about having a multi-terrain bike.

Save

Visit our trail-friendly sponsor!
Hutchinson MN: Home of the Luce Line State Trail
Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota
Minnesota's Tour de Save is an annual bike ride fundraiser for suicide prevention
Fergus Falls is the gateway to the scenic Central Lakes State Trail
The Mesabi Trail connects Minnesota's Iron Range with the Boundary Waters

Keep up with the latest MN Trails news and events in our newsletter

About me

I’m Jan, the publisher of Minnesota Trails Magazine. I’m looking for that one trail, the next ride, a new discovery and other reasons never to sit still in Minnesota.

Save

More stories:

Save the Date for These 2023 Bike Rides

Road, trail, gravel, you name it. Take a look at our list of 2023 bike rides and mark your calendars!

You’re Invited: Redhead MTB Park Grand Opening in Chisholm, MN

The soft opening happened in 2020, but now there’s ten more miles on the ground at Redhead.

Trail Pairings: Mineral Springs Brewery

The beers at Mineral Springs Brewery come with stories and the fat bike trails are groomed-a perfect match!

Adventure Report: Log Cabin Hideaways

Miles away from the nearest road, Log Cabin Hideaways is a great basecamp for exploring Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. All you have to do is get there.

Task Force Recommends New Office to Make State Parks More Inviting to Diverse Users

Outdoor recreation is a huge business in Minnesota. It could be much bigger if people of color saw more campers and hikers who looked like them.

Eight Numbers To Get You out of the Woods

It’s dark, it’s cold, and you didn’t expect to be out here this long.

New Mountain Bike Trails at Cuyuna

Advanced and expert mountain bike riders now have 10 miles of new trails to ride at the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area

Iconic Winter Festival Celebrates Milestone

The City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival brings thousands to Minneapolis’ Theodore Wirth Park. 2022 marks its 20-year anniversary.

Three Awesome Minnesota Trail & Beer Pairings in 2023

Reap your reward for all of the hard work you do on the trails and treat yourself to a post-ride, barley-based electrolyte drink.

Building Momentum and Support for the Casey Jones State Trail

Minnesota’s first legislatively authorized state trail is a 100-mile trail vision in southwestern Minnesota.

Skiing on the Edge of the Boundary Waters

There’s almost 200km of cross-country ski trails within a 20-mile radius of Soudan, MN and that was all we needed to know to plan our trip.

Visit our trail-friendly sponsor!
Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota

Please join our newsletter mailing list!

It’s your source for sneak previews of the next print issue, new trails to explore, upcoming events and the latest blog posts. We promise to keep it brief, entertaining and relevant and you can unsubscribe anytime. We will not share your info with anyone.

* indicates required