By John Rosnow
Monday, December 09, 2002
This trip was not a very distant one. My travels took my girlfriend Veronica and I to Barley John's Brewpub in New Brighton.
Barley John's opened in March 2000. The place is very small, seats about 50 inside, but the food was good and the beer was excellent. What you won't find here are your favorite "macro brews" (Like you really have a favorite) or a place to smoke inside. During the warmer weather, there is seating for about an additional 75 people outside and people are allowed to smoke outside.
I had the beer sampler, which contained the four beers that are usually always available: Little Barley Bitter, Stockyard IPA, Wild Brunette (Wild Rice Brown Ale), and Old Eight Porter. All the beers were very true to style. John also will brew seasonal beers. He thinks a Belgian Enkel will be his next seasonal. In addition to his own beer, he offers a good selection of micro-brews and imports. They also have wine and top shelf liquor.
For an appetizer we had the Chips and home made salsa, which was terrific. For lunch or dinner, they have everything from burgers and brats to kabobs and pasta. They also have grilled pizza. Everything is made from scratch and was quite tasty.
After dinner I had the opportunity to visit with John, the Brew Master. He spent about 3 years home brewing before he went to work for James Page. He then went to the Siebel Institute of Technology for formal schooling. Once he finished with that, he started plans for Barley John's.
He brews on premise with a 3.5-barrel system. He has a 7-barrel fermenter. All of his beers sell at about the same rate, surprising for the vast variety of beers that he carries. He usually finds himself brewing about 2 to 3 times a month.
In addition to great food and beer, they also offer entertainment. Tuesday night is Celtic night, which is an open jam session. They start about 9 PM. Wednesday is Jazz night featuring The Willie August Project, nominated for Jazz Group of the Year at the 2000 Minnesota Music Awards. Music starts around 8:30 and goes until 11:30. Saturday is also Jazz night with music starting around 10 PM.
Barley John's is located on Old Hwy 8 and County Road D. The phone number is 651-636-4670. They are open Monday to Saturday 11 AM to 1 AM and Sunday 10 AM to 3 PM. Happy Hour is from 4 to 6 Monday through Friday. It is a good idea to call ahead if you are going to arrive on Sunday or late at night to make sure they are still open. He is thinking about closing on Sunday.
If you are in the area, stop in and make sure to let them know you heard about the establishment from the Rum River Wort Hogs.
