Beer of the Weekend #430: Crosscut Pale Ale

This afternoon I stopped at John’s and guess what I saw at the very top of the British shelf. Tetley’s Smoothflow. The only reason I bought it in Minnesota was because I thought I could not get it in Iowa. Grr!

Well here is something I definitely cannot buy in Iowa: Crosscut Pale Ale, brewed by the Lift Bridge Brewing Company of Stillwater, Minnesota.


Lift Bridge brews are, I believe, only available in Minnesota. It is apparently the New Glarus of the North Star State.

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is light copper. A half-finger of eggshell-colored head reduced to a skim and ring around the edge.

Smell: Citrus and earthy hops at first, but then the earthy hops fade and faint grapefruit takes over. Underneath are lightly toasted malts and sweet caramel.

Taste: Nice flavor, though it does not pack a huge punch. Grapefruit, orange, and lemon citrus predominate, and there is even a little lime sourness. Earthy hops create a bridge between the citrus and malts. Underneath the hops are lightly toasted malts and sweet caramel. As it warms, the flavors begin to coalesce nicely.

Drinkability: Pretty good stuff. It is nothing bombastic but is very enjoyable.

Fun facts about CPA:

-Style: Lift Bridge calls it “Pale Ale” while BA classifies it as “American Pale Ale.”

-Price: Ah HA! The Richfield Liquors receipt was in the Lift Bridge sixer. $9.49/sixer at Richfield Liquors in Richfield, Minnesota.

-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.

-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.

-IBU: 55.

-Color: 13 SRM.

-The Lift Bridge Brewing Company is, I assume, named after the iconic Stillwater Lift Bridge, which spans the St. Croix River to link Stillwater with Houlton, Wisconsin. If I ever visit Stillwater, I could buy Lift Bridge on one end of the bridge and New Glarus on the other. How convenient!

-According to Stillwater’s Wikipedia page, lumbering was the predominant industry on the St. Croix River in the late-nineteenth century, which explains the beer’s name and the photo of the man amongst thousands of logs on the label.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.

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