The beer scene in the Fargo/Moorhead area and all of North Dakota is changing as people realize that there is more to beer than the pale yellow lager that dominates the market. For generations beer was a local product that tapped into local tastes but we lost that in the 20th century but it is coming back. FMBeer.com was created as a place for everyone in the Fargo/Moorhead and surrounding areas to learn and keep up to date with the latest local news and events featuring good beer.
If you are just learning about craft beer, then welcome, there is a whole world now open to you where beer has many more flavors and experiences than you would expect. Check out the Beer Education section of this website where you can learn more about what beer is, how it is made, and some myths that should should be debunked.
If you are a veteran of the craft beer world, then watch the news and events to see what is happening with your favorite beverage locally along with where and when you can taste the latest and greatest thing plus hang out with people who have a similar interest. You too might be able to learn something from the Beer Education section too, like how to better pair beer with food or information on a local homebrewing club so you can start making your own beer.
Fargo/Moorhead and the rest of North Dakota have long had ties to the brewing industry, mainly due to the local barley growers. It is hard to miss the Busch Agricultural Resources Malting plant as you drive into Moorhead on I-94 while NDSU has the Institute of Barley and Malt Sciences. There were 3 brewpubs in the FM area in the 1990’s as part of the initial craft beer boom but they did not survive the resulting bust for a variety of reasons. The current craft beer boom is much different from the one in the 1990’s with more people in it for the love of beer and fewer in it just for the money. As a result the quality seems to be up and growth has been slower but at a much more sustainable level.
Beer is a social beverage. Sure you can pop one open after a long day at work, but I feel it is best enjoyed as a shared experience with family and friends. Once you start showing up at beer events, you often see the same people showing up. Thus people often refer to the craft beer community as there is a sense of group and connection between people who enjoy good beer. There are local groups focused on beer who have been around for a while. The Prairie Homebrewing Companions homebrewing club have been around since 1990 and are still going strong. There is also the Fargo Moorhead Beer Advocates who have been around for a few years and enjoy getting together and sharing commercial beers they have gotten through travels or trading. Hopefully FMBeer.com can bring all of the local craft beer drinking community together and help it expand so we all have more and better beer choices available where ever we go.
So take a look around and let me know if you like what you see or if you think something about the site could be improved. Send your thoughts to me, dean (at) fmbeer dot com so we can make this site the best resource for local beer news and information that it can be.
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