(Brooklyn Center, MN) – Here is a roundup of some recent Surly Brewing news.

Surly Five: Has received approval for 750ml bottles.

Label copy: “In the Surly brewhouse brewing our Anniversary beers mean one thing, forget what ya know and try something different. In honor of FIVE glorious years we bring you a 100% Brettanomyces fermented Dark Ale aged in red wine barrels. Flavors of sour cherry, tobacco, oak and classic “Brett” barnyard funk balanced by Dark Munich malt chewiness. Enjoy immediately or age at cellar temperature for a couple years.

Five years! We figured five years is a decent milestone, so we would brew a sour beer for this anniversary beer. The idea behind our anniversary line-up of beers was to give Head Brewer, Todd Haug, free reign to use whatever ingredients and methods to brew this beer. this year’s bottle artwork is also a one-of-a-kinf illustration collaboration between Todd and local artists, Aesthetic Apparatus.”

Additional comments from Head Brewer, Todd Haug…

“FIVE will be out whens its done, waiting on bottles now, looks like June.” – BA on 4/28

“The wine barrels are not all the same,the beer itself is brewed to be the same.The blend will consist of about 70 different used red wine barrels.All of the beer will have spent some time(3-8 months) in a barrel after primary Brett fermentation in stainless tanks.” – BA on 4/17

Surly Bitter Brewer: Per Haug (linked above), “Bitter will be out on draft for MN craft beer week May 14-21. Bitter cans go out May 23rdish.” An update on Facebook yesterday said, “Within the next 2 weeks.”

Surly Hell: The beer will be available in mid-June according to a late April tweet. There will be a “Raising Hell” party on Saturday, June 18th per the brewery’s event calendar.

Surlyfest: The event is set for Saturday, September 10th (per calendar)

Surly Darkness: Darkness Day will be held on Saturday, October 22 (per calendar)

Lastly, an update on the legislative efforts…things are looking up for the proposed $20 million brewery. A local news video is available here.