The Lager Queen of Minnesota

by J. Ryan Stradal

but theirs was a mutual tolerance forged by involuntary proximity and tradition.

The bottle of Pliny the Elder was labeled TODAY, the bottle of Bell’s Hopslam was labeled TOMORROW, the bright silver can of The Alchemist’s Heady Topper was labeled THE DAY AFTER THAT, and the bottle of Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA was labeled FIGURE IT OUT YOU DINGUS.

The following week, Frank let her sample another range of beer, this time 100 percent from Midwest breweries, and no IPAs. For the first time, she tried New Glarus, Surly, Three Floyds, and Founders.

She was petite back then, and wasn’t anymore, but her power was that she’d always acted like she had the exact body she was supposed to have, at every age, like most men did. She