Category Archives: Gnome Brew Review

Gnomes’ palates are among the best of the world. In this site, I plan to provide you with review of each and every adult beverage that I become intoxicated on. You’re welcome in advance.

St. Paul, Minnesota Has a Gnome Restaurant You Gotta Check Out!

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Now more than two years into my nomadic journey as a full-time RVer traveling around the country, I sometimes find myself missing the gnome collection that I’ve been growing since my teenage years. There aren’t a whole lot of places to decorate with gnomes when your home is 33 feet long by eight feet wide, so the bulk of my collection is locked up in a storage unit. I’m sure they’re doing okay, but I’ll admit that I worry about them from time to time.

Although I don’t have the pleasure of spending time with as many gnomes as I’d like to these days, I make up for that by visiting gnome-themed places around the country! My latest gnometastic adventure was to a restaurant called The Happy Gnome in St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s easy to name a restaurant after gnomes because it’s clever, but this local spot really embraces its love of gnomes in the décor and overall theme.

The Happy Gnome has been in business for over 10 years and focuses on fresh and seasonal cuisine with local ingredients and a creative flair. The restaurant also has about 90 craft beers on tap, as well as a whiskey list with over 250 selections. I’m a pescatarian and my husband loves all-things-meat, but The Happy Gnome gave us the best of both worlds with an ahi tuna noodle bowl for me and a sirloin steak for him. Better yet, The Happy Gnome’s outdoor patio is dog-friendly, so our pup, Monkey, got to enjoy this gnome adventure right alongside us!

In addition to the delicious food, excellent selection of Belgian beer, and relaxing patio atmosphere, what I really loved about The Happy Gnome is how many gnomes call this restaurant home. Gnomes were everywhere you looked – from the menu to the glassware, the beer taps, in the windowsills, and sitting around the fireplace. My only complaint was that they didn’t have any merchandise available for sale, because I would have loved buying a souvenir from this awesome place.

So, if you ever find yourself in Minnesota, do yourself a favor and stop by The Happy Gnome. Your taste buds will thank you, and you’ll meet lots of little gnome friends to make your meal special. Unfortunately, the restaurant didn’t have any gnome friends that I could take along with me on my journey, but it made ME a happy gnome to be surrounded by such friendly faces.

Located in the Cathedral Hill Neighborhood at 498 Selby Avenue in St. Paul, The Happy Gnome is open on Sundays from 10am to midnight, Mondays through Thursdays from 11am to midnight, and Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 1am.

A Visit to Hopping Gnome Brewing in Wichita, Kansas

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In our last issue of Gnome News, I highlighted some of the best gnome-themed restaurants and breweries around the country. Since that time, I’ve had the opportunity to visit one of these amazing places!

To visit family and friends for Christmas, I embarked on a cross-country road trip from Arizona to Georgia and Illinois with my husband and pup. A quick look at a map revealed that we would be traveling near Wichita, Kansas, which is the home of Hopping Gnome Brewing!

It was a clear and chilly Wednesday night when we rolled into town after driving for over eight hours. Hopping Gnome Brewery is located in the Douglas Design District of Wichita and got its start with a Kickstarter campaign a few years ago. I was a bit disappointed to learn that the owners, Torrey and Stacy Lattin, aren’t gnome collectors or as obsessed with gnomes as me. Instead, the inspiration for the brewery’s name came from a gnome giveaway from a Kansas City Royals All Star game. “How about Hopping Gnome? You know like hops, and gnomes are known for drinking?” Torrey asked his wife.

Regardless, this brewery really embraces its gnome theme and is completely decked out with gnome décor and gnome-inspired merchandise. The illuminated sign outside instantly welcomes all gnome lovers, and there’s a long row of gnomes waiting to meet you inside near the ceiling. Pages of Wil Huygen’s iconic book, Gnomes, are displayed at the bar, and gnome artwork adorns the walls.  Since it was the holiday season, there was also a Christmas tree decorated with gnomes.

All of the beer glasses feature the brewery’s gnome logo, which made the delicious brews taste even better. We ordered a flight of beers to sample each and every one. My two favorites were the Barrel Aged Coffee Stout and the Rollergirl RyePA.

The brewery doesn’t serve food (other than some tasty free popcorn), so we ordered a couple pizzas from Piatto Neapolitan Pizzeria next door. I highly recommend the Mushroom Medley with sautéed cremini, white, and shiitake mushrooms!

I spent several hours at the Hopping Gnome, taking a million pictures and chatting with the staff about all things gnome-related. The brewery also has free Wi-Fi (the password is GnomeBeer1) and some fun card games and board games to play. To savor all these fond memories, I visited the brewery’s little merchandise section to stock up on gnome gear – a t-shirt and beanie hat that I wear pretty much every day now.

So, if you ever find yourself in Kansas, make sure to stop by the Hopping Gnome and say hello! The brewery is open Wednesdays through Sundays and is well worth the trip!

Gnome-Themed Breweries & Restaurants Worth Visiting in the U.S.

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As we continue to travel around the country we have noticed lots of businesses have begun adopting gnome themes. Obviously, this is awesome! Obviously, we are big craft beer fans, and we’re certainly not one to turn down a delicious meal!

So, here are the gnome-themed breweries and restaurants that we’ve come across so far. After all, there’s really nothing better than dining and drinking with your little red-hatted companions!

Hopping Gnome Brewing is based in the up-and-coming Douglas Design District of Wichita, Kansas. Using a 5 BBL brewing system, 8 fermenter vessels, and 2 Brite beer tanks, this brewery has many styles of beer on tap. It offers brewery tours each month and hosts lots of fun events throughout the week, including art shows, local food vendors, coloring book nights, and yoga classes.

There’s another gnome-themed brewery in the Sharpsburg area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania worth checking out. It’s called the Dancing Gnome, which specializes in hop-heavy styles of beer and often has food trucks onsite. Like Hopping Gnome, this brewery sells fun gnome-themed merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats.

If you’re traveling through Fort Wayne, Indiana, make sure to stop by The Hoppy Gnome, a restaurant with a diverse menu and that serves locally brewed beer from the GnomeTown Brewing Co. Their fun logo is a gnome hat over a hop bud, and there’s even a kids’ food menu so you can bring your little ones along for a gnomish adventure.

The Happy Gnome in St. Paul, Minnesota describes its experience as a craft beer exploration and culinary adventure. There are 89 beer taps with different breweries featured every month, and the chef creates fresh and delicious fare for lunch, happy hour, dinner, dessert, and Sunday brunch. Another exciting destination for gnome lovers is Denver, Colorado, where The Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery is located.

Not into beer? No worries! There are some great gnome-themed restaurants around the country for you to enjoy.

For example, the Gnome Café serves healthy vegan cuisine downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Platypus and Gnome, located in Wilmington, North Carolina, is also vegan/vegetarian-friendly but serves American favorites like burgers too.

Have you discovered a gnome-themed restaurant or bar that didn’t make our list? Share with us in the comment section below so we can stop in next time we’re in town!

Discovering Gnome Coffee Liqueur…in Atlanta of All Places!

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Greetings gnomes and gnomettes,

As you may or may not be aware, many of us gnomes have relocated to the deep south. Oh you want to stalk us, do you? Well we’re in Atlanta but I’m NOT giving out gate code!

I, for one, was a bit concerned about how gnome-friendly it is down here. I mean, these are the people who once owned slaves. How do you think they treat their gnomes?!

A little below the belt? Maybe. Okay. Don’t hit me! Moving on.

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On that note, there was a sunny weekend afternoon recently when I found myself craving something dark and delicious. Before I knew it, I was belly up at The Porter Beer Bar in Little 5 Points.

Would you believe they have 800 beers here? God that’s stressful. My kinda stress!

Well I’m sitting there picking my nose and trying to make up my mind, when I spy this bottle out of the corner of my eye…

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Chouffe Coffee Liqueur? Was I seeing this right?!

I promptly made best friends with the bartender (I mean, who really doesn’t want to have a gnome best friend…it’s kinda like having a gay best friend.) and requested a private groping session with that bottle.

My new buddy went the extra mile and poured me a shot. Now that’s what I call service. He even introduced me to the resident Chouffe. Clearly he’s in good company…feast your eyes on those ominous unpainted gnomes lurking in the background!

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Gnome liqueur was simply delicious…there’s no way around it. Roasty, malty, uber-coffee-y goodness that deserves to be savored to the last drop. I didn’t know these Chouffe gnomes made any kind of non-beer booze, but I haven’t come across any other booze varieties. Have you?

Apparently, this is really rare stuff, and the Chouffe brewery doesn’t even advertise it on their website. I’ve been doing some Googling and found a few places that sell it online.

According to BOE, “Chouffe coffee liqueur is obtained through the distillation of Chouffe with the addition of grain alcohol and 100% natural coffee extracts and a dash of Mc Chouffe. Serve hot, covered with whipped cream, or cold.”

Mmmm freaking mmmmmmmm.

However, I’ve never seen it in a store and am highly doubting that I will anytime soon. But then again, I never expected to encounter it in the first place…let alone in Atlanta!

Spoiler alert: We gnomes will be visiting the Chouffe brewery THIS MAY! If there is any coffee booze onsite, you’d better bet we’ll find it.

Tootaloo drunkies. Hope you’re beginning to recover from your Mardi Gras shennanigans.

xoxo,
Kamikaze

Guest Post From a Human – Only Because It’s About a Pub

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As you may have gathered from our most recent post about MORE instances of gnome theft by humans, we’re kind of pissed at all of you. But just like gnomes, not all humans are created equal. Some of you are okay.

One particular human on our “okay” list today is this Alyssa girl. She wrote an article about a gnome pub in Sevierville, Tennessee today. Obviously, we’re a big fan of this place.

Check it out at A Gnome Pub at the Edge of the Smoky Mountains.

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Right on, girlfriend. Now make the rest of your species behave!

Have you read any good gnome news or reviews lately? Hit us up!

Moo,
Benjamin the Gnome