Brigid's Cross Irish Pub & Restaurant (Bemidji, MN)

Brigid's Irish Pub

In 2005, I spent a week at the university in Bemidji for the Northwoods Writers Conference and spent a night at Brigid's having a few pints. When we found ourselves in Bemidji for a wedding and time to chat with friends before the reception, so I pulled Brigid's from my foggy recollection and we happily went down the street.

Oddly, I don't seem to have added a new beer to the database on that first trip, which may explain the three forays to the now defunct 1st City Brewery & Grill.  Based on this absence, Brigid's seems to have expanded its list and I had a chance to try my first drafts of Leech Lake.

Leech Lake 3 Sheet Imperial IPA

I ordered the 3 Sheets Imperial IPA on tap, which didn't live up to the bottle.  My suspicions point to two theories: it wasn't served as well or that the hoppy beer had languished a bit in the keg.  However, my wife's pint of the porter Driven Snow, also by Leech Lake, exceeded my expectations, so going to rule out the beer handling. Either the 3 Sheets changes a lot on draft or hoppy doesn't move that well up north.

Food awaited us a the reception, so we only tested the pints and the atmosphere at Brigid's this trip. A family friendly place, Brigid's Cross is clearly aiming to fulfill the traditional role of an Irish pub as the heart of the whole community. Named after St. Brigid, who is rumored to have turned milk into ale, the pub honors their patron by offering a free pint to customers on St. Brigid's Day (Feb 1st).   It was a pleasant experience and I would definitely give the food and some more pints a chance in the future.