10K’s MN Brew Tour: The Xcel Energy Center

10K’s MN Brew Tour: The Xcel Energy Center

Entertainment Food Hockey NHL Wild

Kirill’s dropping natural hat tricks. The Flower is putting up 30-save shut-outs. The Wild have won 5 of their last 6. State hockey’s first weekend was unreal. The last 10K/Wild Cup Snake ever just happened. C’mon, the Xcel Energy Center is hotter right now than the ice is cold. If that last sentence didn’t make any sense, I’m sorry. I’m just really excited.

Yes, the second stop on the MN Brew Tour is none other than the Xcel Energy Center. In the same fashion as Morgan Spurlock in the McDonald’s Supersize Me Documentary, we went big so we didn’t have to go home. Wow, that was a throwback reference. Even better, the timing couldn’t have been more right to stop at one of the most iconic buildings in Minnesota History. With all the hockey to come, the people will need the layout of the land.

Credit: Rinks Around the League

In our last review of Fair State Brewing Cooperative, we were able to describe the life of a brewer. In this article, not only are we going to analyze the venue and most popular beer, but we’re also giving you our Top 5 Xcel Energy Center Beer Facts. Some might be true, and some may be estimated, but I promise they’re all fun.

The List:

5. If everyone in the Xcel bought exactly 7 beers, you could fill up a standard-size, in-ground swimming pool.

4. Assuming about $10 for a 16oz Michelob Golden Light, it would cost $205,540 to buy everyone in the stadium 1 beer. You could buy two 2022 Teslas or a small house instead.

3. According to various sources, people drink about 2 million gallons of beer at Munich, Germany’s Oktoberfest celebration each year. In order to reach that number, every fan in the X would have to drink about 800 beers. I don’t think this is possible.

2. The University of Minnesota stated there were 183 Minnesotan Breweries in 2019. If we round that number up to 200, each brewery would have to make about 102 beers to serve 1 beer to every fan at the Xcel Energy Center.

1. It would take 80,000 beers at 16oz to re-create the 1 and 1/4 in. thick ice at the Xcel Energy Center. That means every person in the stadium would have to buy about 4 beers to dump over the glass before freezing it.

Credit: NHL.com

The Review:

Venue: Xcel Energy Center

  1. Electric: Nuff said. I hope I don’t have to explain this one to anybody who chose to read this blog. If power isn’t coursing through your veins during a game, I’d go see a specialist because everything about the Minnesota Wild is electricity.
  2. No Bad Seats: My favorite part of the X is being able to see every edge of the ice from every seat in the building. I’ve sat upper deck behind the goal, upper deck on the side, and in the top under the rafters, and I’ve never missed a minute of action. So many other venues have seats I’d never touch that high because you can’t see what’s going on. In the Xcel, you can pay less than $50, sit in the upper bowl, and have the time of your life
  3. Homey: I think this must be where the Minnesota nice comes in. When you go to a Wild game, everyone there is wearing green. You don’t see opposing fans because the state of hockey makes sure everyone is supporting the hometown Wild. You can’t help but feel at home in this atmosphere. Everyone cheering, tossing’ high fives, and booing the other team will make you feel like everything’s always going to be alright.

Total: 9.9

Credit: Flickr

Best Beer: Michelob Golden Light

  1. Drinkable: No surprises here. Everyone can drink a McGolden. Whether you’re 21 or 95, you know it will always taste good, be easy on the stomach, and get the job done if you know what I mean.
  2. Iconic: When I think of the color gold, a short list of famous objects comes to mind. The pyramids, the lost city of El Dorado, the Miracle Team’s 1980 gold medal, and Michelob Golden Light top that list. This iconic beer will never go out of style. Honestly, it might even become the 3rd number retired behind Koivu and The Fans.
  3. Adoptable: As most of you know, Michelob Golden Light finally recognized our very own Marlow for his middle name change. As far as I’m aware, he’s the only person I can think of who loves a beer so much, he legit made it his middle name. I’d even go as far as to say he’s made it a part of his family. Being brewed in Missouri, Minnesotans have always treated it as one of their own. I think the name change acts as the only proof I need to call McGolden the most adoptable beer out there. 

Total: 9.0

Credit: Michelob Golden Light

Stop number 2 couldn’t have been more fun, and we’re so excited to see where we go next.