Two of my favorite things happened this weekend. I got to see a friend who loves Minnesota as much as I do and I got to cross off a place from the #mnbucketlist. My friend Sarah’s company, Minnesota Made launched its new website. To celebrate, she had shindig at Maple Island Brewing in Stillwater. Hailing from Bayport but originally from Stillwater herself, that girls love of Minnesota and the St. Croix River Valley runs deep. So much so that the whole party played to all the best things about the state. Serving mini Jucy Lucys with Spam from Woody’s Bar and Grill, Boom Chicka Pop popcorn, Sweet Martha’s Cookies, Pearson’s Nut Rolls and Nut Goodie bars and they even had a make-your-own s’mores bar. If that wasn’t enough, the new t-shirt design is called 58, cause that’s when Minnesota became a state (1858) and says, ‘designed by a Minnesotan for a Minnesotan.’ Yeah, she’s as bad as me.

Decorated with Northstar Balloons, Sarah also found a great place to host the party, Maple Island Brewing. A micro-brewery/tap room just off Water street, this place used to be  Maple Island Hardware and before that, Maple Island Creamery. It’s become a fast local favorite, with good reason. The roster for beer names rivals a list of amusement parks rides, things like Reaper Orange Cream Sickle, Graham Cracker Slacker and Cup of Joe Freakshow. See what I mean? It’s always busy but worth checking out, and so is Minnesota Made, www.MinnesotaMadeApparel.com.