The passing of 2011’s Surly Bill, which allowed smaller breweries to sell on site at their own tap rooms, has led to a third boom of brewing in Minnesota. Today, dozens of breweries are offered throughout the Twin Cities region and beyond, with craft microbreweries offering unique beers and company concepts, including brewery co-operatives and create-your-own-brew programs.
10K Brewing
10K Brewing’s name is a reference to its location within the “Land of 10K Lakes,” a statement reflecting its commitment to Minnesota values and hospitality. The family-owned brewery has been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and has been the recipient of a number of regional awards, including the Autumn Brew Review’s 2016 and 2017 awards for best brewery. New beers are brewed each week at the company’s three-barrel brewhouse and tap room, with pints and growler fills offered for sale Tuesdays through Sundays. An extensive rotation of brews are tapped periodically, ranging from classic styles such as hefeweizens and altbiers to fruit-forward IPAs and cream ales and unique one-offs such as the brewery’s reduced-gluten stout or The Worst Beer We Ever Made sour Scottish ale. Free food delivery is offered from the adjacent MaGillycuddy’s Irish pub restaurant.
2005 2nd Ave, Anoka, MN 55303, Phone: 763-392-4753
56 Brewing
56 Brewing is a Northeast Minneapolis microbrewery and tap room founded in 2015 by master brewer Kale Johnson and a collaborative team of brewers and beer enthusiasts from the Minneapolis region. The company’s brewers strive to “make beer we like to drink,” offering unique, drinkable ales for the local community to enjoy. It follows a community-supported brewery co-operative business model, allowing brewery members to purchase beverages at an exclusive discount, and serves ales in a converted industrial space that has been transformed with a focus on “Garden-to-Growler” synergy with its environment and nature. Beers such as the brewery’s Nose Hair Bender American IPA and NE Nectar Ale are made with local hops and indigenous herbs and spices to reduce the brewery’s carbon footprint.
3055 NE Columbia Ave Suite 102, Minneapolis, MN 55418, Phone: 612-404-0056
Badger Hill Brewing
Badger Hill Brewing is operated by brothers and co-owners Broc and Brent Krekelberg and shares its Shakopee brewhouse facility with Minneapolis brewpub Finnegan’s in a cooperative brewing agreement. The brewery produces a wide variety of small-batch beers, including its flagship Minnesota Special Bitter ale, a unique recipe utilizing four varieties of American and European hops, and its Foundation Stout, which pays homage to Irish and English stout styles and creates an aromatic flavor reminiscent of coffee. 10 rotating beers are showcased at its tap room, including a nitro offering. Pints and growler sales are available, with rotating food truck pop-ups hosted on site. A dog-friendly patio is offered for well-behaved pets, and treats such as popsicles are available for supervised children.
4571 Valley Industrial Blvd S #500, Shakopee, MN 55379, Phone: 952-230-2739
Bang Brewing Company
Bang Brewing Company was opened in September of 2013 by brewers Sandy and Jay Boss Febbo and originally offered a single beer offering, its Neat single-hop American pale ale. For several years into its tenure, the brewery offered a single year-round selection, with its flagship brew rotated periodically. Today, the brewery has expanded to offer several flagship brews, including its Minn American mild and Nice St. Paul Dark Ale. Its brewhouse and tap room reflects its minimalist ethic, founded on principles of environmental stewardship and utilizing energy-efficient technologies. All brews are made exclusively with organic ingredients, and dog-friendly patio seating encourages visitors to enjoy beers in a natural light setting.
2320 Capp Rd, St Paul, MN 55114, Phone: 651-243-2264
Beaver Island Brewing Company
Beaver Island Brewing Company was founded by homebrewers Matt Studer and Nick Barth and strives to create memorable beers with thoughtful twists that engage and unite the St. Cloud community. Year-round brews offered at the brewery include their Ripple German Ale, ‘39 Red IPA, Revival Coast-to-Coast IPA, and Sweet Miss Chocolate Oatmeal Milk Stout. Limited releases focus on unique style and flavor profiles, including releases such as the brewery’s Soaked Revival Spanish Orange Ale and releases within the River Hopper Expedition IPA series. Well-behaved pets are welcomed on the brewery’s taproom patio, and private special event rentals are available for corporate and community events. Brewery tours may also be scheduled upon request.
216 6th Ave S, St Cloud, MN 56301, Phone: 320-253-5907
Bent Brewstillery
Bent Brewstillery is owned and operated by Bartley and Brenda Blume and operates as a combination brewery and distillery, striving to bring the principles of experimentation and high-quality preparation prioritized in the craft microbrewing world to the practice of crafting fine liquor. Liquors emphasize similar flavor profiles to craft beers, with variants available such as the company’s Double IPA-Skey hopped whiskey, Gunner Ghost Navy-strength gin, Flamebringer hot pepper-infused rum, and Coffee Stormbringer rum-infused cream liqueur. Several year-round beers are also offered, including the company’s Nordic Blonde Amber Blonde Ale, ENUFF IPA, and Nicked Double Stout. Food trucks are available periodically at the company’s pet-friendly tap room, with visitors encouraged to order their own food for delivery from local restaurants.
1744 Terrace Dr, Roseville, MN 55113, Phone: 844-879-2368
Bent Paddle Brewing Company
Bent Paddle Brewing Company was opened to the public in May of 2013, founded by couples Karen and Bryon Tonnis and Colin and Laura Mullen. The pairs brought extensive brewing experience to the company, including Bryon’s tenure as head brewer at Minneapolis’ Rock Bottom Brewery. Its name is derived from the brewers’ love of canoeing, which resulted in Bryon’s use of a bent canoe paddle to mix brewing mash in his personal brewing efforts. The brewery has been named as Minnesota’s best new brewery by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and has received medals at the Great American Beer Festival, including a 2017 gold medal for its 14° ESB. Other core brews include the company’s Kanu Session Pale Ale, Venture Pilsner, Bent Hop Golden IPA, and Cold Press Black Coffee Ale.
1832 W Michigan St, Floor 1, Duluth, MN 55806, Phone: 218-279-2722
Burning Brothers Brewing
Burning Brothers Brewing is operated by childhood friends Dane Breimhorst and Thom Foss, whose shared love for homebrewing was complicated after Breimhorst’s diagnosis with Celiac disease. For the following three years, the pair committed themselves to crafting gluten-free beer recipes with an emphasis on expanding the variety’s craft and taste options. Today, all of the brewery’s beers are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility, ensuring that no traces of wheat, barley, or rye are incorporated into beverages. Year-round offerings available in cans and on draft at the brewery’s tap room include the company’s Pyro American Pale Ale, Roasted Coffee Strong Ale, Raj-agni IPA, Fused Orange Blossom Honey Ale, and Scorched Coffee IPA. A custom-designed bar adorns the brewery’s tap room, which cultivates a family-friendly environment and hosts rotating food truck pop-ups and guest taps.
1750 Thomas Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104, Phone: 651-444-8882
Fair State Brewing Cooperative
Fair State Brewing Cooperative is a unique community-owned co-operative model, encouraging Minneapolis citizens to become brewery members in exchange for discounted and exclusive brews. In 2015, the cooperative was named as one of Ratebeer.com’s top 10 best new breweries in the world, and in 2018, the brewery was named as Minneapolis’ best brewery by City Page. Top-rated beers include the brewery’s classic Vienna Lager, which has received a perfect score rating from Ratebeer. Other unique brews include its Pahlay’ahlay Pale Ale, Mirror Universe Hazy IPA, and Pucker Pack Mixed-Fermentation Saison. Specialty bottled beers are also available in the brewery’s tap room, which is open seven days a week and highlights special events such as trivia nights and beer release parties.
2506 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418, Phone: 612-444-3209
HammerHeart Brewing Co.
HammerHeart Brewing Co. is a Lino Lakes brewery that was opened by brothers-in-law Nathaniel Chapman and Austin Lunn in 2013. The Nordic-inspired brewery is modeled after Norwegian brewery Haan Bryggeriet, taking it name from the Viking-style album of the same name by Swedish heavy metal band Bathory. Beers honor Norse and Celtic mythology and history and are brewed according to Old World tradition, with an emphasis on less-popularized Scandinavian and Northern European styles. Popular rotating beers on tap include the brewery’s Weltenwanderer Smoked Lager, Gessik Finnish Sahti, Sif’s Locks Oak-Smoked Grätzer, and Dublin Raid Peat-Smoked Red Ale. Craft kombuchas and non-alcoholic sodas are also available, including several flavors of Whistler classic sodas. Food trucks are parked on site most weekends, and Von Hanson’s Pretzels are served as bar snacks.
7785 Lake Dr, Lino Lakes, MN 55014, Phone: 651-348-2654
Kinney Creek Brewery
Kinney Creek Brewery is Rochester’s first new brewery since the Prohibition era, when its final historic brewery was shut down in 1922. The brewery was opened by Donovan Seitz on the anniversary of Repeal Day and offers creative craft brews, striving to create a community atmosphere at its brewhouse and tap room facility. Popular brews tapped include the company’s Minnesota Mild American Pale Ale, Simillation IPA, Chasm Chocolate Milk Stout, and Estupendo margarita-style lime lager. Barrel-aged and imperial variants are also tapped, along with non-alcoholic craft root beers and kombuchas. Rotating food truck pop-ups are hosted on site periodically, with monthly brewery tours presented depending on brewery availability. Other special events include weekly themed trivia nights and an annual Kegs and Barrels Fest, presented in conjunction with LTS Brewing Company.
1016 7th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901, Phone: 507-282-2739
LTD Brewing Co.
LTD Brewing Co. was founded in 2003 by two University of Minnesota students and homebrewers, who began developing their own recipes as a low-cost alternative to wide distribution beers. Today, the brewery is known for its avant-garde, experimental ethic, with its name standing as a reminder of its small-batch philosophy embracing unlimited brewing possibilities. A constantly-rotating beer list is offered at the brewery’s tap room, with favorites on tap such as its Patio Slammer IPA series and Emily’s Dream experimental sour series, along with one-offs such as its Be Like Mike Milkshake Porter and Smooth Operator Cream Ale. A house-made craft root beer is also served, along with a variety of rotating cask ales on nitro. Regular special events at the brewery include charity-funding Give Back Tuesdays, trivia nights, live music performances, and Sunday afternoon brewery tours.
8 8th Ave N, Hopkins, MN 55343, Phone: 952-938-2415
LTS Brewing Company
LTS Brewing Company is a Rochester microbrewery that was founded in 2013 by homebrewers Brandon Schulz and Jeff Werning. Today, the company is known for its craft small-batch ales and lagers and emphasizes its commitment to its local community. An extensive list of seasonal and one-off brews are tapped at its tap room, including its Karma Kölsch, FUN Belgian-style Blonde Ale, Inspiration IPA, El Dorado Golden Ale, and Bumbler Brown Porter. Five gluten-free, dairy-free, and caffeine-free craft sodas are also tapped, available in rotating flavors such as orange cream, black cherry, honey lemonade, and butter beer. Free popcorn is served at the tap room, along with bar bites such as hummus platters and charcuterie boards. Rotating food truck and local pizza company pop-ups are also hosted periodically, along with beer release parties, trivia nights, and live music performances.
2001 32nd Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901, Phone: 507-226-8280
Steel Toe Brewing
Steel Toe Brewing was opened in 2011 by Jason Schoneman, Joe Muggli, and Ron Olney. The brewery’s name is a reference to Schoneman’s habit of wearing steel-toed boots, a reference to his work ethic and passion for crafting quality, enduring products. Bottles and cans of its flagship Provider Golden Ale, Size 4 India Session Ale, Size 7 IPA, Rainmaker India Red Ale, and Dissent Dark Ale are available at the brewery’s tap room and throughout the Minnesota region. Other specialty and seasonal brews include an experimental IPA series, a barrel-aged series, and a Brewer’s Evolution series, which features beers that have received medals from the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. The brewery’s tap room is open seven days a week and hosts periodic food truck pop-ups, along with a dog-friendly seasonal patio.
4848 W 35th St, St Louis Park, MN 55416, Phone: 952-955-9965
Summit Brewing Company
Summit Brewing Company is one of St. Paul’s most popular breweries and is among the top 30 largest craft brewing companies in the nation, producing an annual capacity of 240,000 barrels. The brewery was started in 1986, making the region’s first new brewery since Prohibition. Its brews have been the recipient of multiple awards at the Great American Beer Festival and are available in distribution in five states.
Seven year-round brews are offered, including recent releases such as the company’s Summit Dakota Soul Czech-style Pilsner, Summit Keller Pils German-style Pilsner, and Summit Skip Rock White Ale. Its public Summit Ratskeller tap room offers a seasonal outdoor patio and brewery tours, along with a gift shop selling licensed brewery merchandise.
910 Montreal Cir, St Paul, MN 55102, Phone: 651-265-7800
Town Hall Brewery
Town Hall Brewery is a Minneapolis brewery that has been offering craft microbrews since 1997, continuing a tradition of brewing in a facility that formerly housed 1906’s Seven Corners Brewing. The company was founded by childhood friends Pete Rifakes and Scot McClure and has received more medals at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival than any other brewery in the state. 20 of its beers are tapped at its tap room, along with an extensive list of guest brews, wines, cocktails, ciders, and whiskies on tap. Favorite brews include the brewery’s Dortmunder Local Export Lager, West Bank Pale Ale, Masala Mama IPA, Hope and King Scotch Ale, and Black H2O Oatmeal Stout. Classic pub fare is served at its brewpub facility for lunch, dinner, and late night snacks. Since 2013, the brewery has also operated the adjacent Town Hall Lanes bowling alley.
1430 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454, Phone: 612-339-8696
Urban Growler Brewing Co.
Urban Growler Brewing Co. is Minnesota’s first exclusively female-owned brewery, founded in 2014 by friends Deb Loch and Jill Pavlak. The brewery specializes in traditional beers with unique local twists, including its flagship Cowbell Cream Ale, Kentucky Uncommon, De-Lovely Porter, Midwest IPA, and Golden Hammer IPA. Seasonal specialties include a Plow to Pint series, highlighting farm-to-table ingredients, and a Hayloft Series that showcases unique international styles. The brewery’s tap room, kitchen, and seasonal beer garden is open six days a week, serving locally-sourced American fare and offering brews on tap. Tours are available upon request with at least two weeks advance notice. Special events at the brewery include a summer farmer’s market and a Tunes on Tap live music performance series.
2325 Endicott St, St Paul, MN 55114, Phone: 651-340-5793
