Best of Upper Midwest
Twin Cities + Iowa + western Wisconsin + the Dakotas. Surly led the modern MN craft revolution; Toppling Goliath in tiny Decorah Iowa makes some of the most chase-worthy beer in America. The scene is geographically spread out but the high points are very high.
Covers: Minneapolis-St Paul, Decorah IA, Madison, Duluth
Brewery
Bottle shop
Beer bar / brewpub
Tap a marker to see the spot
One day
Surly Beer Hall in Minneapolis → Indeed → Modist. All in MSP.
A weekend
Day 1: Twin Cities crawl. Day 2: drive to Decorah IA for Toppling Goliath (3 hours but worth it). Day 3: return via Madison for Karben4.
Minneapolis
Bauhaus Brew Labs
Brewery
Northeast · 1315 Tyler St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
Wonderstuff and Stargrazer are MN lager benchmarks. The art-deco taproom is the best vibe in NE MPLS for a casual afternoon.
Fair State Brewing
Brewery
Northeast · 2506 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
Minnesota's most technically respected brewery. Cooperative-owned, with one of the best Czech-style lager programs and a serious mixed-culture project.
Indeed Brewing
Brewery
Northeast Minneapolis · 711 NE 15th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55413
NE Minneapolis brewery with a wide-ranging program and one of the best taproom vibes in the Twin Cities. Day Tripper pale ale is a workhorse.
Modist Brewing
Brewery
North Loop · 505 N 3rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
All-grain hazy IPA specialist using a unique mash-only system that produces particularly soft, hop-forward beers. Dreamyard is a Twin Cities cult IPA.
Brewery
Prospect Park / Beer Hall · 520 Malcolm Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Founders' Furious changed Minnesota beer law to legalize taproom pours. Now the largest indie brewery in MN with a destination beer hall and consistently strong IPA program.
Known for: Furious, Todd the Axe Man, Darkness
Decorah
Brewery
Northeast Iowa (3 hr from MSP) · 1600 Prosperity Rd, Decorah, IA 52101
Pseudo Sue, King Sue, Mornin' Delight, Kentucky Brunch — TG's lineup includes some of the most chase-worthy beers in America. The Decorah destination brewery is genuinely worth the drive from anywhere.
Known for: Pseudo Sue, King Sue, Mornin' Delight
Duluth
Bent Paddle Brewing
Brewery
Northern Minnesota · 1832 W Michigan St, Duluth, MN 55806
Duluth's craft anchor on Lake Superior. Venture Pils is a Midwest pilsner reference; the Black Ale program is uniquely strong.
Saint Paul
Vine Park Brewing
Bottle Shop
Twin Cities · 1254 W 7th St, St Paul, MN 55102
Best craft bottle selection in the Twin Cities. Strong rotation of MN releases and a deep cellaring section.