A giant trout statue welcomes you to Preston, Minnesota. Downtown, a bicycle rack shaped like the fish jumps out of the sidewalk. The city has dubbed itself “Minnesota’s Trout Capital,” so it’s only natural that its new brewery, opening August 15 next to the National Trout Center, would name itself accordingly—Trout City Brewing—and prominently feature … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Thesis Beer Project in Rochester
August 13, 2019 by
The central thesis of Thesis Beer Project is to make good beer and do good. Located in Rochester’s uptown neighborhood a stone’s throw away from Mayo Clinic’s Saint Marys campus, Thesis Beer Project will be the city’s sixth brewery when co-owners Allyson Palmer and Adam Fredericksen open its doors on August 13. The building is immediately … [ Read more]
Now Open: White Bear Meadery in White Bear Lake
July 31, 2019 by
From our professional football team to cultural lore, Vikings play a leading role in Minnesota. But Josh and Dana Eckton believed it wasn’t easy enough to find the seafaring Scandinavians’ drink of choice—mead. To help change this, the Ecktons opened White Bear Meadery on June 29 in Gem Lake, Minnesota, with the goal of helping … [ Read more]
Now Open: Alexandria’s Ida Graves Distillery launches honey-based vodka and organic gin
July 17, 2019 by
Brock Berglund and Anna Wilson’s 77 acres outside Alexandria, Minnesota, are beautiful, bordering on idyllic. The land is enrolled in the Minnesota DNR’s Conservation Reserve Program, in which private land is set aside to encourage wildlife habitation. It’s full of native grasses and pollinator plants. The DNR even installed a berm to create a wetland … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): 22 Northmen Brewing Co. in Alexandria
June 12, 2019 by
June 15, 2019, will mark the grand opening of 22 Northmen Brewing Co., and the realization of a longstanding vision for the owners of the adjacent Carlos Creek Winery. Tami and Kim Bredeson have contemplated building a brewery to complement their winery as far back as 2009. With a successful Kickstarter campaign, the hiring of … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Block North Brew Pub in Aitkin
June 5, 2019 by
Since opening in March, Block North Brew Pub in Aitkin, Minnesota, has quickly become a popular spot for locals to gather and enjoy local beers and unique, homemade food, bringing back a much-appreciated slice of nightlife to the town. Now, after a busy grand-opening event over Memorial Day weekend, their own beer has finally joined … [ Read more]
Now Open: Pig Ate My Pizza Kitchen + Brewery in Robbinsdale
May 21, 2019 by
Andy Goettsch cut his teeth in Italian fine dining. Each dish he prepared required time-consuming techniques and attention to detail, and any missteps were easy to taste. After 15 years in kitchens, including five as chef de cuisine for Travail, his passion shifted to an equally time-intensive craft: brewing. Now, as head brewer for the … [ Read more]
Now Open: Minneapolis Cider Co.
May 17, 2019 by
The mission statement behind Minneapolis Cider Co. is simple: “Welcome to cider.” “We put it on our glassware, we talk about it, that is our guiding ethos in everything that we do,” says co-owner Jason Dayton. “It’s about: how do we enthusiastically welcome people to the category, and how do we guide our work every … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Schram Haus Brewery in Chaska
May 3, 2019 by
After a 60-year hiatus, Chaska will once again have a brewery when Schram Haus Brewery opens May 3. Located on a bluff overlooking the city’s historic downtown area, Schram Haus’ modern take on a German beer hall will also pay homage to the city’s rich brewing history, dating back to the mid-1800s. If the name … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Wild State Cider in Duluth
April 9, 2019 by
Duluth’s local cider scene is continuing to grow this spring with the arrival of Wild State Cider, situated in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, home to Duluth Cider, Ursa Minor Brewing, and Bent Paddle Brewing Company. Wild State Cider is a collaboration between longtime friends Adam Ruhland and Andrew Price, who first met in 2008 as … [ Read more]
First Look: Bad Habit Brewing expands into new taproom
April 5, 2019 by
Oh man, what if this doesn’t turn out? What if people don’t come back?” Those were the questions running through Aaron Rieland’s mind in October 2015 as he prepared to open the doors to Bad Habit Brewing in St. Joseph. Now, after three and a half years of unexpected growth and success, he and his … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): Drastic Measures Brewing in Wadena
March 12, 2019 by
After two years of planning, Drastic Measures Brewing in Wadena, Minnesota, will finally enjoy its grand opening on Friday, March 15. Housed in a vintage hardware store on the corner of Jefferson Street and Aldrich Avenue in historic downtown Wadena, about three hours northwest of the Twin Cities, Drastic Measures Brewing is owned by Brett … [ Read more]
Now Open: Pantown Brewing Company in St. Cloud
February 8, 2019 by
St. Cloud’s newest brewery aims to bring the city one step closer to becoming a destination for craft beer. Pantown Brewing Company is named after the neighborhood on the northwest end of St. Cloud, which was originally made up of 45 homes built by Samuel Pandolfo to house the employees of the Pan Motor Company, … [ Read more]
Now Open: Under Pressure Brewing Company in Golden Valley
January 29, 2019 by
One of Minnesota’s most lauded and detail-driven homebrewers is finally seeing her brewery dreams come to fruition with the opening of Under Pressure Brewing Company in Golden Valley. Lori Ertl, alongside her co-owners and co-brewers John Keenan and Tyler Marchiniak, decided to pursue large-scale brewing because of the way it blends passion, production, and people. “There … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): 3rd Act Craft Brewery in Woodbury
December 5, 2018 by
Thanksgiving week 2018 was a historic one for the town of Woodbury, Minnesota. This eastern suburb of St. Paul that nearly 70,000 people call home is finally home to its first brewery. 3rd Act Craft Brewery, the brainchild of Woodbury resident and longtime homebrewer Steve Long and his wife Deb Long, quietly opened its doors … [ Read more]
