Minneapolis

[cannondale]

Surly is there. So is Summit brewing. Any recomendations for Minneapolis?

[ritzkiss]

Town Hall is an absolute MUST. Great location, great beer, great patio if you go in the summer.

[fridadiego]

Great Waters Brewing in St. Paul wasn't bad when I was there last year. I also heard very good things about the Happy Gnome but did not go.

[cannondale]

I've saved Town Hall and the Happy Gnome in my GPS favourites. Town Hall patio sounds great, but unfortunately I'll be there Wed-Fri this week, so weather may be an issue.

Thanks guys.

[sprague11]

It's been a couple years since i've been out there, but for a state as out of the way as Minnesota is, they have some fantastic beer. I could spend an entire day at town hall easily.

[cannondale]

It's been a couple years since i've been out there, but for a state as out of the way as Minnesota is, they have some fantastic beer. I could spend an entire day at town hall easily.

Town Hall is a really cool place. Good food and great beer. I had their Masala Mama IPA and the seasonal Centennial Pale Ale.

[Jon Walker]

Surdyks is a great place to bottle shop.
http://www.surdyks.com/

[cannondale]

Surdyks is a great place to bottle shop.
http://www.surdyks.com/

I left Minneapolis before I saw this. I have a feeling I'll be back there soon, so this is on the list for next time.

[dale cannon]

Any recent visits?

I'll be there Tue-Fri this week. I land at 2:45 pm and hope to be at The Happy Gnome by happy hour..

[grub]

Any recent visits?

I'll be there Tue-Fri this week. I land at 2:45 pm and hope to be at The Happy Gnome by happy hour..

town hall is a must.

stub and herbs is usually one of my first stops. thursday night is "kill the keg night", and they'll usually have a couple of kegs on. $7 and you drink from 8pm until the kegs are gone. even if you only stop in for a couple that's a pretty good deal.

surdyks is good. if you're in the area, you might want to wander down along the river and check out spots like Pracna. i used to live just up the street, so spent many nights in that strip and the theatre there was our go-to.

if you're going to the gnome, the muddy pig is also nearby and can be an interesting spot.

i always like Old Chicago too. they're a chain, but have a big tap/bottle list (some locations better than others) and delicious food. the one on the north side of down on snelling just off 36 is always a favourite.

if you're up for a drive, it's about 20 minutes to Hudson, WI for all the stuff that doesn't make it over the border (new glarus in particular). there's a couple of great liquor stores there and the lot is usually filled with MN plates. Dennis Bros liquor is on the way back, a little off the beaten path but good stuff.

sadly, one of my favourites - cafe 28 - closed down at the start of the year.

having lived there for 5 years, i've also got a long list of favourite food spots. we usually have trouble fitting them all in when we visit. i can also suggest spots that are great just to check out and happen to have good beer - idea if you're travelling with someone less beery.

i'm sure i'll think of more as the day goes on. i'll try to remember to add.

[dale cannon]

Any recent visits?

I'll be there Tue-Fri this week. I land at 2:45 pm and hope to be at The Happy Gnome by happy hour..

town hall is a must.

stub and herbs is usually one of my first stops. thursday night is "kill the keg night", and they'll usually have a couple of kegs on. $7 and you drink from 8pm until the kegs are gone. even if you only stop in for a couple that's a pretty good deal.

surdyks is good. if you're in the area, you might want to wander down along the river and check out spots like Pracna. i used to live just up the street, so spent many nights in that strip and the theatre there was our go-to.

if you're going to the gnome, the muddy pig is also nearby and can be an interesting spot.

i always like Old Chicago too. they're a chain, but have a big tap/bottle list (some locations better than others) and delicious food. the one on the north side of down on snelling just off 36 is always a favourite.

if you're up for a drive, it's about 20 minutes to Hudson, WI for all the stuff that doesn't make it over the border (new glarus in particular). there's a couple of great liquor stores there and the lot is usually filled with MN plates. Dennis Bros liquor is on the way back, a little off the beaten path but good stuff.

sadly, one of my favourites - cafe 28 - closed down at the start of the year.

having lived there for 5 years, i've also got a long list of favourite food spots. we usually have trouble fitting them all in when we visit. i can also suggest spots that are great just to check out and happen to have good beer - idea if you're travelling with someone less beery.

i'm sure i'll think of more as the day goes on. i'll try to remember to add.

Thanks a ton grub!

In fact I am travelling with a less beery companion (he's into cognac, cigars and such).

Any recommendation for a nice area to go and walk around, popping into various places for a bite or a drink?

[grub]

Thanks a ton grub!

In fact I am travelling with a less beery companion (he's into cognac, cigars and such).

Any recommendation for a nice area to go and walk around, popping into various places for a bite or a drink?

note: surly syx (their 6th anniversary beer) just hit shelves in the last couple days. disappearing fast too. definitely worth grabbing if you see it as it won't be around for long (at least one store i follow on twitter was sold out in a couple of hours).

the st anthony main area (main st se around e henneinpin ave, where Pracna is) is great for walking around. nice little strip along the river, cobblestone roads, lots of patios, neat little shops and such. i think they used to have a "museum of questionable medical devices" at one point...

if you go straight north on main it'll become marshall st ne. you'll drive right past my old apt and on your left hand side will be a little joint called The Sample Room. a few good craft taps, things like flights of wine and scotch, lots of sample-sized menu stuff as well as some meal-sized stuff. great all around and not just beer-geekery.

further south, "uptown" is down hennepin and in the lagoon/w lake area. the old uptown theatre is cool and often has interesting movies on. lots of neat shops and a few decent beery spots too (Bryant-Lake Bowl, possibly others).

one note on directions (if you didn't already figure it out). be explicit when writing down directions. minneapolis in particular is split up into NE, NW, SE, SW sections, so a road can exist in all 4 and be vastly far apart. they also like to number streets and avenues, one going E-W and the other N-S, so there are many "3rd"s, and even intersections between "3rd and 3rd" in each of the 4 regions... i spent my first weekend there apt hunting lost about 70% of the time and baffled why i couldn't find anything... this was pre-gps though, so may be less of a concern.

[dale cannon]

Thanks a ton grub!

In fact I am travelling with a less beery companion (he's into cognac, cigars and such).

Any recommendation for a nice area to go and walk around, popping into various places for a bite or a drink?

note: surly syx (their 6th anniversary beer) just hit shelves in the last couple days. disappearing fast too. definitely worth grabbing if you see it as it won't be around for long (at least one store i follow on twitter was sold out in a couple of hours).

the st anthony main area (main st se around e henneinpin ave, where Pracna is) is great for walking around. nice little strip along the river, cobblestone roads, lots of patios, neat little shops and such. i think they used to have a "museum of questionable medical devices" at one point...

if you go straight north on main it'll become marshall st ne. you'll drive right past my old apt and on your left hand side will be a little joint called The Sample Room. a few good craft taps, things like flights of wine and scotch, lots of sample-sized menu stuff as well as some meal-sized stuff. great all around and not just beer-geekery.

further south, "uptown" is down hennepin and in the lagoon/w lake area. the old uptown theatre is cool and often has interesting movies on. lots of neat shops and a few decent beery spots too (Bryant-Lake Bowl, possibly others).

one note on directions (if you didn't already figure it out). be explicit when writing down directions. minneapolis in particular is split up into NE, NW, SE, SW sections, so a road can exist in all 4 and be vastly far apart. they also like to number streets and avenues, one going E-W and the other N-S, so there are many "3rd"s, and even intersections between "3rd and 3rd" in each of the 4 regions... i spent my first weekend there apt hunting lost about 70% of the time and baffled why i couldn't find anything... this was pre-gps though, so may be less of a concern.

Thanks again grub. I checked out a bunch of the places you suggested. My cognac drinking, cigar smoking colleague was more excited than I was in Surdyk's. It's a nice place. Minneapolis and St. Paul are actually quite different cities.

Struck out on the Surly Syx. I e-mailed the brewery to ask where i might find some. Response was "I heard that one liquor store in Edina has a couple bottles left..". Didn't bothering pursuing that lead.

I'll be back there again in couple weeks. I see that Town Hall has fairly recently opened a new, smaller location called Town Hall Taps. I'm planning to check that one out.

[cratez]

Will be here for nine days at the end of this month. Staying in downtown Minneapolis but plan to spend a day or two in St. Paul. I put the guide below together using combined RB/BA place scores and plan on hitting many of these spots. Just wondering if there are any glaring omissions that are worth visiting. Also checking to see what's new in the 7 years since this thread was last updated. Advice on tourist attractions is welcomed as well. Thanks in advance for your help, folks.

Breweries / Brewpubs:
Surly Brewing – 520 Malcolm Avenue Southeast, MPLS – RB: 95 / BA: 90 / CS: 93
Minneapolis Town Hall – 1430 Washington Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 93 / BA: 86 / CS: 90
Dangerous Man Brewing – 1300 2nd Street Northeast, MPLS – RB: 90 / BA: 86 / CS: 88
Fair State Brewing – 2506A Central Avenue Northeast, MPLS – RB: 90 / BA: 85 / CS: 88
Northbound Brewpub – 2716 East 38th Street, MPLS – RB: 86 / BA: 87 / CS: 87
Indeed Brewing – 711 15th Avenue Northeast, MPLS – RB: 87 / BA: 85 / CS: 86
Barrel Theory Beer Company – 248 East 7th Street, St. Paul – RB: 83 / BA: 89 / CS: 86
Wild Man Artisan Ales – 6031 Pillsbury Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 85 / BA: 82 / CS: 84
Bad Weather Brewing – 414 7th Street West, St. Paul – RB: 85 / BA: 82 / CS: 84
Summit Brewing – 910 Montreal Circle, St. Paul – RB: 83 / BA: 84 / CS: 84
Sisyphus Brewing – 712 Ontario Avenue West, MPLS – RB: 83 / BA: 82 / CS: 83
Bauhaus Brew Labs – 1315 Tyler Street Northeast, MPLS – RB: 81 / BA: 82 / CS: 82
Fulton Beer Company – 414 6th Avenue North, MPLS – RB: 80 / BA: 82 / CS: 81
Utepils Brewing – 225 Thomas Avenue North, Suite 700, MPLS – RB: 80 / BA: 82 / CS: 81
LynLake Brewery – 2934 Lyndale Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 81 / BA: 80 / CS: 81

Bars / Eateries:
The Happy Gnome – 498 Selby Avenue, St. Paul – RB: 97 / BA: 89 / CS: 93
Town Hall Tap – 4810 Chicago Avenue, MPLS – RB: 92 / BA: 88 / CS: 90
Republic at Seven Corners – 221 Cedar Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 93 / BA: 85 / CS: 89
Busters on 28th – 4204 28th Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 91 / BA: 84 / CS: 88
Muddy Waters Bar – 2933 Lyndale Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 87 / BA: 87 / CS: 87
Butcher & The Boar – 1121 Hennepin Avenue, MPLS – RB: 84 / BA: 89 / CS: 87
Stub & Herb’s – 227 Oak Street Southeast, MPLS – RB: 86 / BA: 87 / CS: 87
Town Hall Lanes – 5019 34th Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 85 / BA: 86 / CS: 86
Tilia – 2726 West 43rd Street, MPLS – RB: 91 / BA: 77 / CS: 84
Bryant Lake Bowl – 810 West Lake Street, MPLS – RB: 83 / BA: 84 / CS: 84
Acadia Café – 329 Cedar Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 83 / BA: 82 / CS: 83
Pat’s Tap – 3510 Nicollet Avenue, MPLS – RB: 80 / BA: 86 / CS: 83
Red Cow Minneapolis – 3624 West 50th Street, MPLS – RB: 80 / BA: 85 / CS: 83
The Blue Door Pub – 1811 Selby Avenue, St. Paul – RB: 77 / BA: 85 / CS: 83
The Blue Door Pub – 3448 42nd Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 78 / BA: 85 / CS: 82
New Bohemia Wurst – 233 East Hennepin Avenue, MPLS – RB: 81 / BA: 81 / CS: 81
Groveland Tap – 1834 Saint Clair Avenue, St. Paul – RB: 81 / BA: 78 / CS: 80

Stores:
Zipp’s Liquors – 2618 East Franklin Avenue, MPLS – RB: 95 / BA: 86 / CS: 91
The Wine Thief & Ale Jail – 1787 Saint Clair Avenue, St. Paul – RB: 93 / BA: 88 / CS: 91
South Lyndale Liquors – 5300 Lyndale Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 93 / BA: 84 / CS: 89
France 44 Wine & Spirits – 4351 France Avenue South, MPLS – RB: 84 / BA: 87 / CS: 86
Elevated Beer, Wine & Spirits – 4135 Hiawatha Avenue, MPLS – RB: 84 / BA: 86 / CS: 85
Stinson Wine, Beer & Spirits – 2315 18th Avenue Northeast, MPLS – RB: 83 / BA: 86 / CS: 85

[cratez]

Seems like I'm the only one who's been here in a while, so may as well provide an update. As many of you know, the Twin Cities has an impressive beer scene – anchored by world class breweries like Surly, Town Hall, and Fair State, and legendary bars such as The Happy Gnome and Republic – and as with most metro areas the craft beer community is growing and becoming more heterogeneous by the day.

I enjoyed my time exploring the area's beer spots and managed to take in some worthwhile tourist attractions too. Brewery highlights included the stalwarts mentioned above as well as newer entrants like Dangerous Man and Indeed. Northbound was good but not great, with a nice space and above average beer but underwhelming service.

On the bar front Happy Gnome, Blue Door Pub, Red Cow North Loop, Acadia Cafe, and Butcher & The Boar emerged as favourites, not just for their stellar beer selections but also their tasty food and engaging staff and patrons. I also had a very memorable meal at The Handsome Hog in Saint Paul, brainchild of Top Chef Kentucky contestant Justin Sutherland, and learned that Target Field is a wonderful place for beer-loving baseball fans (look for Drafts at 34 and the numerous Minnesota Craft Beer stands in the stadium).

In terms of beer standouts, I tried some of the best New England-style IPAs I've ever had, namely Fair State Mirror Universe, Surly Space Race, Modist False Pattern, and Lupulin Hooey. Minnesota also has access to some breweries that I haven't seen elsewhere in the Midwest, like Iowa's Toppling Goliath, whose King and Pseudo Sue absolutely blew me away. Other highlights included various West Coast IPAs, Robust Porters, and hoppy lagers from local and out-of-state crafters.

The only notable sour I tried was a Kriek from Boom Island Brewing, which was delicious. But this is an area where Ontario breweries are seemingly ahead (see Bellwoods, Half Hours, Small Pony, Halcyon, etc).

Generally speaking it is easy to get around downtown Minneapolis by foot and by transit, and I found the same to be true of Saint Paul. A lot of the better breweries are located in the North/Northeast end of MPLS, about a 10 minute drive from downtown, and when I wanted to go there I just took an Uber or Lyft and then walked between places. For the most part people are friendly, as I had no trouble engaging patrons at a majority of the beer spots and restaurants. Another bonus: both cities are extremely safe.

For tourist attractions I recommend visiting Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls (awesome views of the city and the Mississippi River), the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (located right beside each other), the Mill City Museum (extensive look at the city's history and founding industries), and catching a Twins game if they're playing. Saint Paul Cathedral and the Minnesota State Capitol are also worth checking out if you're into architecture; ditto for US Bank Stadium if you like football.

Overall I had an excellent time in the Twin Cities, and although I was primarily there for work (five out of nine days), the beer scene, dining options, and tourist attractions are strong enough that I would happily vacation there in the future.