Do you live in Minneapolis?  Are you interested in visiting Minneapolis?  I bet you will be after reading about this do-it-yourself Minneapolis Brewery Tour!  And by “tour”, I really mean collection of breweries that make a brewery crawl all but inevitable. Plus a few distilleries thrown in for fun.  And don’t forget the food trucks! YES PLEASE!

There is nothing like a beautiful spring or summer day in Minneapolis. (There is nothing like a beautiful fall or winter day in Minneapolis either, but we’ll save that for another Good Food Reads)  Everyone emerges from their winter cocoon and streams outside to catch some rays of the glorious sunshine. And we know exactly how you should spend it!

Head to Minneapolis for a brewery tour! (and by Minneapolis, I mean mostly Northeast Minneapolis).  Now, when I say brewery tour, I don’t mean a guided a tour, I mean check out these taprooms!  Most are in walkable distance from each other (exceptions, Surly and Norseman are outside of walking distance). Spend more time at the ones you jive with, more time where you like the food trucks, more time where you plan to meet your tribe.  Below are a collection of my favorite breweries (knowing full well, I haven’t visited EVERY great brewery in Minneapolis-sorry folks, craft brewing is hot around here!).

A photo at Bauhaus Brew Labs last weekend.  A man and his baby.  These breweries are truly family friendly.  There are people of all ages, all walks of life, all types.  There were families playing board games, kids eating food from the food trucks (or even food from home), and parents and other groups of adults enjoying a cold one.  If you are envisioning a frat party, this is not it.  Everyone was well behaved, happy and kind.  Their were even Girl Scouts out selling cookies (genius little marketers those Girl Scouts!).  Having said this, if you plan on bringing kids, make sure you check the individual brewery website, as a few breweries have age limits after a certain time at night.

And of course, it goes without saying, DRINK RESPONSIBLY.  Minneapolis has plenty of taxis, Ubers, Lyft drivers or set up a sober ride ahead of time.

Below I’ll tell you what we drank, what food trucks were available and where you can get in on the action.  Keep in mind, breweries do change what is on tap, and the food trucks change depending on the date, so you may want to check each breweries website if you have your heart set on a specific brew or a specific food truck! Otherwise, open up the interactive map at the end of the post, and plan your route!

So without further ado, let’s get started…

Surly Brewing 

520 Malcolm Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

OK, Ok Surly Brewing is actually not technically located in Northeast.  But Omar Ansari is the king and Surly is the brewery that kicked it all off in Minneapolis, changing the law so taprooms could be opened all over Minnesota (more info on the Surly bill).  The Queen of Surly is a great friend of mine, and was a colleague when they first started their empire from a small industrial space in Brooklyn Park.  It has since become an amazing destination brewery with an equally amazing taproom.  Great things happen when great people work hard and believe in their dreams. Don’t let the Southeast address deter you, Surly is only 10 minutes from the rest of the breweries we will talk about and is worth the time to visit.  Trust me.  With brews like Cynic, Coffee Bender, and Fiery Hell, there is a beer for every taste. Not to mention the beer hall sells food, and Surly Pizza Upstairs opens in one week.

As I started to put this post together I realized I don’t have any of my own photos of Surly (oversight on my part, I don’t always have my camera snapping), so the photo of the taproom on the website will have to do (it’s gorgeous)!

 

Dangerous Man Brewing

1300 NE 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Start the Northeast portion of your Northeast Brewery Tour here. It’s a little farther west then some of the breweries listed below (by a mile or so-walkable in most weather) and worth the stop for the truly fun flavors. Dangerous Man Brewing is housed in a former bank which also makes for a cool atmosphere.

I enjoyed the Gose with Lime, my husband the House IPA and we were both very, very, happy.   A fun neighborhood vibe, diverse crowd and fun beers made this place a great place to start.  On the day we visited Dangerous Man had The Fabled Rooster food truck was parked outside.  Food + beer=win.

 

Indeed Brewing

711 NE 15th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55413

A fabulous taproom, a great patio, and friendly staff make Indeed Brewing a great place to visit.  Again, a family friendly brewery, there were couples, college kids, grandparents, dogs and yes, even kids, hanging out here.  Many people had walked here from the surrounding neighborhoods or other breweries.  Others had ridden their bikes.

I had a Lucy, which is another sour beer (turns out I like the sour beers, who knew?).  My husband had a Heliotropic which is described as a Saison aged in Oak Barrels. Our friends had Let it Ride, which is an IPA. Two thumbs up from all of us.  And this is where I developed my R Taco addiction, as this is the food truck that was at Indeed Brewing the last time we were there.  If you don’t have an R Taco addiction, try the fried chicken taco, or the fried shrimp taco.  YUM! (I now frequent their brick and mortar store frequently)

 

612 Brew

945 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Located in a more industrial area several blocks from Indeed Brewing, 612 Brew is a great addition to the Northeast Minneapolis Brewery Tour.  Walking in, you will walk by a beautiful stone patio, just waiting for you to take your beer into the sunny outdoors.  But the brewery itself is also a great place to hang out.  Located in a historic building, with lots of seating as well as six large brew tanks, this is a fun place to have a beer.  Check out the virtual tour on their website, you’ll see exactly what I mean.

For me, the new release, Cloud Wars, hit the spot.  My husband enjoyed the Cypress Aged White IPA, otherwise known as the Anniversary Beer.  Another winner.  And I can’t lie, we also enjoyed the appetizers from the Craft Mobile Kitchen Food Truck.  Yuca fries and plantains…yes please!

 

Bauhaus Brew Labs

1315 Tyler St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Only a block from 612 Brew, this brewery is light, bright, open and airy (just look at all of those high windows!).  In fact it is so bright it was hard to get a photo of the offerings (but I tried anyway!).

So bright and sunny, I felt like I was outside-while I was inside! They do have a fabulous patio too, so you can take your brew and enjoy the weather.  I wasn’t as excited about the food truck here (Gerhard’s Brats) but ONLY because we weren’t hungry enough to eat an entire sausage (which looked and smelled absolutely delicious).  I sipped an Uber Duber which is described as an Imperial Sparkling Ale.  My husband had a CopperPop, a hoppy red lager.  Both fabulous.

I also just found out there is also a yoga class held at Bauhaus Brew Labs.  Go to the events page and check it out (price includes a beer).  This is an event I’ll definitely be heading to just as soon as I get a free day.

 

Not interested in beer?  Northeast Minneapolis also offers a Cider Tasting Room as well as two Cocktail rooms. (And this is when I say I’m expanding the Minneapolis Brewery Tour to include these tasting and cocktails rooms, because when you’re the author, you get to do cool stuff like that!)

Sociable Cider Werks

1500 Fillmore St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Blocks away from the breweries we discussed, is a cider tasting room which is also lots of fun.  Outside lawn games, flights of cider and a big open seating area makes for a very fun time.  Choose a few of the interesting flavors, put together a flight of cider, and toast to the inventiveness of the Minneapolis cider scene!

 

Tattersall Distilling

1620 Central Ave NE #150, Minneapolis, MN 55413

I have a special place in my heart for Tattersall Distilling, and I’ve now been there multiple times.  Contemporary cocktail room with both traditional and funky cocktails, perfect for sipping with friends. Beautiful patio. Engaged bar staff.  We’ve tried many of the cocktails on this menu and we haven’t found a one we don’t love!

Perfect for sipping on a hot summer day!

 

Norseman Distillery

451 Taft St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Full disclosure: I have not been here.  But it is at the top of my To Do ASAP List so I figured I best include it our Minneapolis Brewery Tour.  Everyone around these parts raves about this place.  The photos are beautiful, they have food (not a truck) available, and I have bought their liquor in local liquor stores to use in my own cocktails.  It is a few miles away from the others I talked about (not walking distance), but even so, this is one that I can not get to fast enough.  If you beat me to it, let me know what you thought of it!

 

Wondering how far apart these taprooms are?  Use this super helpful interactive Northeast Brewery Map to plan your trip.

And let me say it one more time: DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

Have you been to any of these taprooms?  Gone on your own Minneapolis Brewery Tour? What did you think? Which one is your favorite?  Let us know in the comments below or #WithTwoSpoons on social media!

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