Minneapolis and St. Paul Beer and Travel Guide

Minneapolis and St. Paul are really cool cities full of great breweries & Beautiful NaturE.

Twin Cities Tips: 

• Definitely plan several days to explore—Minneapolis has several distinct neighborhoods to adventure around and then St. Paul is about 20 minutes east with its own downtown to meander.

• Visit between May-October unless you love brutal cold and heavy snow!

• Planning a Minnesota road trip? Check out my North Shore beer and travel guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: ​​​

• BlackStack Brewing: Killer beers and the nicest people! This is definitely the best brewery in the Twin Cities and a must visit. Located between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

• Chain of Lakes: Rent a bike and take a journey around the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway to see Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, and Cedar Lake!

  • Nice Ride is the name of the city’s public bike share system, they are super convenient and reasonably priced!

• Barrel Theory Beer Company: A fantastic brewery in downtown St. Paul making killer beers. The space is small but the vibes are great.

• Fair State Brewing Coop: This employee-owned brewery has fantastic beers, particularly their Lagers. They also have pretzels from the bakery next door and a beer garden in the back.

• Modist Brewing: This brewery has delicious beers and great vibes. They are located in downtown Minneapolis.

• Falling Knife Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery with an IPA-heavy tap list, a small patio and good vibes. Don’t let their industrial strip mall location fool you!

• Boom Island Park: Great views of the Minneapolis skyline, especially at sunset!

• Fulton Beer: A cool spot to sit outside and enjoy your drink taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

• Rise Bagel Co.: I’m a sucker for a good bagel and Rise does not disappoint!

• Stay at Hyatt Centric Downtown Minneapolis: This beautiful hotel is right in the heart of the city! Their restaurant is Six 15 and they have great breakfast, dinner and drink options including six local craft beers on tap. They are also dog friendly!

BlackStack Brewing

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Minnehaha Falls: A nice waterfall and park. It’s not exactly “hiking” it’s more like urban-hiking, but still nice to get into nature. They have a brewery pop-up here sometimes as well.

• Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: Home to the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry Sculpture, this is a cool place to meander around and check out some art.

• Bell Museum: An awesome museum in St. Paul focused on natural history with a planetarium. Highly recommend!

• The Endless Bridge at Guthrie Theater: Touristy, but it’s free so why not? Go to the Guthrie Theater, go up, go outside, take in the views. It is just a quick stop while you’re exploring.

• The Bakken Museum: A museum of innovation right off the Chain of Lakes. This is more kid focused than adult, but it is in a cool historic building.

Minnehaha Falls

Other ideas:​​

• Dangerous Man Brewing: Solid beer and friendly staff! A bit off the beaten path but worth it.

• Waldmann Brewery: A German brewery in St. Paul with restaurant vibes in a converted old house. They have a nice front patio space and good beers and food.

• Bad Weather Brewing Company: Solid beers at this popular brewery in St. Paul. Located right next to Waldmann.

• Day Block Brewing: Good beer, good food, friendly staff!

• Utepils Brewing: Solid beers and you can sit by the river to drink it! Not the best view, but still enjoyable.

• Surly Brewing Co.: A massive brewery in Minneapolis. There is a huge outdoor space, an extensive tap list, and food as well.

• Dual Citizen Brewing Co.: Good beers, chill warehouse-y vibes.

• Inbound BrewCo: Military themed brewery with solid pours.

• Pyres Brewing: A nice outdoor patio not far from the river. Large menu of beer & food!

• Urban Growler Brewing: All female-owned brewery and restaurant! They are not too far from BlackStack between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

• Sociable Cider Werks: Good ciders and usually a food truck onsite as well.

• Indeed Brewing Company: Right around the corner from Able, this place has a cool outdoor patio and solid beers.

• Bauhaus Brew Labs: A trendy brewery with a large outdoor space and games.

• Glam Doll Donuts: Super delicious! Fancy donuts and yummy coffee.

• The Freehouse: Restaurant-style brewery with average beers in downtown Minneapolis. Great brunch!

• 56 Brewing: A solid brewery with a nice outdoor patio and frequent food trucks.

• Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative: Just a 5 minute walk from 56 Brewing, this coop has unique beer styles and lots of games.

• Clockwerks Brewing: A pretty mediocre brewery in the heart of downtown.

Minnesota North Shore Beer and Travel Guide

The North Shore of Minnesota is a Stunning area along Lake Superior with great hiking and viewpoints!

North Shore Tips: 

• Expect solitude, beautiful views, mediocre food and coffee, and chill vibes.

• The further down the shore you get the more crowded everything is because it is more easily accessible. I loved the Grand Marais area as a jumping off point midway up the shore.

• Everywhere you go in this area is a scenic drive! Highway 61 is the main road running up from Duluth to the Canadian border and is a beautiful road to drive along.

• Although Duluth is a larger city, it is technically part of the North Shore as well. Scroll all the down for my recommendations and thoughts on Duluth.

• On a Minnesota road trip? Check out my Twin Cities guide here!

• Head over to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while you’re in the area for more spectacular views, cute towns and great hikes. Check out my beer and travel guide for the U.P. here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Mount Josephine Lookout Tower Trail: This trail leads to stunning views of Lake Superior, Isle Royale National Park, Canada, and the Minnesota shore. It is 2.8 miles long with 650ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and a half to complete. The trail starts very flat and then it gets quite steep as you climb to the summit, but it is worth it for the views.

• Explore Grand Marais: This is a cute little town on the water with a nice downtown.

  • Voyageur Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a full kitchen downstairs and a rooftop deck with nice views. The beer exceeded my expectations but the food was a bit disappointing.

  • Artist’s Point: A little park with a rocky beach that is a great spot to catch the sunset. You can also walk out onto the point and explore that area.

  • World’s Best Donuts: I am not sure about world’s best, but these are some darn tasty donuts. Expect a lineup of folks but it moves quickly.

  • Java Moose: A cute coffee shop with pastries right across from the water.

• Canoe in the Boundary Waters! Most people choose to do an overnight canoe trip, but a day trip works too. You’ll need a permit that whoever you rent a canoe from can help you acquire. This is a must do while in Northern Minnesota.

  • I rented from Ely Outfitting Company in Ely, MN and canoed on Hegman Lake. I was the only person on the lake and it was a wonderful experience. If I were visiting again I would probably rent from an outfitter in Grand Marais and choose a lake off Gunflint Trail because it is closer to the North Shore.

• Middle Falls and High Falls Trail at Pigeon River Provincial Park: This trail is just across the border in Canada, so you will need to have proper identification and an ArriveCAN form completed to access it. The full trail is 5.3 miles long with 738ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours. The parking lot for the trailhead is the Ontario Visitor Center.

  • You’ll first come to High Falls and then walk through some buggy and muddy woods that are a bit overgrown to Middle Falls and then turn around and come back. I would recommend skipping Middle Falls and only doing High Falls and the Lookout Trail. Middle Falls is just a river view and the trail to get there was not great. Lookout Trail leads to a stunning viewpoint of Isle Royale National Park and the coast.

  • You can also see High Falls from the US side, but if you’re able to I’d recommend the Canadian view, especially for Lookout Trail.

• Oberg Mountain Loop via Superior Hiking Trail: A nice loop with lovely views of Lake Superior, the coast and Oberg Lake. The trail is 2.6 miles long with 500ft of elevation gain and took about an hour and 15 minutes to complete.

• Drive the Gunflint Trail: This scenic road heads west and leads to several trails and lakes. The Moose Viewing Trail is just shy of a mile long to an observation deck where you can frequently see moose.

• Cascade Falls: A quick 1 mile trail right off the main road with 6 waterfalls—the first you’ll come to is the largest. You can also add onto this trail and make a longer hike out of it. This is a nice and easy trail with great waterfall views.

• North Shore Winery: A winery and cidery under the same roof with a few different tasting options as well and cheese and crackers. The property is pretty and they frequently have live music as well. Tasty wine!

High Falls

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Devil’s Kettle Trail at Judge CR Magney State Park: This is a popular trail so be sure to get an early start to avoid the crowds. It is 2.2 miles long with 400ft of elevation gain, mostly in two large chunks of stairs right before you get to the Devil’s Kettle itself. This is a pretty unique sight to see and a definite must while you are in the area. It is $7 to park in the state park and the trail took 50 minutes to complete.

• Fifth Falls and Superior Hiking Loop at Gooseberry Falls State Park: Upper, Middle and Lower Falls can be reached with just a short walk from the parking area so this area is extremely popular. Once you venture beyond these there are very few people and you can get back to Fifth Falls following along the river with nice views. The overall trail is 3 miles long with 300ft of elevation gain, but you could also just do the first 3 waterfalls if you’d like.

• Palisade Head: A nice viewpoint overlooking the shoreline and Lake Superior. You can also see Shovel Point and Little Palisade from here.

• Brighton Beach: Rocky beach on Lake Superior just north of Duluth. Nice walking trail, picnic tables, benches.

Canoeing in the Boundary Waters

Other ideas:​​​

• Pincushion Mountain Overlook Trail: This is a 4.2 mile long trail with 450ft of elevation gain. It is off the Gunflint Trail and takes about an hour and a half to complete. This was a pretty easy stroll through the woods and a bit boring of a trail. The views from the summit are nice but there are other trails with better views and more exciting trails.

• Castle Danger Brewery: A solid brewery in Two Harbors with a great patio space, frequent food trucks and a good variety of beers on tap.

• Stay at Cascade Lodge: Lutsen was a great base point for exploring the North Shore and I enjoyed renting a cabin here. It was well-priced, clean, and convenient. I would very much so NOT advise the restaurant here though.

• Split Rock Lighthouse: A popular destination with a $12 entrance fee to see the lighthouse.

• Hollow Rock: I am quite sure this is private property but there is a cool hollow rock in the water at a campground!

• Black Beach: A rocky beach that is not in fact black. It is a nice little beach but a bit overhyped.

Ursa Minor Brewing

Duluth:

• Duluth was not my favorite. I’d recommend skipping it and driving further up the Minnesota North Shore or driving east to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Overall I found the city to have an unappealing mix of overly touristy and trashy. They also have a massive population of unhoused folks.

• There are lots of parks and seating along the waterfront which is nice. The Lakewalk is a paved trail that runs about 7 miles along the waterfront as well. Here you can see the lift bridge and lighthouse as well.

• Carry a rain jacket if you’re visiting in the summer months—there is a constant mix of rain-sun-rain-sun.

• Big Manitou Falls & Manitou Falls Trail at Pattinson State Park: The largest waterfall in Wisconsin! This state park was nearly empty when I visited and I enjoyed the 3.5 mile long trail with 209ft of elevation gain to Little Manitou Falls and Big Manitou Falls. You can also drive and walk just a short distance to either waterfall if that’s more your style. The park is 30 minutes from Duluth and there is an $11 entrance fee.

• Ursa Minor Brewing Company: The best brewery in Duluth, by far. They have great beers, delicious wood fired pizzas and a fantastic patio space.

• Bent Paddle Brewing Co: A solid brewery with a nice taproom and patio. They have a lovely fireplace, games and frequent food trucks.

• Earth Rider Brewery: A brewery in Superior with dive bar vibes. They have a small food menu and a large outdoor space.

• Enger Tower: A tower in a park with views of all of Duluth and Superior.

• Yellow Bike Coffee: A coffee shop with multiple locations in Duluth. The Fitgers location is on the river at the back of the large Fitgers complex. Heads up they do not have food although it is advertised that they do.

• Duluth Coffee Company: A small coffee shop in downtown Duluth with tasty beverages.

• Positively 3rd Street Bakery: A nice little organic bakery.

• Vikre Distillery: A cocktail bar crafting their own liquors.

• Blacklist Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery in the heart of Duluth with a nice, open taproom and a small tap list.

• Hoops Brewing Company: A mediocre brewery inside a hotel in downtown Duluth. They have a large open space with a huge tap list and a small seasonal biergarten in the back.

• Canal Park Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery with below average beers + food and terrible service. They have a nice outdoor patio.

The Best Breweries in the Midwest

The Midwest is full of great breweries—let’s be real there’s not much to do from November-March when you are snowed in other than brew and drink great beer. As a result there are some stellar spots spanning across these states!

The best breweries in the Midwest, in no particular order:

Phase Three Brewing Company: Lake Zurich, IL

Speciation Artisan Ales: Grand Rapids, MI

Pulpit Rock Brewing Company: Decorah, IA

Lua Brewing: Des Moines, IA

Forager Brewery: Rochester, MN

Side Project Brewing: Maplewood, MO

Jackie O’s Brewery: Athens, OH

New Glarus Brewing Company: New Glarus, WI

BlackStack Brewing: St. Paul, MN

Transient Artisan Ales: Bridgman, MI

Revolution Brewing: Chicago, IL

Drekker Brewing Company: Fargo, ND

Which of these have you been to? What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis

My Top Beers in June 2021

June absolutely flew by but it was still packed with some delicious beers! We took two trips to Atlanta, a quick stop in Greenville, and hosted our first fully vaccinated bottle share. In no particular order, here were my top beers in June 2021:

Check out my guide to Atlanta here!

Emergency Chute from Variant Brewing Co in Roswell, GA

Emergency Chute is an Imperial New England IPA. It is brewed with Vic Secret, Simcoe, and Citra hops resulting in a smooth and juicy flavor. This was my first visit to Variant and first time trying any of their beers. I was super impressed!

Self-Reliance: Strata from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Self Reliance is Hill Farmstead’s Farmhouse IPA series. This version is brewed exclusively with Strata hops. It was brewed in March 2020, conditioned in puncheons for four months, and then double dry-hopped. Every beer in this series has been fantastic!

The Time Between Dog and Wolf from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

The Time Between Dog and Wolf is an Imperial Pastry Stout. It was Bourbon Barrel Aged for 14 months in Willett Bourbon barrels that previously housed dark, robust maple syrup from High Low Farm in Woodstock, VT and single origin coffee beans from Finca La Laja in Veracruz, Mexico sourced by Pure Intentions Coffee. It is rich, flavorful, and thick. Best served with Ashworth Cookies.

Dot Matrix collaboration from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC and BlackStack Brewing in St. Paul, MN

Dot Matrix is a Mixed Fermentation Gose with malted wheat, passionfruit, raspberry, guava, grapefruit and black truffle sea salt. This collab is tart, fruity, and delicious. These breweries have been two of my favorites for quite a while now, but I am continually impressed by the beers they produce.

Vary from Halfway Crooks in Atlanta, GA

Vary is a Czech Pilsner with Saaz hops and Czech yeast. This is the malty version of another one of their Czech Pilsner’s, Var. Don’t let the term malt scare you here, it is still clean and crisp as you want a Pilsner to be. Halfway Crooks absolutely crushes the Lager game so it’s no surprise that they are on the list. It was difficult to choose which Halfway Crooks beer to add here out of the 6 beers from them I got to try this month!

Check back next month to see my top beers of July!
Cheers —Alexis