As COVID social distancing requirements have changed over the past year beer lovers have been treated to new brewery openings in the Northwest region.
Here are a few of our favorites that will continue serving on their spacious patios well into late fall.
Heavy Rotation Brewing Company
Photo Credit: Heavy Rotation Brewing Company
With up to 16 taps of rotating, small batch beers, you’ll never know what’s going to be pouring at the Heavy Rotation taproom and dog friendly patio. A calendar for upcoming food truck offerings can be found on their website providing delicious offerings in the afternoon and evenings on Wednesday & Thursday and brunch/lunch offerings Friday – Sunday.
Beyond serving creative tap beers throughout the week, they have options of Hard Water and Beer Slushies that change with the season.
Surly Brewing Company
Photo Credit: Surly Brewing Company
Surly Brewing Company is an iconic Minnesota brewery known for its world-renowned beer and spunky philosophy, as well as being one of the fastest-growing breweries in the country. Surly got its start in Brooklyn Center in 2005 and, due to high demand, opened a second facility in 2014, a destination brewery complete with a 300-seat beer hall, restaurant and large beer garden.
The Brooklyn Center location re-opened for "Old School Tours" in 2018, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the brewery's history and a chance to see where and how it all began. This tour is a must-see on any beer lover's Minneapolis Northwest itinerary!
OMNI Brewing Co.
Photo Credit: OMNI Brewing Co.
OMNI Brewing Co. is one of our favorite places in all of Minneapolis Northwest. Open since 2015, it's a great place to start, stop or finish any brewery adventure with its varied beer menu, huge patio and relaxing atmosphere among the pines. The brewery's philosophy is the word "omni" - meaning “all, every, of every kind,” or essentially, a beer for everyone. OMNI lives up to its name with a menu full of taps to fit any flavor profile, from clean and crisp to hoppy, or sour to dark and malty. There's also a seasonal rotating list with an American lager, golden ale, a wide selection of IPAs, brown or scotch ales and several stouts. The brewery currently offers a melt smoothie sour series.
Photo Credit: OMNI Brewing Co.
Some of our year-round favorites include the Daily Dose Coffee Cream Ale, a collaboration with the local coffee shop Daily Dose Café & Espresso; the always refreshing summer beers, Lake Day and Farmer Gerry's Golden Ale; the hoppy and incredibly unique Tropical Milkshake IPA. Stop by for Infuseday Tuesdays, and you can sample an infusion of one of OMNI's many unique beers, for example, Melt Orange Creamsicle infused with blood orange and passionfruit.
OMNI's expansive patio invites guests to kick back and savor the moment - and the beer. Enjoy shuffleboard, bean bag toss, a daily food truck, Tacos & Tunes and OMNI's Summer Music Series. Whether you’re playing board games in the cozy taproom or soaking up the sunshine, you’ll find a beer and an experience to enjoy at OMNI Brewing Co.
10K Brewing
Photo Credit: 10K Brewing
10K Brewing is 100% independently owned and operated, and every recipe is one-of-a-kind. Located a block from the Rum River in historic downtown Anoka, this brewery is a little slice of heaven surrounded by antique shops, a wine bar, a historic hotel, and dessert shops.
The name of the brewery is a constant reminder of their mission and values: Our beer is “Brewed in the Land of 10K Lakes”, and that means something to us. It means Minnesota values. “Nice Beer. Nice People.” 10K Brewing’s brew system is 3 barrels in size, which is small in comparison to other craft breweries. Keeping the system small allows the brewer to handcraft each beer to create truly unique batches. With a rotating selection of beer on tap in the taproom, 10K is brewing something different each week, so each visit you can try fresh new tastes.
Photo Credit: 10K Brewing
Don’t let the size of the cozy taproom fool you - there's an expansive beer list fitting all the genres, including light, balanced, malty, hoppy, dark, fruity, funky and sour. For something light, you can’t go wrong with the Northwoods Blonde, an easy-drinking Belgian Blonde Ale. For something balanced and unapologetically Minnesotan, try the You Betcha’ Amber Ale, a red ale with the perfect balance between hops and toasted malt undertones. Babe the Blueberry Ox is back! This Blueberry Cream Ale sells fast. The subtle blueberry flavor and sweetness pairs perfectly with a sunny day and a patio. For something more savory, opt for the Maple Black Ale with smoked bacon.
Wicked Wort Brewing Company
Photo Credit: Wicked Wort Brewing Company
Wicked Wort Brewing Company is a destination tap room located in Robbinsdale. It opened in 2014 with a 10-barrel system providing 10 deliciously malted craft beers at all times. This family-owned brewed includes a small bar with 10 tap handles, and a larger bar with 30 tap handles, an event center, a dog-friendly patio, and plenty of space for live music and festive gatherings (i.e. Halloween costume parties!). The taproom also features two unique bars from the 1930s and '40s, which gives the space a cool speakeasy vibe. Come hungry and enjoy the snack menu with Polish sausage, jumbo pretzels, and pulled pork sandwiches, or order in from one of the nearby restaurants.
Wicked Wort isn’t afraid to take some risks with flavor-forward brews like the Showgirl Raspberry Wheat, their classic wheat beer base with more than 300 pounds of pure raspberry puree and their house Kolsch yeast; and Sour Pineapple Dreamsicle, a kettle spur with pineapple puree, vanilla, milk, sugar and loads of oats, plus Amarillo and Citra hops make this beer an “adult dessert.”
Photo Credit: Wicked Wort Brewing Company
There’s never a dull moment at Wicked Wort. Stop by on a Sunday for their Bend + Brew yoga series, enjoy an authentic Minnesotan experience at a Wednesday meat raffle, or be entertained by their variety of live music and open mic nights. If that’s not enough, enter a cribbage tournament or purse bingo. Look for their Backyard Bonfires and other seasonal specials.
Forgotten Star Brewing Co.
Photo Credit: Forgotten Star Brewing Co.
Historic, industrial, and inviting are just a few ways to describe the unique atmosphere at Forgotten Star Brewing Co., Fridley’s first brewery. Located in the historic Northern Pump Company Building with two eye-catching smokestacks, the space encompasses the timelessness and tradition of the area.
Marked by tap handles that resemble the building’s iconic smokestacks, each of Forgotten Star’s beers pays tribute to the building’s rich history and geography, like the Northstar Cream Ale, named after the North Star train line that runs nearby. This refreshing brew is a lawnmower beer with more character than your typical American lager. Brewed with 100% Minnesotan ingredients, it’s light-bodied and assertively carbonated, bready with mild citrus and floral hop profile. And what says spring better than a little Liquid Sunshine?! This Belgian Session is a fairly simple beer that showcases Belgian yeast with banana and clove. This signature brew is offered in a variety of styles with fruit flavors.
Photo Credit: Forgotten Star Brewing Co.
Choose from a variety of fun and active events at Forgotten Star, whether it’s yoga & beer, bootcamp & brew, drumming and beers, puppy yoga (or cuddles that benefit local animal rescues), craft workshops and more. The brewery's tented lawn space provides a shady beer garden on extra hot summer days, and in winter, the grassy area becomes a beautiful ice rink perfect for broomball and curling leagues. And if all that fun leaves you with an appetite, grab a bite to eat at one of their rotating food trucks, featuring a variety of favorites like BBQ, brick oven pizza and more.
Invictus Brewing Co.
Photo Credit: Invictus Brewing Co.
Head over to Blaine and check out Invictus Brewing Co., located next to the National Sports Center in Blaine. Here you can enjoy refreshing brews like the Beautiful Buzz, a blonde ale featuring additions of lemon peel and local honey from Bar Bell Bee Ranch, and Apple Shine, a dry, crisp, and effervescent apple ale. Stop by Sunday morning for a brunch flight featuring four beers: Henley's Porter infused with Cold Press Coffee, Kolsch Bloody Mary, Sweet Tango Mango Mimosa, and Chocolate Raspberry Rollercoaster Russian Imperial Stout garnished with a fresh raspberry. Invictus recently started their own line of hard seltzers called Alma, featuring the flavors of Moscow Mule, mango, watermelon and raspberry.
Photo Credit: Invictus Brewing Co.
Invictus is unique in that it shares its brewing space with The Tipsy Steer, which offers local and sassy brew food. The exceptional chef-inspired menu showcases locally sourced beef, dairy, produce and hormone-free natural chicken. The brick oven-fired pizza, street-style tacos and hand-pattied burgers often steal the show, but there are plenty of other options for your group, like the Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich and the deep-fried pub pretzels.
More Breweries Nearby
Photo Credit: Fulton Brewing Company
There’s really no end to the brewery adventures to explore in and near Minneapolis Northwest. Hit the road and take a short drive to Northeast Minneapolis where you can sample a plethora of trendy breweries. Enjoy a refreshing cider at Sociable Cider Werks, put your “Short Pants” on at Bauhaus Brew Labs with the Shortpants lemon shandy, and be a “Daytripper” at Indeed Brewing, with their signature Day Tripper Pale Ale, made with notes of grapefruit and marmalade. Just a hop and skip away in the North Loop you’ll find plenty of great options like Fulton Brewing Company’s classic Lonely Blonde, and Number 12 Cider’s unique rotation of sweet and dry ciders.
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