Unlocking the Best Twin Cities IPA Experience: Your Comprehensive Guide to Craft Beer in Minneapolis and St. Paul
The definitive guide to Twin Cities IPAs is here, come along to find our top recommendations for the Minneapolis and St. Paul regions.
Love them or hate them, IPAs are here to stay. If you are reading this, you likely love them, and you are not alone. IPAs have continued to gain popularity over the past few years, and currently account for 46% of all craft beer sales, according to BevIndustry.com.
So, you are a hop head, and you are visiting the Twin Cities. Where do you start? There are certainly a ton of options, and by no means is this list exhaustive, but the list below will be a good starting point, especially for some different variations of IPAs in the market. Let’s dive in.
Downtown Recommendations
BlackStack Brewing
755 Prior Ave N, St Paul, MN 55104
Blackstack was practically built by IPAs, mostly of the hazy variety. They aren’t called the “Murk Merchants” for nothing. They pump out Singles, Doubles, Triples, Quadruples, and yes, recently even a Quintuple IPA. All of them are fantastic. That being said, they will make an occasional West Coast IPA for those tired of the “Haze Craze”, that will hit all of the marks of a classic, resiny, bitter IPA.
The taproom itself is one of the best in the city. Plenty of seating, a large bar with multiple service points, and tons of plants and natural light. Immaculate vibes. Get yourself a flight that includes a variety of IPAs, including their flagship IPA, Local 755, pop a squat on one of their many floral/70’s couches, and chill!
Arbeiter Brewing Company
3038 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Locals will likely praise Arbeiter for their lagers - which are very well done. So why am I including them in the Twin Cities IPA list? For one specific reason: They are putting out some pretty dang good Cold IPAs. It is a fairly new style (unless you are an IPL truther, that is beside the point), and they have totally committed to perfecting these beers.
The clarity of Arbeiter cold IPAs is unmatched in the area. Crisp, clean, citrusy, and delicious. Come for the Lagers, stay for the IPAs.
Bricksworth Beer Company - North Loop
305 N 5th Ave Suite 105, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Bricksworth is a brewpub, brought to you by the same family behind BlackStack, so you already know their Twin Cities IPA game will be on point. In that case, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, especially if it’s hazy. However, I am bending the rules of this list just a tad for something other than the beer at Bricksworth.
A large part of why I am including Bricksworth on this list is the IPAs, sure, but they are also a brewpub that serves up killer Detroit style pizza, crispy chicken wings, and some dope a$$ smashburgers. This place is basically nirvana for foodies and beer lovers alike.
While you can get classics like pepperoni pizza and buffalo wings, they are also giving it their own twist. Go ahead and try the Big Mac inspired pizza or the elote street corn pie. Experience wings that push boundaries like never before, like the Nacho wings. And no, they aren’t just nacho cheese dusted wings, that would be too easy. We are talking about a big ‘ol pile of wings, loaded with all of your favorite nacho toppings. Like I said, pushing the boundaries.
Barrel Theory Beer Company
248 7th St E, St Paul, MN 55101
I would like to preface this one by saying, I am the biggest apologist for Barrel Theory and their Hazy IPAs. That being said, I think it is completely warranted. I would put them up against some of the biggest swingers in the country, and bet on them to win.
Barrel Theory is small, and slightly unassuming, but they are brewing quality Hazy IPAs with a careful hand, and attention to detail. They also keep an eye on trends, and are great at adapting and improving their product so that their customers are always getting what they want.
If there was one brewery I would say you can’t miss in the entire state, it is Barrel Theory. Let me say that again, louder for the people in the back. If you are going to visit one brewery in Minnesota, it needs to be Barrel Theory.
Willing to venture outside the city for Twin Cities IPAs? Start here:
Elm Creek Brewing Company
11469 Marketplace Dr N, Champlin, MN 55316
Elm Creek is a fairly new player to the scene, but boy have they impressed early, and folks are taking notice. They have nailed the haze game already, and are really starting to make their mark. I also can’t talk about Elm Creek without mentioning their sour series “Rare Candy” (Any Pokemon fans out there?). They also have started a larger lager program lately, and to no surprise those have also been very good right out of the gate.
I also have a special place in my heart for the taproom at Elm Creek. It is located in an old Ruby Tuesdays, and as weird as it sounds, it is so nostalgic. Of course, they gave it their own character and did a lot of work on the inside, but they definitely still kept some elements of it, and it has a nice charm to it.
Back Channel Brewing Company
4787 Shoreline Dr, Spring Park, MN 55384
Right on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, Back Channel makes some of the most delicious citrusy, bright, hoppy IPAs in the west suburbs. During the summer, they have an enormous patio, and oftentimes you will see folks taking a break from the lake, for some refreshing beers.
If you have the chance, you have to drink a Back Channel Bowl. It is a tradition at the taproom to serve a freshly tapped IPA out of a cereal bowl shaped vessel, and boy is it an experience. It honestly is a great way to get your nose right into it and get all that aroma! You just have to time it right, and go the same day they release a new IPA, so plan ahead.
If the bowls didn’t clue you in, the team here is particularly fun. If you follow any of their socials, you will see that immediately. As of right now, the date this is being written, Back Channel has gone viral, posting candid security footage of one of their brewers getting blasted in the face with pressurized beer, and you guessed it, it’s an IPA.
In that situation, it would be easy to get down, focus on the lost product and the gigantic sticky mess, but they made light of it, and ultimately it seemed to benefit them greatly in terms of publicity, considering they didn’t have much left of the beer to sell. They are a beloved team in the local beer scene, no doubt.
Lupulin Brewing
570 Humboldt Dr Suite 107, Big Lake, MN 55309
While they may be a bit of a drive out of the Twin Cities Metro, I could not, in good conscience, leave Lupulin off of this list, because they are still a massive presence in the Minneapolis beer scene, especially when it comes to IPAs.
Their biggest hits are their flagships, “Hooey” and “Fashion Mullet” (one of my all time favorite can designs too by the way), but they have some series that allow them to have fun with the IPAs they brew. One of my favorites is a line of Triple IPAs, and the theme is “Alliterative Animals”. They add a new one every couple months, and the names are really humorous. Some of my personal favorites are “Gyrating Giraffe”, “Wobbly Walrus”, and “Flatulent Flamingo”. These bizarre prompts lead to some pretty interesting label art too…
You really can’t boil Lupulin down to just IPAs though. They have something good for everyone. Lagers, smoothie sours, a fantastic barrel program, and a full on funky, spontaneous, foeder sour program if that’s your jam. I promise the visit is worth the drive.
And so concludes this list, but remember, this is not at all the conclusion of the best Twin Cities IPAs. Start here, and go off on your own discovery. The best way to explore any place is through beer. So be safe, and drink good local beer!
