Utepils Brewing Co.

 

Tucked next to railroad tracks and a pond, west of downtown and north of I394. Quiet and nearby to old industrial buildings. Large space, with separate party rooms and a big outdoor patio with a fire pit and seating. High steel structure ceiling and concrete floor. String lighting and a copper pot light hanging over the bar. A few windows on the west side. Seating is at the long bar and at four chair high tables and a few larger low tables. Adjoining private parking lot. Brewing equipment shares the common space. More than twenty taps offer a range of styles, but mostly Euro and Brit styles. Coolers offer canned beer and other beverages to go. Well trained and experienced staff. A tap room/brewery oasis in the city.

A couple of twisting & turning streets and you're across the railroad tracks into a medium sized parking lot. Has an overflow lot and street parking. Fantastic little food truck out front with Gerhard's authentic Austrian sausage recipe. Walking in...Has a large roomy feel, well lit, EZ access, big washrooms. With its outdoor patio, fire pit and all indoor seating, Utepils can accommodate large parties. Long bar, big windows, bright. They have some snacks. Very friendly staff & service. Fantastic selection of offerings. No loud music. Laid back but very busy at times and servers keep up the pace. The quality of the beers from Utepils is top shelf. Seasonal offerings as well. The water from the spring there is soft. All of the beers have a luscious and choice mouthfeel. An outstanding brewery.

 

Doesn't get any better than this for great beer, facility, and staff!

 

 

 

 

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Atmosphere: large taproom, very warms feeling, the beer garden feels much more like a traditional German beirgarten than an American patio ( I'm looking at you Surly).

Beer: Utepils makes some of the best German style beers in Minnesota. The taproom serves all there year round offerings plus taproom only beers. On my last visit they had a Kristallweizen, Dunkelweizen and two Hefeweizens on tap, and all were top notch.

Service: bar service only (no wait staff for the tables). The wait for beers has been minimal on my visits while both sitting at the bar, and at a table. That is far from the case at most local taprooms.

 

 

 

this place is just awesome. cray for a brewery in such a crowded market like this one to just go big right off the bet, a huge capital investment in a real large system and taproom, and a somewhat risky decision, but so far at least, it sure appears to be working out. the place is just packed on a weeknight, not a seat to be had inside. the enormous brewhouse is on the right of a large and bustling but homey warehouse space, beautiful equipment, with the fermentation space behind the bar area. i see cans stacked to the deck too, but have not yet seen them in the market there. looks like more big things coming. they have a separate side of the bar for growler fills which is cool, and plenty of seats at the bar as well. mostly german styles in here, a solid pils and hefe, and a world class kristalweizen, i mean, really amazing that one, easily their best of the ones i drank on, but all were very good. they have a really cool back area, the perfect juxtaposition to the inside, its a quiet grassy space roped off tightly around the back of the building, maybe seating for 10 or 15 people in comfortable chairs, and a look back at some trees, its all quiet and mellow back there, a nice respite from the somewhat intense inside. we sat out there and enjoyed several rounds and great conversation. the service was good for how busy they were, and the attention to detail seems high. the vibe here is wonderful, and it seems they already have built quite a loyal following. lots to like in this place, and dont miss that kristalweizen!!!

Huge building with a very large brewhouse. A lot of space to grow into as well. The taproom itself is in a large open space but it does not seem cavernous. Nice variety of seating, a large bar with a serving station for people to queue up for service. Nice little details give the space some character. Large, clean restrooms. Plans for a patio look exciting. Attentive and friendly staff. Only 5 different beers on-tap and 4 being German styles. The selection has not changed since they have opened. The hefeweizen is outstanding, and the alt and kolsch are also very good. Not going to be popular with people only interested in IPAs.

Great vibe on a Friday early evening. Got a lot more going while we were there. Quality of brews was strong. Good German styles with a "Glocal IPA" thrown in to the mix. No service at tables, but there were designated areas at the bar to order. Selection was good, although they haven't yet gotten to push the envelope with anything too unusual.

 

 

This is a really great space, snuck right into an old dilapidated industrial area next to parkland, in between the Bryan Mawr and Harrison neighborhoods...a great place for a new brewery! You walk in right past the brewing equipment on the way into the seating area which is spacious, with a variety of seating options, very high ceilings, nice big windows that look back towards the Bassett creek greenway, all kinds of good light. I went for a food-truck lunch on a Friday, and there was a decent crowd...the bartender was very friendly and helpful. They've just opened recently, so maybe the selection will expand over time. I love German styles, and while these guys aren't killing it from the get-go, it's still good beer and here's hoping it will only get better.