BA Minneapolis Visit (01/08)

You are missing local favorites Barrel Theory and Wild Mind but otherwise the breweries you mentioned are some of the consensus top local spots. I would also recommend Venn. What sort of beer do you generally prefer? What will be your mode of transportation?

Matt's Bar is the best spot for traditional Juicy Lucy, while the Blue Door Pub or Nook serve great versions with different filling and/or toppings options. Best dive bar is probably the CC Club, though the beer selection isn't that great.

 

Dive bar with a beer selection If you are already in NE would be grumpy's They would be close to Indeed/Fair State . Second the BT and WM recommendations.

 

Have to agree with @dbhammel . I would def go to Wild Mind. Dive Bars we have tons here. Try Half Time Rec in St Paul. Juicy Lucy i like the Nook. Also If you go to Town Hall The Republic is across the street. Also matters what part of Minneapolis you are staying?

 

Shots fired

 

I don't think Modist belongs in that grouping. Those are four top-20 breweries in the state and one that wouldn't touch my top 50. Modist also features one of the lesser taprooms in town in terms of venue/ambiance, for my tastes. I'd keep to the northern half of Minneapolis and substitute tiny Sisyphus for Modist. Wild Mind and Venn are good suggestions but far south of the rest (though still within the Minneapolis city limits).

If you really feel the need to visit St. Paul (a fine city but not the center of the action from a beer perspective), focus on Waldmann, which makes very good German styles, has a unique and charming venue (a restored 19th century German-American saloon), and is remarkably Midwestern in character. I.e., it's not just another brewery that blends in with all the other breweries you've visited all over the country.

 

Lemme know if you're coming to Surly, or if you just want to grab a beer while you're in town.
Matt's Bar for a Jucy Lucy...I live near there and I eat there more than I should. I also second Grumpy's NE.

 

One day/night is a tight time frame within which to visit just the best dive bars in the Twin Cities, much less the top breweries, on top of the breweries.

It sounds as if you might be staying near enough to the old Seven Corners area, in which case there are a few great go-tos: Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, and Republic which is right across the street. A little ways from there, a fine selection of local Craft can be found in Cedar Avenue bars Acadia Cafe (nearest), Nomad World Pub, and Palmer’s Bar, a great dive bar which is right across Cedar Avenue from The Nomad.

Best of luck with your visit!

 

Barrel Theory and Blackstack are must stops.

 

If you're just doing one night and want to be able to easily hop around, I'd choose either:
-Seven Corners/Downtown East area: Town Hall Brewery and Republic (beer bar with large local selection)
-Northeast neighborhood: Fair State, Indeed, Dangerous Man, Grumpys (dive bar with great tap list)

 

CC Club's beer selection is fine enough. Their problem is their tap lines are all filthy. Grumpy's NE is my choice for best dive bar in Minneapolis.

 

For beer anyway. I’ve never feared for my life a little bit at NE Grumpy’s though, so I can’t really consider it a true dive bar.

 

No shit. He spelled Jucy Lucy wrong. Matt’s is the OG of the genre. Sorry, but 5-8 has a disclaimer on their menu warning patrons against eating too much of their burger, and then complaining about their being no cheese in it. Matt’s has no such disclaimer, you know, cuz they don’t fuck up, and grill the cheese outta their Lucy’s.

 

Surprised it took until post 15 for the battle to start

 

FYI: Surly can be easily done by light rail from Downtown East and/or Seven Corners area. Just hop the Green Line train. Little bit of a hike from the station stop to Surly but depending on the day/time, sometimes you don't end up parking too much closer anyways.

 

Skip Surly. Much better options out there, most have been listed already.