beer in grand rapids, MN area

This may not be the response you're looking for, but I have no idea what beer is like in GR. However, Duluth is becoming a beer destination in Minnesota and that's (roughly) an hour away from GR to the east. Bent Paddle is making some of the best beer in the state, Fitger's makes solid beer, Castle Danger makes solid beer ... all in Duluth. For Minneapolis recommendations, check out two threads in the Midwest forum: "On Tap in the Twin Cities" and "Twin Cities Bottle Hunt"

 

I grew up in a town about 35 miles away. The one bottle shop in my hometown that has a decent selection is chock full of shelf turds. I'm sure their Michelob Golden Draft is fresh, though. However, Grand Rapids is more of a tourist town, and as mikevanatta said Duluth is relatively close (though a bit more than an hour), and that means that just across the bridge in Superior you can also get a bunch of nice Wisconsin beers. I wouldn't expect any bars in Grand Rapids to have a large craft selection, nor would I expect any liquor stores to have a very broad selection. Also, aside from beer know what you're in for as far as winter goes. Winter in Northern Minnesota is unlike anything you've experienced, very long and very cold; it's definitely a grind. I don't want to discourage you, though. There are a lot of really good things about living in the area. There is a ton of natural beauty with a lot of lakes and woods. You'd be close to lots of outdoor recreational opportunities for fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, etc. It's also cheap to live there. You can buy a nice house cheaply.

 

Worst case, France 44 does ship.

 

Zorbaz is your best option for craft that I know of. They also have some decent, and rather large burritos for $4 or so... There is talk of a brewpub opening but I am not sure where that is at. Zorbaz is a chain in northern/central MN and this is one of the least impressive tap lists. Just looked at their options on-line...Surly Furious, Deshuttes IPA, Bells two hearted are the best options right now...Alaskan Amber, Rogue Dead Guy....you get the idea..

At one time Jerry's Warehouse would have been a recommendation for off-sale but I've found a lot of old beer on the shelves in recent years and they don't seem to care. Decent selection but watch dates. I would go to Poekegema Liquor instead..smaller but pretty solid. You should be able to get a lot of the Duluth beers like Bent Paddle, Castle Danger as well as Surly.

It's been over a year since I was there but I would say overall it is not a great beer city but it is improving. 1-10 it's about a 3 right now.

 

Agree, except Castle Danger Brewery is in Two Harbors, about half an hour up the North Shore from Duluth.

 

Nice catch, totally forgot about that. Thanks!

 

Yeah right...Duluth area...should have been more specific. I know where it's at. Been there.

 

Let us know how it turns out.

Also there is a homebrewing club with several members in Grand Rapids, the Boreal Brewers, so check them out and their events for more info in beer in the area plus if you can always help them drink their beer or learn to make it yourself.
http://www.borealbrewers.com/

 

If you have any extra time while you're up that way for the interview, you might want to consider taking a drive up the "North Shore" of Lake Superior from Duluth to Grand Marais. Along the way there's some great scenery, with numerous rivers, most with waterfalls cascading down into Lake Superior. Hit Bent Paddle and any other breweries in Duluth, and Castle Danger Brewing in Two Harbors. If you make it to Grand Marais, there's a new brewery there, Voyageur Brewing, that's worth a stop, and a brew pub, the Gun Flint Tavern.

If you can take the time to do any backcountry canoe camping, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a world-class whilderness and truly a special place. You can access the eastern region from Grand Marais via the Gunflint trail road, or from the Sawbill Trail or Caribou Trail roads further south. If you skip the North Shore, you can access the western portion of the Boundary Waters from the town of Ely, which is closer to Grand Rapids. Looks like Boathouse Brewpub is in Ely, but I've never been there and don't know anything about it. In either area there are numerous outfitters that can get you set up with a canoe, food, and whatever gear you may need. If you're interested, you may want to get a permit ASAP, but even just a day trip canoeing into the BWCA wilderness and coming back out to stay at a resort or motel would be worthwhile. Day use permits are not limited, and I think they're free.

And with the recent cool weather, the mosquitoes shouldn't be too bad for the next couple of weeks.

 

I think you're underselling Fitger's Brewhouse. That's a top ten brewery in the state, in my opinion, and that's saying a lot these days. Last I sampled them was at 2014 Winterfest, and I thought they stole the show.

Other breweries in Duluth include Blacklist, Canal Park, Carmody, Dubh Lin, and Lake Superior. Then there's Thirsty Pagan in Superior WI, Bemidji in Bemidji (which is making way more interesting beer than it needs to), Jack Pine in Brainerd, and Gull Dam and Big Axe in Nisswa. All of those would be around 1.5 hours away from the original poster in various directions. I may be missing a few in the area, and there may be some more in planning.

 

I've noticed a lack of love for Fitger's recently too. I think it is because they are the old standby and all these new places are popping up. I agree they are top 10 and more like top 3-5 in my book. I think they charge way too much for growlers but I am sure they sell the shit out of them and make a lot of money doing so so I can't fault them. I just usually get one growler now a days instead of loading up with 5 or 6 like I used to.

 

Most people on this board (including myself) would quickly put Town Hall in the top 3 to 5, and I'm not really sure what Town Hall has on Fitger's other than a better staple IPA (i.e., Masala Mama beats El Nino). Well, that and far more locals to sing Town Hall's praises. Town Hall and Fitger's are so similar that you'd think their brewers are brothers. I'll go ahead and join you in declaring Fitger's top 3 to 5 in the state.

This discussion is making me longingly remember Fitger's long-dead plan to put a satellite location in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis. I hope something like that is still a possibility down the road.

 

Since their expansion to the new facility, they have too much volume to legally sell growlers. However, you can find their cans in any liquor store. But that means you need to drink your fill of Todd the Axeman at the brewery.