#fultonbrewing

I'd spent most of the day standing on the side of a frigid ski hill dressed in rubber wellies, skinny jeans and a paper-thin peacoat. We were stationed in Kalamazoo for the week, working our way through a photo shoot for a hospital client. The photographer and his crew were based out of San Francisco and therefore, gigantic wine snobs. Predictably, everyone ordered wine with dinner later that evening, but I carefully selected a lovely Michigan-based microbrew. I needed something to warm up my bones. As I was taking my first sip, our photographer casually remarked that I was a "beer-drinking sports fan." Layer on a Norwegian accent to that comment and it's extra insulting.

Truthfully, I was more put-off by the “sports fan” bit. Maybe everyone from the Midwest automatically assumes that role in the minds of outsiders? He was correct about the “beer-drinking” part, however. The image of a woman sucking down a pint used to be a bit Laverne & Shirley, but local microbrewers are increasingly demonstrating just how sophisticated beer drinking can be. An added bonus, many of them are building tap rooms so we can go straight to the source of goodness.

Below is a jumping off point of my tour de tap rooms in and around Minneapolis. There are obvious holes in this list – a girl's got to take a weekend off now and then. I promise to do my best to get to all of them. In the meantime, here are my thoughts on what I've seen so far. 

Indeed Brewing Company

I stumbled upon this tap room while exploring the NE Arts District last winter. Its warmly lit, wide-open, yet cozy tap room welcomed me right in. Groups of friends were seated in wooden booths and around large round tables. Their long bar employed a genius feature I wish all bars would implement: Instead of forcing patrons to muscle through those seated along the bar, there is a designated space for ordering. You wait your turn in line, pay the bartender and take your own drink back to the table. How very egalitarian!

There is always a food truck parked outside serving some variation of exactly what you want to be eating while sipping Indeed's stellar selection of rotating and regular brews.

There are so many reasons to love this tap room, including an eclectic, laid-back crowd, attentive and friendly bar staff and its bike friendly location in NE. Not to mention the beer, but that sort of speaks for itself around here.

 Dangerous Man Brewing Co.

I visited this tap room for the first time over the weekend seeking out the famed Chocolate Milk Stout. I walked into the historic building and was surprised by how open, airy and modern the tap room was. Many of the original elements are in-tact and local artwork lines the walls to give it a funky, lived-in feel.

Dangerous Man also has long communal tables near the bar and high-tops lining the perimeter. They, too, use the genius method of ordering at the bar via a designated spot. Their chalkboard menu lists six or seven beers available in a tulip or English pint, but I beelined for the Chocolate Milk Stout. The taste was slightly sweet and chocolatey, and oh so drinkable. I downed the first, tried a Vanilla Porter, which was also very good, and went back for another Chocolate Milk Stout. I preceded to make animal noises the entire time I drank my beer – it was that good.

The crowd was what you would expect for a NE establishment - eclectic, friendly, a little artsy but not intimidating. The bar staff wasn't very attentive, but made working behind the bar seem fun. The location is very bike friendly, especially if you want to grab a bite afterward, or head over to another bar in the area. You can also bring in your own food since they don't sell anything but delicious, delicious beer and legitimately cool merch. 

Fulton Brewing

The OG of tap rooms. I visited Fulton shortly after it opened in 2012 and was thrilled by its sparse space. In my opinion, this is what a tap room should look like: industrial, florescent lighting, long communal tables – all within spitting distance of the fermenters. When I go in the winter, I like to sit at the bar and chat with the friendly bartenders. New this summer is a spacious outdoor patio overlooking Target Field and the Ford Center. It's a great place to chat with friendly strangers.

Fulton's beer is always good and very drinkable, so biking is probably your best bet in terms of transportation. Parking is kind of a pain in the ass in the Warehouse District and newbies to the area find navigating the light rail tracks and one-way streets daunting. Plus, once you've had a couple of Sweet Child of Vines, you'll want to eat something nearby. It can be from one of the food trucks parked outside, or in the North Loop (Black Sheep and Smack Shack are my favorite semi-drunk eats). 

Steel Toe Brewing

Tucked back into an industrial park off Highway 7, it's not really feasible to bike here from South Minneapolis, but there is ample parking for cars. A large bar consumes most of the small, dark space. The décor is limited to a few large TVs, which makes the tap room feel a bit like a sports bar (which is perfect for a gal like me, according to my photographer friend). The bartender was very friendly and the beer was good. If I lived in the area, I'd likely be a frequent visitor.

 Next on my list of tap rooms to try:

Harriet Brewing

612Brew

Surly Brewing Company

Lift Bridge Brewing