The Twin Cities taproom scene has been a vibrant one, with taprooms abuzz while friends meet to chat, play games and, of course, enjoy a beer or two.
In these days of social distancing, that buzz has ceased. But all is not lost. While the socializing may be temporarily curtailed, the beer is still flowing. Many breweries across the metro are offering delivery. Instead of going to them, they'll bring the beer to you.
It's a win-win proposition. For many small breweries, the taproom is their lifeblood. Without those sales, their whole livelihood is threatened. By taking advantage of delivery, you get the beer and they get the support they need to stay viable for when life returns to some kind of normal.
There is a wide array of beer styles available for delivery in a range of packages — 64-ounce growlers and 750 ml bottles and crowler cans. Those that sell food have that on the menu as well. Most breweries will even deliver merchandise, such as T-shirts and glasses. Deliveries are often within a designated distance from the brewery and may require a minimum purchase. Many orders must be placed by a certain hour for same-day delivery.
Here is a list of breweries in the metro that will bring beer to your home. Cheers!
Minneapolis
56 Brewing, 3055 Columbia Av. NE., Suite 102, Mpls.; 612-404 0056. Order online at 56-brewing.square.site, noon-6 p.m.
612 Brew, 945 Broadway St. NE., Mpls., 612-930-4606. Order online 612brew-togo.square.site, Mon.-Fri.; 2-6.p.m.; Sat. noon-3 p.m.
Bauhaus Brew Labs, 1315 Tyler St. NE., Mpls. Order online bauhausbrewlabs.square.site, delivery Mon.-Sat. noon-6 p.m. From German-style lagers to juicy IPAs, Bauhaus has you covered. Their mostly low-alcohol, sessionable brews will quench your quarantined thirst without knocking you out. Their Homeguys Helles is a fantastic example of this classic Munich golden lager. If light is not your thing, go big with Massive Aggressive — a huge and roasty, 10.5% alcohol imperial stout. You're sure to be satisfied either way.
Eastlake Craft Brewery, 920 E. Lake St., #123, Mpls., 612-276-2262. Order online eastlakemgm.com/delivery, Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Fair State Brewing Cooperative, 2506 Central Av. NE., Mpls., 612-444-3209. Order online shop.fairstate.coop, Tue.-Sun. noon-6 p.m. Fair State was the first brewery in the state to adopt a cooperative ownership model. Members get special access to beers, events and exclusive deals. But you don't have to be a member to enjoy Fair State's great beer. Their toasty Vienna lager is one of my favorites. They also make terrific sour beers, hazy IPAs and off-the-wall concoctions like a salted caramel imperial stout.
Headflyer Brewing, 861 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls. 612-567-6345, headflyerbrewing.com. Order online headflyer.square.site, Wed.-Sun. noon-6 p.m.
Inbound Brewco, 701 N. 5th St., Mpls. Order on site or online inboundbrewco.square.site, daily noon-8 p.m.
Indeed Brewing Co., 711 NE. 15th Av., Mpls., 612-843-5690. Order online indeedbrewing.com or by phone (612-843-5090, ext. 4), 12-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 12-6 p.m. Sunday. Delivery is available from 1-5 p.m.
Insight Brewing, 2821 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls., 612-722-7222, insightbrewing.com. Order online insight-to-go.square.site, Sun.-Thu. noon-6 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. noon-8 p.m.
Lakes & Legends Brewing Co., 1368 LaSalle Av., Mpls., 612-999-6020. Order on site or online lakesandlegends.com/shop/pick up, delivery Tue., Fri., Sat.
Modist Brewing, 505 N. 3rd St., Mpls., 612-454-0258. Order online swag.modistbrewing.com, Mon.-Thu. 4-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. noon-6 p.m.
Northbound Smokehouse and Brewpub, 2716 E. 38th St., Mpls., 612-208-1450. Order online northboundbrewpub.com, 3-8 p.m. Sun., Tue.-Thu.; noon-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Closed Mon.
Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St. NE., Mpls., 612-758-0105. Order online sociablecider.com/delivery, delivery Thu.-Sat. 2-8 p.m. Sociable Cider Werks has its own peculiar approach to cider making. They derive a small amount of fermentable sugars from traditional beer-making ingredients like sorghum and hops to bring balancing bitterness usually supplied by hard-to-find cider apple varieties. They call these creations "apple graff." They've got everything from a straight-ahead dry cider to fruited ciders, mead and even beer.
Town Hall Brewery, 1430 Washington Av. S., Mpls, 612-339-8696, townhallbrewery.com. Order by phone; food available, daily noon-7 p.m. Town Hall makes some of the best beer in the metro. The year-round beer lineup — including the nationally sought-after Masala Mama IPA — is excellent, but the real draws are the ever-rotating seasonal and specialty brews, ranging from single-hop IPA to Belgian grand cru and raspberry imperial stout. The barrel-aged beers are not to be missed. Make it a meal with an item or two from the food menu.
Wild Minds Ales, 6031 Pillsbury Av. S., Mpls., 612-286-1777. Order online store.wildmindales.com, Sun., Tue. noon-6 p.m.; noon-8 p.m. Wed.-Fri. Closed Mon.
St. Paul
Black Stack Brewing, 755 Prior Av. N., St. Paul, 651-808-0747, blackstackbrewing.com. Order by phone or text (651-808-0747), daily noon to 8 p.m. Fans of hazy, highly aromatic IPA will love Black Stack. Local 755, the New England-style IPA, is the biggest beer draw. It sports intensely fruity hop aromatics and mild bitterness. The brewers vary the hop bill, so you may find different versions available for comparison. Not a hop lover? They also offer a delicious pilsner, California common and other non-IPA styles.
Dual Citizen Brewing Co., 725 Raymond Av., St. Paul, 651-330-4750. Order online dualcitizenbrewing.com, Tue.-Fri. 3-7 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. noon-4 p.m. Dual Citizen offers well-made beers that taste like beer. You'll find no gimmicks here. From a kölsch and blond ale to a brown ale and rye stout, as well as an array of hoppy styles, Dual Citizen beers are straight forward and delicious. Though many drinkers are skeptical of brown ales, give this one a try. Get a pack of three or six crowlers for a discount.
Lake Monster Brewing, 550 Vandalia St., #160, St. Paul, 612-964-6288. Order online lakemonsterbrewing.com/store; delivery via Door Dash, daily 2-6:30 p.m. Lake Monster's Empty Rowboat IPA was selected as one of the best in the state in a blind tasting panel sponsored by Growler Magazine. It's a fairly restrained IPA with notes of toffee and toasted biscuit that meld nicely with floral and orange-citrus hops. Last Fathom is a classic Münich-style dark lager with a Minnesota twist. Wild rice brings warm, nutty notes to the toasty bread crust malt of the underlying lager.
Stacked Deck Brewing, 421 Cedar St., St. Paul. Order online stackeddeckbrewing.com/shop, daily noon-6 p.m.
Waldmann Brewery, 445 Smith Av. N., St. Paul, 651-222-1857. Order online waldmannbrewery.com, food available, daily delivery 3-8 p.m.
Suburbs
Bald Man Brewing, 2020 Silver Bell Rd., #25, Eagan, 651-600-3164. Order baldman brewing.com, delivery Thu.-Sun. 5-8 p.m.
Big Wood Brewery, 2222 4th St., White Bear Lake. Order online bigwoodbrewery.com, Mon.-Sat. noon-8 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m.
Birch's on the Lake, 1310 W. Wayzata Blvd., Long Lake, 952-473-7373, birchsonthelake.com. Order by phone (952-473-7373); food menu available, Tue.-Thu. 3-8 p.m., Fri.-Sun. noon-8 p.m. This Wayzata brewery/supperclub offers whole meals to accompany their beers. A homestyle meatloaf dinner for four would pair well with their schwarzbier. Citra sour would be like a squeeze of lemon on a two-serving Alaskan king crab meal.
Boom Island Brewing Co., 5959 Baker Road, #320, Minnetonka, 612-227-9635, boomislandbrewing.com. Order via e-mail, info@boomislandbrewing.com, Mon.-Sat. noon-8 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m. Boom Island is the only metro-area brewery focused primarily on Belgian beer styles. Founder/brewer Kevin Welch was inspired by a Belgian pale ale he sipped in a city square in Antwerp. On subsequent trips he learned the tricks of the trade from Belgian brewers willing to share their techniques. Silvius BPA is Welch's homage to that inspirational pale ale. Light peppery spice tops off its toasted malt and moderate bitterness. In addition to traditional Belgian styles, Boom Island has diversified its lineup to include a wide range of beers.
Fat Pants Brewing Co., 8335 Crystal View Road, Eden Prairie, 952-658 6987. Order online fatpantsbrewing.com. Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Tue.-Sat.
Omni Brewing Co., 9462 Deerwood Lane N., Maple Grove, 763-424-6664. Order online omnibrewing.com, daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Torg Brewery, 8421 University Av. NE., Spring Lake Park, 763-639-0538. Order online torgbrewery.com Mon.-Thu. 4-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 2-9 p.m., Sun. 2-5 p.m.
Union 32 Craft House, 2864 Hwy. 55, Eagan, 952-807-9777. Order on site, by phone or online union32crafthouse.com; food menu available, daily 3-8 p.m.
Michael Agnew is a certified cicerone (beer-world version of sommelier). He can be reached at michael@aperfectpint.net.
