Leave it to the Minnesota State Fair, the regional epicenter of novelty foods, to encourage brewers (and a winery) to create novelty beverages for the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Not just a few, either, but 27. Yes, twenty-seven ales, pilsners, IPAs and other beers, blended with fruit and other flavorings — created by 20 breweries, cider makers and that one winery — will debut at the 2018 Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Use these guides to explore the fair
Save this list, and try all of them, although perhaps not in a single day. The State Fair runs Aug. 23 through Sept. 3.
Brewzo Lager
Lake Monster Brewing in St. Paul is finding inspiration in Greek ouzo, serving a licorice-infused pilsner in a glass rimmed with a sugar-spice mix. 5.4 percent ABV (alcohol by volume).
Dino's Gyros (Carnes Av. and Nelson St.).
Cake'd Up Celebration Beer
Yes, a lightly hopped ale with a deep-fried vanilla cake flavor, from Mankato Brewery in Mankato. 5 percent ABV.
The Hangar (Murphy Av. and Underwood St.).
Caramel Corn Cream Ale
At Finnegans Brew Co. in Minneapolis, adding corn during a higher-temperature brewing process yields a caramel flavor. 5.4 percent ABV.
Hildebrand Concessions (Grandstand)
Frontier Summer IPA
A crisp, hoppy IPA that the folks at Fulton Brewing Co. in Minneapolis describe as "not overly bitter but light and approachable." In other words, a warm summer's day beer. 5.5 percent ABV.
Frontier Bar (Carnes Av. and Liggett St.).
Funnel Cake Cream Ale
An inevitable State Fair brew, right? A lightly hopped cream ale from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, with flavors that "give the beer a taste of gooey dough with a crispy crust, apple pie filling and a dusting of powdered sugar." 4.7 percent ABV.
Coasters (Carnes Av. and Liggett St.)
Gaelic Dark & Stormy
Surly Brewing Co. in Minneapolis is offering this deep golden ale with lime and ginger accents, and serving it with a lime wedge garnish. 5 percent ABV.
O'Gara's at the Fair (Dan Patch Av. and Cosgrove St.)
Helles Ya, You Betcha
A Helles-style lager from Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul features flavors of tangerine and blood orange, "with a hint of sourdough crust." 4.2 percent ABV.
Shanghaied Henri's and the Summit Booth (International Bazaar)
Horse Apple Ale
Excelsior Brewing Co. in Excelsior is brewing this beer with pressed apple cider. 5.7 percent ABV.
Aldo's, Sabino's Pizza Pies, Swine & Spuds and Snack House (Warner Coliseum)
It Takes 2 to Tango and 3 to Mango
Starkeller Brewing in New Ulm is aging a traditionally brewed, mixed culture Berliner Weisse for a year in 80-year-old cypress wood lagering tanks, then aging an additional three months on mangos. 5.5 percent ABV.
Schell's Pavilion (West End Market)
Juicy LuLuLucy
Surly Brewing Co. has another on tap, a hazy, northeastern-style IPA with orange and grapefruit-like hop flavor. 6.7 percent ABV.
LuLu's Public House (West End Market)
Key Lime Pie
How about a squeeze of Key lime in a light golden ale, sweetened with a touch of lactose and rimmed with sugar? It's the work of Lift Bridge Brewing Co. in Stillwater. 4.5 percent ABV.
Cafe Caribe (Carnes Av. and Chambers St.)
Kirby Pucker #34
Eastlake Brewery & Tavern in Minneapolis is taking a second fermentation with lactobacillus and brewing with the classic summer combination of rhubarb and strawberries. 4 percent ABV.
Ball Park Cafe (the Garden)
The Kloser IPA
Surly Brewing Co. teamed up with former Twins pitcher Glen Perkins, basing this citrusy, hoppy IPA off one of his homebrew formulas. 5 percent ABV.
Ball Park Cafe (the Garden)
LimeLight
The Freehouse in Minneapolis is brewing this beer — made with "a slight agave sweetness, partnered with a citrusy punch of lime and a hint of sea salt" — for its State Fair counterpart. 5.4 ABV.
The Blue Barn (West End Market)
Margarita-Style Kettle Sour Ale
Taking its cues from a classic margarita, this ale, from 612Brew in Minneapolis, blends soured and clean beer brewed with lime zest and salt aged in tequila-soaked barrel stoves. 5 percent ABV.
Coasters (Carnes Av. and Liggett St.).
Mobster Mule Bubble Trouble
A cocktail featuring sparkling Edelweiss wine (from Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls), ginger beer and sweet lime. 10 percent ABV.
The Hideaway Speakeasy (Grandstand)
Orange Cream Ale
Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors is infusing an ale with bright citrus orange notes. 5 percent ABV.
O'Gara's at the Fair (Dan Patch Av. and Cosgrove St.)
Passion Fruit Pils
Bent Paddle Brewing Co. goes tropical by infusing its Venture Pils with tart passion fruit. 5 percent ABV.
Ball Park Cafe (the Garden)
Raspberry Champow
A partnership between Bent Brewstillery in Roseville and 2017 Minnesota State Fair Homebrew Gold-Medal Winner Mike Spores has forged a white ale with red raspberries and champagne-varietal grapes. 5 percent ABV.
Ball Park Cafe (the Garden)
The Shandlot Pink Lemon Shandy
Strawberries and hibiscus give this concoction its pink, lemony aura. From Bauhaus Brew Labs in Minneapolis. 4.5 percent ABV.
Ball Park Cafe (the Garden)
Slipstream Black Currant Apple
Midwestern apples, fermented to a light effervescence and sweetened with floral and black currant flavors, from Sociable Cider Werks in Minneapolis. 5.9 percent ABV.
LuLu's Public House (West End Market)
Sociable Mimosa or Bellini
Sociable Cider Werks is also blending orange juice purée with its Freewheeler cider for mimosas and bellinis. 5.0 percent ABV.
LuLu's Public House (West End Market)
Spumoni Tsunami
Borrowing from the Italian ice cream, this lager from Bad Weather Brewing Co. in St. Paul is infused with strawberries and vanilla and is finished with a pistachio garnish. 4.8 percent ABV.
Mancini's al Fresco (Carnes Av. and Nelson St.)
St. Apple Malted Cider
Lakes & Legends Brewing Co. in Minneapolis collaborated with State Fair people-magnet Minneapple Pie to create this malted cider brewed with apple and pie spices. 4.9 percent ABV.
O'Gara's at the Fair (Dan Patch Av. and Cosgrove St.)
St. Pat's Green Ale
Green beer is not only for St. Patrick's Day, according to Finnegans Brew Co. 4.6 percent ABV.
O'Gara's at the Fair (Dan Patch Av. and Cosgrove St.)
Strawberry Mint Fro-Lé
A brewed-in-house blend of frozen strawberry lemonade with a hint of fresh mint. 5 percent ABV.
The Blue Barn (West End Market)
Uffda Ale
Beaver Island Brewing Co. in St. Cloud is calling this the "ultimate Norwegian-inspired session beer," brewed with locally malted Rahr pilsner and wheat malts, a dash of honey malt, German Hallertau Magnum hops, Minnesota's own Norsland Lefse, and lingonberries, and garnished with fresh lingonberries and a crispy lefse chip. 4.7 percent ABV.
Giggles' Campfire Grill (Lee Av. and Cooper St.)
