AN AFTERNOON IN MINNEAPOLIS
The broad appeal of visiting Minneapolis and Saint Paul is that the Twin Cities have a staggering amount of beautiful public parks and urban nature trails to explore. Minneapolis alonefeatures 180 parkswith 55 miles of biking and hiking trails, 7 public golf courses, 22 lakes and 12 gardens.
TheTrust for Public Land, a nationwide conservation nonprofit, in 2022 ranked Saint Paul’s and Minneapolis’ public park systems thesecond- and third-bestin the entire nation, respectively. All across the Twin Cities, visitors can explore waterfalls, lakes teeming with wildlife and exciting urban trails.
This is all to say that any beer tourist visiting the Twin Cities should carve out time to get around the entire metro to enjoy the outdoors. However, that doesn’t mean Minneapolis is lacking in satisfying urban exploration.
To the contrary, Minneapolis has several colorful neighborhoods worth a stop. TheNorth Loopneighborhood, in particular, is a vibrant and centrally located spot filled with fun amenities. Also known as the Warehouse District, this trendy neighborhood offers unforgettable breweries, restaurants, bars and nightlife that caters to Minneapolis’ LGBTQ residents.
North Loop is also home toTarget Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, making it an ideal stop for any traveling baseball fan. There are endless options to start and end your day within the neighborhood after catching 9 innings of Minnesota baseball.
The walkable neighborhood features plenty of coffeeshops and breakfast spots to start your day, includingHark! Cafe,Rise Bagel Co.andHen House Eatery. Everyone knows that a full day of visiting breweries and watering holes requires a big plate of carbs in the morning.
What really makes North Loop appealing to beer tourists is the density of the neighborhood’s breweries in one central location. There are a half-dozen breweries within a 5-minute walk of one another in North Loop, with each brewery offering something a little different to traveling taste buds.
One standout isModist Brewing Co., a chill neighborhood brewery with a sunny and expansive taproom. Modist doesn’t focus on any one style of beer, instead choosing to push its boundaries with a few different styles. But the brewery still consistently releases crowd pleasers out of its taproom, including several New England-style IPAs, some rich stouts and light lagers that offer plenty of opportunity for day drinking.
Also nearby areThe Freehouse, a contemporary brewpub with house-made craft brews to pair with its fine cuisine, as wellFulton Brewing’staproom.
For an option other than craft beer, look no further thanNumber 12 Cider. Found just down the road from Modist, Number 12 Cider has been making cider for several decades. The cider house’s taproom now features more than a dozen taps of Number 12’s house-made drinks, which have won national awards. Try Barrel 44, a dry cider aged in bourbon barrels, or one of Number 12’s sweet ciders like Janiken, which is blended with maple syrup.
AxeBridge Wine Co.also provides an alternative drinking spot for beer-weary visitors to North Loop. AxeBridge is an urban winery that makes limited quantities of wine using both imported grapes and locally-grown Minnesota grapes. Expect to find commercially recognizable wines from AxeBridge, including bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. But the urban winery also produces some interesting bottles that highlight the fruits of the local countryside.
The appeal of the North Loop neighborhood lies beyond just watering holes, though. The neighborhood houses a lot of great dining and shopping options, as well as gateways to Minneapolis’ urban parks system.
Running along the west bank of the Mississippi River through Minneapolis, theWest River Parkwaytrail connects multiple large public parks over miles of paved pathway.
The route is a perfect arterial to traverse on bike, and there are several nearby bike rental vendors for visitors. BothWheel Fun RentalsandNice Rideprovide bike rental opportunities to hit the trail and explore the nearby urban wilderness.
After a long day of hiking and biking, you will likely have worked up an appetite. Luckily, North Loop has plenty of great dining options for all budgets and occasions.
Graze Provisions + Libationsis a collective of restaurants and drinkeries in one communal dining hall. Because of the variety of options available inside the food hall, Graze Provisions + Libations is a great option for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner. There are multiple bars inside the dining hall, as well, making it a great spot to stop for a cool down.
For a dinner option that offers refined plates of local cuisine, guests should try and get a reservation atSpoon and Stable. Housed in a historic former horse stable in North Loop, Spoon and Stable showcases traditional Midwestern dishes from the brain of James Beard award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen.
Japanese sushi eateryKado no Misefurther offers a unique dining experience in the North Loop neighborhood for visiting beer tourists. The restaurant offers set omakase menus, where your dining experience is curated by one of Kado no Mise’s experienced chefs. Connected to Kado no Mise isGori Gori Peku, a Japanese whiskey bar with quiet and low-key vibes perfect to close out your evening.
Before leaving the North Loop neighborhood, you have to check out one of Minnesota’s local shopping gems—James and Mary Laurie Booksellers. Over the past two decades, the independent bookshop has built up an impressive collection of more than 120,000 books, as well as thousands of classical and jazz vinyl records. James and Mary Laurie Booksellers is a cathartic shopping experience for any book lover and offers a chance to get your hands on hard-to-find volumes.
