Beer

The 16 New Beers You Have to Try at the 2017 Minnesota State Fair

Pickles and lingonberries and cotton candy, oh my!

by Terry Horstman@terryhorstman Aug 25, 2017, 9:47am CDT

State Fair season is upon us again and there is plenty to be excited about as the state looks out on this year’s Great Minnesota Get Together.

There is no shortage of craft beer and specialty drinks at the fair and many delectable beverages are making their world debut. Here is the list of new beers you need to know about before hitting the fairgrounds this year.

— by Terry Horstman

Adult Red Bull Slushie

Whether just starting a day at the fair or weighed down by hours of cheese and grease consumption, this concoction of non-carbonated beer and Red Bull mixed in a slushie machine will provide a necessary and refreshing jolt of energy. The neutral still malt beverage is brewed by Insight Brewing. It has an ABV of 8% so please, reenergize responsibly.

Where to find it: LuLu’s Public House, located at West End Market, south of the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.

Bauhaus Brew Labs’ The Shandlot

This brew is a nod to the classics, a shandy and the movie The Sandlot. According to the Fair’s list of exclusive beverages for 2017, the Shandlot is “The sultan of suds,” “The colossus of quenchers,” “The GREAT Shandino.” A long day in the sun combined with this thirst-quenching, lemon-flavored brew (4.5%, 15 IBUS) is a classic that will last forever. For-ev-er. For-ev-er! FOR-EV-ER!

Where to find it: Ball Park Café, located on the east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues, outside The Garden.

Bent Brewstillery Hungarian Cherry Wheat Ale

The incandescent red of the Hungarian Cherry Wheat Ale makes it the most colorful of the bunch of 2017’s newest selections. It’s fruity, refreshing and made with a healthy amount of American-grown Hungarian tart cherries. It’s smooth and rich with an ABV of 5%.

Where to find it: Ball Park Café, located on the east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues, outside The Garden.

Actually from the land of sky blue water

Bent Paddle Mosaic Kanū

Tropical and fruity with enough mosaic hops in each sip to fill a whole canoe. A perfect blend for the thirsty hop head. It sports a 4.8% ABV and 48 IBUs from the Duluth-based brewery.

Where to find it: Ball Park Café, located on the east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues, outside The Garden.

Coasters Beer Malt

Ice cream and beer make everyone happy. Two of the world’s greatest treasures come together in this brew, which mixes vanilla ice cream, malt powder and a pinch of vanilla bean flavor with Boulder Beer’s Shake Chocolate Porter to form a perfect dessert beverage. The porter from Boulder, Colorado has a 5.9% ABV.

Where to find it: Coasters, located on the southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street.

Cotton Candy Bubble Trouble

A champagne flute filled with Real State Fair Cotton Candy covered in Cannon River Winery’s Sparkle Edelweiss makes this concoction one of the simplest and yet delicious on the list.

Where to find it: The Hideaway Speakeasy, located in the Veranda, Grandstand upper level, northwest section.

Dill Pickle Beer

Dry hopped with fresh dill horseradish and spices, this light, American-style ale from Barley John’s Brewery in New Richmond, WI is a must drink for any pickle lover. It comes garnished with a dill pickle and Havarti dill cheese. 4.2% ABV and 18 IBUs.

Where to find it: Giggles’ Camp re Grill, located on the southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street, at The North Woods.

The empty upstairs of Lulu’s without any people. Tons of open chairs, tables and open sides for looking down at other fairgoers — A beer garden with a view

Duke of Cuke

A refreshing, crisp and light lager infused with cucumber from Minneapolis’ Insight Brewing. Emphasis on the ‘light’ part, which will come in handy after multiple trips to the pork chop-on-a-stick stands. 5.5% ABV.

Where to find it: LuLu’s Public House, located at West End Market, south of the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.

East Lake Brewery Kirby Pucker

Smooth and cool, this sour wheat beer from East Lake Brewery is modeled on the classic Berliner Weisse with added notes of fresh citrus and an ABV of 4%.

Where to find it: Ball Park Café, located on the east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues, outside The Garden.

Grapefruit Ode IPA

Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbos, MN fuses hoppy and fruity with a refreshing grapefruit flavor in its classic Ode IPA. A lot of flavors are going on here and craft beer lovers are sure to be pleased with all of them. 6.8% ABV.

Where to find it: O’Gara’s at the Fair, located on the southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street.

Lemon Sunshine

Bad Weather Brewing in St. Paul brings a perfect summer brew to the table in the form of this limoncello-inspired ale. It’s a lemony pilsner with a hint of tartness to help you cool down after a long day of walking around in the August sun. 5.1% ABV. 15 IBUs.

Where to find it: Mancini’s al Fresco, located on the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.

Lingonberry Lager

A Scandinavian delicacy from 612 Brewery, the Lingonberry Lager captures both sweet and tart flavors with a beautiful golden hue. 5% ABV

Where to find it: Coasters, located on the southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street.

Ordinary Mary

Anything but ordinary, Insight Brewing’s non-carbonated beer is mixed with Lulu’s own handcrafted bloody mary mix in a 20 oz. glass for one unique bloody mary experience. At 8% ABV it’s an excellent beverage to sip on all day.

Where to find it: LuLu’s Public House, located at West End Market, south of the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.

Apples and berries make for a tasty summer sip

Raspberry Hard Cider

The latest gem from Sociable Cider Works. Honeycrisp, Haralson and SweeTango apples are brewed with a touch of sorghum to add body, and then fermented dry for a tart, crisp apple flavor. Fresh raspberry puree in the brewing process sweetens the cider with a ripe berry flavor. Gluten-free. 6.4% ABV.

Where to find it: Giggles’ Camp re Grill, located on the southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street, at The North Woods.

Red, Light and Blu Frozen Beer

Nothing is more patriotic than the refreshing Red Citrus Sangria Beer layered with Grain Belt Frozen Blu and Grain Belt Premium Light. All three courtesy of the August Schell Brewing Company in New Ulm, Minn.

Where to find it: Schell’s Pavilion, located at West End Market, south of the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater.

Summit Lazy Sipper

The St. Paul brewery giants are at it again with a complex blonde ale bringing several flavors together. There are notes of toast, breadcrumb and graham cracker mixing with hops of lemon, green tea and grapefruit. Brewed with all Minnesota-bred and -grown ingredients, the Lazy Sipper features Lacey barley from Rahr Malting in Shakopee, Cascade and Crystal hops from Mighty Axe in Ham Lake, and fresh strawberries from the University of Minnesota’s strawberry breeding program. 4.9% ABV.

Where to find it: Shanghaied Henri’s and the Summit Booth, located at the International Bazaar.