Craft Beer Bike Ride, Minneapolis
City Tour, 8 miles, 2-6 hours
Overview
A family friendly bike tour of the Minneapolis trails system that includes several craft breweries (with the option to add more), as well as a series of iconic Minneapolis landmarks along the Mississippi River – including Saint Anthony Main, the Stone Arch Bridge, the Mill City Museum, the Guthrie Theatre, and the University of Minnesota.
Bikes
Nice Ride - bike share stations noted in route map. $6 daily
Minneapolis by Bike - $40 daily for hybrids, kids, trail-a-bikes and trailers
Freewheels - $38+ daily for hybrid, road and tandem bikes and trailers
Train Stations
What to bring?
Water bottle to stay hydrated, snacks (don't drink beer on an empty stomach), camera
Route Highlights
A. Fulton Brewery 414 6th Ave N, Minneapolis | (612) 333-3208 | www.fultonbeer.com
Not only was Fulton (named after my own hood) one of the first taprooms in the Twin Cities, it recently created an entirely separate production and bottling facility.
B. 612 Brew 945 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis | (612) 217-0437 | www.612brew.com
A young brewery with plenty of ambition and solid execution, they anchor a delightful old industrial building, offer plenty of outdoor seating, and feature a mural done by my good friend, Adam Turman. Kids welcome anywhere, pets welcome outside.
C. Bauhaus Brew Labs 1315 Tyler St NE, Minneapolis | (612) 276-6911 | bauhausbrewlabs.com
A brand, new brewery and taproom that opened in July 2014, specializing in German-
inspired brews with interesting twists. As of 2014 they are low on choices but high on can-do spirit, and their taproom space is gorgeous.
D. Sociable Cider Werks 1500 Fillmore St NE, Minneapolis | (612) 758-0105 | sociablecider.com
Bicycle-friendly makers of fine hopped ciders and gluten-removed graffs, which are beer-
cider hybrids. They pride themselves on making balanced, interesting alternatives to sugary, bland mass market ciders.
E. Indeed Brewing 711 NE 15th Ave, Minneapolis | (612) 843-5090 | www.indeedbrewing.com
Another young brewery with a strong sense of neighborhood and a decently adventurous product offering. Rotating food trucks on premises, the taproom is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
F. Dangerous Man Brewing 1300 2nd St NE, Minneapolis | (612) 236-4087 | dangerousmanbrewing.com
Dangerous Man is a small batch craft brewery and taproom and one of the original Northeast Minneapolis suds shops. It is also where we will soak up some of the alcohol with a meal from one of the local eateries (which we can bring into the taproom).
G. Boom Island
A large open park alongside the Mississippi River that offers boat launches, reservable shelters with power and grills, and a foot bridge connecting it to Nicollet Island Park nextdoor.
H. Stone Arch Bridge | (612) 230-6400 | www.minneapolisparks.org
Dating to 1883, this former rail bridge was converted in the early 1990’s to serve pedestrians and bikes as they cross the Mississippi River.
I. Gold Medal Park | www.nps.gov
A beautiful 7.5 acre open green space in the Mill District that features a 32 foot tall grass hill (next to the iconic Guthrie Theater) with a spiraling path leading to its center.
Bonus East & Westside Routes
J. Surly Brewing Company 520 Malcolm Ave | (763) 535-3330 | surlybrewing.com
Surly is one of Minnesota's most popular craft breweries and has been an unstoppable force – both in terms of the products it offers and it's ability to open the doors needed for craft brewing to thrive in the Twin Cities.
K. Urban Growler 2325 Endicott St, St Paul | (651) 340-5793 | www.urbangrowlerbrewing.com
Urban Growler is the Twin Cities only all-woman owned brewery that's just far enough off the beaten path to get away from the hustle. Adjacent to Bang Brewing.
L. Bang Brewing 2320 Capp Rd, St Paul | bangbrewing.com
Maybe the Twin Cities smallest taproom, Bang brews great beer for the sake of brewing great beer.
M. Burning Brothers Brewery 1750 W Thomas Ave, St Paul | (651) 444-8882 | burnbrosbrew.com
The first and only gluten free brewery in the Twin Cities.
N. Steel Toe Brewing 4848 W 35th St, St Louis Park | (952) 955-9965 | www.steeltoebrewing.com
The pride of St. Louis Park, Steel Toe Brewing features a strong tap collection and is a stone's throw from The Four Firkins – Minnesota's Craft Beer Authority.
