Round up your taste buds and follow along for a fall-themed brewery tour, led by the people who make the magic happen. Enjoy responsibly.
Las Lajas Coffee Cider // Duluth Cider
Good cider comes from good apples. That’s the ethos behind Duluth Cider, where traditional European-style cidermaking collides with a bushel of creativity. As a small-batch cidery, they take pride in going where no cidery has gone before – even to the edge of a volcano.
One of their most popular drinks, Las Lajas, is a coffee cider made in partnership with Duluth Coffee Company. What makes it a fan favorite? For starters, its organic beans are sourced from the Las Lajas micro mill, right on the slopes of a volcano in the central valley of Costa Rica. Second, it’s dang good. “The idea was to make a cider worth drinking. Not just to say ‘Oh, we made a coffee cider,” said Jake Scott, co-owner along with his wife, Valerie. “This is one that people will walk out with cases of it in hand.”
Hefe Royale // Blacklist Brewing Co.
You don’t need to look far to find the origin of Blacklist Brewing’s success. Lake Superior, where they source their water, is just a stone’s throw down the hill. And if Superior water makes for superior beer, Blacklist Brewing makes for good times. What started as an Old-World-style brewery has grown into one of Minnesota’s unique spots – complete with naturally flavored seltzers and axe throwing.
Their hottest beer at the moment is their Hefe Royale, the OG of all hazy beers. This beer took home the gold medal for German Ales at the 2024 MN Craft Brewers Cup Awards. The keys to victory: a thick, creamy head and unfiltered, unapologetic flavor. Thanks, Lake Superior.
Valkyrie Pumpkin Ale // Warrior Brewing
Veteran-owned and veteran-brewed, Warrior Brewing Company is a labor of love for former homebrewer Ben Anderson. “My favorite part of all of this is sharing my passion with other veterans and first responders. It’s all about doing something I love with a meaning behind it, either with the collaborations we do for fundraisers or just being a place for veterans to come out and talk and chat.”
If you’re craving a sweet treat, put their honey beer, Valkyrie, at the top of your list. In the words of Ben: “It’s more of a pilsner malt for a base, and then a bit of Honey Nut Cheerio flavor. It’s sweet but not overly sweet. I’m a fan of subtlety.” Look for its close cousin the Valkyrie Pumpkin Ale, made with pumpkin puree for a cozy fall twist.
Pumpkin Pie Cider // Wild State Cider
No added sugar. Never made from concentrate. 100% weird stuff free. That’s what makes Wild State Cider “actually natural” in the words of CEO Adam Ruhland. “You can look at the ingredients to see the products are made from apples and spice and fruit. And that’s pretty much it. There’s nothing in there you can’t pronounce. It tastes like what the fruit tastes it – and that’s what makes good cider,” he added.
Pregame Thanksgiving dinner with their Pumpkin Pie Cider, a semi-sweet drink made with real pumpkin puree. Even sweeter, you can pair it with a scoop (or two or three) of their pumpkin pie ice cream. “It’s like you get a little spice of grandma’s pie in every sip.” Yeah, twist our arm.
Pale Ale #15 // Hoops Brewing
Drop into Hoops and you won’t find flowery beer names and puns. One of their signature drinks is simply Pale Ale #15. What you will find is community. Owner Dave Hoops is something of an ambassador for the Minnesota microbrew industry. He hosts radio shows and has his own column in the Duluth News Tribune. But what he’s most passionate about is bringing people together. “I was trained in Germany. Every community in Germany has a beer hall for people ages 0 to 90. So, yes we are a brewery and we make great beer, but really we’re a place to get together. We’re unique in that we’re the only beer-hall-style brewery in Duluth.”
Hoops (the establishment and the person) is also dead-set on delivering the best beer you can find anywhere. The hop-centric Pale Ale #15 is just one example.
Equanimity // Ursa Minor
Creativity has no true process. Brewing, however, is maddingly scientific. Every unique beer is the result of 1,000 individual correct decisions, a mix of everything from mash temperatures to ingredients to malt styles to what mood the brewer was in that day. Blending the art with the science is what makes this whole shebang so rewarding. In the words of Usra Minor Brewing CEO and Co-founder Benjamin Hugus: “To make truly excellent beer, is very, very difficult…That’s what makes it fun: isolating variables and constantly getting better at them. It’s a continual adventure.”
Benjamin also believes there is a time and place for every beer. Equanimity, a traditional red Irish ale, was made for changes in seasons and 50-degree days. If flannel shirts and brisk mornings had a flavor, it might taste a little something like this World Beer Cup award winner.
Bent Hop // Bent Paddle Brewing
If you brew it, they will come. That’s what Bent Paddle’s founders thought as they hung their shingle amid the old furniture stores and defunct shops of old Lincoln Park. Fast forward a decade and they’re at the center of the Lincoln Park Craft District, a bustling entrepreneurial destination for craft goods of all shapes and sizes.
One of their flagship beers, the Bent Hop is as popular throughout Duluth as Danner boots and bike racks. It’s made with a mix of European and American malt. Taste close and you’ll pick up some grapefruit, citrus, and pine. Call it a delicious blend of bent tradition.
Check out a full list of Duluth Breweries here.
