Duluth Breweries and Taprooms

I enjoy visiting local breweries and taprooms on my days off and in the evenings. It’s become something that we’re interested in. It’s also surprisingly fast how quickly you learn what you do (or don’t) like when you have the time to try out some different things. Duluth (and neighboring Superior, WI) has a wonderful craft beer culture and is full of people who are working hard to make quality products. I thought I’d talk about where is the spot to go here. The extra nice thing is that these have been generally Corona-proof with lots of options for carry-out or socially distanced patios.

Blacklist

Blacklist, in downtown Duluth, has a wide selection of beers that’s all their own. There isn’t any food here besides a tub of pretzals, but they do have axe-throwing lanes. You can’t have been drinking before using them though! Blacklist always has something funky and interesting on tap and is right downtown for some interesting people watching.

Ursa Minor

Ursa Minor is in the Lincoln Park district, and it has quickly become one of my favorite spots. They have wood-fired pizza and a quickly rotating tap list. It’s hard to pick a favorite, especially because they come and go so fast, but if you can get your hands on Agate Hunter, it’s worth it! They also have blankets for you to borrow if you want to sit on the patio and it’s getting a little chilly.

Vikre Distillery

Not a brewery, but the only distillery on the list. Vikre makes a wide selection of spirits, but my favorite is their fine selection of gins. They also make authentic Scandinavian aquavit that goes well in lots of herbal-heavy cocktails. The interior here feels like an eclectic antique store. A wooden narwhal skeleton hangs from the ceiling. The furnishings are sparse, but the chairs are mismatched and squishy, and the glasses are estate-sale finds. Order a cocktail here, or a tasting flight.

Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

Bent Paddle is pretty new and the scene, and I’ll be honest that their beer choices aren’t always my favorite. They have a wide array of fruit beers, all called “Wilderness Tuxedo”, so you never know what flavor it’s going to be…but fruit. The interior of this place is one of my favorites. Arcade games and foosball tables. A big fireplace with lots of chairs. A big beautiful patio. Just not the best beer, you know?

Duluth Cider

Duluth Cider was our favorite place to go pre-COVID for their Monday night trivia. It' was the best in town, although we’ve been suffering since it went away. The interior here is cozy — it’s inside a refurbished stable from back when the post office had horses, many years ago. Rounded vaulted ceilings, lots of wood and tile. It feels warm and inviting, and the ciders are delicious. Some choices here — Trailside in the summer, which is strawberry and basil. In the winter, they make a lot of good cranberry options as well. They have frequent rotators as well.

Wild State Cider

Wild State has the bonus of having Camp Creamee, a soft-serve ice cream bar inside with a signature maple flavor. My favorites here are the hibiscus cider, to the perfection pear cider. If you can hit them up around the holidays, there’s also a lot of cinnamon-heavy choices. The interior is pretty minimalistic, but has a lot of IKEA-esque green space and open, high ceilings over concrete floors.

Canal Park Brewing

Canal Park is the highest traffic and highest volume brewery on the list. It’s right downtown in tourist central and it’s busy. In my experience, not a lot of locals pick this as their first choice, but it has some gems if you’re in the area. It has the largest food menu and a pretty stable IPA-heavy tap list.

Fitgers

Fitgers is also hanging out in the high traffic areas of downtown. Fitgers is inside of the Fitger’s complex, and the sign is visible from much of downtown. It’s a cool building with a hotel and a few other food options. Fitger’s has a full pub-food menu and their own taplist. The choices here are varied, but my favorites are their brown ales. Inside, it’s all stone and cavernous mid-1800s construction.

That’s it! If I had to pick my favorites, I love Ursa Minor the most, and probably Duluth Cider second-most. But they’re all pretty great for a Friday night drink on the patio!

Local folks — or visitors — where do you like to go?