Thanks to all of the fresh water in Lake Superior, Duluth has been known for breweries since the mid-1800s! Originally, there were only two breweries in Duluth, MN, but over the years, the numbers have grown and grown.
Duluth, MN has long had an excellent reputation as a port city and for its many outdoor recreation options. And now, it’s called Minnesota’s craft brew capitol as well!
This is thanks to the freshness of the beer and their dedication to using very flavorful ingredients. This has led to the city’s breweries winning various craft beer awards for their quality.
Most of Duluth’s breweries are actually located very close to each other in something that people call the Beer Trail. The following is our list of 10 of the best breweries in Duluth, MN. If you want to know the best places to booze it up in Duluth, your journey starts here!
Family Friendly Breweries In Duluth, MN
If you’re looking for a brewery that can accommodate the whole family, here are our top picks!
Canal Park Brewing Company
Address: 300 Canal Park Dr, Duluth, MN 55802
Hours: Mon – Sun: 11 AM – 11 PM
Phone: 218-464-4790
One of the best breweries in Duluth, MN for having a night out with the family is Canal Park Brewing. It’s a welcoming environment that perfectly blends modern industrial style with traditional warmth. Its large windows provide beautiful views of Lake Superior.
In addition to that, it’s even won many awards, and not only for its beer! It was also named the best solar-powered brewery in America, and has won food awards as well.
Conservation is part of its mission statement, so all of the ingredients are sourced locally. The beer is made with local malt and hops, and the food is all local as well. This means everything is also remarkably fresh, as well as delicious!
We highly recommend their Nut Hatchet brown ale, Hank and Dabs pale ale, and Foggy Jack porter. Their champagne seltzer is also a refreshing treat and comes in multiple fruit flavors. This includes strawberry, lingonberry, mango, lime, lemon, grenadine, lavender, blackberry, raspberry, and blood orange!
Blacklist Brewing Co.
Address: 206 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802
Hours: Mon – Wed: 4 PM – 10 PM; Thurs: 3 PM – 10 PM; Fri: 3 PM – 11 PM; Sat: 12 PM – 11 PM; Sun: 12 PM – 8 PM
Phone: 218-606-1610
Blacklist Brewing Co. is another of the best breweries in Duluth, MN for families. They’re big not only on fostering a cozy, comfortable atmosphere but on being entertaining as well.
They even have games there for the whole family to enjoy! Meanwhile, for the adults, their speciality is artisan ales made in the Belgian style.
Their ales are known for being refreshing and bold, and for using unique ingredients. For example, check out the Key Lime Gose, Peach Hazy, and Brighton Beach Berry.
They also do some unique hard seltzers, such as Hibiscus Kill Shot, Blackberry Rhubarb, and Blueberry Basil.
In addition, Blacklist hosts birthday parties, as well as bachelor and bachelorette parties, and more. Why, you can even do competitive axe throwing here!
It’s come a long way from the Kickstarter campaign that first started it. And it continues to grow in popularity and reputation.
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Wild State Cider
Address: 2515 W Superior St, Duluth, MN 55806
Hours: Mon – Thurs: 2 PM – 10 PM, Fri – Sat: 12 PM – 11 PM; Sun: 12 PM – 8 PM
Phone: 218-606-1151
And, while you’re in the area, don’t miss Wild State Cider! Amongst the breweries in Duluth, MN, they stand out thanks to their brews being sorbate free, with zero added sugar.
Their ciders are also 100% made from apples and fresh fruit that they’ve pressed themselves. And to preserve them, they use pasteurization and fine filtration methods. This keeps them healthy, fresh, and satisfying.
Their seasonal apple pie flavored cider is particularly scrumptious. And they do a great Dragon Fruit Mango Pineapple limited edition for Pride Month.
The place itself is also perfect for an afternoon or evening out with family and friends. It has a warm, friendly atmosphere with a gorgeous patio and plenty of non-alcoholic cider options for kids and non-drinkers.
To pair with their ciders, they also offer a variety of snacks, charcuterie, and cheese plates. On a hot summer day, you can also finish off your evening with some delicious ice cream from Vermont!
Steakhouse Food Breweries in Duluth, MN
Here are some of our favorite restaurant breweries to grab a meal with your drink in Duluth, MN!
Fitger’s Brewhouse Brewery and Grille
Address: 600 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802
Hours: Mon – Sun: 11 AM – 11 PM; Kitchen closes @ 10 PM from Sun – Thurs)
Phone: 218-279-2739
Image Credit: karenfoleyphotography/ Shutterstock.com
Fitger’s Brewhouse isn’t only one of the best breweries in Duluth, MN, but one of the best restaurants too. They have some of the best beer in town, as well as some of the best burgers and steaks!
Fitger’s was actually the first brewpub in the area, and they’ve really cornered the market there on great food with great beer. Their goal is to serve food and drink that exemplifies the best of the local flavors as well as culture. And they definitely succeed at that!
We can particularly recommend their mouthwatering elk with wild rice burgers. They have a unique flavor that pairs extremely well with their beer. Try it with their Apricot Wheat, Superior Trail IPA, or Wildfire, a spicy amber lager.
We also love the Black & Bleu burger, their Nor Shor cheesesteak sandwich, and their Chipotle Chicken salad. And if you’d like an on-theme dessert, the Oatmeal Stout cake is delicious!
Dubh Linn Brew Pub
Address: 109 W Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802
Hours: Mon – Sat: 4 PM – 2 AM; Kitchen opens @ 5 PM; Closed Sundays
Phone: 218-727-1559
All of the best breweries in Duluth, MN have different key features to recommend. The Dubh Linn Brew Pub is a great spot to check out if you’re a fan of Irish culture.
Located in a historic building that’s 125 years old, they pride themselves on bringing a bit of Dublin to Duluth. Come for the great booze and food, stay for the warm atmosphere and fun events such as trivia nights!
The Dubh Linn is run by a family, and when we say “run”, we mean it. They not only make the beer but also prepare and serve the food, work the bar, and so on!
Speaking of food, their menu started off by using traditional recipes from their family, which they’ve refined over the years. We love their spinach artichoke sandwich and their scrumptious Big Lake Burger.
Meanwhile, they also serve some great theme cocktails, such as the James Joyce, the Chocolate Cinnabun, and the Red Wedding.
Breweries in Duluth MN with Music
Want to enjoy some live music with your beer? These Duluth breweries are just what you’re looking for!
Duluth Cider
Address: 2307 W Superior St, Duluth, MN 55806
Hours: Mon – Thurs: 12 PM – 10 PM; Fri – Sat: 12 PM – 11 PM; Sun: 11 AM – 8 PM
Phone: 218-464-1111
If refreshing cider is your bag, Duluth Cider is one of the best breweries in Duluth, MN for you! In addition to great beer and wine, Duluth Cider makes its own craft cider in a variety of styles.
You can have ones that are hopped, dry, sweet, and blended with other fruit, in addition to various experiments. And best of all, all of it is made with local apples from the Great Lakes region. It’s a genuine Duluth experience.
While here, you can also take a tour of the facilities. And then enjoy some live music, which is featured there regularly.
And while they don’t serve food, customers are encouraged to bring in food from other local places. You’re even allowed to have it delivered! We recommend Lee’s Pizza, Pizza Luce, Duluth Grill, and OMC Smokehouse.
Ursa Minor and Bent Paddle are also right near by if you want to try some other breweries the same day.
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Thirsty Pagan Brewing
Address: 1615 Winter St, Superior, WI 54880
Hours: Mon – Sun: 11 AM – 10 PM; Happy Hour: Mon – Thurs: 3 – 6 PM
Phone: 715-394-2500
One of the quirkiest breweries in Duluth, MN, Thirsty Pagan is great for homemade beer and pizza, and live music. In fact, they have someone performing live every single night of the week!
Meanwhile, they have a fantastic menu of beer brewed in their microbrewery along with pizza, calzones, salads, and desserts they’ve made from scratch. It went from a tiny operation to needing a 7-barrel device in order to keep up with all the demand!
Their Derailed Ale is wonderful, as is some of their seasonal selections. Their Orange Cream Ale is particularly fun, like a boozy orange creamsicle. They blend orange zest and Madagascan vanilla bean to create a beer with a rich flavor and light cream finish.
Their best pizzas include the Ricotta and Roasted Asparagus pizza, and the Barnyard BBQ. Check back frequently, however, as their specials change weekly. There’s always new varieties. And as far as dessert, the Cheesecake Bites are to die for!
Breweries in Duluth, MN with Happy Hour
If Happy Hours are what you’re looking for, these are the places to check out in Duluth!
Earth Rider Brewery
Address: 1617 N 3rd St, Superior, WI 54880
Hours: Mon – Tues: 12 PM – 10 PM; Wed – Thurs: 12 PM – 11 PM; Fri – Sat: 11 AM – 12 AM; Sun: 11 AM – 6 PM
Phone: 715-394-7391
Earth Rider Brewery has to be one of, if not the, tiniest of the breweries in Duluth, MN. Despite that, however, it’s well worth checking out thanks to its delicious beers.
What makes them so good is that they’re made from fresh Lake Superior water and curated local ingredients. Their lovely, intimate brewery also caters to both alcohol and coffee drinkers.
You can enjoy any of their amazing beers, including Blackbecrush, Caribou Lake IPA, Bière De Garde, and Vienna Lager, here. And you can also have a great cup of coffee!
While you can find their beers at many local places, it’s worth it to make a trip to their pub. It’s a great place to relax with family and friends, enjoy Happy Hour, and sometimes even enjoy some live music.
The authentic experience of visiting Earth Rider Brewery really is amongst the best that Duluth, MN has to offer.
Bent Paddle Brewing Company
Address: 1832 W Michigan St, Duluth, MN 55806
Hours: Sun – Thurs: 12 PM – 10 PM; Fri – Sat: 12 PM – 11 PM
Phone: 218-279-2722
The penultimate selection on our list of breweries in Duluth, MN, Bent Paddle is known for black ale and pilsner. The name comes from Bryon, who runs it and used to mix the brew mash with a bent canoe paddle!
This was back when he worked at Rock Bottom Brewery before starting his own. It’s also inspired by Bryan’s love of canoeing in general. The place has a strong canoe theme and aesthetic.
Their mission statement to this day is to “Bend the Tradition” of the beers you might expect in Duluth. And they have some great and unique brews.
This includes the Cold Press Black coffee ale, the seasonal Christmas Cookie pale ale, and the Passionfruit Pilsner. Bent Paddle is also committed to the environment as well as to creating beer in a way that maximizes sustainability.
So in addition to supporting local business, coming here at Happy Hour or any time helps the community too.
Ursa Minor Brewing
Address: 2415 W Superior St, Ste B, Duluth, MN 55806
Hours: Sun – Thurs: 11 AM – 10 PM; Fri – Sat: 11 AM – 11 PM
Phone: 218-481-7886
The last on our list of breweries in Duluth, MN, is also one of the best, Ursa Minor Brewing! This place has it all: great beer, great pizza, a happy hour, a family and pet-friendly patio, games, live music.
In short, it encompasses all of the best that Duluth, MN breweries have to offer! As far as beer is concerned, they have a wide range of options.
If hoppy is what you’re looking for, we can recommend the Space Winnebago, Pterodactyl Screams, and Jumping Ship IPAs. If you want sour, look no further than the Dulutherweisse Blueberry Lemon Cherry Sour or Keep It P.G. (pomegranate guava).
Meanwhile, for dark, they have Zaddy’s Breakfast, an Oatmeal Stout, and for light, Glamping, a lemon orange tart wheat ale.
They also host yoga, trivia nights, bingo nights, an annual Oktoberfest, and more! In short, Ursa Minor is one of the most fun nights out you’ll find in Duluth!
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Conclusion On Breweries In Duluth MN
We hope you’ve enjoyed perusing our list of the best breweries in Duluth, MN! With so many delicious boozy options, you could spend days just trying out all the different varieties. If you’re a beer aficionado in the United States, there are few places we’d recommend a visit to more!
