Highest-rated beer in Minnesota

Written by:
June 20, 2024
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Highest-rated beer in Minnesota

After more than a decade of massive growth, the beer industry is experiencing a slowdown. According to the Brewers Association, in 2024, nationwide closings of brewpubs and taprooms outpaced openings for the first time in 14 years, and overall beer production volume decreased by 1.2%.

Changing consumer preferences factor into this decline. The convenience of ready-to-drink cocktails has increased spirits sales, but many people are simply opting to drink less. A January 2025 survey from NCSolutions found that almost half of Americans plan to cut back on their drinking in 2025.

To achieve this goal, some people are shifting to non-alcoholic drinks, including NA beers. This has created demand for higher-quality NA beers, including non-alcoholic IPAs and stouts. Other consumers are opting for moderation, looking for session beers and light beers that are still full of flavor.

That said, hop-forward beers are still popular—for example, hazy IPAs were the most popular entrant in the 2025 World Beer Cup. Fruit beers are also having a moment, with cherry and raspberry leading the pack in a 2024 report from Research and Markets, while drinkers looking for sweeter options can find brewers experimenting with candy-infused beers. Many beer makers are revisiting regional flavors on traditional styles, such as Czech pilsners, Mexican lagers, and Vienna lagers. At the same time, craft brewers continue to push the envelope to find new ways to excite beer lovers, often using unusual ingredients like sage, peppercorn, watermelon, and garlic.

Among all these different options, certain beers still appeal to hopheads more than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best beers from Minnesota using data from BeerAdvocate and sorted them according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only beers that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 list by state were included.

#30. Thor's Smoked Hot Pepper Imperial Porter

- Rating: 4.26 (56 ratings)
- Type: Smoked Porter
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: HammerHeart Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#29. Key Sublime

- Rating: 4.29 (45 ratings)
- Type: Fruited Kettle Sour
- ABV: 4.0%
- Brewery: Barrel Theory Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#28. Thread Count

- Rating: 4.40 (25 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.1%
- Brewery: BlackStack Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#27. War And Peace

- Rating: 4.19 (412 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: Fulton Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#26. Double Dreamyard

- Rating: 4.34 (41 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.5%
- Brewery: Modist Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#25. Blissful Ignorance

- Rating: 4.23 (192 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Lupulin Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#24. Insurrection

- Rating: 4.24 (157 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Fulton Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#23. Lobster Stuffed with Tacos

- Rating: 4.42 (33 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.0%
- Brewery: Fair State Brewing Cooperative
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#22. Magic Man

- Rating: 4.37 (47 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.1%
- Brewery: Barrel Theory Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#21. Hooey

- Rating: 4.26 (214 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.2%
- Brewery: Lupulin Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#20. Lunker

- Rating: 4.28 (243 ratings)
- Type: English Barleywine
- ABV: 14.4%
- Brewery: Steel Toe Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#19. Spirit Føul

- Rating: 4.32 (115 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.3%
- Brewery: Fair State Brewing Cooperative
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#18. Sticker Fight

- Rating: 4.34 (145 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.5%
- Brewery: Steel Toe Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#17. Wet

- Rating: 4.29 (1,620 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.1%
- Brewery: Surly Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#16. Masala Mama

- Rating: 4.31 (1,413 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.0%
- Brewery: Town Hall Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#15. Pudding Dribbles

- Rating: 4.52 (40 ratings)
- Type: Imperial Porter
- ABV: 11.3%
- Brewery: Forager Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Before The Dawn

- Rating: 4.35 (213 ratings)
- Type: American Barleywine
- ABV: 13.7%
- Brewery: Steel Toe Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Shooter McGavin

- Rating: 4.43 (71 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.2%
- Brewery: Barrel Theory Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. Czar Jack Imperial Stout

- Rating: 4.34 (436 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 9.3%
- Brewery: Town Hall Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Rain Drops

- Rating: 4.42 (124 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 7.5%
- Brewery: Barrel Theory Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#10. Stupid Good

- Rating: 4.54 (52 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.6%
- Brewery: Disgruntled Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. Noble Star Collection: Starkeller Peach

- Rating: 4.43 (274 ratings)
- Type: Berliner Weisse
- ABV: 7.2%
- Brewery: August Schell Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Magnus

- Rating: 4.65 (44 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 15.0%
- Brewery: Forager Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Barrel Aged Double Shot Double Black

- Rating: 4.45 (352 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.2%
- Brewery: Bent Paddle Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Darkness - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.45 (373 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Surly Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Axe Man

- Rating: 4.43 (3,063 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.2%
- Brewery: Surly Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Darkness

- Rating: 4.48 (4,295 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Surly Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Barrel-Aged Silhouette

- Rating: 4.50 (551 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Lift Bridge Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. Abrasive Ale

- Rating: 4.49 (4,844 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.2%
- Brewery: Surly Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. Nillerzzzzz

- Rating: 4.58 (156 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.0%
- Brewery: Forager Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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