MN BEER DAY

What’s on the Pint?

• 3 Golden Stars: To celebrate producers, wholesalers, and retailers.
• 2 Golden Stars: To acknowledge two types of producers: breweries and brewpubs.
• 4 Blue Waves: To signify MN’s 4 water sources: our thousands of lakes, Lake Superior, The Mississippi River, and MN aquifers.
• 2 Grain Stalks: To honor the two main malting crops grown in MN: barley and wheat
• 32 Stars: celebrating our history as the 32nd State

Minnesota Beer Day celebrates the history, tradition, culture, and community of Beer in Minnesota. Since 1848, the citizens of Minnesota have counted on beer for their livelihoods, benefitted from its economic benefits, or simply raised a glass in celebration. Beer has been, and still is, an integral character in the story of the State of Minnesota, and we celebrate that on November 1 each year. 

>> Read More About MN Beer History

MN Beer Day Passage

Minnesota Beer Day is an initiative of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, with the support and assistance of other stakeholders, advocates, and citizens of the State. More than two years of discussion, research, advocacy and planning were done in the process of making “Minnesota Beer Day” State recognized and celebrated.

• Senate Resolution: March 21, 2024, passed by Sen. Jess Howe (13, R).
• House of Representatives Resolution: April 10, 2024, passed by Rep. Maria Isa Perez-Vega (65B, D).
• Governor’s Office: July 12th 2024, Governor Tim Walz signed the Proclamation.
• Official Proclamation: September 27, 2024, industry stakeholders gathered at St. Paul Brewing Company to celebrate the official proclamation act, carried out by Executive Director of Explore Minnesota, Lauren Bennett McGinty.

Why November 1 for MN Beer Day?

November 1 was selected by the MN Craft Brewers Guild as the most appropriate date because November 1 offers a unique throughline between early beer history and today.

• November 1, 1850: John Orth founds John Orth Brewing Company, the 2nd brewery in the Minnesota territory, 8 years before MN Statehood.
• July 1859: Orth joins Heinrich Brewing Association, Frederick Norenburg Brewery, and Germania Brewing Association to form the Minneapolis Brewing and Malting Company.
• November 1, 1895: This business, now the “Minneapolis Brewing Company”, places an ad in the Minneapolis Tribune announcing the winner of their “name-our-new-beer” contest winner. The winning name is “Grain Belt”.
• 1967: The brewery rebrands to “Grain Belt Brewing”. By the end of the decade, Grain Belt Brewing is the 18th largest brewery in America.
• 70s and 80s: Grain Belt is purchased by G. Heilieman Brewing from Wisconsin and the production is moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin.
• 1991: Grain Belt is purchased by Minnesota Brewing Company and the historic Jacob Schmidt Brewery re-opens in St. Paul to brew it.
• 2002: The Grain Belt brand is purchased and continues to be brewed today by the 2nd oldest family-owned brewery in the country, Schell’s Brewery of New Ulm, MN.

56 Brewing
9 Mile Brewing Company
Alloy Brewing Company
Arbeiter Brewing Company
Backshed Brewing
Bad Habit Brewing Co
Bad Weather Brewing Company
Bald Man Brewing
Bear Cave Brewing
Bent Paddle Brewing Co
Big Axe Brewing Company
Boathouse Brothers Brewing Co.
Brew d’Etat LLC
Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative
Burning Brothers Brewing
Elm Creek Brewing Co.
Falling Knife Brewing Company
Forgotten Star Brewing Co.
Gambit Brewing Co
Garphish Brewing Company
Giesenbrau Bier Co.
Goat Ridge Brewing Company
Gravity Storm Brewery
Half Pint Brewing Company
Heavy Rotation Brewing Company
Imminent Brewing
Jack Pine Brewery
Karst Brewing Co
Kinney Creek Brewing
Klockow Brewing Company
Little Thistle Brewing
LTS Brewing Company
Luce Line Brewing Co.
Lupulin Brewing
Mana Brewing
Mankato Brewery
Maple Island Brewing
Mineral Springs Brewery
Montgomery Brewing
North 20 Brewing Company
Omni Brewing Company
Rail Werks Brewing Depot
Roundhouse Brewery
Saint Paul Brewing
Savage Tap Inc
Schram Enterprises
Sleepy Eye Brewing
Snarky Loon Brewing
Spiral Brewery
Sunken Ship Brewing Company
Take 16 Brewing Company
Talking Waters Brewery
Tanzenwald Brewing
Thesis Beer Project
Uncommon Loon Brewing Company
Union 32 Craft House
Utepils Brewing
Wabasha Brewing Company
Wild Mind Artisan Ales

Other Participating Groups

Apple Valley Liquor, Store #3
Chester Bird Post #523 American Legion
City of Moose Lake
Glacial Lake Brewers
Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association
Mount Royal Bottle Shoppe
St Cloud Moose Lodge 1400
The Bulldog Lowertown

September 27 Proclamation Materials & Photos

• Historical Research Materials

MN Beer Day Press Releases, Logos, and Social Images

• MN Beer Day Press Release 1
• MN Beer Day Press Release 2
• Event and Taproom Posters for Participant Use