Town Hall Brewery in Minneapolis is a brewpub located near the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and the Seward neighborhood. Immediately next to the brewery is the Courtyard Marriott, the Official Hotel of the NFL. Views of U.S. Bank Stadium are only steps from the front door of Town Hall.

Town Hall’s brewpub license does not allow distribution through a distributor, but they can operate a kitchen on-site and offer spirits and guest taps at the bar. Whether you’re looking for something uniquely Minnesota or trying to find something you recognize from somewhere else, Town Hall carefully curates which beers to have flowing. 

 

Their tap list is not typical. Town Hall takes great pride in creating a unique mix that includes several styles at any time. Additionally, there is a barrel-aged beer on tap at all times. As breweries everywhere try to make stronger barrel recipes, Town Hall has committed to them in a surprisingly strong way. Their commitment to variety is admirable.

Inside the building, the exposed brick and original ceilings give the space an old-time feel. The renovation in 2013-2014 brought back a trendy spin. Art on the walls includes the Town Hall Brewery sign and a helpful Minneapolis-specific beer calendar, which highlights beer events in the area as well as the typical styles that are drank during each part of the year.

Among their most popular recipes are the Masala Mama IPA and the Dortmunder Local Export Lager. These two recipes require larger tanks for brewing to accommodate the output volume. Besides the brewpub at this location, they also send kegs of their product out to three other restaurants in the metro area:

1) Town Hall Station in Edina, where they infuse beer into a classic diner-style menu.

2) Town Hall Lanes in Minneapolis, where the brewery produces a specialty recipe only for this location. The beer is Super Strike Lager, which fits perfectly with the pub-bowling alley concept.

3) Town Hall Tap in South Minneapolis. This is another brewpub location of Town Hall, which helps them expand without violating the terms of their brewpub status. 

The tour brings the visitors downstairs to see the complete space of the brewing process. In the brewhouse, they are running a 10-bbl system that is largely hand-run. Though it is not as technically advanced as some other breweries in the area, many would argue it is truer to the origins of the brewing process. 

Founder Mike Hoops doesn’t seem to have a problem with what they’re doing either. He used to be up in Duluth at Fitger’s Brewhouse before coming down to Minneapolis in 1997. He has been awarded more medals at the Great American Beer Festival than any other Minnesota brewery:

SUMMARY:

TOUR PRICE: $10 

TOURS OFFERED: MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE. Email events@townhallbrewery.com for more information.

HISTORY: FIRST BREWED IN 1997

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS BREWERY: Hometown, Brewpub, Trusted

MY PERSONAL 3P SCORE (PRICE, POURS, AND PLEASANTNESS): 4.0/5

• Keep the glass
• Sample beers off the taps in the brewhouse