In the name of democracy and civic engagement, I have broken with the traditional Doin’ Beers format in order to bring you this special election edition of Doin’ Beers.
Now that the 2025 municipal elections in Minneapolis and St. Paul have taken place, it goes to people like me—hard-hitting journalists with an unwavering commitment to the truth—to articulate for you, the everyday people, what it all means. I do not take this responsibility lightly. I owe it to Minnesota, and the great city of Minneapolis which I call home, to use my platform (constructed as it may be out of empty beer cans and bundled together with bad jokes) to advance the cause of democracy in whatever way I can.
Of course, I also don’t have any real experience, skill, or desire to engage in political reporting. But! What I do have is an angle. A crisp, malty, refreshing angle. So, I set out to answer the question I know is on everyone’s minds: “What are Minneapolis and St. Paul’s recently elected officials’ favorite beers, and why?” The answers I received—and the fact that I received any at all—may surprise you.
Mayorally Endorsed
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
I didn’t really expect I’d get a response to my question about Mayor Frey’s favorite beer when I sent his office an email. But, to my delight, I received one from Ally Peters, his communications director: “The mayor’s favorite local beer is Pryes Miraculum because he likes a nice, hazy beer. He also enjoys beers from Indeed Brewing and Utepils Brewing.”
Yep, you heard it here, the Mayor of Minneapolis has pretty good taste in beer. Pryes Miraculum is a beer I previously endorsed as one of the top 5 year-round beers in Minnesota, and much beloved by beer drinkers across Minnesota, so I wasn’t too surprised to see it come up. The fact it’s Frey’s favorite is probably the policy point on which Mayor Frey and I are most aligned. That said, an important fact-check: Pryes Miraculum is not a “hazy” beer. It’s officially classed as a “Midwest IPA” by Pryes, and while it is dry hopped and has some juicy notes, it’s closer to a west coast IPA than a hazy.
St. Paul Mayor-Elect Kaohly Her
Fresh off my success getting a response to my question from Mayor Frey’s office, I poked at Mayor-Elect Her’s team on Bluesky asking them if they wanted Mayor Frey’s response to be the sole mayoral word on beer in the Twin Cities. I don’t know if that’s what pushed her team to respond, but I did get a response a short time later letting me know that Mayor-elect Her doesn’t drink beer. However, she did share her favorite THC beverage: “I love Crooked’s Blood Orange Sparkling Tonic. They're low calorie, taste great, and no hangover! Plus, I grew up in the ‘Say no to drugs’ era, so this is a great product that doesn’t make me feel like I’m doing something bad.”
I’m not a THC seltzer person myself, and don’t follow who is making THC beverages outside of the many Minnesota breweries in the space. So, I have to admit I’d never heard of Crooked Beverage Co. However, they appear to be local and have the support of the next Mayor of St. Paul, so that has to count for something.
Minneapolis City Council-endorsed Beers
I received responses from 7 of the 13 folks elected to Minneapolis’s City Council. I sadly did not receive a response from Elliott Payne in Ward 1, Michael Rainville in Ward 3, LaTrisha Vetaw in Ward 4, Jamal Osman in Ward 6, Aisha Chugthai in Ward 10, or Aurin Chowdhury in Ward 12. I strongly recommend that their constituents follow up with them at their earliest convenience. Democracy dies in darkness.
In the meantime, here are the responses I did receive.
Ward 2 - Robin Wonsley
“I don’t drink beer, but I am a big fan of mead. Mead is delicious. I first tried it at the Renaissance Festival, which I believe comes from a vendor north of the Twin Cities. My favorite local mead is the Featherweight at Bumbling Fools Mead in Ward 1- just outside the border with Ward 2.”
While it’s decidedly not beer, I respect the mead scene. Anyone who has been a homebrewer for long enough has likely tried to make a mead at some point, and in so doing learned that while it appears straight forward at a glance, it is in no way easy. I haven’t made it out to Bumbling Fools myself, but I can guarantee you that their mead is better than the stuff your friend Josh made that one time and gave to you as a rather dubious “Christmas gift.”
Also, Surly is the only brewery in Ward 2 to my knowledge, so crossing into Ward 1 seems reasonable enough to me—though if I were doing that, it’d be for Falling Knife, Insight, Bauhaus, Indeed, or Fair State. It really is a shame that Council President Elliott Payne in Ward 1 didn’t respond to my urgent request. I’m sure he has a good reason for evading my hard-hitting journalistic inquiry. However, I’m also sure I’m disappointed that the beer basket of Minneapolis went unrepresented in this column.
Ward 5 - Pearll Warren
Council Member-elect Warren let me know that she is a “Surly Gurly,” and loves a good hard cider.
Consistent readers know that I don’t really cover Surly beers. To be honest, I can’t say they’ve had a beer come out in recent years that I was particularly excited about. And, the allegations of union busting during the earlier days of COVID certainly haven’t helped motivate me. But, I must admit that Surly was a pioneer of the Minnesota craft brewing scene, and Furious remains a decidedly good west coast IPA. That said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Ward 5 has Utepils, La Doña, InBound, and Fulton right there in the ward. So, the trek over to Surly isn’t really justifiable in my opinion.
Ward 7 - Elizabeth Shaffer
“My favorite beer is Utepils Helles!”
Fun fact, Utepils’ Helles is very good. In fact, it won the 2023 World Beer Cup Silver Medal for being very good. So, while Utepils is just outside of Ward 7, I get the appeal. That said, Ward 7 has Sisyphus and Brühaven—both of which make tasty beers, and don’t have the wide-ranging distribution of Utepils. So, if you live in Ward 7, I’d strongly recommend throwing them your beer money as frequently as your doctor will allow.
Ward 8 - Soren Stevenson
Council Member-elect Soren Stevenson provided the most comprehensive answer to my request of anyone—in fact, it’s too long for me to quote all of it. However, here’s the important bit:
“Castle Danger Cream Ale is my favorite MN beer and quite possibly my favorite beer of all time. There are so many reasons to like this beer. It tastes great, very drinkable, widely distributed, fair price, and is a fantastic representative of MN beer. …Craft beer is at its best when it collapses differences between people. …Castle Danger Cream Ale is loved and respected so much that it can be drunk or talked about in any beer drinking establishment and receive good reviews. It truly is a beer that brings people together.”
Hard agree, honestly. Castle Danger Cream Ale was included in my year-round favs for a reason, after all. Soren went on in his response to make the case for trying to make cream ales a “Minnesota specialty” of sorts. While I’m not 100% sure about that, we do have a number of great cream ales, and I agree we need a style we can call decidedly “Minnesotan.” Could the humble cream ale be the one?
Personal note, as someone who lives in Ward 8, we need a brewery. Like, real bad. If any readers want to open one, or give me money to open one, let me know.
Ward 9 - Jason Chavez
“I ... don’t really drink much but if I do it’s a Corona. And if it’s MN beer I drink at Arbeiter Brewing. I like Squishy Peaches and Spritzig (but this one is a hard seltzer).”
Arbeiter is my favorite brewery in Ward 9, so while I personally believe there are better cheap light lagers than Corona that Council Member Chavez could be drinking (*cough*Deer Brand, Hamms, and Premium just to name the top three off the top of my head*cough*), I’ll let it slide. Squishy Peaches isn’t available year-round, though, so if I were to recommend a go-to beer at Arbeiter, it’d be Ha Ha Pils or Your Opacity if you’re a haze bro like my wife. Oh, yeah, “haze bro” is a gender-neutral term. You heard it here first.
Ward 11 - Jamison Whiting
"My favorite Minnesota craft beer is Indeed’s Pistachio Cream Ale, by far! What started as a law school treat after long study sessions turned into the showcase ale at my wedding, my go-to for neighborhood potlucks, and what I hope will be a well-deserved sip after marathon City Council budget meetings. My sister worked at BlackStack Brewing, so their Local 755 definitely earns an honorable mention (and not just because she used to sneak me a few free pints)!"
Indeed’s Pistachio Cream Ale is a solid choice, and I cannot fault it. The shoutout to Local 755 is also incredibly well-deserved. BlackStack is a credit to St. Paul and Local 755 is yet another of my year-round favs. Until recently, Ward 11 had Wild Mind Ales, and may have another brewery replacing it soon—so I’d keep an eye on that if you’re in Ward 11.
Ward 13 - Linea Palmisano
“My favorite beer is Fulton Lonely Blonde. It’s a lighter beer and I’d say has a crisp taste and is ‘any time of year’ appropriate. It’s easy to drink alone or enjoy with food like a good burger. And it started here in Southwest Minneapolis, and while their operation has moved downtown they continue to sponsor great events around Minneapolis and beyond.”
Lonely Blonde is a classic. I can’t say I’d had one in recent memory until my wish to include photos with this column resulted in my first purchase of Lonely Blonde in what is likely a decade. Of course, I’m a big ole nerd and have a monetary incentive (this column) that keeps me so tied up in new and seasonal stuff that I rarely drink the “staples.” Alas, it is a burden that I must bear for you, the people. Still, I was pleased to find that Lonely Blonde’s still got it.
That said, if you’re in Ward 13, you really ought to be spending your hard-earned beer dollars over at Wooden Ship. Wooden Ship makes really tasty stuff and has a delightful taproom.
Minneapolis Park Board-endorsed Beers
I was seriously tempted to ask Minneapolis’s Park Board Commissioners about their favorite Minnesota beer to drink in a Minneapolis park without a permit. Sadly, I wanted to get responses, so I didn’t. Every journalist has to know when to pull a punch to preserve the access necessary to do their job. Even then, I only received responses from 6 out of the 9 Park Board Commissioners. I did not receive replies from Charles Rucker in District 2, Kay Carvajal Moran in District 5, or At Large Commissioner-elect Amber A. Frederick.
District 1 - Daniel Engelhart
“Fair State Union lager - because of the name and union made collab - taste- Pryes Miraculum- I am on hiatus from Beer though so it’s a bit hard to explain the ones with the musty shoe or barnyard funk etc -”
I haven’t seen Union Lager on local shelves in a good long while, and it’s listed as a limited release on Fair State’s site, so my guess is that whatever is out in the wild now has been sitting for a bit, but I did enjoy it when I tried it a while back. And, would you look at that, Pryes Miraculum strikes again! Miraculum, with its green can, is pretty well camouflaged when set down in the freshly cut park grass on a summer day. Not that anyone would use that feature to their advantage or anything.
District 3 - Kedar Deshpande
“This was a tough question and I narrowed it down to three beers of three different styles, but sadly discovered that two aren't in production anymore (Dangerous Man Peanut Butter Porter and Falling Knife Supermood).
So that leaves me with:
Modist Supra Deluxe - it's a year-round crisp and dry beer that honors the spirit of Asian (especially Japanese) brews, and showcases Minnesota's commitment to craft and quality.”
Modist’s Supra Deluxe is a great beer, and its incredibly light and refreshing body makes it a fine alternative to an over-priced seltzer from a licensed park vendor—provided you have the requisite permit, of course. I’m sure you do, and will just take your word on it.
District 4 - Jason Garcia
“I don’t drink beer as often as I used to, but my favorite Minnesota beer is Fair State Pils. Full disclosure, I’m a member-owner at Fair State, but I have always been a fan of their beers. The Pils is nice and crisp and easy to drink, and I’m always happy supporting their union workers.”
Fair State Pils is a great pilsner, and a very respectable choice. I’m also a member over at Fair State—though it’s unclear to me what that means now that Ranchers Beverage Co. has acquired (or is maybe still acquiring?) “the assets of the Cooperative” and has taken over (or is taking over?) “operations at the St. Paul production facility” per the Fair State Board of Directors. All I know is that sitting on a bench in a Minneapolis park drinking a Fair State Pils slotted into a can cooler that makes it look like a water bottle probably won’t ever hit the same again. Not that I or anyone else has done that.
District 6 - Cathy Abene
"I'm going to have to go with Pryes Brewing Company's Nitro Dublin Dry Stout. The Pryes brewery is ‘on my way home’ from Park Board headquarters and often we will stop in after a meeting which can go pretty late. The Dublin Dry Stout has never let me down. Substantial and refreshing but with a low ABV. Perfect.”
I appreciate Cathy giving a shout out to one of my favorite beer styles—one that goes criminally underrepresented at most breweries. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but… none of the Minneapolis park vendors have a stout on offer that I’m aware of. What’s a stout lover who also loves spending time in Minneapolis’ parks supposed to do with that? Are we not encouraging the sort of lawless behavior Park Board ordinance PB2-17 is supposed to discourage by allowing this crime against stouts?
At Large - Meg Forney
"Castle Danger Cream Ale. Love the brewery in Two Harbors, close to our cabin on Gitchi Gami. Best on tap—smooth, rich and full bodied…Being I was just knighted Lady Meg..., Guardian of Parks and Patience--a champion of green spaces and the joy they bring to all…a castle seems rich enough for me 😉”
Commissioner Forney coming in with the puns, references to her cabin up north, and another nod to Castle Danger Cream Ale—I don’t know if there’s a more Minnesotan response to this question possible. I think that the only thing more Minnesotan than this response would be eating hotdish on the beach at a Minneapolis lake while drinking a Castle Danger Cream Ale. But, sadly, that’s not possible. The Park Board, in its wisdom, knows that allowing that sort of behavior would only lead to people blasting Prince, The Replacements, and Semisonic all day long—which is enough of a problem as it is.
At Large - Tom Olsen
"Well, if we still consider Hamm’s to be Minnesotan. Then Hamm’s hands down, because in the words of FIDLAR, ‘I drink cheap beer! So what? F*** you!’
But if Hamm’s is no longer considered Minnesotan then Fulton Lonely Blonde because it's the neighborhood I now call home and it's a great tasting beer.”
Whether Hamm’s is a Minnesota beer seems to vary depending on who you talk to. Historically, it’s obviously a Minnesota beer—even if production was moved to Milwaukee. So, I think we can claim it. But, if we wanted to be really sure, we could always entice Molson Coors into returning production to Minnesota by, say, creating a carve-out in the Minneapolis parks alcohol use ordinance specifying that since Hamm’s is “From the land of sky blue waters” drinking it is considered equivalent to swallowing lake water while swimming—something your doctor probably wouldn’t recommend, but which is technically allowed.
Is that carve-out more reasonable than regulating the negative effects of alcohol consumption in parks (potential for broken glass and other refuse, as well as anti-social behavior) instead of regulating alcohol use itself? I don’t know. I’m not a Park Board Commissioner. I’m just a mom who believes in responsibly enjoying our parks to the fullest extent.
Minneapolis Board of Estimation and Taxation-endorsed Beers
The Minneapolis Board of Estimation and Taxation is made up of six folks, only two of whom are directly elected to the board (though the other members—the mayor, the council president, the “Council Member who chairs the Council committee whose charge includes the budget,” and a rep from the Park Board—are also “elected,” just not directly to the board). Of the two directly elected members, I managed to get responses from… both!
Eric Harris Bernstein
“The honest answer to this question is that I have a knee-jerk aversion to beer knowledge. I do enjoy beer, but I do not keep track of who makes what. Having said that, I prefer a light crushable, so I will go with Grainbelt Premium although it would be Hamm’s if they were still here. Refreshing and union brewed.”
Premium and Hamm’s are both imminently fiscally responsible choices, so I think this bodes well for Eric Harris Bernstein’s tenure on the BET. However, I’d personally go with Deer Brand over both Premium and Hamm’s, and Tomm’s from Falling Knife if money is not an issue—even if Premium has the best neon sign in the Midwest.
Steve Brandt
“It’s darn close but in a pinch I’d give the nod to Surly’s Furious in a near photo finish with Pryes Miraculum and Fulton 300. Furious has a hoppy sweetness that’s hard to beat. It’s the perfect reward for plowing through those quarterly financial statements the city sends to my board.”
Steve’s choices here are not, individually, as fiscally responsible as Eric’s, but the fact that his answer effectively constitutes a three for one deal makes up for it. Regardless, it’s clear Steve is a bit of an IPA traditionalist. I’m personally an advocate for a bit more experimentation, but there’s something to be said for a steady hand—even if that hand is reaching for a hop bomb.
A previous version of this story misspelled the names of Daniel Engelhart, Elliott Payne name. We regret the errors!
