Skip to Content
Food & Drink

Well, Shit, Tin Whiskers Brewing Co. Is Closing

One of the most significant local brewery closures of the craft-brew era.

11:10 AM CDT on March 18, 2022

Tin Whiskers

There’s going to be one less place to enjoy an original brew in the Twin Cities. Tin Whiskers Brewing Co. announced today that they have decided to “power down the robot.”

The downtown St. Paul brewpub has been making robot-branded beers for eight years, including award-winning selections like the Lowertown Lager, Phobos Dark Sour, and the Blueberry Wheatstone Bridge. 

Sadly, the brewery announced this morning via Facebook that they will be closing up shop.

For the last eight years we have worked to brew the best and most innovative beers we could come up with, but the decision has been made to power down the robot. We have fought hard to keep our brewery running and continue to make the beers you love to drink, but the brewery is no longer sustainable to keep going.

Thankfully, for those who want to wish them well, Tin Whiskers plans to give us a long “Minnesota goodbye.” Which means you can still enjoy many of these brews for the next couple months, as they plan to close at the end of May. They’re even going to give us a farewell in beer form: So Long, Goodbye, a hazy IPA made with three types of dry hops (“over 12 pounds of hops per barrel!”) and a bit of pineapple.

Head Brewer Mike Willaford and the Whiskers crew are especially known around town for their sweet collabs, including the Nut Goodie Porter, a chocolate, maple, and peanut-y brew made with Pearson’s Candy Co. The gang has also taken inspiration from General Mills cereal (Synonym Toast Crunch), orange creamsicles (Orange Dream State), and Girl Scout cookies (Barrel-Aged Mint Patties Stout). These experimental brews also often showed up in colorful canned four-packs at local liquor shops.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

Open Thread Free-for-All: Everything Is Permitted

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

Pro Wrestling Hall of Famer ODB Is Bringing the Meat to Bobby and Steve’s

TNA veteran Jessie Kresa has been slapping meat for 25 years, both in the ring and from a food truck. 

July 31, 2026

Freeloader Friday: 123 Free Things To Do This Weekend

Hey, it won't be oppressively hot outside!

July 31, 2026

Coming to North Loop: A Data Center Tucked Between Acme Comedy Co. and Bar La Grassa

Plus more Target Field labor actions, the State Dept. says Iran tampered with MN water, and don't drive like a bozo in today's Flyover news roundup.

On the Big Screen This Week: Sex, Spider-Man, and Morally Challenged Frenchmen

Pretty much all the movies you can catch in the Twin Cities this week.

Slow Down! Cultural Cafes Are Offering Spaces to Settle in With Friends.

Driven by Yemeni and Egyptian businesses, a new kind of coffee shop is spreading through the Twin Cities.