All-Inclusive Minneapolis Craft Brewery Tour

Beer is better when someone else drives. This three-hour Minneapolis outing links three respected breweries, gives you full access to craft beer at each stop, and keeps the group moving by minibus. I especially like the all-you-can-drink format, which allows you to choose a full pint or a flight rather than settling for a tiny sample. I also like the small-group setup, capped at 14 people, because it keeps the ride personal and makes it easier to ask your guide for beer suggestions.

The main drawback is that this is a brewery crawl, not a behind-the-scenes brewery tour. You get time in each taproom, but the driver-guide handles the tasting coordination rather than brewery staff leading formal production tours. Food is not included either, so plan to eat before or after, and pace yourself carefully.

What makes this Minneapolis beer tour worth your time

• Three distinct brewery stops: Falling Knife, Fair State Brewing Cooperative, and 56 Brewing each offer a different setting and beer list.
• Full pours are included: You can order full pints or flights at the stops, not just token samples.
• A minibus removes the driving problem: Pickup and return are provided from the Royal Sonesta Minneapolis Downtown.
• Guides help match beer to your taste: Eric, Nick, and Brad have all been praised for friendly service, local advice, and useful beer recommendations.
• Afternoon and evening departures: You can fit the experience around a day of sightseeing or make it the main event.
• A cooler is provided: You have a place to store beer purchased along the way.

Starting downtown and settling into the minibus

Your meeting point is the Royal Sonesta Minneapolis Downtown at 35 S 7th St. Arrive 30 minutes before your selected departure time. That early arrival matters because the group needs to gather, complete the liability waiver, and get organized before leaving.

The vehicle is a minibus, and the maximum group size is 14. That is large enough to create a social outing but small enough that your guide can usually keep track of individual preferences. Several people have particularly praised Eric for being attentive, friendly, and willing to help with beer choices. Nick has also received strong praise for his local knowledge and easygoing manner, while Brad has been noted as a friendly and well-informed host.

The ride gives you a practical advantage. Minneapolis breweries are spread across different parts of the city, and driving between them yourself would mean choosing one taproom or finding a designated driver. Here, you can focus on tasting and conversation while your professional driver handles the road.

Bottled water is included. Take advantage of it. An all-you-can-drink format can sound carefree, but three brewery stops in roughly three hours calls for a sensible pace. You do not need to drink at the same speed as anyone else, and a flight can be a better choice than a full pint if you want variety without overdoing it.

Stop one: Falling Knife Brewing Co. in Northeast Minneapolis

The first stop is Falling Knife Brewing Co., a 20-barrel brewhouse in Northeast Minneapolis. The brewery is described as a local find, and it gives the tour an energetic opening with a broad range of beers to try.

You have about 50 minutes here. Your driver-guide helps arrange the tasting, and you can choose from the brewery’s available offerings. The beer selection has appealed to different tastes, including both IPA and stout drinkers. That makes Falling Knife a useful first stop because you can begin with something familiar or take the opportunity to test a style you do not usually order.

The tour does not promise a formal walk through the brewing equipment or a scheduled production talk. Instead, the value comes from having time to sit, taste, and ask your guide what might suit you. If you are unsure about hops, darker beers, or stronger flavors, tell the guide early. The best part of the experience is not simply getting beer included. It is getting help narrowing down a long tap list without wasting your limited time.

Fifty minutes is enough for a couple of pours and some conversation, but it is not a leisurely afternoon at one brewery. If you find a beer you love, you can purchase more for the cooler rather than trying to fit everything into the scheduled stop.

Stop two: Fair State Brewing Cooperative and its local focus

The middle stop is Fair State Brewing Cooperative. It is Minnesota’s first cooperatively owned brewery and the third of its kind in the United States, giving it a different identity from a standard independent taproom.

Fair State is known for small-batch beers and ingredients that can be difficult to source, including local ingredients. That focus makes this stop especially interesting if you enjoy trying beer that reflects a brewery’s particular point of view rather than ordering the same familiar style everywhere.

You get another 50 minutes here. The guide helps coordinate your beer tasting, and the format lets you choose between full pints and flights. A flight is useful at Fair State if you want to compare several small-batch offerings. A full pint makes more sense if you already know your preferred style and want to settle in.

The cooperative structure also gives your guide something meaningful to explain during the ride or while the group gathers. This is one of the places where the tour adds context beyond a simple ride between bars. You are not getting a full academic lesson in brewery ownership, but you can learn how one Minneapolis brewery differs in its organization and approach.

The practical limitation remains time. You will get a taste of Fair State rather than a complete education about the brewery. If you want an in-depth production tour, this experience may feel too light. If your goal is to try several beers and understand a little about what makes each stop different, the schedule works well.

Stop three: 56 Brewing and a final round of choices

The last scheduled brewery is 56 Brewing. Its beer list includes varied choices designed to suit different moods, with Crispy Business and Lake Hopper offered as examples.

By this point, your guide should have a better sense of what you enjoy. That makes the final stop a good place to ask for a recommendation based on your first two breweries. You might choose a familiar style, compare another IPA, or try something that contrasts with your earlier picks.

You have about 50 minutes again. Three equal stops create a fair rhythm: enough time to taste and talk, but not enough time for one brewery to take over the entire afternoon. The route also avoids the common problem of a pub crawl that spends too long at the first bar and rushes through the last one.

One detail I appreciate is the cooler for purchased beer. Minneapolis brewery taprooms can make it tempting to take something home, and you do not have to carry cans or bottles around the minibus. The supplied information does not specify purchase limits or exact packaging rules, so ask your guide at the start if you plan to shop.

After 56 Brewing, the minibus returns you to the Royal Sonesta Minneapolis Downtown. That return to the original meeting point is useful if you are staying downtown or want to continue your evening from a familiar location.

What the all-you-can-drink format really means

The strongest feature here is not simply unlimited beer. It is flexibility. You are not restricted to a fixed tasting menu, and you can order a flight or a full pint at each brewery. That lets you tailor the outing to your own taste.

For a beer enthusiast, this can be a strong value because three stops offer a wide range of choices. You can sample several styles, revisit a favorite category, and let your guide suggest local picks. For someone who rarely drinks beer, the format is still workable, provided you use the freedom wisely. Start with smaller pours when possible, drink water, and do not feel pressured to match another person’s pace.

The lack of food is the main practical issue. No meal, snack, or food pairing is included. Eat before departure or make a plan for afterward. You should also avoid treating all-you-can-drink as a challenge. The minibus solves the driving problem, but it does not remove the need to drink responsibly.

The included transportation adds real value even without a listed ticket price. You are paying for access to three breweries, the beer itself, a driver, a guide, bottled water, and the convenience of not arranging taxis between neighborhoods. Compare that with the cost and trouble of visiting the same three places independently, especially if one person in your party would need to remain sober.

The guide can shape the whole afternoon

The guide’s role is more important here than it might first appear. You are not receiving a formal lecture at every brewery, so the driver-guide becomes the person who connects the stops.

Eric has received especially strong praise for being attentive, polite, interactive, and accommodating. His beer suggestions have helped both serious beer drinkers and people who do not drink much. Nick has been praised for being friendly and well informed, with a good sense of how to make people feel comfortable quickly. Brad has also been described as a welcoming guide who knew the beers and helped the group enjoy all three stops.

That pattern tells you what to expect: practical recommendations, local conversation, and help navigating the tap lists. You may hear about Minneapolis neighborhoods and local history along the way, but the main focus remains beer and getting everyone comfortably between breweries.

The guide can also make the tour easier for mixed groups. One person may want a stout, another may prefer a light beer, and someone else may want to try something unusual. Since you are not locked into one tasting flight, the guide can point each person toward a reasonable choice.

Who will enjoy this tour most

I would recommend this experience to:

• Couples who want a relaxed night out without planning transportation
• Friends looking for several Minneapolis breweries in one outing
• Visitors who want local beer without spending time researching taproom locations
• First-time craft beer drinkers who would like help choosing styles
• Repeat brewery fans who value variety and full pours
• Small groups that want a social activity with a clear schedule

It is less suited to anyone seeking a detailed brewing lesson, a food-centered experience, or a long, slow visit at one brewery. The tour gives you three stops in roughly three hours, so the pace is fixed.

A moderate amount of walking is involved. You should be comfortable getting on and off the minibus and moving around each brewery. Most people can participate, but the minimum age is 21, and you must bring photo identification.

Afternoon or evening: choosing the better departure

The afternoon departure is a good match if you want to make the brewery route part of your daytime Minneapolis plans. It leaves room for dinner afterward, which is useful since food is not included.

The evening option works better if you want the beer tour to be the main social event of the day. It can also make sense for a relaxed night out, with the minibus returning you downtown after the third stop.

The tour takes about three hours, though exact timing can depend on traffic and how the group moves through each stop. Since each brewery receives roughly 50 minutes, do not plan another fixed activity immediately afterward.

Booking details and cancellation points

Confirmation is provided when you book, and the experience is offered in English. You must sign a liability waiver before departure, and the tour requires a minimum number of participants. If that minimum is not reached, the operator may cancel after confirmation and offer another option or a full refund.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund. Poor weather can also lead to a different date or a full refund.

The tour is mobile-ticket friendly, so keep the booking details accessible on your phone. Arrive at the Royal Sonesta 30 minutes early rather than cutting it close.

Should you book the Minneapolis brewery tour?

I would book this if you want three Minneapolis breweries, included beer, and simple transportation in one compact outing. The strongest reasons are the choice of full pints or flights, the small maximum group size, and the guides’ repeated ability to recommend beers that fit different tastes.

I would skip it if you want formal brewery tours, included food, or a slow afternoon at one taproom. This is a social tasting route with a helpful driver-guide, not a production-focused lesson.

For most beer fans, the format offers unusually good flexibility. Tell your guide what you like, use the water, eat before or after, and treat the all-you-can-drink option as permission to choose carefully rather than a drinking contest. If Eric, Nick, or Brad is leading your outing, you can reasonably expect the personal, friendly style that has made this tour so popular.

FAQ

Where does the Minneapolis craft brewery tour begin?

The tour begins at the Royal Sonesta Minneapolis Downtown, 35 S 7th St, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.

How early should I arrive?

Arrive 30 minutes before your selected departure time.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately three hours.

Which breweries are visited?

The scheduled stops are Falling Knife Brewing Co., Fair State Brewing Cooperative, and 56 Brewing.

Is beer included in the ticket?

Yes. All-you-can-drink craft beer is included at the brewery stops, with options that can include full pints or flights.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off at the Royal Sonesta Minneapolis Downtown are included, along with minibus transportation and a professional driver-guide.

Is food included?

No. Food is not included, so plan to eat before or after the tour.

What is the minimum age?

The minimum age is 21. You must bring photo identification, and all participants must sign a liability waiver before the tour begins.