The Blog

Cheese curds, mini donuts, everything on a stick, and all the crisp local craft beer you could ask for. The Minnesota State Fair is one of our favorite times of the year so we brewed up not one, but two special beers just for the Great Minnesota Get Together. Keep reading for the juicy details, where to find these beers, and how one of them helps tackle paying down student debt.

We teamed up with Freehouse Beer of Blue Plate Restaurant Company to create the Great Minnesota Handshake, a strawberry milkshake cream ale. This silky and fruity sipper comes in at 5.5% and is brewed with strawberry, vanilla, and lactose.

Stephanie Shimp explains the inspiration behind the beer, “We wanted to create a really drinkable beer for the fair, which is how we landed on a cream ale. It's a familiar beer style that is light and crushable,” the Blue Plate Restaurant Company Owner said. “Being the Blue Barn, we were inspired by the milk barns at the fair and their iconic milkshakes. So, we landed on a strawberry milkshake cream ale—something delicious, drinkable and fun!"

We also paired up with the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation to help pay down student loan debt with every Great Minnesota Handshake purchase. For each of these beers sold at the Minnesota State Fair, the Minnesota Credit Unions will donate $1 to financial literacy. The Great Minnesota Handshake will be pouring only at The Blue Barn for all 12 days of the State Fair. Indeed owner, Tom Whisenand is excited about the partnership, saying, "When the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation approached us to partner creatively with them and collaborate with Freehouse Beer on a State Fair beer, we jumped," says Whisenand. "Indeed is more than just beers sold―in our craft beer community, we're lucky to find partners that help us find new ways to give back while keeping beer what it should be―drinkable and fun."

The second beer we brewed up for the Minnesota State Fair is Rosa Fresca. We joined forces with our long-time friends at the Ball Park Cafe for this marriage of Mexican Honey Light with fresh hibiscus and lime. Mexico meets Minnesota for this crisp brew that lures you in with a rosy hue, along with crisp notes of citrus and a delicate sweetness. This bright thirst quencher is sure to pair well with long strolls through the fairgrounds. Guests can enjoy this beer alongside crispy Day Tripper Pale Ale-battered onion rings only at the Ball Park Cafe.

Don’t forget to swing into the Minnesota Craft Brewer’s Guild inside the Horticulture Building to try out a variety of our brews featured in their rotating flight selection! Be sure to try out all of our beers at the Minnesota State Fair running August 22nd through September 2nd!