Cheers to the 46 new beverages that will debut at this year's Minnesota State Fair

From fruity and slushy to hoppy and caffeinated, the new lineup isn't boring.

August 3, 2022 at 1:19PM
Raise a glass to the 46 new beverages at this year's Minnesota State Fair. Provided
Raise a glass to the 46 new beverages at this year’s Minnesota State Fair. (Minnesota State Fair/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The new foods at the Minnesota State Fair get plenty of attention, but the new beverage lineup shouldn't be overlooked. Sweet, sour, inventive and "interesting," 46 new drinks will debut at the fair this year, joining 43 returning beverages found only at the fair. That brings the total to more than 300 brews and beverages at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Pace yourself — it's going to be a busy fair.

Arctic Moscow Mule Slushie: A special-edition Super Craft Elixir release. Ginger beer mixed with zested limes and hard seltzer from cane sugar, slushie style. Shanghai Henri's, International Bazaar

Arnold Palmer Spiked Slushy: The Arnold Palmer is now in a spiked, super refreshing slushy. 5% ABV. Coasters, southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street

Baklava Cream Ale: Brewed in the classic cream ale style and flavored with vanilla, honey, lemon and walnuts to emulate the traditional Greek dessert baklava. 5.5% ABV. 20 IBUs. Brewed Bent Brewstillery in Roseville. Dino's Gyros, north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

Bomba Bull Frosé All Day Slushy: Fusing St. Paul-made Gray Duck Distillery Bomba Juice spirited seltzer with a fruity mix of lemonade, strawberry and a kick of Red Bull served frosé slushy style. 4.7% ABV. Dino's Gyros, north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

Bririta: The crisp, light flavors and slight floral scent of Round Lake Vineyards & Winery's Brianna blend with Island Oasis Margarita mix for a tropical sipper, garnished with a slice of lime. 4.8% ABV. Giggles' Campfire Grill, southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street, at The North Woods

Cherry Berry Chill: A Red Bull Blue Edition (Blueberry) and White Claw Hard Seltzer slushie. O'Gara's at the Fair, southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street

Cherry Limeade Blonde: Sweet cherry flavor melds with tart, aromatic lime peel and purée. 5% ABV. Brewed by Lupulin Brewing Co. in Big Lake. The Hangar, northeast corner of Underwood Street and Murphy Avenue

Chili Pineapple Express Sour: This bright, refreshing pineapple sour ale is rimmed with a light coating of Tajin chili-lime seasoning to add a little extra layer of complexity. 4.8% ABV. Brewed by Pryes Brewing Co. in Minneapolis. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Coasters Mango Slushy: Smooth, fruity and flavorful slushy made with Mike's Hard Mango. 8% ABV. Coasters, southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street

Cold IPA: Cold and refreshing, just like a dip in Lake Superior, this crossover brings together the hop smash of an IPA with the drinkability of a lager. 6% ABV. Brewed by Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Crowd Control: This stand-alone New England Double IPA is packed with shoulder-to-shoulder Mosaic, Strata and Cashmere hops. 8% ABV. Brewed by BlackStack Brewing in St. Paul. Ball Park Cafe, least side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Cucumber Summer: Bright golden with a gentle haze, tropical hop aroma and flavor, and packed with refreshing cucumber, this IPA is both bold and hoppy yet refreshing and herbal. 6.5% ABV. Brewed by Indeed Brewing Co. in Minneapolis. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Electrik Empress: After a year of long, slow-mixed culture fermentation in an original 1936 cypress wood lagering tank, this beer was transferred onto 6,600 pounds of plums for five more months of maturation on fruit. It is hazy, cotton candy pink in color and bursting with the fresh aroma of ripe plum skins. It is medium-bodied and fairly dry with a soft lemon-tart acidity and flavor of plums, lemon and pear. 5.9% ABV. 4 IBUs. Brewed by August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm. LuLu's Public House, West End Market

ENCORE! This cold-press IPA takes inspiration from several lager traditions. Bright and lean, it's brewed with a touch of Minnesota wild rice and fermented cold for maximum crispiness. Drippy tropical fruit and sauvignon blanc spritz-forward aromas are courtesy of Strata and Idaho 7 hops. 6.2% ABV. 66 IBUs. Brewed by BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul. Hildebrand Concessions, located in the Grandstand concert venue only; concert ticket required

Epic Yuzu: Light, crisp, tart and refreshing, this exotic yuzu-infused creation is fit for peaks of Olympus. 4.5% ABV. 20 IBUs. Brewed by Surly Brewing Co., Minneapolis. Dino's Gyros, north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

Fair Mullet: The perfect guilty-pleasure, pairing with fried food, music, people watching and mullet sightings. 6.5% ABV. Brewed by Lupulin Brewing Co, Big Lake. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Grain Belt Lim': A light malt flavor with a hint of lime gives this beer a nice twist that inspires more from this unique lager. 4.7% ABV. Brewed by August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm. Schell's Pavilion, south of the Schell's Stage at Schilling Amphitheater

Green Apple Caramel Sour: With a profile of tart green apples and caramel, a favorite treat is now in a drinkable sour. 4.5% ABV. 10 IBUs. Brewed by Mankato Brewery. The Hangar, northeast corner of Underwood Street and Murphy Avenue

Green Apple Wine Slushie: This refresher features apple wine with a green apple twist. Wine made by Round Lake Vineyards & Winery. Minnesota Wine Country, west side of Underwood Street between Carnes and Judson avenues

Hangar Honey: This melon wheat beer features the strong aroma of melon with slightly wheaty, sweet, crisp highlights. 4.8% ABV. 18 IBUs. Brewed by Third Street Brewhouse, Cold Spring. The Hangar, northeast corner of Underwood Street and Murphy Avenue

Hard Lemonade Slushie: A special-edition Squoze Hard Seltzer release. Fresh lemons, lemon zest and cane sugar are frozen and served as a slushie. 5.2% ABV. Brewed by Sociable Cider Werks, Minneapolis. Shanghai Henri's, International Bazaar

Hawaiian POG BOLO Hard Seltzer: Inspired by a deliciously sweet Hawaiian libation, this combines the island flavors of passion fruit, orange and guava (POG) into a sunset-colored hard seltzer. 5% ABV. Brewed by Bauhaus Brew Labs, Minneapolis. Cafe Caribe, south side of Carnes Avenue between Chambers and Nelson streets

Hay-Z: A New England-style juicy pale ale with a hint of passion fruit. 5.5% ABV. 25 IBUs. A collaboration between the Freehouse Brewery in Minneapolis and Lift Bridge Brewing Co. in Stillwater. The Blue Barn, West End Market

Hideaway Sunset: Think of a Tequila Sunrise cocktail in the form of a beer. Orange, grenadine, a bit of sour and a hint of tequila flavor (without actual tequila). 6% ABV. 10 IBUs. Brewed by Bent Brewstillery, Roseville. The Hideaway Speakeasy, the Veranda, Grandstand upper level, northwest section

Kirby Pucker #34 Preserved Lemon: A collaboration with Moroccan Chef Hassan Ziadi, this sour hit is juicy, sweet, and mixed with summer goodness of preserved and fresh lemon. 5% ABV. Brewed by Eastlake Craft Brewery, Minneapolis. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Lemon Razzicle Cream Ale: Refreshing and light like a sorbet, this summertime cream ale is pinkish-red in color with a slight tang and hint of sweetness that cleanses the palate with notes of raspberry and lemon zest. 5.5% ABV. 15 IBUs. Brewed by Indeed Brewing Co., Minneapolis. Mancini's al Fresco, north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

LuLunatic: This double dry-hopped IPA takes its inspiration from the West Coast. It's packed with bright and citrusy hop flavors and capped off with a dry finish. 7.2% ABV. 50 IBUs. Brewed by Surly Brewing Co., Minneapolis. LuLu's Public House,West End Market

Mango Coaster: This wheated ale is loaded with notes of mango and apricot, creating a blue ribbon-worthy beer. 5% ABV. Brewed by Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. in Decorah, Iowa. LuLu's Public House, West End Market

Mango Miraculum: Pryes adds a surge of fresh mango puree to its signature Miraculum IPA for a refreshing, tropical-summer-worthy twist on a longtime fave. 6.4% ABV. Brewed by Pryes Brewing Co., Minneapolis. O'Gara's at the Fair, southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street

MN Brew Together, Blue Macaroon: Celebrating the best of our state, this pastry lager is brewed with pilsner malt, almonds, milk sugar, marshmallows, vanilla bean, lemon, coconut and blue spirulina. And it's blue. 5.5% ABV. A collaborative brew by Modist Brewing in Minneapolis and Forager Brewery in Rochester. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

MN Honey Chamomile Mead: An ultra-special mead highlighted by honey from Upper Midwest canola hives fermented on fresh elder flower petals. 5.9% ABV. Brewed by Sociable Cider Werks in Minneapolis. LuLu's Public House, West End Market

Naughty Shirley: A wildly refreshing twist on a childhood favorite, this grown-up version of the Shirley Temple has a hint of vodka flavor (without actual vodka), made with wine from Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls. 7% ABV. The Hideaway Speakeasy at the Veranda, Grandstand upper level, northwest section

Olive Lager: This olive-infused golden lager is a nod to the classic Midwest martini. 5% ABV. 15 IBUs. Brewed by Insight Brewing, Minneapolis. Giggles' Campfire Grill, southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street

Piña Colager: This crisp American lager is brewed with 100% real pineapple purée, fresh lime zest and a special blend of hops that imparts notes of coconut and tropical fruit. 4.5% ABV. 12 IBUs. Brewed by Bauhaus Brew Labs, Minneapolis. Cafe Caribe, south side of Carnes Avenue between Chambers and Nelson streets

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake'd Up: Everything you love about Cake'd Up Beer with notes of vanilla cake and pineapple goodness. 5% ABV. 15 IBUs. Brewed by Mankato Brewery. The Hangar, northeast corner of Underwood Street and Murphy Avenue

Pitt Boss: An exclusive collaboration between Bauhaus Brew Labs and Animales BBQ of Minneapolis. Blonde ale infused with juicy smoked peaches straight off the Animales smoker. Slightly smokey, massively peachy and majorly crisp, with a touch of lingering malt sweetness that makes it the perfect pairing for barbecue. 5% ABV. RC's BBQ, north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets

Ron Gant Was Out: An approachable, full-flavored pale ale that is as crisp, clean and legal as Hrbek's tag in Game 2 of the 1991 World Series. 5.5% ABV. Brewed by Surly Brewing Co. in Minneapolis. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Sip Hop: Citrus forward with notes of grapefruit and loads of West Coast hops, this hoppy West Coast IPA sits perfectly on your palate. 6.5% ABV. Brewed by Dual Citizen Brewing Company, St. Paul. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Strawberry Rhubarb Cider: Freshly pressed apples fermented dry then sweetened with the classic Minnesota combination of rhubarb and juiced strawberries. 6.2% ABV. Brewed by Sociable Cider Werks, Minneapolis. LuLu's Public House, West End Market

Sunny Brianna: The semi-sweet and crisp profile of Round Lake Vineyards & Winery's Brianna combine with Island Oasis Hurricane mix, garnished with an orange slice or cherry. 4.8% ABV. Giggles' Campfire Grill, southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street, at The North Woods

Tootsie Hop: A sassy raspberry and chocolate dessert ale. 7.2% ABV. Brewed by Lakes & Legends Brewing Co., Minneapolis. O'Gara's at the Fair, southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street

Trippple Orange: Tangerines, Cara Cara oranges and blood oranges mix it up with some vanilla beans for a smoothie-style sour that's worthy of your favorite juice bar. 7% ABV. Brewed by Modist Brewing, Minneapolis. Ball Park Cafe, east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues, outside The Garden

Tropical Fruit Punch White Claw Slushy: Made with Mango White Claw Hard Seltzer, Tropical Red Bull and finished with fresh fruit punch. LuLu's Public House, West End Market

Tumbleweed Hazy IPA: This hazy IPA is so drinkable with no bitterness as it rolls over your taste buds. 5.5% ABV. Brewed by Fulton Brewing, Minneapolis. The Frontier, south side of Carnes Avenue between Liggett and Nelson streets

Walking on Sunshine Watermelon Blonde Ale: A refreshing light blonde beer brewed with all-natural watermelon. 4.4% ABV. Brewed by Bald Man Brewing, Eagan. Coasters, southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street

New Non-Alcoholic Brew

All Day A-Fair!: This non-alcoholic IPA has all the intense hop aromas and bitterness an IPA drinker would expect but in an N/A craft beer. It's golden yellow in color with aromas of melon, pear and apricot leading to flavors of breadcrust. It finishes clean and pleasantly bitter. 0.5% ABV. Brewed by Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul. Shanghai Henri's, International Bazaar

For more details and for the full list of fair-exclusive beverages, go to mnstatefair.org.

about the writer

about the writer

Nicole Hvidsten

Taste Editor

Nicole Ploumen Hvidsten is the Minnesota Star Tribune's senior Taste editor. In past journalistic lives she was a reporter, copy editor and designer — sometimes all at once — and has yet to find a cookbook she doesn't like.

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