Leave it to the Minnesota State Fair, the regional epicenter of novelty foods, to encourage brewers (and a winery) to create novelty beverages for the Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Not just a few, either, but 27. Yes, twenty-seven ales, pilsners, IPAs and other beers, blended with fruit and other flavorings — created by 20 breweries, cider makers and that one winery — will debut at the 2018 Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Save this list, and try all of them, although perhaps not in a single day. The State Fair runs Aug. 23 through Sept. 3.
Brewzo Lager
Lake Monster Brewing in St. Paul is finding inspiration in Greek ouzo, serving a licorice-infused pilsner in a glass rimmed with a sugar-spice mix. 5.4 percent ABV (alcohol by volume).
Dino's Gyros (Carnes Av. and Nelson St.).
Cake'd Up Celebration Beer
Yes, a lightly hopped ale with a deep-fried vanilla cake flavor, from Mankato Brewery in Mankato. 5 percent ABV.
The Hangar (Murphy Av. and Underwood St.).
Caramel Corn Cream Ale
At Finnegans Brew Co. in Minneapolis, adding corn during a higher-temperature brewing process yields a caramel flavor. 5.4 percent ABV.
Hildebrand Concessions (Grandstand)
Frontier Summer IPA
A crisp, hoppy IPA that the folks at Fulton Brewing Co. in Minneapolis describe as "not overly bitter but light and approachable." In other words, a warm summer's day beer. 5.5 percent ABV.
Frontier Bar (Carnes Av. and Liggett St.).
Funnel Cake Cream Ale
An inevitable State Fair brew, right? A lightly hopped cream ale from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, with flavors that "give the beer a taste of gooey dough with a crispy crust, apple pie filling and a dusting of powdered sugar." 4.7 percent ABV.
Coasters (Carnes Av. and Liggett St.)