The Twin Cities has a new taproom — for pop

Craft soda maker Northern Soda opens an N/A bar serving soft drinks on tap.

December 12, 2023 at 5:17PM
Northern Soda Co. has opened a taproom for soft drinks. (Provided/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

At the Twin Cities' latest taproom, the ABV and the IBU are always going to be zero, and the only beer option will be root beer.

Northern Soda, a New Brighton-based craft soda maker, recently opened what it says is the only nonalcoholic soda taproom in the state.

The concept is much like the craft breweries we're familiar with: a bar serving seasonally rotating drinks on tap, a distribution warehouse on-site, factory tours, board games and a variety of Minnesota-made snacks ranging from QC Pizza to Von Hanson's Pretzels.

Except instead of stouts, lagers and IPAs, Northern Soda is offering pints and flights of its own versions of 1950s-style cream sodas, ginger ales, pumpkin spice sarsaparillas and cane sugar colas, in addition to floats and slushies. Naturally, kids are welcome.

Co-owner Davod Zarghami said he hopes the taproom will be a place to celebrate a birthday or hang out after a hockey game for people who don't want to have an alcoholic drink.

Pop flights will be on tap at the Northern Soda taproom. (Davod Zarghami/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Northern Soda Taproom, 601 Campus Drive, Suite 10B, New Brighton, will have a grand opening this weekend that will feature a visit from Santa Claus from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday and a kids' coloring contest on Sunday.

Taproom hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

about the writer

about the writer

Richard Chin

Reporter

Richard Chin is a feature reporter with the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. He has been a longtime Twin Cities-based journalist who has covered crime, courts, transportation, outdoor recreation and human interest stories.

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