Fair State Brewing Cooperative

Now I can say I have tried sour beer and I’m a fan. We stopped in on a quiet Saturday night. Without long lines at the bar, they were happy to explain the beers and allowed us to sample all of the sours. I was pleasantly surprised. My favorite samples were the Roselle and the Tri-​Ferm. I settled on a half pint of the tart Tri-​Ferm. It took me a few sips to get past the tartness, but after that, I really enjoyed it. I don’t think I could have more than one per visit though. It’s like eating sour candy– after a while it can be a little much. The good thing is that they have plenty of other tasty beers. I had a few sips of the Stout– it had a nice chocolate/​coffee flavor and was very smooth and not too heavy.

The beer is excellent and the service is friendly. In the year or so since they opened I’d say the quality of the beer has gone from a ⁵⁄₁₀ to a ⁹⁄₁₀. The cooperative business model is much appreciated and beloved by the community. I would come here even if it weren’t crawling distance from my house.

The beer and the people are just amazing at Fair State!
From dark stouts to hoppy IPAs, as well as smoked ales, sours and fruit infusions, this brewery has something for everyone… and everything for me! ;) Island Boy and I have sipped their suds on a number of occasions since they first opened last year, and to say we’re fans would be an understatement. A couple of our favorite visits were in celebration of Sunday Growler Sales back in May 2015, and Co-​optoberfest the 2^nd weekend in October when they had a total of 17 beers on tap, fresh pretzels and a food truck out back! Speaking of «out back», that’s where they have a giant fenced-​in patio that’s perfect for tossing bean bags into holes and tossin’ back brewskies with your four-​legged friends by your side. Cheers to that!
I mentioned sour brews before, and let me tell you… their sour program is second to none in the Twin Cities! A few of my favorites include Lactobac Five, Lactobac Eight (salted watermelon sour), Cromulence and Tri-​Ferm (a sour wheat beer fermented 3 times). Their Festbier is one of the best Oktoberfest/​Marzen style beers I’ve had, and I’d give their stout 4 stars.
Thanks to the service and the company, all of our experiences here have been fantastic. Our most recent visit was the perfect example: we made a few new friends, and Jill kept us entertained with her stories and our glasses full til closing time. What more can you ask for from a barkeep?!
So when you’re in the area, stop on by, pull up a chair and grab a pint… or if you’re in a hurry, get a growler to take home (they fill up any, not just their own). You’ll be happy you did!

I have to support local breweries. How can you not when there are hundreds of them in the northeast area now? We head over there Saturday night after dinner at Chimborazo about four blocks away. We were happy that this place closes at midnight so we could have a place so big for the six of us to hangout and that it wasn’t super pack. Such a chill atmosphere. No tv on the walls but everyone that gathers here were bonding in conversations or playing trivial pursuits cards that were provided. The questions were too hard for us after a full belly of food and a couple of drinks so we decided to take the cards and build card castles. It was such a fun night. I am not a beer drinker though but my husband’s stout was yummy, hoppy and tasted a tint of dark chocolate. The Pilsner was okay, slightly too hoppy for my liking. They have a couple of sour ones which is not my taste at all but I know there are many people who are excited about this sour beer offering. It was s great night, great company at an awesome venue. Thank you Fair State!

More of a 3.5 rating really but I will give them a 4 because they do have the most creative beers that I sampled while in Minneapolis. No flight so a buddy and I ordered a half pint of every beer on tap. My favorites were the Member Design #1 (Belgian pale with peach and ginger) and LatcoBac: Eight (watermelon Gose). Both very interesting and outside of the box beers that I thought were well executed. When I visit Minneapolis again this brewery may not be on the top of my revisit list but it is on the list.

Had a few beers, like the IPA and Pale Ale, tasted a few others, but don’t know sours from a hole in the water, so my opinion holds not water.
What can I say, they are craft brews, in a successful business, in NE Mpls, so how can the beers be bad? Come to think of it, have any micro-​breweries in the metro gone out of business? If not, this is amazing, since don’t like 90% of all restaurants fail? You could sell turpentine out of shack and people would come as long as you had an authentic sounding back story about 2 dudes with beards.
The only reason I would choose other breweries over this one to visit again, is because of the setting and décor. It just seems so plain. I like a little something different in my brewery, if it’s going to be plain, they I like industrial, no effort whatsoever kind of plain.

I really wanted to like FSB. I stopped in during Art-​A-​Whirl and got a tour of the brewery. Very informative and it’s clear the owners are very passionate about their business.
BUT, the beer simply did not impress me. I tried a brown ale, a hefe and a sour nitro. I found the flavors unbalanced and very strong. I could not really enjoy any of them.
Lack of flights doesn’t help when the beers all have such strong flavors.
Finally, there seemed to be some kind of sanitation issue in the taproom. Little flies kept landing in my beer and they seemed to keep circles around the taps.
With so many breweries in NE now, I don’t see myself coming back here.

Great indoor space, okay outdoor seating area, love their beers, especially the sours, and the location across the street from Holy Land to get dinner is pretty sweet. I visited with a few buddies and we had a great experience — my only gripe is that I wish they had some more of their beers on tap, but I get the capacity thing, and the not being able to have guest taps thing. But still, it was a wish. I’ll be back, for sure.

I guess I’m missing something here. I had high hopes for Fair State Brewing Cooperative, mostly because I liked the idea. And I like my sours, but half their available beers were sours and the rest just didn’t impress me. They don’t offer flights but they will serve half-​pints. My friend and I ordered the IPA, brown ale and hefeweizen. Nothing really stood out.
I did like the taproom, though. Very clean and open, well-​lit. I enjoyed the artwork hanging all around (including the ceilings) and thought about purchasing a couple pieces.
If I was a local, I would probably become a member and be more into it, get some takeout and just chill with friends or other members. But as an out-​of-​towner just looking to enjoy a few beers in the middle of the day, this place wasn’t it. Maybe you have to be a member to understand.

I’m no craft brew connoisseur, but I find Fair State’s offerings sub par. The staff seem skittish and afraid and somewhat rude. I wrote two checks to this establishment which were returned to the bank. I am willing to work with them and be an honorable man, but they refuse to allow that. Nonsensical.

There are a lot of things to like about Fair State Brewing, primarily the sours. This sour line is really interesting and delicious to taste. The last time there, we tried the sour stout, which seems like kind of an odd thing but actually works and manages to be both sour and stout without the two flavor profiles conflicting somehow. I also tried the lactobac number three, which was light and refreshing and perfect on a hot summer day. Along with the modern tap room, don’t miss the backyard patio area. It’s not super fancy, but it’s a large space in the back of the taproom with some picnic tables and the opportunity to enjoy your beverage outside. I could easily see this being an awesome area for a food truck rally, music event or other cool thing. Bonus points for cool glassware and patient employees.

I was so excited to see this open on Central Ave! The beer is fantastic, the space is inviting and the staff is always helpful in selecting a beer.
Added bonus, the pretzel window from the bakery next door is adorable and the pretzel… delicious!!! What an amazing add to the neighborhood!

Great new brewery in the neighborhood, glad to have them on Central. The beer is consistently delicious, I’ve sampled most. The do a good variety of classic styles, the sours are a great addition as well. I would put their beers up there with the top-​tier of NE breweries.
The atmosphere screams «microbrewery!» complete with reclaimed wood in a quasi industrial atmosphere with harsh bright lighting, but the friendly staff make up for it.
Fair State is surrounded by dozens of great food choices and encourage you to bring outside food also Aki’s the next door german bakery regularly sells pretzels, sausages, and tasty pickled eggs through a connection window.

A fantastic tap room! I’ve been here a couple times and have never been disappointed with their beer.
Back in late fall we came here with a group of friends and joined some other folks at the long table that’s off to the left when you walk in. My memory is slightly fuzzy on what was on the menu (not the first tap room we’d stopped at that night) but I do remember that I got a hefeweizen and it was ah-​mazing! I really love a good hef, but it’s a style you don’t see around too often nowadays.
Just yesterday I stopped in for a quick pint or two. I sat at the bar and was attended to promptly. The guy was wearing a Sociable Cider shirt, which I thought was pretty cool, it’s always nice to see these small breweries supporting each other. For my first beer I went with their sour ale infused with hibiscus (see pic for it’s actual name) — ooooh myyyy. Sour ales are starting to become more popular out here and I’m glad, they are up there with belgian and hef’s as my favorite styles. The hibiscus added just a hint of sweetness, I would have had 2 if I had to time to chug both.
Thursday is their special beer release day — yesterday it was Robertine, a pale ale with cascade and I think centennial hops. I ordered a half pint of this. I have a love/​hate relationship with pale ales… I either really like them or hate them. Sometimes they can be just as bitter as an IPA. The Robertine was spot on though! It was crisp and refreshing, the floral notes of the hops came through without smacking you with the bitter aftertaste. A beer that would be great on a hot summer day.
Ambiance is about what you’d expect for a NE taproom. TBH, unless there’s something glaringly wrong or super unique, I couldn’t care less about what the place looks like.
Anyway, the co-​op portion is interesting. Memberships are $ 200 single/​$ 300 family and you get lots of perks for being a member. If I went there more often I think it would definitely be worth it, it’s a great way to support! I may not get to this place as often as I would like as I generally don’t travel down Central very often, but it’s definitely kept in the back of my mind as a place to suggest when our friends want to go out!

Fair State is a gem. When I found out they would be moving in around the corner I quickly scooped up a membership as I knew they were right up my alley. As the first cooperatively owned brewery in our fair state, fair state is definitely a bit different than your average local brewery. Their focus on the community is clear from the moment you walk in and see the snapshots of member’s faces artfully hung on the back wall. Fair State is definitely experimental with their beer, there’s always something on the board to make you say «hmmm.»
You can now find the beer on tap at a number of local bars but you should still stop into the beautiful tap room, grab a pint and experience it for yourself. Just be prepared to fall in love and want to become a member. It’s not required by any means but once you’ve seen what’s brewing here, you’re going to want in on the action.

I’ve been to Fair State a few times now and have sampled most of their beers and am definitely a fan. The guys working here and who brew the beer are super nice and up to chat when they have time. They’re humble and not arrogant jerks like some other specific brewers in the metro…
Anyway, the beer is great and i would have given it 5 stars but one thing I’ve noticed is their beer is pretty standard and easily comparable to other beers in their categories. For example, they make a great stout but it tastes like Guinness to me, which is fine because I love that beer. They do have some interesting German style beers that I was digging tho.
Another thing that sets them aside from other taprooms is the ambiance in the room. It’s bright with light woods and not dark and dingy like most others. The other thing is location, it is up the road from the others and close to some great central ave food spots. And if it’s your neighborhood spot you can even become a member of the co-​op and get your name on and picture on the wall if you are so inclined.
Overall, i’ll be back often as they have great beers and have definitely set themselves apart from their competition.

Full disclosure, I found out about Fair State because a friend is one of the founders. But that alone really can’t account for how much I love this taproom.
1) The beer is excellent.
I’m not the pickiest of beer drinkers, but I did learn to drink beer in microbrew-​mandatory Oregon, so I have standards — which Fair State always meets and usually exceeds by a long shot. These guys aren’t about getting drunk or being hip or edgy — they’re about exploring the broad variety of awesomeness that beer has to offer, regardless of ABV (or IBUs for that matter — the hop-​weary and hop-​lover alike will find great brews on tap here). Prepare to share sips.
2) Drink like you own the place, eat like it’s your kitchen table.
Sick of pub food? Great, since they have none. Grab a pizza from the incomparable Crescent Moon Pizza, dig some take-​out thai, grab a falafel or a couple of tacos … or pack a picnic. It’s like home, except there are cooler people there, it’s cleaner and brighter and more full of warm and inviting wood tones, and of course, there’s beer. Didn’t come prepared? You might find sandwiches on sale in the taproom, or Aki next door could be selling glorious, glorious pretzels right into the taproom (warning: the pretzel cheese is mystifying).
3) Cold Press on Nitro.
Drink it alone, drink it with their delightful stout, be happy because it’s friggin delicious.
Basically, it’s your home away from home for taste bud heaven. Do check it out.

Interesting place. Interesting beers. Interesting clientele (it appeared someone was throwing a birthday for their young child here on the day I visited. Nearly tripped over a kid upon entering and thought for sure I’d ended up in the wrong place. Why. WHY?!). Not my favorite brewery.
They don’t do flights, but the bartender allowed me and my friend to sample a few beers before committing. The beers come in pints or half-​pints. As a total lightweight, I definitely appreciated the smaller option! All of the beers I tried had really different flavors. They had a sour wheat beer called Funkelweizen that I just had to try because of the name. I don’t normally like sour beers (and I didn’t particularly care for this one either), but it tasted unlike any other sour beers I’d ever had. Wheaty, lemony, and — well — funky. Every beer I tasted here had a really unique flavor, but maybe a little too unique. I appreciated them being different, but I didn’t really like a single one that I tried (and I love beer!).
I also wasn’t sold on the taproom. The tall ceilings, light colors, and minimalist look seems to have been done by a lot of breweries I’ve visited. I did, however, like the that «DRINK LIKE YOU OWN THE PLACE» was painted down the whole length of the wall in the hallway leading to the restrooms (which were out of toilet paper). But the sad part is that the bathroom hallway was the highlight of my visit (my friend wondered where I’d disappeared to since I spent a while trying to get a photo, but it’s a long wall so it was difficult…).
Worth checking out if you’re on a mission like me to visit every taproom in the state. However, this is one to which I probably won’t be returning.

I was very excited to try out the new brewery that opened up in Northeast! Before we even get to the brewery and why it is awesome, I wanted to talk a little bit about the business and why I am sooo excited to support this local business.
First, it is a cooperative, meaning, people can buy shares of the brewery and get many member benefits! Second, they are focused on educating the consumer on the beer they brew. They want you to enjoy the beer! I have heard that they will even be taking input from people on new beer recipes to try out! Third, they give back to the community! And last, they want to help all of the the local businesses succeed and they encourage you to bring in your favorite food item from the other restaurants in that area of NE– and let me tell you there are a lot of great ones! (Sen Yai, El Taco Riendo, Holyland)
OK…now onto the brewery… it is a really cool space, plenty of room to make your way up to the bar to order a beer! The beer list rotates frequently but right now their IPA is hitting the spot. The Stout is really good too!
Couple of things to note, they don’t do flights but they will pour you samples. Also, as I stated earlier — bring your own food!

Fair State brewing is one of the newest in the NE Mpls brewery location. This is a Co-​op brewery; the first of it’s kind in MInnesota. Also near it is another co-​op, the East Side Market. They’re proliferating!
The brewery is easy to find, just look for the FS sign on the building. The taproom is long with the brewery at the back. One thing that stood out to us right away was the dart board. Yes, they have a location for a dart board. I’ve never seen another taproom with one. Being a dart slinger myslef, I knew I was in the right place. But first off, I needed a fresh brew in hand.
They had a nice variety of beers on the list. I went for the Hefewiezen, while my Bro went for the Zitronen-​wiess. While the hefe was above average from other breweries, the zitronen was even better. It had a banana flavor to it with enough citrus to give it a kick. This brew is great for the wind down of summer.
They also had a special brew called «It’s Gold, Jerry» which is a collaborative between Mighty Axe Hops and Fair State. I couldn’t leave without giving that a try. The aroma was hop strong with the flavor to match. It did leave a bit of an after taste though.
All in all, the beer was good, the dart board was cool and the atmosphere was relaxed. I will be visiting often!