Day two of the Minnesota State Fair is in the books for me.
As usual, a band of merry tasters (this time including my newly minted 21-year-old and her boyfriend) sipped our way through most of the 70 new beverages offered by vendors.
This year’s flavor themes were pineapple, cherry and passion fruit, with plenty of other fruits in the mix. As usual, I’m begging beverage makers to get us some more beer-flavored beer. I think it really says something that one of the few local beers that wasn’t infused with something — a crisp lager from Falling Knife Brewing at Ballpark Cafe — was sold out when we tried to get one at the end of the night.
Here are our reviews, helpfully sorted by location, and in the order we tasted them. That’s important because we tend to get more punchy as the day goes on and we’re stuck trying yet another too-sweet slushy.
At Shanghai Henri’s and Summit On-A-Stick
Located at the International Bazaar, north section
The first beverage tasting of the day at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (Courtesy of Clare Fleming)
Grandstand Lime Up: This was billed as a light- to medium-bodied lager, but we all agreed it was watery, grainy and even a little flat. A few of our tasters said they preferred Bud Light Lime, which I don’t think was meant as a compliment. 4.5% ABV; brewed in St. Paul by Summit Brewing Company.
At Shanghai Henri’s
Located at the International Bazaar, north section
Shanghai Sunset: My bestie Lisa loves things that taste red (yes, artificial coloring has a flavor), so she loved this peach and tropical fruit sparkling hard cider that is finished with a few dashes of grenadine. The rest of us were pretty ambivalent. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Apple Cider Pumpkin Spice: I’m usually not a big fan of Pumpkin Spice, but in this case it was subtle enough that I could get on board. One of our tasters said they could picture drinking one on a cool night around a bonfire. 6% ABV; made in Duluth, Minn., by Duluth Cider.
Code Shred: Lisa loved this neon red monstrosity, but the rest of us just wanted the taste out of our mouths. I thought it tasted like those red wax lips we used to get at the candy store. Other tasting notes? Red Spree candy and cough syrup. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At Aldo’s Burgers, Sabino’s Pizza Pies, Rooted & Wild (Snack House) and Swine & Spuds
Located in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum
Aloha Pineapple Haze: Thinking back on the day, this subtly pineapple-flavored hazy IPA was one of my favorites. Crushable. 5% ABV; 33 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.
Blushing Dragon Slushie: (Found only at Rooted & Wild (Snack House) and Swine & Spuds) This cider slushie advertised strawberry, pomegranate and dragon fruit flavors, none of which we could detect. Still, it was far from the worst slushie we tasted, so if you want one of those, this is a good option. 6% ABV; made by Minneapolis Cider Company.
At Andy’s Grille
Located on the south side of Carnes Avenue between Chambers and Nelson streets
Orange Bliss: I can take or leave a smoothie ale — the thick texture is not what I’m looking for in a refreshing beverage — but this straight-up Dreamsicle-flavored beer was pretty darn good. 6.1% ABV; 20 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.
The Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Slushy at Andy’s Grille at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Hurricane: To be fair (pun intended), I no longer enjoy a regular hurricane, but I know what it’s supposed to taste like, and this is not it. Most of us thought it tasted like medicine, but my daughter, who has not had a well-made hurricane, said, “That tastes like freshman year. I kind of like it.” And no, I don’t want to know what that means. 6% ABV; brewed in Vadnais Heights by Big Wood Brewery.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Slushy: This was insanely sweet, but it did taste exactly like a pineapple upside-down cake. And the bent cherry sucker inside was a cute touch. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At Cafe Caribe
Located on the south side of Carnes Avenue between Chambers and Nelson streets
Bolo Guava Mojito Hard Seltzer: We universally liked this refreshing, mint-forward seltzer, which one taster described as “Spindrift with alcohol.” (Gluten-free) 5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Bauhaus Brew Labs.
Pineapple WHIPlash: So early in our tastings, this was already the third pineapple concoction. Butterfly pea flower is added to this hard seltzer to give it a purple color, which made little sense to us, but the flavor was decent. One of our tasters said she could drink a pitcher of it on her own, which is pretty high praise, as she’s not a big drinker. 5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.
Frozen Espresso Martini Hard Seltzer: Given that there are a lot of espresso martini fans in our group, we were excited for this slushie, but our hopes were dashed with the first sip. Weird, sour and chalky, one group member said it tasted like day-old espresso. I thought that was generous. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At Coasters
Located on the southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street
Caramel Corn Cream Ale: This taster’s note cracked me up, and pretty much sums up what we thought: “I’m not getting any of those words: Not caramel, not corn, not cream, not at all.” 4.8% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Rockin’ Rosé: This awful idea (rosé wine with Pop Rocks on top) generated a lot of funny quips. My favorites: “There is nothing rockin’ about that rosé.” and “Reminds me of a box of rosé I left out for a few months.” Really, just gut rot in a glass. 12% ABV; made in Cannon Falls by Cannon River Winery.
Sgt. Pepper Slushie: Tastes exactly like Dr. Pepper, in slushie form. If you like Dr. Pepper (and I do), get it. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At The Frontier
Located on the south side of Carnes Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets
Blueberry Lemon Cream Ale: The lemon overpowered the blueberry in this grainy, bitter beer that had a very Lemon Pledge nose. 4.9% ABV; 15 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Fulton Brewing.
Huckleberry Haze IPA: The Gen Xers had a lot of huckleberry jokes, the best of which was, “That is not my huckleberry.” Herbal, medicinal and just plain odd, this beer had us wondering if anyone actually tastes these beers before unleashing them on fairgoers. 6.5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At LuLu’s Public House and West End Brews
Located at West End Market, west section
Blackberry Bramble: The watered-down blackberry flavor of this cocktail-inspired seltzer left us unimpressed. 5% ABV; brewed in New Ulm, Minn. & River Falls, Wis., by August Schell Brewing in collaboration with Tattersall.
POG Party: We were divided on this one, which drew the following comments: “I would walk through the Fair for this,” and “This is not a party I want to attend.” I thought it was grainy and had some off-tasting sour flavors. 4.8% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At LuLu’s Public House
Located at West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater
Cherry Rhubarb Crumble: Everyone loved this very fruity (in a good way), sour cider. I’d consider drinking a whole one, even! 5.9% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.
Hot Honey Play Grade Cream Ale: A) I usually hate cream ale. B) I despise honey in beer. C) By some sorcery, I actually liked this! Good job, Bauhaus; even the spice-averse were fans. 5.5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Bauhaus Brew Labs.
Peach Dipped Pale Ale: We did not like this. One taster said, “It smells like a haunted swimming pool,” and another followed with, “Tastes like one, too.” 5.9% ABV; 50 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.
Tropical Treat: I think we were really getting tired of the too-sweet slushies by now, because my notes just say, “This tastes like Red Bull. In a bad way.” 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Tropical Island Sour: This is tropical, and it is a (funky, barnyardy) sour. If you like that, get this. 4.8% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.
Cucumber Melon Refresher: Some tasters thought they detected the flavor of artificial sweetener, but I just thought it was bland. Best quote from my notes: “This tastes like a Jolly Rancher left in water overnight.” 4% ABV; brewed in New Ulm, Minn., by August Schell Brewing.
Hot Honey Mead: I know there are people out there who like mead, but I will never understand why. One taster said, “This tastes like hot honey, but like I licked it off a Band-Aid.” 6% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.
Boozy Root Beer Float: Exactly like a root beer popsicle. I loved this. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At The Blue Barn
Located at West End Market, south of the History & Heritage Center
A-OKAY HAZY IPA: One of us called this a “neutrally refreshing” hazy, and we all liked it. Bonus points for being a beer-flavored beer! 6.5% ABV. Brewed in Minneapolis by Venn Brewing.
Aloha Ice: It’s tropical, it’s sweet, it’s a slushie. It’s … fine. 5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Freehouse Brewery.
Backyard Bloody Mary: I was expecting to hate this, but it’s like a cleaner, more refreshing michelada, and I’m probably going to have another one or two this Fair. Super tasty. 5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Freehouse Brewery.
Cherry Apple Pie Cider: Honestly, this tastes like cherry pie. If you want that in your beverage, get this. 6% ABV; made in Duluth, Minn., by Wild State Cider.
Prickly Pear Sour: We all liked this refreshing, almost cucumbery beer. Blue Barn is hitting it out of the park this year! 4.4% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Freehouse Brewery.
Strawberry Summer Spritz: Except for this one, which tasted of fake strawberry flavoring. 6.3% ABV; wine made in Scandia by Rustic Roots Winery.
At West End Brews
The Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer at West End Brews at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (Courtesy of Renee Miller)
Located at West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater
Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer: The sorcery behind this soft-serve beer cannot be overstated. It sat on our table in the sun for a full 10 minutes before it started to melt. But all of that would not matter one iota if it didn’t taste great, and it does! Pryes’ fruited Berliner was the perfect choice to make into a frozen treat. I can’t wait to see what they do next year. 4.8% ABV; 6 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company
Aloha Lemonade at RC’s BBQ at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
At RC’s BBQ
Located on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett & Chambers streets
Aloha Lemonade: This blue sparkling seltzer tastes pretty much exactly like the gummy shark it’s garnished with. The youngsters loved it. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At The Hideaway Speakeasy
Located in the Veranda, Grandstand upper level, northwest section
Galaxy Groove: The stand uses a gun to make giant bubbles atop this American pale ale and serves it with a space-themed rubber ducky. My favorite tasting note: “I think they spent all their money on the duck. They should have spent it making the beer good.” 5.5% ABV; 45 IBUs; brewed in Boston by Samuel Adams Boston Beer Co.
The Galaxy Groove beer at The Hideaway Speakeasy inside the Grandstand at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
THE STINGER!: This mango-habanero margarita-inspired wine drink was shockingly not bad! It could have used more habanero flavor in my opinion, but that’s splitting hairs. 7% ABV; wine made by Cannon River Winery.
At Mancini’s al Fresco
Located on the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets
Blood Orange Bellini: Probably the strongest drink we tried, this was overly sweet, so much so that I couldn’t bring myself to try another sip. One taster said, “Gimme a Bartles and Jaymes any day of the week over this.” 12% ABV. Made by Cannon River Winery.
Breezy Melon Squeezy: Sigh. We got no yuzu or watermelon in this kölsch, which I was actually kind of excited for. The best we could say about it was that it was miles better than the bellini. 5% ABV; 15 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.
At Dino’s Gyros
Located on the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets
Lil’ Sour Buddies: This does taste exactly like a Sour Patch Kid. It’s not for me, but I think lots of people like Sour Patch Kids, so maybe they will like this. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Picklerita: This tastes like a sweet pickle, but I agree with my kid, who said, “I’m team dill pickle.” 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Greek Goddess: I wanted more anise in this ouzo- and pomegranate-infused hard seltzer. It was, of course, divisive, because so many people hate that black licorice flavor. I am not one of them. I think if you’re going there, you should go all the way. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Strawberry Lemonale: This was chalky and tasted like fake strawberries. Avoid. 4.8% ABV; brewed in Two Harbors by Castle Danger Brewing.
Aegean Dream Blood Orange and Sea Salt Lager: I’m down with a little salt in my beer, but this was overkill. This quote made me laugh: “There’s a tear in my beer!” 4.7% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.
Pomegranate Spritz: I thought this was pretty good and pomegranate-y, but others thought it was a little too bitter. Your call. 5.5% ABV; made in Duluth, Minn., by Wild State Cider.
At The Hangar
Located on the northeast corner of Underwood Street and Murphy Avenue
Strawberry Rhubarb Runway: We could actually taste the rhubarb in this classic sour, which the sour-beer-lovers in our group liked, but the rest of us did not. 4.8% ABV; 5 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.
Pink Prickly Pear Agave Altitude: Given all the different flavors we got from the different prickly pear drinks, I wonder if I even know what prickly pear tastes like. This mildly sweet cider was just OK. 6% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.
Bad Apple Honeycrisp Lager: If you have to add fruit to a beer, this is how you do it. Appley, light and dry, this lager is just what we want at the Fair. 4.4% ABV; brewed in St. Paul by Bad Weather Brewing Company.
At Giggles’ Campfire Grill
Located on the southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street, at The North Woods
Silver Rosé: We did not like this wine, which tasted more like watered-down red wine than a proper rosé. Someone compared it to church wine, which I think fits the bill. 13.1% ABV; wine made in Dellwood, Minn., by 7 Vines Vineyard.
Strawberry Blaze: The spice-lovers in our group liked this jalapeno strawberry blonde, which had a very green-pepper nose. “It smells like a veggie tray,” one of our tasters correctly quipped. 4.5% ABV; 15 IBUs; brewed in Amana, Iowa, by Millstream Brewing Co.
At Ball Park Cafe, O’Gara’s at the Fair and Bandstand Concessions
Midway Sunset Mocktail: One taster nailed it with this quote: “You know what I like about that? It’s not just juice! It’s an actual mocktail that tastes great.” 0% ABV; crafted in Minneapolis by Earl Giles Distillery.
At O’Gara’s at the Fair
Located on the southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street
Dragon Fruit Cider: This pretty pink drink tastes just like dragonfruit, and we’d definitely drink a whole one. 5.2% ABV; made in Duluth, Minn., by Wild State Cider.
Irish Sticky Toffee Pudding: The dark-beer lover in our group liked this, but the rest of us thought it tasted a bit too much like a Tootsie Roll. 5.6% ABV; 13 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.
O’Perol Spritz: This was more orange than Aperol, which was unfortunate. Too sweet, not bitter enough. 6.6% ABV; made in Scandia by Rustic Roots Winery in collaboration with Earl Giles Distillery.
Pineapple Peach Hazy Pale Ale: Yet another vaguely fruity, too-grainy beer. 4.8% ABV; brewed in Two Harbors, Minn., by Castle Danger Brewing.
Shamrock Slushie: This bright green drink tastes like a Shamrock Shake and a grasshopper had a baby. This quote cracked me up: “This is not something I’d want to throw up later.” 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company in collaboration with Earl Giles Distillery.
At Ball Park Cafe
Located on the east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues
Liquid Superdelic: Although one of our slightly inebriated tasters thought this one looked like chicken stock in a plastic cup, the rest of us thought it was a solid, velvety hazy IPA that we would seek out again. 6% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Modist Brewing.
Metrodome IPA: We thought this flavorful hazy was a winner, just like the 1987 and 1991 Twins. 6.5% ABV; brewed in St. Paul by BlackStack Brewing.
Mexican Fruit Cup: Yet another vaguely fruity, too-sweet beer. We wanted more spice. 4.8% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.
Passion Fruit Vanilla Seltzy: We thought this tasted like a good cream soda. If you’re in the mood for that, get this. 6% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.
Shandyland Cider: This blend of lemonade and hopped cider was pretty genius and very crushable. 5% ABV; made by Minneapolis Cider Company.
At Chicago Dogs
Located in The Garden, east wall
Scooby Slush: We did not get any of the promised coconut, pineapple or lime. This was straight-up banana Runts. We were definitely getting punchy at this point, because someone belted out, “Scooby Dooby BOOO!” 5% ABV. Brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At Ragin Cajun
Located in The Garden, west wall
Black Cherry Lemonade: This tastes like every black cherry beverage you’ve ever tried. It’s fine if that’s what you want. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
Ragin Runner: The “bold tropical flavors” in this slushie were nowhere to be found. “They should be runnin’ away from selling that,” one taster said. 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.
At Tejas Express
Located in The Garden, north wall
Churro Cream Ale: Mini donut beer redux. If you like cinnamon and sugar in your beer, you will like this. 5.2% ABV; 20 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by HeadFlyer Brewing.
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