“You’re giving me Soundset vibes.”

So said Slug to a crowd of 12,306 at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Saturday night. And that stood to reason, for the Minneapolis-reared rapper born Sean Daley – half of the duo, Atmosphere – was standing mere blocks from where the hip-hop festival he helped found spent many a Memorial Day weekend: The State Fairgrounds’ Midway area.

One could say that Saturday’s show was something like a smaller-scale Soundset, which usually hosted dozens of acts and about 30,000 people and was last presented in 2019. Atmosphere was a Soundset constant, and the acts that preceded them to the stage had all played that festival at least once: Their fellow act from local label Rhymesayers, DJ Abilities, the reunited and perpetually light-hearted Pharcyde, charismatic “conscious rapper” Lupe Fiasco and one of the genre’s superstar acts of the ‘90s, the unfailingly aggressive Cypress Hill.

It proved a tremendously satisfying five-hour show, with every act embracing it as an opportunity to bring their A game alongside colleagues they greatly admire. In a field known for competitive one-upmanship, this seemed more a joyous rap party.

Unlike Soundset, this wasn’t just a one-off evening: These acts have been touring together this summer. On this night, Atmosphere headlined, presenting a powerful set that reminded those in attendance that Slug remains among the most courageously vulnerable acts in the genres, a heart-on-his-sleeve poet of the genre, be he expressing angry heartbreak or reflecting on the loss of his father. And when he was joined near set’s end by fellow Rhymesayer Brother Ali for some improvisational freestyling, it felt more like Soundset than ever.

That said, Cypress Hill was a hard act to follow. Despite it being three decades since the Los Angeles foursome’s popular heyday (when they placed albums atop the pop charts), the group remains impressively committed to its material. The distinctive high, nasal voice of B-Real still sounds like he’s holding a hit while rapping, and it remains an effective instrument as he holds forth about guns and ganja atop infectious bass lines.

If B-Real had competition for the most magnetic performer of the evening, it was Chicago’s Lupe Fiasco, a master of mixing up the pace and dynamics of his songs and set. Fiasco can spit out rapid-fire lyrics with the best of them, which made it all the more affecting when he shifted gears to the smooth, sweet tale of love among skateboarders, “Kick, Push,” and led a full-crowd sing-along in the balladic “Superstar.”

Add smile-inducing contributions from the fun-loving Pharcyde, and it was a wonderful re-summoning of the spirit of Soundset.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.

Related Articles

So much fruit, so little beer-flavored beer. The Minnesota State Fair’s 2025 new beverages, reviewed

State Fair Grandstand review: Meghan Trainor hosts an enjoyable dance party sans band

Minnesota State Fair weather forecast: ‘Sunny and perfect’

The good, the bad and the questionable: The 2025 new Minnesota State Fair foods, ranked

Concert review: Old Dominion fills Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on opening night

CHICAGO — Mick Abel’s first pitch to Colson Montgomery missed badly, well wide of the zone. His second pitch to the Chicago White Sox shortstop was right over the heart of the zone. And Montgomery didn’t miss it, bashing a pitch left over the heart of the zone out to right field.

A day after Royce Lewis hit a grand slam, Montgomery returned the favor, his second-inning blast helping spoil Abel’s Twins debut in Chicago’s 7-3 win on Saturday night at Rate Field.

The grand slam capped a six-run inning for the White Sox and came immediately after the Twins’ rookie had issued a bases-loaded walk to bring home the go-ahead run. All told, the White Sox had three singles, a pair of walks and a home run in the second against Abel as they took firm control of the game. Five of the six runs they scored came with two outs.

Abel, acquired as part of the return from the Philadelphia Phillies for star closer Jhoan Duran, lasted three innings in his first start as a Twin.

Projected to be a rotation piece for the Twins moving forward, Abel began his Twins career in Triple-A, making three starts for the Saints before the Twins called upon him Saturday. It marked just the seventh start of his career for Abel, who was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft and is now among the Twins’ top pitching prospects.

After his departure, Thomas Hatch came on in relief and threw five strong innings, giving up just a solo home run and helping keep the game in check, but the Twins could never pull back even.

All three Twins runs came via the solo home runs — Kody Clemens hit one in the second inning, Matt Wallner his 17th of the season in the fourth and Lewis his second in as many days in the seventh.

Related Articles

Twins getting first looks at two young starters acquired at deadline

Charley Walters: Don’t expect J.J. McCarthy to star from the start

Twins to get a look at future as Mick Abel set to make team debut Saturday

Royce Lewis hits grand slam, makes key defensive play in Twins’ win

Almost Twins: Two new players could pass for each other

CHICAGO — It was just over three weeks ago that the Twins’ front office went on a trading spree, shipping players north, south, east and west as they tried to reshape and retool a roster that had been underperforming for nearly a full calendar year.

They received, in return, a handful of players years away from reaching the majors and some much, much closer.

Among that group, Mick Abel, considered to be the best pitching prospect received at the deadline and Taj Bradley, who has lost his top-prospect status because he has spent large parts of the past three seasons in the majors.

And yet, the Twins left those two in Triple-A, choosing to patch together the rotation for weeks around Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Zebby Matthews. No more.

Now, finally, the Twins are getting their first looks at two players whom they believe will be a big part of their rotation moving forward.

Abel, acquired for Jhoan Duran from Philadelphia, started the second game of the series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday and Bradley, acquired for Griffin Jax from Tampa Bay, is in Chicago and is expected to start on Sunday.

“When you see something new and exciting in a lot of ways and guys that you feel like can really help you going forward for a long time, you’re going to show up to the field in a real good mood. And it’s also going to give you a lot to talk about and work with going forward, too,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.

The Twins opted to leave both of them in Triple-A to begin their stint in the organization, letting them settle in in a lower-pressure environment. Baldelli reached out to both, connecting over the phone to welcome them. Each made three starts with St. Paul before the Twins came calling.

Now, they’ll both have a chance to show the Twins what they can do over the final weeks of the season.

“I just think the ability to get my feet wet in a new organization, new philosophies, new adjustments that need to be made … the pitching side of things and how they look at the scouting reports and the stuff they value as a starting pitcher in their organization. It was great to do that in a less stressful environment,” Bradley said.

Bradley arrives

A day after Abel showed up in the Twins’ clubhouse, Bradley followed suit.

“It felt like a long time coming,” he said. “I was excited when I got the call.”

Bradley had spent most of the season in the majors with Tampa Bay before being optioned to Triple-A shortly before the trade deadline. He has made at least 21 starts in each of the past three seasons and this season, he has a 4.61 earned-run average through 111 1/3 innings.

His focus has been on refining his splitter, which he said he had always called his changeup.

“Everything else seems solidified, and they trusted it enough,” he said. “The split was just where they thought I could take my game to the next level.”

Briefly

The Twins and White Sox will wrap up their series in Chicago on Sunday, after which the Twins will travel to Toronto to finish their road trip.

Related Articles

Charley Walters: Don’t expect J.J. McCarthy to star from the start

Twins to get a look at future as Mick Abel set to make team debut Saturday

Royce Lewis hits grand slam, makes key defensive play in Twins’ win

Almost Twins: Two new players could pass for each other

Twins swept by Athletics, blown out in series finale

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.

Related Articles

How 17 Minnesota third graders made blueberry the state muffin

The good, the bad and the inedible: The 2025 new Minnesota State Fair foods, ranked

Gretchen’s table: Bucatini with burst cherry tomatoes and fried caper crumbs offers ample flavor

Minnesota State Fair: What do rock stars eat? These chefs feed big-name Grandstand musicians

Ice cream parlors to visit in the east metro before the summer sun sets