Sours, Ciders, and Craft Beers at the Minnesota State Fair 2025

The Minnesota State Fair doesn’t have to be just about cheese curds, turkey legs, and cobs of corn! It can also be one of the best spots to sample new craft brews from Minnesota’s top breweries. This year, I decided to skip the corn dogs and pickle pizza and go on a mission to track down the best sours and ciders at the Minnesota State Fair. From boozy root beer floats to dessert-inspired sours, the fair had plenty to keep my taste buds busy.

West End Brews: A Beer Lover’s Dream

The first stop was at the West End Market section of the fairgrounds to check out West End Brews. With quite a few options on tap that peaked my interest, I knew we had gone to the right spot.  First up was the Blackberry Bramble, said to be a mix of blackberry and lemon, a collaborative effort between August Schell Brewing in River Falls, WI and Tattersall. 

I have to say, it wasn’t bad, but it also didn’t really knock my socks off either. I was underwhelmed, especially after having high hopes after reading about it so much. Not the best way to start, but it could only go up from here. 

Next up for sip number 2 was outside the sour category, but I still had to give it a try. Wild State’s Hazy Pink Pineapple Cider.  It was quite tasty. I was pleasantly surprised considering I’ve had a hard time enjoying ciders as of late, they tend to be lacking in the flavor department for me, sometimes a little too sweet, but this one was great. Even had a little sour punch that I have grown to love. 

Wild State Hazy Pink Pineapple Cider

Sociable Cider Werks Cherry Rhubarb Crumble

Lulu’s Public House: Perfectly Sweet Dessert Sour

A few steps over, was Lulu’s Public House. While they had a few of the same options as West End Brews, they also had a few new options. 

First up: Cherry Rhubarb Crumble from Sociable Cider Werks. Loved this one, there’s something about those dessert-y sours that I really like. It was a balance of sweet and tart, just as I like my sours - so for a cider, I was again, pleasantly surprised!

I also took a shot at their Boozy Root Beer Float. It was more of a slush than a “float” in my opinion, so it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The root beer flavor was great though, you could definitely tell it was a craft brew, unique and tangy. Not my favorite though, I was missing the traditional “float” vibe with ice cream. Okay overall, but not my top pick.

I do have to say, I was rather disappointed to find out that neither West End Brews nor Lulu’s had the Tropical Island Sour that they have listed on the website. I was really looking forward to trying it. According to the listing, it was an awesome blend said to be made by Pryes Brewing again - strawberry, passion fruit, peach and orange - I would’ve loved to give this one a shot! Sounds like one that would get rave reviews. Not really sure what happened here, when I asked both locations, neither one of them knew what I was talking about!  

Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer: The Star of the Fair

The big star of the show, and what everyone was talking about was the Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer, and the best part was, I didn’t even have to stand in line for an hour..I may have inched my way into the line though.

Soft Serve Royal Raspberry & a Glass of Blu

A sour beer in ice cream form. Very good. I love the Pryes Royal Raspberry sour to begin with, so this one already had a few stars from me right from the start. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea, but it worked. Definitely a great option on a hot summer night at the fair! Worth $11? Well it’s hard to regret ice cream and beer combined into one.

Blue Barn: Prickly Pear Surprise

Following our time at Lulu’s and West End, not too far away was Blue Barn where they were pouring a new Prickly Pear Cider by Freehouse Brewery. This one was awesome, had a bit of tang and a ton of flavor. Definitely recommend this one for my fellow sour-lovers out there. I’ll be looking for this one at the taphouse for sure. I paired it with the pierogies from their food menu, which were delicious as well, a unique fair food I would also recommend for those looking for something different. 

The Hangar: Strawberry Rhubarb Perfection

The final stop for this trip was at The Hangar to try out another winner from Pryes Brewing - a Strawberry Rhubarb Runway. I’ve grown to love the flavor of rhubarb in a sour and this one blended with the sweetness of ripe strawberries was spot on. Another one I would recommend to those who are interested in trying out sours for the first time, or those just wanting to sip something new! Pryes hit the nail on the head with this one!

Top Picks for Sour & Cider Fans at the Minnesota State Fair

If you’re heading to the fair and want to plan your beer stops, here are my standout recommendations:

• Best Overall: Strawberry Rhubarb Runway (Pryes Brewing at The Hangar)

• Most Unique: Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer (Pryes Brewing at West End Brews)

• Best Cider: Prickly Pear Cider (Freehouse Brewery at Blue Barn)

• Biggest Letdown: The missing Tropical Island Sour

After an evening of sipping, sampling, and a little bit of disappointment (still crying over the Tropical Island Sour), I walked away with a new list of favorites and a good time. The standouts? Pryes continues to crush the sour game, and Freehouse’s Prickly Pear Cider is officially on my “hunt it down” list. The Minnesota State Fair may be famous for food-on-a-stick, but for sour lovers like me, it’s just as much about discovering bold, creative drinks. Until next year’s fair, I’ll be daydreaming about that Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer—because nothing says “summer in Minnesota” quite like sipping a sour under the fair’s glowing Midway lights.