Now open to the public: This tour is part of the Society of Architectural Historians 2018 conference in St. Paul. With abundant water resources, caves for cooling, farmland to produce ingredients, and lots of German immigrants, 19th-century Saint Paul and Minneapolis became centers of beer production—and beer consumption. In more recent years, the craft brew industry has become an important part of the local entertainment scene. This tour will visit restored, repurposed, and brand-new centers of beer and brewery culture, including a mid-19th-century lager house and two large industrial brewery complexes, the Schmidt Brewery in Saint Paul and the Grain Belt Brewery in Minneapolis. The tour’s last stop is the lively and popular Surly Brewing Company in Minneapolis (HGA, 2014).
Be sure to bring cash/credit card with you to enjoy beer and food with the group post-tour, if your schedule permits.