St. Paul is known as one of the nation’s top craft beer scenes, with countless local breweries and brands making their mark on the regional and national drinking scene. However, how did this city become so popular in the craft beer scene? Here are a few reasons why there is so much craft beer in St. Paul, MN.
The Legal Conditions Are Favorable
In the early days of the American craft brewing scene, in the 1980s and 1990s, Minnesota passed several state laws that made it easier for small producers to compete with large beer manufacturers. For example, restaurants could make their own beer on-site, kicking off the modern brewpub, and small breweries could sell growlers to customers with less regulation.
This loosening regulation helped the Minnesota craft beer community thrive in the crucial early days, and many producers of craft beer in St. Paul MN, benefitted.
The Community Inspired Each Other
Once a few people got the ball rolling, others joined. One of the reasons why craft beer thrives in St. Paul is the supportive community. Early innovators helped newcomers get started and created events to promote beermaking. Craft brewers organized into a Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild to promote their artisanal products.
St. Paul benefited from Minnesota’s early start on the craft brew scene and its status as one of the centers of the state’s cultural life. The result is the lively craft brew scene we know today.
