2026 Winter Beer Dabbler Preview

The 2026 Winter Beer Dabbler will take place this Saturday at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in the Midway. This festival is as Minnesotan as it gets. It takes place at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, it is OUTDOORS, and it is the perfect time to don your best pair of winter boots. There will be a plethora of both local and regional craft beer brands pouring at the festival. The Winter Beer Dabbler tickets are still on sale and you can find them in the link here. You have a variety of ticket options: General Admission ($55.00), Early Access ($75.00), and Designated Driver ($20.00). I strongly suggest getting the Early Access option because there are a lot less lines when you get in an hour early.

While the weather is going to top out at a high of 28 degrees, if you bundle up and grab a few friends, it should be a great time. The good news is that beers will be nice and cold in your sampling glass. Hey, speaking of beer, I have picked out some beers that I think you will enjoy and shouldn’t be missed. When you go to a festival that is this large, it is helpful to have some things you want to make sure you try before it all becomes a blur.

Beers To Try at This Year’s Winter Beer Dabbler

This list has a little something for everyone. This festival used to have an app that listed all the beers that the breweries uploaded, but it was wonky at best. So, I pretended it was 1994 and reached out to some brewery contacts to figure out what they were pouring. I got some pretty good news as most of them got back to me. Here are 10 beers that will make your Winter Beer Dabbler a lot better.

56 brewing company sultana drop west coast iPA

This beer is straight up tangerine before the bottom drops out into a piney pool of perfection. I love Sultana hops because of their juicy nature. The fact that this beer has the piney finish is what my palate craves in an IPA. 56 Brewing absolutely nailed this one and I am really looking forward to enjoying it at the Winter Beer Dabbler.

Bent paddle brewing 14 Degree amber ale

Years ago, some genius at Bent Paddle Brewing cracked the code on how to market an Extra Special Bitter; they renamed it an amber ale. When people hear the word bitter, they think about that one time when they accidentally big into grapefruit because they didn’t have their contacts in and thought it was a candied apple. Well, Bent Paddle is bringing their amber ale to the Winter Beer Dabbler and it should act as a how-to in marketing and why words matter. It is also as good a beer as you will find in Minnesota.

Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative Lil Haze

Lil Haze from Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative is a session hazy IPA that strikes a perfect balance between juicy and light. It bursts with all sorts of citrus and finishes with a lil bite of hoppy bitterness to complete the experience. I think a lot of beers try to get this level of balance, and many brewers have found that it is harder than you would think to stick the landing.

Dangerous Man Chocolate peanut butter porter

That is right, Dangerous Man’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter will be flowing just as strong as my tears of joy. If you caught my recent podcast episode, you know why there is a lot of excitement in the air about the taproom opening in Northeast Minneapolis. This beer is iconic. It is the perfect blend of chocolate and roasted peanut flavor to create a synthesis of joy and nostalgia. Of course, you can also find this beer available on liquor store shelves. However, I like it straight from the tap!

Klockow brewing company Lundr’s Lager Rauchbier

For those of you who like a little smoke in your beer, Klockow Brewing from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, is bringing Lundr’s Lager, a Rauchbier. This will probably be really nice to drink next to one of the many firepits as you warm up your fingers and your palate. Don’t worry this won’t be a liquid charcoal briquette, but rather a gentle handed use of smoked malt in the beer.

luce line brewing company 2022 BA Old Elk Rye Winter Solstice

It wouldn’t be a Winter Beer Dabbler without some barrel-aged goodness. Luce Line Brewing is not going to disappoint with their 2022 BA Old Elk Rye Winter Solstice. Known mostly for their fantastic IPAs, Luce Line’s Winter Solstice is a dynamic stout with a ton of depth. You will get the molasses, dark fruit, and dark chocolate and I am hoping the spice notes from the rye whiskey will bring a little excitement.

lupulin brewing company Barrel God Cuvée 25

As Lupulin Brewing is getting ready for their 10th Big Beer Week, they are bringing a little reminder of why this is one of the best showcases of big beer in the region. The Barrel God Cuvée 25, a blend of 5 different barrels (Russell’s Reserve 10 Bourbon, Barbados Rum, 1792 Bourbon, Kentucky Owl Bournon, and George Dickel Bourbon), is the pinnacle of barrel-aged goodness. Their Barrel God series boasts some of my favorite barrel-aged beers. They belong in the same conversation with all the other places that are taking this barrel-aged art form to great heights. Make sure you get some of this, but tread lightly, it clocks in at 16.7% ABV.

Modist brewing company Supra Black

As thirst-quenching and perfect as Modist Brewing’s Supra Deluxe is, the Supra Black is almost equally as irresistible. The light body somehow supports a splendid roasted malt blast of flavor. This beer is easy drinking and sessionable. You are going to want to try this because it showcases that a lighter beer can showcase big malt flavors.

padraigs Brewing Red Chimney

Red ales were one of the first craft beer styles I fell in love with. The satisfying roasty caramel notes in a well-made red ale are incredibly familiar. If a beer could give you a hug, it a good red ale. Well, Padraigs Brewing is bringing their Red Chimney, an award-winning red ale, that is sure to make you feel loved. Just like their cozy taproom, this beer is a comfort.

Wandering leaf brewing company

Sure, everybody and their brother loves a great pilsner. This style is finally represented on tap lists, almost universally. Leave it to Wandering Leaf to read the tea leaves and provide us what I think is going to be the next big lager craze-amber lagers. They are pouring their 5.2% amber lager, Earth Tones, at the Winter Dabbler this year. I really love this beer. It provides some nice cracker, toasted bread notes, that play well with the body of the beer, making it a crisp and almost dry finish. It makes you want to keep sipping and that is really nice when you are a beer festival.

I hope you enjoy this little list as a way to get excited about what you can enjoy. I think that it will be a nice way to get out and enjoy a little joy and cheers to craft beer in Minnesota. Cheers.