Autumn Brew Review 2026 Preview

Autumnal beverages are the cream cheese frosting to my red velvet cake in the month of October. Give me all the pumpkin spice, the caramel, the roast, and the chocolate malt. While I know I am a statistical outlier when it comes to some of those flavors, I know that everyone does love to enjoy beer in the fall. Thank goodness this weekend’s Autumn Brew Review, a festival put on by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, is set to take place on a flawless Saturday at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis. The event will run Saturday, Oct. 10th from 1:30pm-5pm. If you want to splurge on a VIP ticket, then you get to enter at 1pm. There are 3 different types of tickets General Admission, NA (Non-Altering), and VIP, which can all be purchased online.

The weather is supposed to be idyllic with a high in the mid 70s. It will be a great day to be out and about, drinking some great beverages, petting some llamas, and maybe enjoying a S’more or two….or 9. What I am excited about is the craft beer options. Yes, the Oktoberfest options will be plentiful. There are even a few pumpkin beers for those who partake. You can also look forward to lots of other styles including IPAs, Czech Pilsners, and stouts. There are some incredible food trucks, live music, and craft makers to break up the sampling.

In addition to the good vibes and llama cuddles, over 60 breweries will be pouring their libations to make sure nobody goes thirsty. Sometimes it can be helpful to have a few waypoints to plan your day around when it comes to beers you want to try. I have gone through the list and give you 13 suggestions of things I am excited to drink this Saturday. I hope to see you there!

13 Beers to Try at Autumn Brew Review

This list leans heavily into the maltier options available because I know there are a lot of seasonal drinkers out there. So, if you are noticing a lack of IPAs, that is why. That is not to say there won’t be some IPAs on here. After all, fresh hop season is also upon us.

Bemidji Brewing-Red X Altbier

I think that the Altbier is a style that lends itself quite well to Autumn. It has a defined malt characteristic that comes across as the edges of toasted bread. There is also a nice bit of hoppiness in the finish. I like what Bemidji Brewing does and hopefully, now they they have been acquired by Fulton, more of their beer will make it farther afield in the great state of Minnesota.

Big Axe Brewing-Berserk Squirrel Brown Ale

I love this beer from Big Axe Brewing in Nisswa, Minnesota. It has a rich roasted malt flavor that is so satisfying during fall. You are hard-pressed to find delicious brown ales on tap. I assume a lot of people live too close to power lines and it the reason this style goes underappreciated. Try this beer and you can thank me later.

Boom Island Brewing-Punkin Pie Amber Ale

I love pumpkin beers and pumpkin pie flavors in beer. Punkin Pie from Boom Island doesn’t use any pumpkin in the beer, but rather, it is an aromatic bouquet of baking spices that are reminiscent of the only good think about Thanksgiving for me. This beer was voted as the best beer in Minnesota at the 2025 MN Brewers Cup Awards. This is Fall in a glass.

Castle Danger Brewery-Maple Marzen

It sounds a little strange, right? Maple in an Oktoberfest beer would probably send Dr. Reinheitsgebot into a state of manic range and possibly, potentially resulting in the runs. Well, luckily, he won’t be at the Autumn Brew Review on Saturday. When Castle Danger Brewery made this beer, they used a perfect amount of maple in the beer to just give a little kiss of sweetness. This beer is a treat and I think you will like it.

Dangerous Man Brewing-Oktoberfest

I went to Dangerous Man Brewing last Friday and was flummoxed to find that the Okotberfest is no longer on tap. Apparently, some thirsty folks drank the ever living crap out of it and so it is gone. I loved this beer the last time I had it, and I want to drink it again. I am glad they squirreled away a little bit for the Autumn Brew Review.

Forgotten Star Brewing-Dark Skies Baltic Porter

When it comes to brewing dark lagers, Forgotten Star has cracked the code on the malty mystery of success. This beer has won gold medals at both GABF and the World Beer Cup. If that isn’t enough of a reason to try it, I will also say that you might go an entire year of stopping at breweries and maybe find 2 or 3 Baltic Porters. It is a fantastic style that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.

Luce Line Brewing-2025 Winter Solstice Imperial Stout

It isn’t an Autumn Brew Review without a decadent and exquisite big stout. Thank goodness Luce Line Brewing always seems to understand the assignment. Winter Solstice is so delicious. It has a nice blend of dark chocolate and coffee notes to go along with the sweet molasses note in the beer. Tread lightly. Last year, I had a few pours of this and tried to run off with a llama to the wine country.

Lupulin Brewing-2024 BA Doppelbock

Lupulin Brewing knows how to impress folks with a beer that spent some quality time inside a barrel. The 2024 BA Doppelbock is no exception. This beer is fantastic. The base beer stands out on its own, but when it spends time in a Sazerac Rye barrel, well, it goes to 11.

Padraigs Brewing-Padraigs Pub Ale

In a world of beer drinkers who are now more cognizant of how much alcohol they are ingesting, there is a desire for lower ABV beers that still deliver on flavor. Lucky for us, Padraigs Brewing is showing many people how it is done at their brewery. Padraigs Pub Ale is a prime example that when a brewer knows what they’re doing, there is no sacrifice on flavor when you dial down the alcohol in a craft beer. With fuel prices being what they are, this is going to the UK on a budget, one glass at a time.

Pundit Beer Co.-Taniwha NZ Pils

Now, I have been excited about trying Manu’s beer from Pundit Beer Co. since before it even opened. I interviewed him and his friend Ansel Tulgar (Former brewer at StormKing Brewing) last spring. Manu has a wealth of knowledge about the craft beer industry as he has worked for some larger breweries (Cigar City Brewing & Oskar Blues) in his day. What he was telling me about his brewing philosophy made me think that he will definitely hit the ground running at Pundit Beer Co. I figure that a New Zealand Pils will be a good liquid illustration of his brewing chops.

Surly Brewing-2026 Darkness Collab w/ Firestone Walker

It was 20 years ago that Surly Brewing was born and changed the craft beer landscape in Minnesota. They created something edgy that inspired and impassioned thousands of craft beer fanatics. Their creativity rubbed off on countless brewers and brewery owners and the parameters of what craft beer in Minnesota could be were obliterated. I think that this collaboration between a brewery that is synonymous with barrel-aged excellence is apropos to celebrate one of the most iconic beers in Minnesota craft beer history.

The Savage Tap-Son of Dad Czech Dark Lager

Don’t sleep on The Savage Tap. They have a great catalog of beers for everyone. This beer has the body of a light beer with the rich and satisfying malt flavor of fall. It absolutely delivers on roast. It will be a nice one to mix in between pours of some of the higher octane beers at Autumn Brew Review.

Trove Brewing-Oktroverfest

Trove Brewing has some under-appreciated beer down in Burnsville. I feel bad for them because there was some gnarly construction this summer that I am certain deterred people from stopping by. I think that if you try their Oktroverfest, you will probably be impressed and want to pop down to the taproom.

See You at the Autumn Brew Review

There is something to be said for celebrating some of the best Minnesota craft beer traditions. The Autumn Brew Review is certainly that. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! So, grab a ticket or two and some friends and come on down to Boom Island Park this Saturday for an afternoon of fun. See you there?

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