Two of my favorite things are beer and planning. I’ve been a planner my entire life. Task me with a vacation itinerary, a to do list, a system for tackling all the peak TV I need to watch, I’m happy - blissful, even. And if it involves beer, well shoot me over the moon. This is why I love the state fair. It’s become an entire craft beer event itself and every year there are more and more new exclusive fair brews. 

I remember a few years ago stopping by Big Wood Brewery and chatting with one of their owners, who gave us a sneak preview of their chocolate chip cookie beer for the fair. I thought, “Exclusively for the fair?? Wow that’s crazy, neat and fun. I love it.” 

These days, it’s hard to keep up with the craft creations you can find at the fair. Luckily, we have help from the good people at The Growler, who round up the entire list. Last year, I listed out a route for finding all the new styles. This year, I’m doing you one better and giving you your own map complete with the most efficient beer route for the fair. (Shoutout to Allison Nolden for the design help!)

Use this map to find your stops, then reference this list for the 2018 debuts you can enjoy any of the 12 days before Labor Day.

1. Blue Barn, Lulu’s Public House and the Schell’s Stage

• Blue Barn Strawberry Mint Fro-Le

• Freehouse LimeLight

• Sociable Slipstream Black Currant Apple

• Sociable Mimosas & Belinnis

• Starkeller It Takes 2 to Tango and 3 to Mango

• Surly Juicy LuLuLucy

2. Coasters, Frontier Bar, Cafe Caribe

• 612Brew Margarita-Style Kettle Sour Ale

• Fulton Frontier Summer IPA

• Lakefront Funnel Cake Cream Ale

• Lift Bridge Key Lime Pie

3. Warner Coliseum

• Excelsior Horse Apple Ale

4. Shanghaied Henri’s

• Summit Helles Ya, You Betcha

5. O’Gara’s

• Castle Danger Orange Cream Ale

• Finnegans St. Pat’s Green Ale

• Lakes & Legends St. Apple Malted Cider

• Surly Gaelic Dark & Stormy

6. Giggle’s Campfire

• Beaver Island Uffda Ale

• Tin Whiskers Dill Pickle Ale

7. The Hangar

• Mankato Cake’d Up Celebration Beer

8. Ball Park Cafe

• Bauhaus The Shandlot Pink Lemon Shandy

• Bent Brewstillery Raspberry Champow

• Bent Paddle Passion Fruit Pils

• Eastlake Kirby Pucker #34

• Surly The Kloser IPA

9. Mancini’s al Fresco, Dino’s Gyros

• Bad Weather Spumoni Tsunami

• Lake Monster Brewzo Lager

10. Hideaway Speakeasy, Grandstand Concessions

• Finnegans Caramel Corn Cream Ale

• Cannon River Winery Mobster Mule Bubble Trouble

Tell me which ones you’re most looking forward to and TAG ME IN YOUR PICS at the fair!