Minneapolis’ Winterfest is a different kind of beer festival. It’s classy. 

The venue in the Delta Sky Club at Target Field overlooks the beautifully lit stadium. Brewers and attendees wear suits and ties. Food is higher end, and free. You won’t see any crowns o’ hops or pretzel necklaces here. And the nearly one hundred breweries have brought their strongest beers, many hitting almost fifteen percent. 

Next to the Great Taste of the Midwest, this is my favorite festival. I’ve had the good fortune to attend for the last two years. This was their first year on the FestBuddy platform, which was a big improvement over last year. With over eight hundred beers, many of them quite high in ABV, it’s hard to be selective without having detailed information in advance. Their program is nicely printed on glossy paper, but lacks the brewer-curated details found in the Winterfest apps published by FestBuddy. 

Winterfest also does a Best Beer and Best Brewery contest (Fair State Coop won both this year), with attendees voting by ballot attached to the printed program. FestBuddy contains a contest system that we’re hoping MN Craft Brewers Guild will utilize for their future festivals, including the up-coming All Pints North. See you there!