Minnesota's craft beer industry is raising a glass this weekend as the state marks its third annual Minnesota Beer Day on Sunday, November 1. The celebration, now officially recognized since 2024, links commemorative pint glasses and brewery deals across the state to a brewing history that stretches back more than 175 years.
The date itself is no accident. According to WJON, November 1 was chosen to honor Grain Belt, a brand whose roots trace to John Orth founding the territory's second brewery on November 1, 1850. Grain Belt is brewed today by Schell's Brewery, which KNSI describes as the state's oldest brewery, and the Guild notes that Schell's purchased the Grain Belt brand in 2002 and continues to brew it, making the New Ulm brewer a living link between Minnesota's earliest beer history and its modern taproom boom.
Minnesota Beer Day became official in 2024, when the Minnesota House and Senate passed resolutions designating November 1 as the day, according to seed reporting from KNSI. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild says it worked with Rockville-area Senator Jeff Howe and Representative Isa Perez-Vega to pass the resolutions. The Guild's own records show the Senate resolution passed on March 21, 2024, under Senator Howe's sponsorship, and that Governor Tim Walz signed a formal proclamation on July 12, 2024, as stated on the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild website. A Minnesota Senate resolution declared November 1 Minnesota Beer Day.
A Guild-Led Tradition Built Around Local Taprooms
Minnesota Beer Day is an initiative of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, which represents more than 130 Minnesota craft breweries, per KNSI's reporting. The Guild says it combined its earlier MN Pint Day project with the newly declared statewide celebration starting in 2024, and it coordinated a commemorative pint glass sold at participating breweries and brewpubs across the state. Guild members typically offer discounts, brewery tours, events, and one-of-a-kind brews tied to the day, according to KNSI.
Bob Galligan, the Guild's director of government and industry relations, told WJON that the day is about more than novelty glassware. He said Minnesota Beer Day helps people connect across the industry and the state while supporting local businesses, a sentiment echoed in KNSI's coverage of the holiday's community-building intent.
Commemorative Glasses and Deals Pour In Statewide
Specific offers vary by brewery. Bad Habit Brewing, located in St. Joseph, is participating in Minnesota Beer Day, according to KNSI. WJON separately reported that Bad Habit Brewing has sold a commemorative glass for $30 that includes all-you-can-drink refills valid on Minnesota Beer Day only, while Lupulin Brewing in Big Lake has sold a $25 glass unlocking unlimited pours for the day, though the station's report did not specify which year those prices applied to.
For 2026 specifically, KROC News listed southeastern Minnesota specials including $12 commemorative glasses with one fill; Chapel Brewing's listing included $1 off every additional fill. The coverage also listed a $6 glass option without a fill, paired with Minnesota Beer Day trivia. KROC News confirmed the third annual Minnesota Beer Day returns on November 1, 2026, matching the date cited across this year's coverage.
Steady Growth Amid Rising Costs
Even as the holiday celebrates the industry's history, Galligan described the current moment for Minnesota breweries in more measured terms. He told WJON that the sector is in a state of steadiness after a period of rapid growth, with some breweries closing while others open. The Guild's website listed five new breweries planned for Biwabik, Ely, Chisholm, Rockford, and St. Paul, the same report noted.
Galligan pointed to rising costs of goods and labor, along with a global decline in alcohol consumption, as ongoing challenges facing local breweries. Those pressures provide a backdrop to Sunday's celebration, which Guild members hope will draw drinkers into taprooms statewide even as the broader industry navigates a more cautious stretch than the boom years that preceded it.
