Get our free mobile app

We've always known we have some amazing craft breweries in Minnesota and now one Rochester craft brewer just won a prestigious national award for one of the beers!

Big shout-out to Steve and Dawn Finnie and the entire gang at Little Thistle Brewing in Rochester on their big win at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado last weekend! Their Shwarzenlager, brewed right here in Minnesota's Med City, took home a bronze medal for German Dark Lager at the prestigious festival that features craft breweries from all over the country!

The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is put on by the Brewers Association (BA), the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers and their beers. It has been awarding medals for the best beers at its festival for 35 years now. And winning one is a big deal because there were just under 2,200 breweries competing this year from all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.

That's a lot of competition! So congrats again to the whole crew at Little Thistle Brewing! Minnesota was well represented at the GABF this year, with five other breweries also taking home medals. Forgotten Star Brewing in Fridley, Warrior Brewing in Duluth, Thousand Lakes Brewing in Parkers Prairie near Alexandria, Lift Bridge Brewing in Stillwater, and Fair State Brewing Cooperative in Minneapolis were all medal winners as well.

And speaking of beer, if you want to sample 100 of some of the best craft brews here in Minnesota, make sure you check out Rochester On Tap, coming back to Mayo Civic Center for the first time in four years, on October 30th.  And keep scrolling to check out our list of some amazing craft breweries, all located close to Rochester!

Listen to Curt St. John in the Morning
weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5

Delicious Beers Await at These 22 Breweries Within an Hour of Rochester

Craft breweries are incredibly popular right now and it doesn't seem like they'll be going anywhere. Right here in southeast Minnesota, there are 22 breweries all within an hour for Rochester and more are being added!

More From 106.9 KROC-FM