Schell's has been brewing beer since 1860, making it the country's second-oldest family-owned brewery (after D. G. Yuengling & Son). And while it's best known for its broadly popular Grain Belt and Deer brand beers, the German-rooted brewhaus has been putting out a variety of challenging and intriguing styles in recent years that have been well-received by craft brew fans.
Schell's Brewery is less a simple production facility than it is a beer-focused estate, featuring gardens (with peacocks, no less!), a Museum of Brewing, and a well-stocked Gift Haus. There are afternoon brewery tours (daily in summer, Friday-Sunday the rest of the year), with tickets sold for $3 on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the tour. Private group tours can be booked well in advance.
And if you're up for an event, the brewery offers several: the mid-winter Bock Fest (featuring red-hot pokers plunged into mugs of beer to give them a warm, caramel-kissed flavor), two weekends worth of Oktoberfest shenanigans, and Sundays in the Park all summer long.
If you are interested in the Berliner Weisse style of sour beers, visit Schell's newest taproom, Starkeller. The taproom is rich with history as it uses Cypress wood lagering tanks from 1936 that were restored to age sour beers and the bar top made from an old copper kettle. The Starkeller is open Friday-Saturday.
Boasting more than 100 beer recipes and a connection to a North Shore brewing tradition that dates back to the 19th century, Fitger's is a Duluth legend. The brewery's dozens of active tanks are scattered throughout the Fitger's complex (and can be seen on a scheduled tour, or just by wandering the building), and visitors can enjoy a pint in the brewpub restaurant or the Rex Bar across the hallway.
Check the brewhouse calendar if you're a fan of live music—Fitger's is one of the Duluth area's premier venues.
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