Waldmann Brewery | St. Paul, MN
Waldmann Brewery in St. Paul, Minnesota
Waldmann Brewery might take the cake for being the oldest building we’ve experienced in a brewery. The place opened up as a saloon in 1857 and served beer right through the American Civil War! Over the years it has transitioned from a personal residence to the brewery it is today as of 2017. While visiting, you can still feel its rich history while sipping on a traditional-style brew.
The Brewery
Waldmann is located a bit outside of downtown and the area almost feels somewhat residential. We could see parking being a bit difficult at times, but we had no issues finding a spot in the middle of the afternoon. As you can imagine being a former residence, the brewery is broken up into multiple different rooms spanning two floors, along with an outdoor patio. The entire place has a Civil War feel to it, with vintage photos and trinkets spread about on the walls.
The first floor features a small bar area with a few miscellaneous tables, along with another larger room featuring additional seating and an active wood stove (which is still used to heat the place)! They had it going during our visit, and there is just something about the crackle of a fire and a beer that blends together perfectly. The building’s upstairs is comprised of two more rooms of seating, each with another wood stove.
The outdoor space looks like it would be the place to be during the warmer months, featuring large picnic tables on a gravel lot and twinkle lights strung back and forth above.
The Beer
You won’t find a huge selection at Waldmann, but they do have seven different options to wet your whistle - more than enough for our visit! Everything they brew is done so in a German style. During our stay, they had a pilsner, wheat, a few bocks, and a couple of alt biers. Being able to read German is a plus here, as all of their beer names are also spelled in traditional German style and are listed in a sleek, brown leather portfolio-style menu.
We’ve been to several other breweries that only produce German-style beer and each one brews to perfection - Waldmann is no different and makes some great beer! The Waldmann Pilsener is the lone flagship beer that is always on tap, while the rest of the menu rotates. We’re not normally huge pilsner fans, but this one was superb with a nice grainy taste and a clean finish. The Schokoladeweizen was another one worth mentioning, offering a great roasty base and subtle hints of chocolate.
Food, Merch, & More
In addition to creating German beer, Waldmann also serves traditional German food such as olive and pickle trays, pretzels, various wursts, and schnitzels. If beer isn’t your thing, Waldmann has a nice selection of wines to choose from, as well as a few different blends of craft soda. The merchandise section is spread about the first floor and features shirts, nice Carhart sweatshirts, hats, glassware, and stickers.
Waldmann Brewery is very different (in a good way!) than the vast majority of breweries that we visit. This old facility literally has centuries of stories to tell, and the brewery is adding to its latest chapter through its great German beer and unique charm. We would recommend this place to anyone!
Cheers!
