Bent Paddle Brewing Co. | Duluth, MN
Beer Trip: Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth, Minnesota
We didn’t know where to begin when doing research on a brewery destination in Duluth, as this city has a ton to choose from! For a population of roughly 88,000, we counted 8 facilities in town - and that doesn’t even factor in the ones across the bay on the Wisconsin side. One that was constantly mentioned online, though, was Bent Paddle Brewing Co. After our visit there, it was easy to see why it’s an area favorite.
The Brewery
Bent Paddle is a little bit off the beaten path, but still near downtown. They have a nice-sized parking lot adjacent to a large outdoor space, complete with a stage, picnic tables, and a section of covered seating. We were informed that during the summer months, they host live music 3 or 4 nights a week here! The brewery/taproom sits inside an old, red, brick warehouse building and maintains much of its original charm with huge timber columns, exposed floor joists, and wood floors that have years of stories they tell, if floors could talk! As you might imagine, the place has an outdoorsy vibe via canoes hanging from the ceiling, as well as local hiking, biking, and skiing pictures displayed on the walls. A huge bar lines most of the room with plenty of tables, chairs, and couches available as well.
While the place is awesome, the biggest thing that stood out about Bent Paddle was how friendly everyone was. People heard that we were from out of town, and staff members and locals alike kept coming up offering suggestions on things to do and wishing safe travels. They really took the Midwest charm to another level.
The Beer
Being unfamiliar with Bent Paddle, we were surprised to find 15 different brews on tap. Of those, 7 are flagship options, 4 are rotating seasonals, and the last 4 are purely experimental. During this visit, the selections included multiple IPAs and traditional lagers, along with an amber, stout, sour, and rice beer - just to name a few. Being right on Lake Superior, they actually use purified lake water to brew their beer, which we found pretty cool! The other thing that is different than most places is that they serve 4 brews on both C02 and nitro. We weren’t thinking about it while we were there, but it would have been fun to try a couple of them side-by-side to pick up the differences.
Not too often does a brewery have a single beer that has won multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival, but their 14⁰ Degree has done just that, claiming a gold, silver, and a bronze over varying years. They list it as an amber on their menu, but it’s more of a bitter brew while still maintaining nice malty notes. We sampled this with C02, but most of the locals recommended it on nitro to tone down the bitterness some and make it smoother. We certainly enjoyed it, but our favorite was actually the Cold Press Black. This is one of their year-round options with a great coffee flavor thanks to the help from nearby Duluth Coffee Company.
Food, Merch, & More
You won’t find a kitchen at Bent Paddle, but they allow outside food to be brought in, and they also partner with local food trucks. Like most other breweries in Minnesota, they have an extensive lineup of cannabis drinks with 9 different offerings to choose from on this visit. Their merchandise section is very robust, occupying the whole front corner of the building. They have everything you could want, including shirts, flannels, jackets, hats, glassware, sunglasses, and even dog collars. Lucky for us, they also have a nice sticker selection. They are one of the very few breweries out there that still utilize growlers for to-go beer, which we thought was almost nostalgic.
We can’t say enough good things about Bent Paddle. This place was everything we wanted and more, and we hope to make a return visit someday.
Cheers!
