Photo: Sue Craig
Excelsior Brewing Co. offers a wide range of events, from fundraisers for local organizations to cribbage night.
Excelsior Brewing Co. was voted Best Tavern/Bar/Brewery in our Best of Lake Minnetonka 2019 readers’ choice survey.
Over the past several years, breweries have transformed from a place to simply get a beer into a community experience. And nowhere is this truer than at Excelsior Brewing Co. The Lake Minnetonka-inspired microbrewery is a social hub for Excelsior, where, yes, you can get a beer, but you can also meet new friends and attend unique events throughout the year.
“There are a lot of taprooms popping up in Minnesota,” says taproom and events manager Caroline O’Halloran. “A lot of people are making great beer, so it’s important to have something different. Our events bring people together and give back to the community.”
It’s difficult for O’Halloran to choose a favorite event; the brewery offers a wide range, from fundraisers for local organizations to cribbage night. But a few of their biggest celebrations come to mind as popular crowd pleasers.
Oktoberfest October
“Our Oktoberfest party is our biggest shebang of the year,” she says. “We release our Oktoberfest beer and have live music.” Held in the first week of October, the event celebrates fall before Minnesota settles into the winter cold. Alongside live music, the event features German food, a hair-braiding booth and festive games like hammerschlaggen.
Christkindlsmarkt November
Chirstkindlsmarkt is a seasonal holiday market in downtown Excelsior, with a beer garden to complement the festivities along Water Street. Morphing from a family event in the day to a party at night, the beer garden brings people together, catching them for a moment of rest between Christmas shopping errands.
The Wall Party April
The Wall Party commemorates the day the brewery knocked down a wall in order to expand the Excelsior taproom. Fittingly, the event features a band covering Pink Floyd’s album The Wall.
Maifest May
Unsurprisingly for a Minnesota brewery, Excelsior Brewing also has an event to celebrate the arrival of spring. Maifest honors the new season with a German twist. The two-day palooza features a newly released German beer, contests, bar games and community giving.
Excelsior Brewing Co.’s Birthday Party June
With such a packed social calendar, it’s no surprise that Excelsior Brewing celebrates its own birthday, or “beer-thday,” as it’s known around the pub. 2019 will see the brewery ringing in its seventh beerthday celebration.
