Brew Lab 101

Had an absolute blast at Brew Lab 101's trivia night this Tuesday! The vibe is unmatched, and the tacos and nachos really hit the spot. Plus, the service was super friendly, adding to the overall fantastic experience. However, a heads-up for future visitors: parking can be a bit of a nightmare when there's a Twins or Timberwolves game due to the lack of a dedicated parking lot and full nearby ramps. Will definitely be back, but I'll be checking the sports schedule first!

With holiday free parking Monday I stopped in. Chatting up beertender Chris I asked when they opened? They had their soft open on Friday, 16 February and their grand opening will be 13 March. There's a sandwich board sign on the corner... but the tap room signage isn't great so they're a couple doors from the corner....look for the 25 above the door and the small BL in the corner of the window to the right of the door. They're in the old Clockwerks space...which I had only been in in a couple times and that was in 2017. Chris said they painted the bar top. I like that the west wall was black but they had painted or chalked brewing murals on it. The tap room is standard height tables...yeah! The padded bar stools are comfortable and a good height so you don't have to climb up on them! The tap list is in the upper NE corner near the front window. When I told Chris thank you and that I just returned from a metro area that only had QR codes he replied that that is where they are headed. They also had a few food items menu next to the beer menu. Almond the west wall there is a shuffleboard table and fooseball table. When I went to the restroom and headed back to the bar I spotted a shelf of board games.....if you wee hoping for some of that action. With the BrewLab name on the tables there is a Erlenmeyer Flask w chalk in it in the center of the table. The flight pours are in little beakers. It wasn't too busy @ 2:00 open on a Monday so I was able to chat up friendly and informative beertender Chris. He told me their brewer is from Earth Rider. Shortly after another fellow appeared behind the bar so I asked if he was the brewer? He was not he was the delightfully informative tap room manager Matthew. It was great chatting him up about New Mexico and brewing there, where Brew Lab 101 originated. A lot of beery knowledge was shared yesterday.....thanks Matthew! I like the large open space and only having the north wall as windows, a lot of light was there. You can't miss the skyline silhouette mural on the south wall. There are currently seven beers on tap. Chris said if I wanted to taste everything, so two flights of four, he would pour what was listed and add in one secret beer that wasn't listed. I opted for this route. After making it through about six tasters I was getting really full so I didn't order a pint of everything. Surprisingly for Seven beers on tap, no sours. I'm ok with it but was just really surprised. I was most intrigued with the 505, the Green Chile Mexican Lager. It was delicious and didn't bring the heat like I thought it was. Just a good not too spicy beer. The secret beer? Dill. The 505 with a splash of pickle juice....served with a small cut of a pickle spear. The Sexi Meexi was good and tasted like your big brand Mexican lagers. It was truly delightful getting to chat up Matthew and Chris about Brew Lab, some MN brewery related laws and just any of the things. A few of the beers will definitely be up a HopHead's palate than mine. I was glad I got to try them. I appreciated Chris' assist when he handed me the flight, just in tap list order and I asked: but what order would you drink these in? I scoffed when he put the flight down and said I may not like the Wicked Pissah since it's an IPA. I replied: but it's NE and Hazy, two styles I do like! However the bitter IPA was dominant in the brew so it wasn't bad but as he thought, not really my jam. Thanks for a very informative and fun inaugural visit Brew Lab 101!

Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, this Breaking Bad inspired brewery has a vibe that truly checks out. The staff here are incredibly friendly and make you feel right at home. My husband and I had the opportunity to speak with the owner, who was exceptionally welcoming and open to feedback, whether good or bad. The beers, particularly the '505'—a Mexican lager with chili, lime, and salt—are to die for. The queso is amazing too! Both the queso and salsa are prepared in-house every day. I highly recommend this spot to everyone; it's quickly become one of our new favorite places in Minneapolis.

Cool brewery with a chemistry lab theme. They have a good selection of beers but the Mexican lagers are the most unique. Definitely try the pretzel and queso.

I hate to break the streak of 5’s. They had 4 lagers and the wife liked the one with a pickle. They had one Wit, 2 IPAs and a Coconut Stout. I prefer Ales but not IPA’s. It is a very nice place but the selections did not match my tastes.

Great spot to visit in Minneapolis. Excellent hospitality to accompany the drink options. Plus the flights offer a lovely experience, as well. Matthew, you're a scholar and gentleman. 🙏

The bartenders here are so awesome and super nice. They really make you feel welcome. They have some really fun and interesting beers to try and since I’m not much of a drinker, I love that they have plenty of options for custom NA sodas, that aren’t too sweet. Their prices are also pretty reasonable and include tip which is so refreshing. We’ve been going to trivia on Tuesday nights the past couple of weeks and it’s been a great time!

Great place to hang out! Friendly staff, nice ambiance, and excellent beer.

I FINALLY made it to the new(er) brewery in the Twin Cities, Brew Lab 101. This is a second location of the brewery, the first being in New Mexico. They are bringing that south of the border flair with them with Mexican Food and beers that pair well with the spices. I had a flight of a handful of their beers to see what is going on in this small brewery. Sexi NuMexi: A Mexican Lager that is light bodied and subtle, but has a nice sweetness on the finish that clings to the palate in just the right way. Ope: An India Pale Ale that they call a "Midwest-Style IPA". Super drinkable with a nice malty backbone that is heavier in caramel and biscuit flavors than the Hazys and West Coast styles that are predominantly making it around the States. 505: A Mexican Lager dosed with Chile, Lime, and Salt. I don't get a lot of salinity or lime, but there is a mild chile flavor on the finish that leaves as fast as it comes - which is exactly what you want from a Chile beer. Pressure Drop: A Coconut Milk Stout with some sweet coconut flavors that are not punching you in the mouth, but just enough to keep you interested. _________

NEW HIDDEN GEM! We stopped by as a pregame to the Timberwolves game on Easter! There was hardly anyone there, but the holiday likely played into that. We loved the homey vibe and the staff was TOP-TIER, letting us sample everything while being friendly and fun to talk to! The beers were killer! I love a good Mexican lager, and they had 3! One was dill Pickle flavored, and the other green chili flavored. Don't knock them til you try them!! I can tell they will continue to have fun flavors on their menu and I'm here for it! They also had a plethora of seltzers and sodas to try for the non-beer people in your group! There were board games, TVs, and a fuseball table for entertainment! We ordered nachos and sliders, too. They were tasty but small, I'll probably stick to just drinking when here. They're located downtown so of course parking isn't awesome, but oh well. Their sign/entrance can be hard to spot too - they're on 4th street right between Hennepin and 1st Ave! 2 blocks from Target Center! Overall 10/10 will visit again and you should too next time you're downtown!

Minneapolis' newest brewery has opened! Brew Lab 101 has taken over in the former Clockwerks space in downtown Minneapolis. The space is bright, open, and relaxing with modern lighting, exposed brewing equipment, and a fun downtown Minneapolis skyline painting on the back wall. I popped in on a Monday evening durning the soft opening. The place was quiet as it is still very new and not well known, if known at all. Every single one of the staff/owners were incredible. Super friendly and fun. Tons of passion and love for beer. I ordered a number of beers and was pleasantly surprised for a new brewery. I especially enjoyed the 505 Green Chili Mexican Lager. They also offer up some small bites including authentic Green Hatch Chili Stew, queso, pizzas, and soft pretzels. The stew is legitimately some of the best I have ever had. I am going to say it again, best I have ever had. It alone is worth a visit. Definitely check out this new brewery. Have a few pints and a bite to eat.

Really enjoyed the open space and very eclectic selection of local brews. They offered a tour of the brewing area in the basement but we decided to indulge next time. The space was really open with a ton of board games, a couple of which we enjoyed while we spent about 3 hours with friends sampling their beers.

With holiday free parking Monday I stopped in. Chatting up beertender Chris I asked when they opened? They had their soft open on Friday, 16 February and their grand opening will be 13 March. There's a sandwich board sign on the corner... but the tap room signage isn't great so they're a couple doors from the corner....look for the 25 above the door and the small BL in the corner of the window to the right of the door. They're in the old Clockwerks space...which I had only been in in a couple times and that was in 2017. Chris said they painted the bar top. I like that the west wall was black but they had painted or chalked brewing murals on it. The tap room is standard height tables...yeah! The padded bar stools are comfortable and a good height so you don't have to climb up on them! The tap list is in the upper NE corner near the front window. When I told Chris thank you and that I just returned from a metro area that only had QR codes he replied that that is where they are headed. They also had a few food items menu next to the beer menu. Along the west wall there is a shuffleboard table and fooseball table. When I went to the restroom and headed back to the bar I spotted shelves of board games.....if you were hoping for some of that action. In the center of the tables is a Erlenmeyer Flask w chalk in it. The flight pours are in little beakers. It wasn't too busy @ 2:00 open on a Monday so I was able to chat up friendly and informative beertender Chris. He told me their brewer is from Earth Rider. Shortly later another fellow appeared behind the bar so I asked if he was the brewer? He was not he was the delightfully informative tap room manager Matthew. It was great chatting him up about New Mexico and brewing there, where Brew Lab 101 originated. A lot of beery knowledge was shared yesterday.....thanks Matthew! I like the large open space and only having the north wall as windows, a lot of light was there. You can't miss the skyline silhouette mural on the south wall. There are currently seven beers on tap. Chris said if I wanted to taste everything, so two flights of four, he would pour what was listed and add in one secret beer that wasn't listed. I opted for this route. After making it through about six tasters I was getting really full so I didn't order a pint of everything. I'm happy to report they do offer 10 oz tulip pours if you choose not to opt for a full pint! Surprisingly for seven beers on tap, no sours. I'm ok with it but was just really surprised. I was most intrigued with the 505, the Green Chile Mexican Lager. It was delicious and didn't bring the heat like I thought it would. Just a good not too spicy beer. The secret beer? Dill. The 505 with a splash of pickle juice....served with a small cut of a pickle spear. The Sexi Meexi was good and tasted like your big brand Mexican lagers. It was truly delightful getting to chat up Matthew and Chris about Brew Lab, some MN brewery related laws and just any of the things. A few of the beers will definitely be up a HopHead's palate more than mine. I was glad I got to try them. I appreciated Chris' assist when he handed me the flight, just in tap list order and I asked: but what order would you drink these in? I scoffed when he put the flight down and said I may not like the Wicked Pissah since it's an IPA. I replied: but it's NE and Hazy, two styles I do like! However the bitter IPA was dominant in the brew so it wasn't bad but as he thought, not really my jam. After I tabbed out I asked Chris "did I not see somewhere to tip you on that?" Chris said I did not, the 20% service fee is built in. I just checked my receipt...he was corect; O was charged $9.00 for each flight and a $3.60 service fee. Thanks for a very informative and fun inaugural visit Brew Lab 101!

Brew Lab 101 MN was amazing. The environment was inviting, the beer was great and the staff was super friendly. Can't wait to go back! Michelle