Where’s the best spot to throw back a juicy-tart, barrel-aged saison made with black lime and cardamom? Gathered around a fire pit at The Lot, Indeed Brewing Company’s parking lot turned winter beer garden.
Team Minnevangelist isn’t comfortable drinking indoors yet, even at 50 percent capacity, so we bundled up like we were filming an Antarctica documentary, grabbed some catfish po’boys from nearby Dipped and Debris, and headed to The Lot to brave last night’s 4 degrees chill 🥶. A maximum of four guests are allowed to sit at each of The Lot’s tented outdoor tables, and the seats are spaced far enough apart to maintain adequate social distancing between groups. We lasted almost two hours in the freezing cold, and could’ve stayed longer if we’d stuck some HotHands inside our boots. (Meh, who needs toes?)
The Lot was recently closed due to dangerously low temps, but now that it’s reopened and taking reservations, we recommend ordering a Beer Brûlée. Servers dip a red-hot poker into your mug for about 10 seconds, making the beer all hot and foamy and roasty-toasty like campfire marshmallows. It’s a special treat that goes particularly well with the brewery’s darker, sweeter malts: Chai Velvet, Pistachio Cream Ale, Cerveza de Horchata, etc. 🍺🔥
Of course, you don’t have to be as hardy—or foolhardy—as us to experience Indeed’s Beerland, a.k.a. the Hoppiest Place on Earth. The taproom has reconfigured its Northeast space to include three other indoor drinking areas, with a fourth one — inside the milling room — on the way. The Den, located on the brewery’s loading dock, is a good hybrid option for folks wary of drinking in the main taproom. Note: Days and hours for each section vary but all require 90-minute bookings, so no walking in off the street like you own the joint!
Indeed Brewing Company
711 NE 15th Ave., Minneapolis, MN; 612-843-5090.