The state’s largest cider house — Number 12 Cider, a 7,000-square-foot space with soaring ceilings and a warm urban-farmhouse feel — sits in the shadows of Target Field. It’s a one-minute walk to North Loop neighbors Fulton Brewing and Inbound BrewCo, making a pre- or post-game bar crawl a no-brainer for Twins fans.
Our preference, however, is to visit on non-game nights. Especially toward the top of the week, when Number 12’s patio is peaceful enough to savor a dry or semi-sweet flight alongside a wood-fired pizza from Little Tomato. Part of cidery co-owners Steve Hance and Colin Post’s business plan from get-go, the brick-oven food truck is a permanent fixture.
We really dig Little Tomato’s delicately charred take on thin-crust pizza. If you’re in the mood for meat, give the Steve a go. It’s piled up with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives. We can also vouch for the Turk, a riff on Turkish pide that starts with a gob of butter and goes full cardiac arrest with mozzarella, goat cheese, fontina, and a sunny-side-up egg.
As for Number 12’s ciders, Hance and Post emphasize the wine-like character of apples that have been sourced primarily from Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The Connell Reds, Chestnut Crabs, Honeycrisps, and Cortlands are processed on a wooden press visible through a window at the back of the bar. A handful of the 16 taps benefit from other fruit notes, too (Montmorency cherries, pomegranate, black currant), locally sourced Bare Honey, and/or bourbon barrel-aging. It’s hard to go wrong with four pours on a $12 flight. 🍎❤️🍏💚
Number 12 Cider and Little Tomato
614 N. 5th St., Minneapolis, MN; 612-568-6171.
