I think it’s safe to say that microbreweries and wineries are gaining more popularity. Thankfully, we have some of the best wineries, breweries, and cideries in the Midwest! No need to travel to the metropolitan areas. From Minnesota to Wisconsin, & Iowa we are full of great places to grab a drink, enjoy a brew or wine, and relax! Check them out!
Iowa
7 Hills Brewing Co
1085 Washington St Dubuque
Located in a historic industrial part of Dubuque is 7 Hills Brewing Co. An open, modern, and friendly setting just makes this brew pub that much better. The food is delicious, the staff super helpful, and the brews delicious! Go for the french fries and Millworx Mule, which is a ginger beer with lime, AND it’s gluten-free!
Covered Bridges Winery
2207 170th Trail - Winterset, Iowa
Madison County, Iowa, is home to the Covered Bridges and its home to Covered Bridges Winery. The owners started their wine making as a hobby and over 10 years later, it’s a booming business with wine that is winning all sorts of awards! They not only serve up delicious wine, but frequently offer live music, yoga, and more to make your experience top notch! Add in a beautiful building and we guarantee you’ll love your time relaxing in rural Madison County.
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Tellurian Brewing
100 South Main Street - Charles City, Iowa
Located along the Cedar River near downtown Charles City Tellurian offers indoor and outdoor seating. They brew their own beer and frequently have food trucks onsite which offers a super relaxing feel. They also offer clean-up events (with free beer), group runs ending with beer, and other great events! I personally love their Mango Selzer. I also recommend visiting on a night when Cedar Valley Ex-Press is on site! (My favorite food truck, which offers several gluten-free items!)
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Tassel Ridge Winery
1681 220th Street - Leighton, Iowa
Located on a gravel road near Pella, you’ll find Tassel Ridge Winery. Not only do they offer tastings of their Iowa grape grown wines, but also have board games available for folks to play, snacks, gifts, and more! They have a wide variety of wines including dry wines, white wines, dessert wines, and fruit wines! We recommend enjoying their chocolate and wine pairings! Delicious!
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Shiny Top Brewing
520 Central Ave - Fort Dodge, Iowa
Downtown Fort Dodge, you’ll find Shiny Top Brewing. Their store front looks like a regular restaurant and that’s even what you’ll find when you step inside, but what isn’t regular is their beer and pizza! They offer a variety of brews and some of the best pizza I’ve ever had! It’s a must stop when you’re in the area.
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Convergence CiderWorks
302 Washington St - Decorah, Iowa
Downtown Decorah in an unassuming building you’ll find delicious Cider is a new joint! Convergence CiderWorks has not only renovated this building into a beautiful home, but they are also serving up delicious ciders and partnering with several local producers! The thing I loved most about Convergence brews were that they weren’t too sweet and syrupy….plus the folks were super friendly and helpful! A bonus is their offerings of fresh and unique small plates, appetizers, and snacks!
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Little Swan Lake Winery
1350 320th Ave - Estherville, Iowa
Live music, bison, delicious snacks, and great wine…it doesn’t get much better than that and it’s exactly what you’ll find at Little Swan Lake Winery outside of Estherville, Iowa. Not only is this one of the best places to spend a Saturday night in the area with friends, but if you don’t want to worry about drinking and driving, book a room in their bed and breakfast!
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Fishback & Stephenson Cider House
1949 Pleasant Plain Rd - Fairfield, IA
Enjoy the beautiful view at Fishback & Stephenson Cider House, the delicious food, and variety of cider! Breweries are fun, but Cideries are now popping up all over and this is one of my favorites. It’s a great place to grab a snack (I recommend the green beans) and a flight of ciders so you can try several, but if you just want one glass, go for First Crush!
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Danish Countryside Vines & Wines
1425 Littlefield Drive - Exira, Iowa
Developed in an old barn, you’ll find Danish Countryside Vines & Wines located between Exira & Elk Horn, Iowa. Owner Loren is passionate about his wine and his community! Not only is he happy to share the process with anyone willing to listen, he’s brewing delicious wines, and building a community around his winery like events called Danestock, which is a weekend event jam packed with live music, culture, and delicious food!
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Limestone Brewers
518 Main St - Osage, Iowa
Located downtown Osage in a converted garage, you’ll find one of the friendliest local breweries in Iowa! The people at Limestone Brewers are the nicest, the pizza is delicious, and the beer is the coldest and some of the best around! My favorite?! The Devil’s Punch Bowl!
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Toppling Goliath
1600 Prosperity Rd - Decorah, Iowa
Don’t be deceived by the industrial location of this Decorah based brewery. Inside Toppling Goliath you’ll find a great dinning room and brew pub that offers a large variety of brews and hard seltzers. They also have a menu of delicious salads, sandwiches, wraps, and pizzas!
Madison County Winery
3021 Saint Charles Rd - Saint Charles, Iowa
Tucked into the side of a hill in rural Madison County, you’ll find a fun spot to spend an evening or afternoon. Wine, locally brewed beer, wine slushies, fire pits, bags, lots of relaxed seating, and more will make your time in Madison County a fun one.
Textile Brewing Company
146 2nd St. NE - Dyersville, Iowa
Located in a historic building in Dyersville, Iowa is one of the coolest tap rooms I’ve ever seen! Textile Brewing Company is housed in a former gasoline engine factory and sewing factory building. They’ve done an immaculate job renovating it to a beautiful taproom featuring their beers, which are equally delicious!
River Hops Brewing
1014 Central Ave - Fort Dodge, Iowa
Downtown, you’ll find a sweet little brewery that is not only a beautiful building offering board games to enjoy with a group, but live music, and of course delicious beers! River Hops Brewing offers cold beer in a wide variety so every drinker can find something they like! We loved the Oxbow Orange & Lemon Lager.
Minnesota
Gravity Storm Brewery
309 Main St. N - Austin, Minnesota
Downtown Austin is home to Gravity Storm Brewery which is a cooperatively owned microbrewery! They offer flights, growlers, and at least 8 microbrews on tap! If you love a laid back feeling then this is the tap room for you! Plus…complimentary popcorn!
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Schells Brewing Co
1860 Schell's Rd - New Ulm, Minnesota
Schells Brewing Company is exactly a microbrewery, but it’s such a fun stop in New Ulm that you need to put it on your list! They may have labels that are shipped all over the country, but the brewery in New Ulm still has a small feel. Take the tour, catch a glimpse of the resident peacocks, and enjoy a taste test! Then, enjoy their beer garden!
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Angry Hog Brewery & Taproom
500 23rd Ave. NW - Austin, Minnesota
Located on the edge of Austin, you’ll find an unassuming brewery & taproom called Angry Hog. Enjoy table and chairs inside or the patio outdoors. One of the most unique features of Angry Hog is their option to add fruit puree to any of their brews and customize your beer! Grab a flight and enjoy a quiet night!
Morgan Creek Vineyards
23707 478th Ave - New Ulm, Minnesota
A winery with delicious food and a beautiful setting is what you’ll experience at Morgan Creek Vineyards, rural New Ulm. They not only have a beautiful tasting & dining room, but also outdoor seating with a firepit, live music, and more! Enjoy a flight of wine, a glass, or even a bottle! They offer exclusive dining experiences that are unique. Make a reservation today!
Foremost Brewing Cooperative
131 W. Broadway St - Owatonna, Minnesota
In downtown Owatonna, Minnesota, Foremost Brewing Cooperative is doing things a little different. This brewery was started with a group of folks who wanted to see downtown Owatonna thrive. They developed a cooperative for their brewery. Now, they offer delicious beers (like the Dark Sweet Cherry Sour) and yummy food! They are serving up a wide menu of Ales, IPA’s, Stouts, Sours, & Seltzer. If you’re hungry they offer shareable apps, salads & grain bowls, paninis, sandwiches, wraps, & flat breads! You won’t be hungry long! Add great beer & good food in with a beautifully restore building and it’s a great place to spend some time!
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Sylvan Brewing
100 Beacon Street West - Lanseboro, MN
After a long day of biking along the Root River State Trail that runs adjacent to Lanesboro, nothing is better than a cool brew. Luckily for folks visiting this southern Minnesota town, you’ll find Sylvan Brewing. This small town brewery is serving up their delicious brews in a renovated grain elevator and it’s been so well done, maintaining the history while making it functional. Even better than the location….is the delicious beer! I’m a huge fan of sours, so I was super excited to find three sours on tap during our visit: a margarita sour, Amaretto Sour, and Cran-Orange Sour.
While they were all delicious, both T & I fell in love with the Cran-Orange Sour. Thankfully, these sours are a happy medium of sweet & sour. Don’t worry, if you’re not a sour fan, they have plenty of other options like Willow, which is a Citrus Wheat Ale, and Lanesbrew, an American Lager. Live music, a food truck, indoor & outdoor seating and you’ll enjoy a visit.
Wisconsin
Maiden Rock Apples Winery & Cidery
W12266 King Lane - Stockholm, Wisconsin
Visit Maiden Rock for the Apples or wine, stay for the Cider! This rural Wisconsin establishment (located near the Great River Road) is a great place to visit. Learn about the different types of apples they grow and why. Taste test cider, wine, and snacks. Shop their marketplace or grab a drink and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. They also offer tours and special events.
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Potosi Brew Pub
209 S Main Street - Potosi, Wisconsin
A drive to Potosi Brew Pub is worth it! This historic brewery nestled in the super small town of Potosi offers the ABA National Brewery Museum and Great River Road Interpretive Center. Enjoy a meal in their Brew Pub along with a 6 brew flight or enjoy one of their events. Across the street, find Potosi Winery Tasting Room, candy shop, ice cream shop, and more!
Visit the Best Wineries, Breweries, & Cideries in the Midwest
Well, there you have it! Our favorite wineries, breweries, and cideries in the Midwest. We love visiting them, we love checking out each of their individual vibes, and trying their creations! We think you’ll love them too! Want our FREE EXCLUSIVE breweries, wineries, & cideries checklist?! Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to get it!
Post Updated: 8/30/2023
