Beer Walk: Able Seedhouse + Brewery

After a stretch of cold, windy days, my husband Scott and I were thrilled to see that Sunday, April 10 was forecasted to be sunny and between 40 and 50 degrees. Perfect weather for another beer walk after having so much fun on our Wabasha Brewing Company walk. This time we chose to walk to Northeast Minneapolis, where there is a large concentration of breweries. Once again, this walk proved that getting there is half the fun!

Walk Stats

• Distance: 9.8 miles
• Elapsed time: 4 hours 11 minutes including 1 hour at the brewery
• Moving time: 3 hours and 11 minutes

The Destination and Route

Walk location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Walk destination: Able Seedhouse + Brewery, 1121 Quincy St NE, Minneapolis, MN

Caught My Eye Along the Way

From Minnehaha Parkway, we walked north on Dupont Avenue South a street lined with large homes. One in particular has always stood out to me because it looks like it sits sideways on its lot.

A couple of political lawn signs stood out to me.

I love taking note of how much building styles have changed over the years. The amount of detail that went into buildings like 3426 Girard Avenue South in Minneapolis is incredible and seems unfathomable today. Has anyone been inside one of these buildings in the CARAG neighborhood? They’re sprinkled throughout.

When we walked through a temporary covered sidewalk on Lagoon Avenue, I felt like I was in a grounded skyway. I’m not going to lie – in a rainstorm, this is where I’d like to be walking.

After walking along the eastern edge of Lake of the Isles, we walked through Lowry Hill neighborhood along Waverly Place and Kenwood Parkway. We walk in this area quite a bit because the winding streets make me feel like I’m in a different city. This time around, we spotted a small home that is surrounded by much larger homes. Thanks to Zillow, I know a bit more about it!

Old school buildings always catch my eye. After our walk, I read a bit about the history of both The Blake School and Dunwoody College of Technology. I’d love to take an architecture class focused on school buildings. Someone, please make that happen!

I love watching people take photos in front of Spoonbridge and Cherry at Walker Art Center’s Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. I’ve taken many myself but now I try to capture the action surrounding the sculpture.

When I walked by the Basilica of St. Mary, a sign advertising “Blessing of the Wheels” got my attention. The event description states “If it rolls, we’ll bless it! … Individuals from all faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs are invited to receive this blessing for a safe year on the road.”

I love snapping photos of beautiful old buildings and then learning later that they have been designated as historically significant. Such is the case for Swinford Townhouses and Apartments. Built in 1886, this red beauty on Hawthorn Avenue North used to overlook a beautiful park. Now Interstate 394 is just steps away. The Historic Swinfords are now part of Laurel Village and can be rented.

As we approached the core of downtown Minneapolis, I was reminded once again how much I hate surface lots surrounding our downtown. Related: Dark Souls III.

When walking, remember to look up. You may find an interesting detail from a new perspective.

Anyone know the history or purpose behind this tiny skyway?

It’s hard to see but someone has painted “HEAVY METAL” on the train tracks on Nicollet Island.

A little after 1:30 p.m., we arrived at Able Seedhouse + Brewery. 1121 Quincy is a handsome building with a lot of space for indoor and outdoor fun. Though I don’t have a personal memory of the building before the brewery, this Star Tribune article gives an idea of the improvement made.

Scott started with a half pint of House Red (American Red Ale) followed by a First Light (American IPA) and I had BLK WLF (Stout) on nitro.

Bonus Stops & Bike Ride

When we’re in Northeast Minneapolis, it’s nearly impossible for us to stop at one brewery. There are so many great restaurants and breweries clustered together that you can make a day out of exploring several. In the past we’ve walked to as many as three in a day.

We decided to continue exploring the area and walk to Dangerous Man. On the way, we walked past Indeed Brewing Company, reminding us that next time we should just stay the weekend.

It was after 2:30 p.m. and we hadn’t eaten so we stopped at The Anchor Fish & Chips which manages to transport me from 13th Avenue northeast to a coastal town.

Dangerous Man is a popular hangout and now has a growler shop next door where you can get their tasty brews to go or stock up on your bearded swag. I had a peanut butter porter and Scott had a Hop Hash Double IPA.

I love all of the bright colors you’ll find throughout the Northeast Arts District. House colors, sculptures, and murals all weave an interesting landscape for the neighborhood. An urban walker’s paradise.

One thing that was different about this beer walk is that we supplemented it with a bike ride thanks to Nice Ride. I am participating in 30 Days of Biking so I wanted to explore northeast on two wheels. Bike sharing makes that so easy and there are several stations throughout this part of Minneapolis. After we rode to 56 Brewing only to discover it is not open on Sundays (we’ll be back!), we rode to St. Anthony Main. After a stroll around that area, we took a Car2Go home.

Grab a cold one and join me in the comments

• What typically catches your eye when you’re on a walk?
• What’s your favorite walking or biking destination?
• Have you ever gone on a walking or biking brewery tour?
• Want to attend a streets.mn brewery meetup?