Gin · Minnesota
Gin Distilleries in Minnesota
Tour 5 gin distilleries in Minnesota. Each offers visits, tastings or experiences you can book directly — including Du Nord Social Spirits, Norseman Distillery, Copperwing Distillery.
5distilleries
Du Nord Social Spirits
Minneapolis gin, vodka and bourbon with a social heart
Wander North Distillery
Local-malt small-batch spirits in northeast Minneapolis
About gin distilleries in Minnesota
Minnesota's gin makers sit at the heart of a craft-spirits revival that took off in the early 2010s, when a new generation of Twin Cities distilleries began turning local grain and northern botanicals into characterful spirits. Gin suits the state's small-batch, ingredient-led ethos especially well, because it rewards experimentation: a still, a base spirit and a botanical bill leave plenty of room for a distiller's signature. Northeast Minneapolis has become the unofficial hub, with Norseman Distillery, the city's first legal distillery, helping set the template, joined by Wander North Distillery and Du Nord Social Spirits. Out in Northfield, Loon Liquors brings a farm-leaning, organic sensibility, while Copperwing in St Louis Park rounds out the metro scene. Across these producers you will find everything from bright, classic London-style gins to bolder, navy-strength and flavour-forward expressions, such as the fruit-driven gins Norseman has become known for. For visitors, the appeal is concentration and personality: most of these distilleries pour in welcoming cocktail rooms, often within easy reach of one another, so a self-guided Minnesota gin crawl is genuinely achievable in a single day.
What makes gin here special
Minnesota gin is shaped by two things: a strong local-ingredient culture and a willingness to push beyond the classic juniper template. Norseman, the first legal distillery in Minneapolis, leans into local sourcing and small batches, and is known for both a robust, higher-proof gin and fruit-forward expressions such as a strawberry rhubarb gin that earned national attention. Wander North takes an exploratory route, working across infused spirits and bitters as well as gin, while Loon Liquors out in Northfield brings an organic, farm-minded approach. The shared thread is that these are hands-on operations where the distiller's choices are tasted directly, not smoothed out at industrial scale. That makes Minnesota a rewarding place to understand how botanical balance actually works, because you can compare a clean, juniper-led gin against something fruitier or stronger within the same afternoon, often poured by someone who helped make it.
What to expect from a gin tasting
Most Minnesota gin tastings happen in cocktail rooms rather than formal tour halls, which sets a relaxed, bar-like tone. Expect to try gin both neat or over ice and built into cocktails, since seeing a gin in a martini or a gin and tonic reveals far more than a single sip. Flights are common and often pair a flagship dry gin against seasonal or higher-proof variants. Because these are small producers, you will regularly encounter limited runs and barrel-rested or flavoured gins that only sell on site. Distilleries clustered in Northeast Minneapolis, including Norseman and Wander North, make it easy to taste several styles in one trip, while Du Nord adds a community-minded social-spirits angle. Staff are typically happy to talk through the botanical bill, so it is worth asking what gives each gin its character.
Planning your visit
The Twin Cities make a Minnesota gin trip refreshingly compact. The densest cluster is in Northeast Minneapolis, where Norseman, Wander North and others sit close enough to walk or share a short ride between, making a single-day gin crawl very doable, ideally with a designated driver or rideshare. Du Nord is also in the metro, while Copperwing lies just west in St Louis Park. For a change of pace, Loon Liquors in Northfield is about an hour south and pairs well with a wider day out. Cocktail-room hours skew toward afternoons and evenings, often with limited daytime opening, so check schedules before setting off and confirm whether any tours need booking. Weekends are liveliest; a weekday visit is calmer if you want time to talk to the makers and take home a bottle of something you cannot find elsewhere.
Frequently asked
- Where is the best area for a Minnesota gin crawl?
- Northeast Minneapolis is the hub, with Norseman Distillery, Wander North and others within close range of each other, so you can taste several gins in one afternoon. Du Nord is also in the metro, Copperwing sits in St Louis Park, and Loon Liquors is about an hour south in Northfield.
- What styles of gin will I find?
- A real range, from clean, classic London-style dry gins to bolder navy-strength and flavour-forward expressions. Norseman, for instance, is known both for a higher-proof gin and for fruit-driven gins such as strawberry rhubarb, while others explore infused and barrel-rested variants.
- Are the distilleries also cocktail bars?
- Largely, yes. Minnesota's gin producers typically pour in cocktail rooms, so you can try a gin neat and then in a cocktail. Tasting it built into a drink is one of the best ways to judge how a gin actually performs.
- Can I buy bottles to take home?
- Usually, and it is often the only way to get limited or seasonal gins that never reach wider distribution. If you taste something unusual on a visit, plan to buy it on the spot.
- Do I need to book ahead?
- Cocktail rooms often welcome walk-ins, but hours can be limited to afternoons and evenings, and any guided tours may need booking. Check each distillery's current schedule before you go, especially on weekdays.
- How should I get around between distilleries?
- Because tastings involve alcohol, plan for a designated driver or use rideshare, particularly in Northeast Minneapolis where several distilleries sit close together and a walking-and-riding route works well.