Photos: The beer, brewers and brewpubs of Minnesota

1

Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, USA — Surly Brewing Co. owner Omar Ansari said he waited a couple of years after starting his brewery to get the Surly logo tattooed on his arm because he wanted to make sure the business was going to be successful. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

2

Brooklyn Center, Minn., USA — Surly tour coordinator Keith Doten directs patrons from the sample room back to the brewery at Surly Brewing Co. in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

3

Duluth, MN, USA — Jason Krause of Duluth, Minn. empties tanks at Fitger's Brewhouse in Duluth. Krause was emptying one tank of root beer into the serving tank behind him to the right. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

4

BEMIDJI, Minn. — Two of the different beers the Bemidji Brewing Company have produced, a dry hopped pale ale (lighter of the two) and a robust oak aged porter (darker of the two). (Photo by John Heller for MPR) link to this photo

5

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA — Harriet Brewing owner Jason Sowards, left, and Ben Kubes load kegs for delivery around the Twin Cities on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 at the Minneapolis microbrewery. (MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson) link to this photo

6

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA — Construction continues Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 on the building at Central Avenue and Broadway Street NE that will house 612Brew's taproom and brewery. (MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson) link to this photo

7

The taps at 612Brew will include four beers, with one, a black ale called Zero Hour, available exclusively at the 612Brew taproom, Broadway Street and Central Avenue NE. The first batches of beer were being brewed Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the space which is still under construction, but will open in February. (MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson) link to this photo

8

612Brew co-founders Robert Kasak, left, and Ryan Libby clean up after sanitizing a fermenting tank Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the brewery and taproom set to open next month. The first batches of beers were being brewed over the weekend. (MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson) link to this photo

9

Adam Schill, the brewer at 612Brew, checks the clarity of the first batch of a pale ale called SIX on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the soon-to-open brewery and taproom at Broadway Street and Central Avenue NE in Minneapolis. (MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson) link to this photo

10

A batch of 612Brew's pale ale, called SIX, being brewed Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the new taproom and brewery in northeast Minneapolis. (MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson) link to this photo

11

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA — Dangerous Man Brewing Co. owner Rob Miller fills a growler while chatting with a colleague in Minneapolis, Minn. Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Dangerous Man Brewing Co., one of several new breweries opening around the state, is able to sell beer from its taproom because of Miller's work with Minneapolis City Hall to strike down a regulation banning breweries near churches. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

12

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA — Peter Campbell smells a sample of the Dangerous Man Brewing Co. IPA in Minneapolis, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Dangerous Man will initially offer four beers, served in either pints or growlers, when it opens later in Jan., 2013. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

13

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA — Dangerous Man Brewing Co. owner Rob Miller fills a growler at the Minneapolis brewery Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Dangerous Man Brewing Co., one of several new micro breweries opening around the state, will only sell its beer in the brewery's taproom. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

14

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA — Sarah Bonvallet labels growlers of beer at Dangerous Man Brewing Co. in Minneapolis, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

15

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA — Fermenting and serving tanks are used in the brewing process at Dangerous Man Brewing Co. in Minneapolis, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

16

With freshly brewed beer in front of him, Borealis Fermentery brewer and owner Ken Thiemann talks about running a small brewing operation Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at his home and brewery in Knife River, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo