Surly Brewing Co.

Surly Brewing is the Minneapolis craft brewery that helped change Minnesota law to allow breweries to sell directly on-site — previously prohibited since Prohibition — and its destination brewery opened in 2014 in a purpose-built complex in the Prospect Park neighbourhood. The beer hall seats 300 people, there is a large patio, and the brewing operation is visible through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The beer range covers IPAs, stouts, wheat beers, and seasonal specialties, all brewed on-site. The most celebrated is Furious, an amber ale with assertive hopping that has won regional and national awards. The food — sandwiches, burgers, smoked meats — is above average for a brewery destination. Busy on weekend afternoons; the best time to visit is a weekday evening.

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A story
Omar Ansari founded Surly in 2005 and faced a Minnesota law that prohibited breweries from selling pints directly to customers on-site. His lobbying effort to change the law — joined by every other Minnesota craft brewer — resulted in what the industry called the "Surly Bill," passed in 2011, which allowed brewpubs to sell direct to consumers for the first time since Prohibition. The taproom opened in 2014 and is now one of the most visited destinations in the Minneapolis metropolitan area.