As it turns out, the ranch dressing-flavored beer wasn’t the worst one we tried at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.

Our usual merry band of tasters worked our way through 65 of the 75 official new alcoholic beverages on day two of the Fair. We didn’t make it to a few places, and a few beverages were already sold out on day one! I guess that record attendance level had some implications.

Although it did seem like many beer-makers dialed back the sweetness and offered some actual beer-flavored beers, there’s still plenty of too-sweet, artificially fruity nonsense out there.

We order one of each beer and take a few sips apiece (aided by tiny cups for sampling, because we’re nothing if not sanitary).

Here are our reviews, helpfully sorted by location, and in the order we tasted them. That’s important because we tend to get more punchy as the day goes on and we’re stuck trying yet another too-sweet slushy.Ball Park Cafe

On the east side of Underwood Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

Homer Black Pepper IPA: I was so excited for this beer. I’ve never had a black peppercorn beer, and it seems like such a no-brainer when you think about it! Unfortunately, we did not detect much black pepper flavor. It had a pleasant citrus-pith bitterness, though, and one of our tasters hit the mark when he said, “This might be the least annoying beer we drink all day.” 7% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Surly Brewing Co.

Rare Candy Pink Lemonade Sour: This is a true sour beer, with a little bit of a wild, barnyardy flavor. But it’s also very sweet. We’re not sure we loved those things together. “It doesn’t know what it wants to be,” one taster correctly noted. 5% ABV; brewed in Champlin by Elm Creek Brewing Co.

Tropic North: This fruit wheat ale is supposedly made with pink guava, prickly pear and tangerine, but to us, it tasted way more of bitter grapefruit. “It’s your grandpa’s grapefruit with no sugar on top, scraped all the way down to the pith,” one taster said. Despite all that, we liked it! 5% ABV; brewed in Spring Park by Back Channel Brewing Co.

Tigers Blood Cider: This probably did have real strawberry juice, crushed watermelon and a subtle touch of coconut. But all we were getting was Hawaiian Punch. A whole one would definitely give me gut rot, but if you like a super-sweet cider or Capri Sun pouches, this is for you. 5.9% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Shanghai Henri’s

At the International Bazaar, north section

Midway Sparkling Ale: This light and refreshing beer supposedly had a lemon-lime kick to it, but we did not detect much citrus. That being said, I could definitely crush a whole one, and I loved the fine carbonation. 4.9% ABV, 25 IBUs; brewed in St. Paul by Summit Brewing Company.

Key Lime Colada Slushie: This very coconutty concoction was our first of many slushies, and those of us who love coconut were pleased. You can really taste the key lime, too! The sweetness is restrained enough that this would be great on a sweltering day. One taster said, “I would definitely drink this on the beach!” (Gluten-free) 5.9% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Aldo’s Burgers, Sabino’s Pizza Pies, Rooted & Wild by Snack House and Swine & Spuds

In the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum

Tropical Fruit West Coast IPA: At Rooted & Wild by Snack House in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, this beer is what a fruity IPA should be. There are too many fruits in this beer to pick out any of them while tasting, but the end result is balanced, juicy and bitter at the same time. “That’s just plain good,” one taster said. 7% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

Old Ranch Hand: At Sabino’s Pizza Pies and Rooted & Wild by Snack House in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. This was a cry for the attention of Minnesota ranch lovers (I just learned Nebraska consumes the most ranch dressing per capita, and I’m having a hard time believing it), and I guess it worked. Honestly, I expected it to be worse than it was! That being said, I’d never drink a whole one, and the ranch salt on the rim was criminally gross. Here are some taster’s notes: “That tastes like a sour cream and onion potato chip, and not in a good way.” “They filtered that through a chive field.” And my favorite, “Bring Prohibition back.” 5% ABV; brewed in St. Paul by Dual Citizen Brewing Company.

Paloma Seltzer Slushie: At Swine & Spuds in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. We wanted to know where the grapefruit was in this watery slushie, that I guess offers some hydration if nothing else. 5% ABV; brewed in Hastings by Spiral Brewery.

Dill Pickle Seltzer: At Swine & Spuds in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum. Even the pickle lovers couldn’t get behind the idea of drinking a whole one of these. “That’s just straight-up pickle brine,” one taster correctly noted. 5% ABV. Brewed in Hastings by Spiral Brewery.

The Blue Barn

At West End Market, south of the History and Heritage Center

Hugo Spritz: This genuinely tastes like the elderflower and prosecco drink that the New York Times declared the drink of the summer. And many of us would order and drink a whole one. “It actually tastes like a cocktail,” one taster said. “There are so many State Fair drinks trying to be a cocktail that don’t taste like it, but this one does.” 6.5% ABV; wine made in Scandia by Rustic Roots Winery.

Pink Sour Burst: This sour ale definitely offered a burst of sour candy flavor, but maybe not the “classic pink chewy candy” it advertised. Instead, I described it as a Sweet Tart in a glass. If you want that, get this. 4.8% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

Espressotini Frozen Seltzer: This is redemption for last year’s frozen espresso drink (not at Blue Barn) that we all thought was weirdly sour and chalky. There are a lot of espresso-martini lovers in my group of friends, and we universally adored this. Some thought it tasted like coffee ice cream instead of an actual martini, but we’d all drink it for breakfast. 5% ABV; made in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

Strawberry Guava Agua Fresca Cider: Advertised as being loaded with juicy strawberry and pink guava flavor, we felt this cider didn’t taste very strongly of anything. “It’s polite,” one taster quipped. That being said, it’s not bad! 4.5% ABV; brewed in Duluth by Wild State Cider.

LuLu’s Public House

Razz Bod Golden Ale: Some of our tasters felt like this kolsch-style ale, infused with lemonade, black tea and raspberry puree, tasted artificial. I thought it tasted like real raspberries! We were getting silly at this point, because we all started impersonating Willy Wonka in unison: “The raspberries taste like raspberries! And the snozzberries taste like snozzberries!” 4.5% ABV; brewed in Saint Paul by Fair State Brewing.

Piña Colada Cream Ale: This sweet beer divided our group. “It smells like Banana Boat, but tastes like Coppertone,” and “Tastes like a coconut Jelly Belly,” were two of my favorite observations. The aftertaste got one taster singing, “Did they have to let it linger?” 5.5% ABV, 15 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.

Strawberry Mojito Cider: We all loved this refreshing cider, sweetened with strawberry puree and lime juice and infused with mint. It tasted exactly as advertised. 5.9% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Candyman Blue Raspberry: This oddly green lager looks like Ecto-Cooler with a blue sugar rim, but tastes like very little. “It’s like water in a town you’re not from,” one taster quipped. 4.1% ABV; brewed in Duluth by Bent Paddle Brewing Company.

Passion Fruit Guava Tom Collins Seltzer: We thought this had a lot more flavor than some of the other seltzers out there, in a good way. We’d drink a whole one. 5% ABV; brewed in New Ulm by August Schell Brewing Company in collaboration with Tattersall Distilling.

Midway Mango Rush: This overly sweet, bad-tasting IPA inspired one beer-lover in our group to shout, “If you make beer like this, you should go to jail!” 7% ABV; brewed in St. Paul by Dual Citizen Brewing.

Rhubarb Mead: We did not like this. Here are some quotes: “This tastes like candied sauerkraut. Is that a thing?” “I feel like I should have a brat,” and “I hate it, but I think it’s the least bad mead we’ve had at the Fair over the years.” 6% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Idyll Forest Parasol Reserve Summer Blend: This true wild sour, made from “spontaneously fermented” beer and Sauvignon grapes, is definitely barnyard-forward, which of course divided our group. Comments ran the gamut: “You know when someone has bad wine breath? This tastes like that.” “I like it because it’s interesting and a little different from everything else we’ve had today.” And the winner, “This is hipster communion wine.” 8% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

First Place Peach: I famously hate vanilla in beer, but I enjoyed this barrel-aged golden sour, as did everyone else in the group, maybe because the brewers took a light hand with the flavor. It tastes like peach cobbler in the best way. I’d probably split one with someone, which is more than I can say for any of the other sweet beers we tried. 5% ABV; brewed in St. Paul by Pen Name Fermentation Project.

Sangria Sundae: The group actually finished this sizable sundae, which I guess means some people liked it? I thought it was off-the-charts sweet despite the real fruit topping. “It has fruit, so it feels healthy!” one taster said. 10% ABV; wine made in Scandia by Rustic Roots Winery.

Cherry Limeade Hard Slushie: This tastes exactly like an Icee. “If your 12-year-old drinks, this is a perfect choice,” one taster joked. (Gluten-removed) 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

Pryes Brewing Pavilion

At West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater

Soft Serve Royal Peach Beer: Although this phenomenal concoction is not a beverage, we’ll allow it, because it’s genius and delicious. We had it as a twist with last year’s Royal Raspberry, and not one bit of it went to waste. I think the peach might even be better than the raspberry, but when they’re both this good, it’s like comparing apples to apples. 4.8% ABV; made in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

RC’s BBQ

On the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets

Cherry Cola Hard Soda: My 22-year-old middle child loves Cherry Coke. She loved this. The middle-aged crowd that no longer drinks soda was less enthusiastic. Beware that it does not taste of booze in any way, so could be dangerous. (Gluten-removed) 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

Juicy Apricot Tangerine Hazy IPA: We all agreed that we’d go out of our way to drink this fruity but balanced IPA. “It’s a good walking-around-the-State-Fair beer,” one taster said. 6.5% ABV. Brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

Limapeño Kolsch: This one was divisive, but I loved the fresh, vegetal flavor. I did want more spice, though. We all agreed this would pair well with some of the excellent barbecue that RC’s serves. 4.2% ABV; brewed in River Falls, Wis., by Rush River Brewing Company.

The Hideaway Speakeasy

In the Veranda, Grandstand upper level, northwest section

Quacker Jack Seltzer: “This smells like walking into Candyland,” one taster said. And another followed up with, “It tastes like it, too, but with an aftertaste of feet.” 5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Pickle & Vine: I’m not sure whose idea this was, but it feels like a gimmick gone wrong. Not everything needs pickle flavor! And certainly not sparkling wine. A few of our tasters liked it, but I think that’s just because the pickle taste was almost imperceptible. That leads me to my general conclusion about this: Why? 12% ABV; wine made in Cannon Falls by Cannon River Winery.

Boozy Rose Lemonade: In case you thought this was rosé like I did, let me correct you. It’s actually rose. As in, the flower. “This tastes like my grandma smells,” one taster said. 7% ABV; wine made in Cannon Falls by Cannon River Winery.

Giggles’ Campfire Grill

On the southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street, at The North Woods

Lime in the Coconut: I love coconut, but I was pretty ambivalent about this cream ale. “The lime in the coconut joke gives it extra points for me,” one taster said, while noting that the flavor was fine, but not great. It is very coconutty, especially if you get some of the toasted coconut rim. 5% ABV, 16 IBUs; brewed in Amana, Iowa, by Millstream Brewing Co.

The Hangar

On the northeast corner of Underwood Street and Murphy Avenue

Rosé Cider: We definitely did not get rosé from this too-sweet concoction, but we did get the advertised fruit-punch medley. “Another fruit-punch drink,” one taster said, following up with, “Yay?” 5.5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Aurora Tropical Drift: “Why are there so many ingredients in this?” one taster asked, which is a legitimate question. The Fair’s description lists passion fruit, pineapple, mango, peach, light vanilla and orange juice. Another taster asked, “Geez, did they leave any flavors out? Might as well call it an everything beer!” Despite that, we didn’t exactly hate this hazy IPA. 6.9% ABV; brewed in Two Harbors by Castle Danger Brewing.

Peach Perfect: This peach-infused American wheat beer inspired rage among our tasters, who were starting to get punchy, especially when confronted with yet another fruit-infused beverage. “It’s slightly less than perfect if you ask me,” was probably the kindest comment. My favorite one was, “Is it true to style? If the style is ‘not good,’ then yes.” 4.4% ABV, 14 IBUs; brewed in Kansas City, Mo., by Boulevard Brewing Co.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp: Bad Weather follows up on last year’s delightful Honeycrisp lager with another winner. We got a lot of rhubarb and a little strawberry. “It’s not a lot, but I don’t want a lot,” one taster said. 4.5% ABV; brewed in St. Paul by Bad Weather Brewing Company.

At Summer Lakes Boat House

On the southwest corner of Randall Avenue and Underwood Street

Berry Slammer Hard Seltzer Cocktail: The lines are insane at this new vendor, but for good reason. The drinks here use actual fruit juice and are incredibly tasty and refreshing. We all raved about this fruity drink and every last one of us thought we’d consume a whole one. That’s high praise on beer day! 7.5% ABV; made in Ramsey, Minn., by Summer Lakes Beverage.

Wedge-Hammer Hard Seltzer Cocktail: We loved this orange-y take on a mule. “If I got here at 9 a.m. and needed a cocktail, I’d order this,” one taster said. 7.5% ABV; made in Ramsey, Minn., by Summer Lakes Beverage.

Bama! Lemon Sweet Tea Hard Seltzer Cocktail: The fresh-brewed black tea really plays nicely with the lemon and citrus in this hard seltzer cocktail. We were happy that it was not overly sweet. I’ll probably get another one of these this Fair. 7.5% ABV; made in Ramsey, Minn., by Summer Lakes Beverage.

Jamberry Bubbler Minnemosa: Unfortunately, the wine in these wine-based cocktails isn’t great. Someone called it “haunted Franzia,” which cracked me up. 11.5% ABV; made in Ramsey, Minn., by Summer Lakes Beverage and Alexandria, Minn., by Carlos Creek Winery.

Orange Ginger Minnemosa: We liked this better than the jamberry version, but that’s not saying much. 11.5% ABV; made in Ramsey, Minn., by Summer Lakes Beverage and Alexandria, Minn., by Carlos Creek Winery.

Orange Sunset Shandy: A fun take on a shandy, but if I were choosing, I’d go for the orange-ginger of the Wedge-Hammer cocktail over this. 4.2% ABV; made in Ramsey, Minn., by Summer Lakes Beverage.

O’Gara’s at the Fair

On the southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street

Miraculum Old Fashioned IPA: Of the old-fashioned-inspired menu items this year (there’s another drink below, and see yesterday’s reviews of the new foods to find out what we thought about the old-fashioned flavored cookie dough on a stick), this one was far and away our favorite. Malty and a little bitter, we picked up orange and cherry flavors and would definitely drink it again. 6.4% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

Lingonberry Orange Cider: We like lingonberries. We are Minnesotans, after all. We also liked this. “It’s like a date at IKEA!” one taster said. 5.4% ABV; brewed in Duluth by Wild State Cider.

Lemon Agua Fresca Lager: This American lager gave us zero notes of fresh citrus and prickly pear. Instead, tasters thought it “tastes like diluted floor cleaner.” “They put the agua in agua fresca,” another said. 4.5% ABV; brewed in Two Harbors by Castle Danger Brewing.

Lemon Berry Blitz Slushie: This slushie is reportedly inspired by a popular energy drink. I do not consume such things, but I’ll take the word of some of the tasters, who thought it reminded them of Alani. The color looks exactly like Pepto Bismol, so imagine my surprise when it actually tasted like it, too. Others detected notes of liquid amoxicillin. Safe to say we did not like this, with the exception of the 22-year-old, who said, “It tastes like medicine, but I like it!” Sigh. (Gluten-removed) 4.8% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

Tejas Express

In The Garden, north wall

Watermelon Sour: “Blindfolded, I could not tell you what this is,” one taster said. “Whatever it is, I don’t like it,” another quipped. Sorry, Pryes, this was a miss for us. 4.8% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

Mango Habanero Beergarita: My notes simply say this: Not spicy. Not mango. Not beer. Not garita. 4.9% ABV; brewed in Chippewa Falls, Wis., by Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.

At Ragin Cajun

In The Garden, west wall

Blue on the Bayou: I’ll let the tasters take over on this nasty blue-syrup and Twisted Tea concoction. “Hey, Jess, can you write this?” *Taster makes grossed-out face.* “This tastes like Dollar Tree NyQuil.” and from my offspring (no, I’m not proud): “This tastes like my throw-up is going to be green at the end of the night.” 5% ABV; brewed in Boston, Mass., by Boston Beer Company.

Tropical Hurricane “The Big Easy” Hard Slushie: Do not ask me why Ragin Cajun added blue syrup to this already too-sweet slushie. We got notes of Luden’s Cough Drops and Chloraseptic. Stay far away. (Gluten-removed) 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

Dino’s Gyros

On the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

Pink Lemonade Lager: I thought this tasted exactly like Country Time Pink Lemonade. “I think that’s too generous,” one taster rebutted. 5% ABV, 15 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.

Hazy Blueberry Cider: “I can smell blueberry, but there’s something off about it,” one taster said. Another followed with, “I’m getting to the point where I need a Coors Light.” 5% ABV; brewed in Duluth by Wild State Cider.

Watermelon Sea Salt Lager: We thought this Japanese rice lager with watermelon flavor tasted off. One of us thought it tasted like shampoo. There might have been a little too much salt in it? In any case, we didn’t want more than a sip. 4.5% ABV; brewed in Two Harbors by Castle Danger Brewing.

Mancini’s al Fresco

On the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

Pomelo Pils: Tasters were not divided on this. They did not like it, not at all. “Too much pomelo, not enough pils,” cracked me up, as did this gem from my daughter: “This tastes like that candle you have in the kitchen.” 5.1% ABV, 25 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.

Cafe Caribe

On the south side of Carnes Avenue between Chambers and Clough streets

Lemon Blueberry Whiplash: A few tasters liked this cider that is infused with lemon zest, blueberry, vanilla and cane sugar, but I cannot for the life of me understand why. If you want cake batter in a glass, this is for you. (Gluten-free) 5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Tropical Boba Burst Hazy: This mango and passion fruit hazy ale was way too sweet, and the blue raspberry boba pearls made matters worse. “Boba? More like NO-ba,” one taster said. 5% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Pryes Brewing Company.

Frozen Dirty Banana Piña Colada Hard Seltzer: This was banana Laffy Taffy in a glass. Why are there so many alcoholic drinks at the Fair this year that would appeal to a middle schooler? We are adults, and we don’t want this. (Gluten-removed) 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

Frozen Pistachio Espresso Martini Hard Seltzer: We got zero pistachio from this slushie concoction, which did taste like overly bitter hotel coffee. Pass. (Gluten-removed) 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

The Frontier

On the south side of Carnes Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets

Galaxy IPA: This excellent American IPA does not have fruit in it — instead, it lets the fruity flavors in the hops carry it, as the beer-making gods intended. It is delicious, and one of the best beers we had all day. 6% ABV; 45 IBUs; brewed in Minneapolis by Fulton Brewing.

Cactus Desert Guava Rosé Cider: We didn’t mind this seltzer, which tasted of fruit, and not just sugar. “If I wanted a cider and not a beer, and this was my only option, I wouldn’t be mad about it,” one taster said. 5.8% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Sociable Cider Werks.

Coasters

On the southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street

RoséMonade: This mix of sparkling rosé and lemonade actually made me gag. “It’s like when your uncles put all their booze together in a glass and give it to you at the end of the night,” one taster said. 6% ABV; wine made in Cannon Falls by Cannon River Winery.

Ol’ Fashioned Hard Seltzer Cocktail: This tasted like a molasses cookie, which, last time I checked, does not taste like an Old Fashioned. Hard pass. (Gluten-removed) 7% ABV; brewed in Stillwater by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

Lemon Drop Martini Slushie: This did taste like a lemon drop candy. I don’t know if I want that in a beverage, but if you do, then do you. (Gluten-removed) 5% ABV; brewed in Stillwater, Minn., by Lift Bridge Brewing Company.

Mango Heat: One taster was experiencing mango fatigue and said, “I’m scared to try it. I’m really mad at mango.” She did, though, and was relieved that there wasn’t much mango. There wasn’t much spice, either. Basically, we all agreed it was time to be done with trick beers and ordered ourselves some light domestic beers to end the night. 5.1% ABV; brewed in Minneapolis by Indeed Brewing.