Nestled some 30 minutes outside of St. Paul sits Hastings, a city along the Mississippi River, home to Spiral Brewery. The brewery's name comes from the iconic bridge that is nearby that takes people in to the heart of downtown Hastings, where the brewery sits, surrounded by locally owned restaurants, antique shops, and a beauty school. The brewery just celebrated it's first anniversary, and we thought it would be the perfect time to come check it out.
The Atmosphere
The fact that it was their first anniversary had a lot to do with it, but the atmosphere was quite lively there. There was a lot of friendly banter going on. It's not a very big place, but it also didn't feel like everyone was crammed in either. They definitely cater to people of all ages (games for kids, and soda), and your four legged accomplices (dogs are very welcome inside).
The Beer
Spiral specializes in lagers, IPAs, porters, and stouts. We concentrated on the lagers and IPAs this trip. They had 12 beers on tap when we visited, and we had five of them.
Downward Spiral IPA 7.4% ABV
Sami: I had this at another establishment before, and knew I had to have it again once we went to Spiral. It's a hoppy citrus forward IPA that is dry, but very refreshing. With that being said, it's not bitter, and that can be a turn off in IPA. If you're not an IPA drinker, you would enjoy this beer. It does have a 7.4% ABV, so be careful if you have more than one, because it can sneak up on you.
Townie Kolsch 5% ABV
Sami: It is light, and easy to drink on a 70 degree day. It has a great mouth feel. This is one you can have more than one of, and not feel it.
Oliver's Grove Pale Ale 5% ABV
Will: A really nice pale ale. What stood out to me was how well balanced it was. It wasn't too overpowering. I didn't really notice a ton of hop flavor to it, but it still went down well.
Spiral Session IPA 4.4% ABV
Will: I liked this one. A nice, low ABV IPA. It really checked all of the boxes for a Session IPA.
V Street Vienna Lager 4.8% ABV
Will: I would classify this as "fine." It was good, but I wouldn't say there was anything that really stood out about it.
The Verdict
Because it is located in a downtown area, parking can be tricky. We got a spot about a bock away, which wasn't bad at all. This is one of the more family friendly breweries we've been to. They definitely want to you to have some quality family time there.
While they don't do food trucks there, they do have plenty of restaurants within a walkable distance that you can pick up, or have delivered.
All in all, Spiral is a really good place to go for a beer, and to hang out with friends and/or family. You will have a good time here.