LynLake Brewery to join list of closed Twin Cities taprooms

After the closing of Wild Mind Ales just this past weekend, south Minneapolis is already losing another brewery.

LynLake Brewery announced on social media Monday night its final day of business will be Sunday. It’s the latest casualty in a string of brewery closures around the Twin Cities over the past two years, as craft beer makers around the country face rising costs and a generational decline in alcohol consumption.

The only brewery taproom left in the vicinity of Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood, LynLake has been serving American ales and European-style beer in a former movie theater near the intersection of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue since 2014.

“We are deeply saddened to announce we will be closing our doors permanently at the end of the week,” the brewery’s post read. “Our last day of service will be Sunday October 5th.

“Thank you for 11 years. Come have one last beer with us and enjoy daily specials throughout the week.”

In a separate statement sent to the Minnesota Star Tribune, brewery representatives cited pending road work in front of their taproom as one of “too many headwinds stacked up over the years.” Lyndale Avenue is scheduled to be rebuilt from Franklin Avenue to 31st Street in 2027, similar to work currently being completed on a parallel stretch of Hennepin Avenue.

“We weathered roadwork before, had plans for what was coming, and put everything we had into keeping this place going,” the brewery’s statement read. “In the end, the climb just got too steep.”

Even before adding a burger kitchen in 2020, LynLake Brewery helped keep nightlife buzzing for many years around the intersection of Lyndale and Lake, where the Jungle Theater, Up-Down arcade bar, Iron Door Pub and Huge Improv Theater also kept things lively. The latter two businesses, however, also shut down over the past year.

Wild Mind Ales announced its closure in July, but remained opened through Sept. 28, adding to a growing list of breweries to close in the Twin Cities since 2023, which includes Eastlake, 612, Burning Brothers, Able Seedhouse, and Lakes & Legends in Minneapolis; St. Paul’s Tin Whiskers and Clutch breweries; Alloy Brewing in Coon Rapids, and Chanhassen Brewing.

LynLake isn’t done yet, though. As of Monday, some of the brewery’s beers listed on tap for its final week included its Märzen! Märzen! Märzen! fest brew, the Bella la Gatta Italian-style pilsner, Wild Wild West dark lager, 3 Bass Hit Belgian tripel and Hazé Bébé hazy New England IPA.

The brewery also gave the Star Tribune a long list of attributes they were happy to bring to patrons over 11 years, including “skyline views,” “fireballs glowing on cool evenings,” “game-day energy from fans of the Packers and Timberwolves to the Lynx,” and “more than a few first dates too — some good, some not so much."