A few years ago, the prospect of Stub and Herb's hosting a craft beer event was laughable. It was just another forgettable college bar. But starting on Monday, the rejuvenated Minneapolis pub will be ground zero for the first-ever Minnesota Craft Beer Week -- seven days of beer releases, beer contests and all-around beer geekery.

The turnaround at Stub and Herb's is reflected in the larger Twin Cities beer scene. "There's been a dramatic switch in the past couple of years," said Mike Hoops, the brewmaster for Town Hall Brewery, which is partnering with Stub and Herb's on Minnesota Craft Beer Week. Preston's Urban Pub is also involved.

The Twin Cities are home to a growing number of boutique beer bars that are filling their tap lines with a red-hot contingent of metro-area breweries such as Surly, Lift Bridge and Fulton. Minnesota Craft Beer Week is spearheaded by Jon Landers, the friendly tattooed bar manager who helped turn Stub and Herb's into a craft-beer haven. The bar's 32 taps are filled with buzz-worthy beers and the place is a regular destination for local and national breweries to introduce their wares to the Twin Cities market.

There's been some chatter in beer circles as to why more bars weren't included in the week's events (such as St. Paul's Muddy Pig and Happy Gnome). From a logistical standpoint, Landers said, he thought it best to start small and expand in the second year. Another reason (and a good one): Landers thought a centralized location would help foster a "responsible" week of drinking. Thus, he persuaded Blue & White taxis to offer discounted $3 rides among the three bars.

The best way to experience Minnesota Craft Beer Week is to buy a $3 "passport." The pocket-sized booklet contains the week's schedule and is also a place to collect stamps from the participating bars and liquor stores. The more stamps you collect, the better your chances of winning some cool beer swag.

Each day of Minnesota Craft Beer Week will offer events and specials at Stub and Herb's, Town Hall and Preston's. Here are seven you don't want to miss:

  • May 17: Town Hall releases its American Craft Beer called Wheat. (5 p.m.)
  • May 18: At Stub and Herb's, the owners of the Twin Cities' hottest new brewery, Fulton, will guest-bartend and offer samples of their beer. (4 p.m.)
  • May 19: At Stub and Herb's, Flat Earth brewery will fill the bar's 32 tap lines and talk about its beers. (5 p.m.)
  • May 20: Town Hall releases its award-winning Czar Jack, a heavy-duty bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout. (6:30 p.m.)
  • May 21: A trivia contest will start at Town Hall, then move to Preston's and finally end at Stub and Herb's, where the winner will be awarded a year's supply of Surly cans (12 cases). Also at Stub and Herb's: Surly will release its seasonal Bitter Brewer. (4 p.m.-close.)
  • May 22: Town Hall will give fans an inside look at its operation with several brewery tours. (Noon-5 p.m.)
  • May 23: Pub crawl among the three bars. People with the most passport stamps will win prizes that include a Fat Tire bike at Town Hall (noon), a Magic Hat camping set at Preston's (2 p.m.) and a Surly private brewery tour package at Stub and Herb's (4 p.m.).