What it is: It’s an airport bar like no other. With about 40 beers on tap and another two dozen in cans and bottles—all from the Twin Cities and surrounding area—Stone Arch is a top-flight bar that just happens to be where you catch a flight. The staff are beer-knowledgeable, and the tap list is constantly rotating, often with limited-edition beers. There are also wines, spirits, and cocktails, while the kitchen goes well beyond the usual airport fare—poutine with blackened chicken, Creole cheese-curd burger, and the walleye sandwich are just a few of the options on the menu.
Why it’s great: Airports are often terrible places for beer—even the bars affiliated with local breweries are often staffed by people who don’t know or care much about beer. The Stone Arch cares. Every beer on the selective list comes from small, independent breweries—there is no macro beer on tap. Minneapolis–St. Paul also is a hub for Delta Airlines, which opens possibilities for a layover that might be welcome rather than avoided. It may even be tempting to miss your flight.
Hours: 5:30 a.m.–9 p.m., daily
Address: MSP Airport, Terminal 1, just past the south security checkpoint, near F and G concourses
Web: aeroservicegrp.com/stone-arch
