Chapel Brewing | Dundas, MN
Beer Trip: Chapel Brewing in Dundas, Minnesota
Just a couple minute detour off of I-35 sits the town of Dundas, MN. Within the confines of the city limits sits Chapel Brewing, and it certainly stands out amongst our brewery travels with its unique history and awesome atmosphere.
The Brewery
Chapel truly had everything you could ask for in a brewery. For starters, the story of the building itself was what drew us in - this place was built in the 1880’s as an actual private chapel! While no one knows for certain what the building’s original intention was, one story goes that a wealthy individual got tired of riding his horse and buggy into town to church - so he constructed his own for a service! Another tale goes that it was built more as a gathering place for friends and family to worship in a small setting. Whatever the case, the brewery in its current state certainly brings people together.
A small, yet mighty interior featuring church-style chandeliers
Lots of natural light throughout
The inside of the brewery sticks with the church-like theme, including an arch-shaped mirror and stained glass lighting over the bar. There are only about a half dozen tables inside Chapel Brewing, but that is okay because the outdoor area is equally as cool. With its location sitting literally right on the banks of the Cannon River, the spacious covered deck and various seating overlooking the waterway are a must. Unfortunately, it was rather chilly when we visited, but we bet the space fills up when the weather is nice!
Awesome campfire-style seating
Plentiful seating overlooking the river
A wooded paradise!
The Beer
Chapel offered 8 different beers on tap during my visit, with 4 serving as flagship options. their mainstays include a Kolsch, IPA, amber, and a stout to really provide any beer drinker a solid option. The other taps featured a brown, sour, another IPA, and an imperial stout. We were informed that these rotating taps are only brewed in their smallest batches and are often gone within a few days.
We are always torn when visiting a new place on whether we should try flagships or go with a rotator (which normally draws us in). Fortunately, Chapel had a couple of items of interest so we purchased both a signature and a seasonal offering. Their main IPA was on the bitter side and had that pine-like taste, but it also provided just the right hint of caramel with it - a little different for this style. Our second sample was of the Blueberry Sour, and we’re sure glad we chose this one. It offered great fruitiness, along with a nice tart finish - nothing overpowering at all, but the perfect mixture of sweet vs. sour.
Food, Merch, & More
If you are looking for food, Chapel has local cheese curds, meat sticks, and pretzels available for purchase, while also hosting a food truck on the weekends; however, there are also restaurants nearby and they encourage you to bring any of those options over. In addition to serving beer, Chapel serves multiple flavors of kombucha and seltzer made by other Minnesota businesses.
As far as merchandise goes, Chapel does something we haven’t seen before in a brewery. While you can, of course, purchase classic items like shirts, sweatshirts, glassware, and hats, they also have multiple gift boxes available that include things like their glassware, local meats and cheeses, and a growler or crowler of their beer - all packaged together!
Chapel Brewing is definitely a place we won’t soon forget. With its unique history, cool building, and great outdoor space overlooking a river, we hope to come back someday!
Cheers!
