After not having been to the Great Minnesota Get-Together for a few years, I was looking forward to our trip up to the Fairgrounds last Friday. There were so many classic State Fair foods I wanted to sink my teeth into. So what was my favorite this year?

CSJ/TSM-Rochester
CSJ/TSM-Rochester
loading...

Turns out, it has to be the Mini Donut Beer, made by Minnesota's own Lift Bridge Brewing Company. We tried it at the Ball Park Cafe, on Underwood Street, next to the Food building. This is the third year the Stillwater brewery has been making Mini Donut Beer. I'm not always a fan of really sweet beers, so I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I was pleasantly surprised-- it was really good!

Lift Bridge describes the Mini Donut Beer this way: "Lift Bridge Brewing Co. Mini-Donut Beer has a warm tan color, like the exterior of a mini donut. A malty base and natural flavors give this sweet sipper enough rich flavor without overwhelming the palate. Mini-Donut will be served in a glass rimmed with cinnamon and sugar."  The sugar on the rim-- the same sugar you get on an order of mini donuts-- really made the beer. It was great! (I kept wishing I could buy some to bring back home.)

I also had to have the Pork Chop on a stick, which while a tad overcooked for my liking, was still pretty good. Of course, so was the Big Fat Bacon on a stick-- which was supposedly a third of a pound of bacon, grilled in maple syrup, and served on the requisite stick. It was good-- but it sure didn't seem like a third of a pound. I must have inhaled it too fast to get a good look at it. I rounded things out with a few deep fried onion rings (while having the favorite Mini Donut Beer) and a chocolate/vanilla twist cone from Custard's Last Stand.

I was also going to try the new Buffalo'd Bones (which the website describes as "slow-smoked center cut St. Louis-style spare ribs, fried, tossed in buffalo sauce and served with blue cheese dressing and celery") from Famous Dave's, but we never made it over to their stand. Also missing from my usual State Fair favorites were the Sweet Martha's Chocolate Chip Cookies, the smoked turkey leg, and deep-fried cheese curds. Oh, well. There's always next year...or, maybe another trip back up before Labor Day this year!

More From Quick Country 96.5