Rochester, Minnesota has quietly built one of the most concentrated craft beer scenes in the state, and the best version of exploring it runs through three stops in the city's Northwest corridor. Forager Brewery, Kinney Creek Brewery, and LTS Brewing Company each bring something genuinely different to the night — a scratch kitchen flagship with a four-year run as the state's highest-rated beer, the city's first production brewery since Prohibition, and a covered patio with yard games built for the end of a long week. The problem is that Forager and Kinney Creek sit one block apart while LTS is out on 32nd Ave NW, a few miles beyond any reasonable walking range.
That gap is where the evening falls apart for groups who try to string all three together in their own cars: someone ends up as the designated driver, the caravan splits at the third stop, and by the time everyone gets home the logistics were more memorable than the beer.
A Rochester party bus rental solves that entirely. Your group loads at one spot, hits all three breweries on your own schedule, and gets home without anyone drawing the short straw. This guide covers exactly where each brewery is, what you will find inside, and how a private bus turns a three-stop logistics puzzle into a genuinely easy night out.
Stop 1
Forager Brewery — 1005 6th St NW
Stop 2
Kinney Creek Brewery — 1016 7th St NW
Stop 3
LTS Brewing Co. — 2001 32nd Ave NW
Forager → Kinney Creek
~1 block on foot — no vehicle needed
Kinney Creek → LTS
~3.5 miles northwest — bus required
Downtown evening parking
Free after 5 pm weekdays • free all day weekends
Why a Bus Makes This Crawl Work
Two stops down, one to go — and LTS is 3.5 miles out on 32nd Ave NW, which is where self-guided crawls come apart. The Forager-to-Kinney Creek walk takes two minutes and costs nothing. Getting from Kinney Creek to LTS and back downtown at the end of the night is the part that requires a vehicle, and after two taprooms no one in the group should be behind the wheel.
Rideshares work stop-by-stop for a couple, not for a crew of 15 or 20. Coordinating three to five separate cars at each transition means multiple arrival times, someone always gets left inside at Kinney Creek when the first car pulls away, and the surge pricing on the return from LTS on a Friday night is a budget surprise nobody signed up for. A Rochester bus rental keeps the whole group in one vehicle, the itinerary entirely on your terms, and the designated driver question permanently off the table.
Downtown parking is free after 5 pm weekdays and all day on weekends in Rochester's ramp network — so your bus can park near 6th and 7th St NW while the group walks between Forager and Kinney Creek, then move to LTS for the final stop. The whole evening runs on one all-inclusive rate, one contact, and one pickup at the end of the night. Call 507-516-3780 to lock in your crawl date.
Stop 1: Forager Brewery
Forager Brewery (1005 6th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901) is the right anchor for this crawl. Forager was voted Rochester's Best Brewery and held the title of Highest Rated Beer in the State of Minnesota four consecutive years — so starting here sets a baseline that makes everything after it feel like a genuine progression through what Rochester's craft beer scene has built. The brewery operates in the former Good Foods Store co-op building, and the space reflects it: a full scratch kitchen alongside a tap list built from locally foraged ingredients, regionally native grains, and wild hop varieties that shift with what is actually growing in southeast Minnesota.
The food is what separates Forager from a taproom-only stop. Hand-tossed pizzas, burgers with a vegan black bean option, nachos, salads, and a rotation of harvest-driven specials make this the right place to eat before the crawl gets rolling. Pacing a three-stop evening with a real meal at stop one is the difference between arriving at LTS sharp and arriving there sideways.
Groups that skip the food at Forager regret it by 9:30 pm. Hours run 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with a breakfast cafe from 8 to 11 a.m. if your crew is ambitious about a morning edition. For a standard evening crawl, arrive at Forager around 6 pm, eat and do a first round, then walk to Kinney Creek when the table clears.
The bus parks in the downtown ramp network — free after 5 pm weekdays, free all day weekends — while your group is inside. Pickup is on 6th St NW when the group is ready to walk to stop two. No parking decisions, no meter watching.
You just arrive.
Address: 1005 6th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Phone: (507) 258-7490
Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m. (Breakfast Cafe 8–11 a.m.)
Website: Forager Brewery
Stop 2: Kinney Creek Brewery
Kinney Creek Brewery (1016 7th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901) holds a distinction that no other taproom in Rochester can claim: it is the city's first production brewery since Prohibition. When it opened on December 7, 2012, Rochester had gone 90 years without a local brewery — and the entire craft beer scene that followed, including Forager one block away, traces directly back to Kinney Creek proving the market was there. That history is worth knowing when you walk in.
The tap list runs 30-plus options at any given visit: craft beers, hard seltzers, seltzer cocktails, sodas, and teas, with rotating seasonals that give regulars a reason to come back. Kinney Creek welcomes carry-in food and delivery orders — no kitchen runs on-site, but that is part of the format. Food trucks cycle through on select evenings, and local bands rotate in regularly.
Friday and Saturday hours run to midnight, which means the second stop has no hard deadline on a weekend crawl — you can let the Kinney Creek portion breathe rather than rushing to the next bus.
Because the bus is already parked near 6th and 7th St NW, your group walks the one block from Forager to Kinney Creek on foot. The bus does not move between stop one and stop two. That is the logistical advantage of anchoring the first two stops in the same Northwest neighborhood pocket — no coordination required between them.
Address: 1016 7th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Phone: (507) 282-2739
Hours: Sun–Tue noon–8 p.m., Wed–Thu noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight
Website: Kinney Creek Brewery
Hours note: On Sunday through Tuesday, Kinney Creek closes at 8 p.m. — which puts a real cap on the second stop if your crawl runs on those nights. Wednesday through Thursday you have until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday until midnight.
Plan your start time at Forager accordingly if you want a relaxed pace through both downtown stops before the bus heads to LTS.
Stop 3: LTS Brewing Company
LTS Brewing Company (2001 32nd Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901) is named for the proverb "Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Beer" — and the taproom operates accordingly. Co-founded in 2015, LTS is the stop that makes a bus indispensable. At 3.5 miles from Kinney Creek, 32nd Ave NW is entirely unreachable on foot after two taproom rounds, and rideshares for a full group pile up in both wait time and cost.
The bus earns its keep on this leg.
What you find when you arrive justifies the ride. LTS has a large covered patio, a heated tent for year-round use, and a green space behind the taproom with yard games. The outdoor setup is one of the stronger brewery patios in the Rochester area on a warm evening — a genuinely different atmosphere from the downtown stops, more backyard party than craft-beer bar.
The tap list runs blondes, pilsners, porters, and pale ales as anchors with rotating seasonals, plus craft sodas for the group members who are done for the night. Soft pretzels and pizzas are available. The space is pet-friendly on the patio.
Most beers and sodas are available as crowlers to go, which is a strong move at the end of the crawl.
LTS opens at 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, which is the detail that catches weeknight crawl groups off guard. If your evening starts at Forager at 4 p.m. and the group moves at a relaxed pace, you arrive at LTS comfortably inside their window.
Friday and Saturday hours are more generous — open at 11 a.m. and running until 11 p.m. Confirm your post-crawl pickup time with the bus before your group spreads across the patio; the yard games have a way of extending planned 90-minute stops by an extra hour.
Address: 2001 32nd Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Phone: (507) 226-8280
Hours: Mon–Thu 3–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Website: LTS Brewing
How the Three Stops Connect
The geographic logic of this crawl shapes how the evening flows. Forager and Kinney Creek are neighbors — one block apart on 6th and 7th St NW in Rochester's Northwest corridor. Your bus drops the group at Forager and stays in the ramp network while everyone walks between stop one and stop two on foot.
When the group is ready for LTS, everyone loads up and the bus covers the few miles out to 32nd Ave NW. Running the crawl in this order — Forager first, Kinney Creek second, LTS last — is also the order that makes practical sense: the full kitchen at Forager handles the food early, Kinney Creek's 30-plus taps fill the middle stretch, and LTS's outdoor patio serves as the natural end-of-night destination.
Here is a sample Friday-evening framework:
- 5:45 pm — Bus picks up from your hotel, home, or designated meeting spot.
- 6:00 pm — Arrive at Forager (1005 6th St NW). Bus parks in the downtown ramp. Order food and first round; settle in for an hour and a half.
- 7:30 pm — Walk one block to Kinney Creek (1016 7th St NW). Sample the tap list, see what food truck is outside, let the night hit its stride.
- 9:00 pm — Walk back to the bus. Head northwest to LTS Brewing (about 10 minutes on 32nd Ave NW).
- 9:15 pm — Arrive at LTS. Patio, yard games, covered tent, crowlers to go.
- 10:45 pm — Bus loads and returns the group to starting point or downtown hotel.
Total time: roughly five hours. Three breweries. No parking decisions.
No one in the group ends the night sober out of obligation. Call 507-516-3780 to build a quote around your headcount and start time.
What Size Bus Does Your Group Need?
Rochester brewery crawl groups range from a tight circle of 10 friends to a full bachelor or bachelorette party of 30 or more. We offer a range of vehicles so you never pay for seats the group doesn't fill.
| Vehicle | Typical capacity | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van / 14-passenger Sprinter limo | Up to ~14 | Smaller crews, coworker outings | Climate control, USB charging, tinted privacy windows |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | ~15–35 | Mid-size groups, birthday parties, office crawls | Powerful A/C, plush reclining seats, overhead storage |
| Party bus (15–50 passengers) | ~15–50 | Celebration groups wanting the party to start on the ride | Built-in bar, color-changing LED lighting, premium Bluetooth sound, flat-panel TVs |
For most Rochester brewery crawls, a 15- to 35-passenger minibus is the practical fit — easy to navigate through the Northwest neighborhood, comfortable for a group, and right-sized for the evening without the overhead of a full charter bus. For bachelor and bachelorette groups who want the energy to start before the first pour, a party bus with the built-in bar and LED lighting turns the 10-minute ride out to LTS into part of the night rather than dead time between stops. ADA-accessible vehicles are available — let us know before your departure date and we will arrange the right fit.
Rochester Brewery Crawl Bus Prices
Party Bus Rochester provides all-inclusive pricing online in under 30 seconds — you will know the exact number before you ever commit. Pricing for a Rochester party bus rental on a brewery crawl depends on vehicle size, how many hours the vehicle is reserved, your pickup location, and the date. A three-stop crawl typically runs four to five hours of reservation time including pickup, transit between stops, and drop-off.
For real ranges to anchor your planning: Sprinter limos run roughly $150–$300/hour; minibuses run $150–$250/hour; and party buses run $200–$400/hour depending on size and amenities. Weekend rates run higher than weeknights.
The per-person math is what usually settles the debate. Split a four-hour minibus reservation across 20 people and the per-head cost often lands in the same range as two individual rideshares across three stops — except everyone travels together, nobody navigates 32nd Ave NW after dark, and no one leaves the night resentful about being the responsible one. Call 507-516-3780 for a specific quote built around your group size, your date, and your pickup location anywhere in the Rochester area.
Book ahead for weekends: Friday and Saturday evening party bus slots in Rochester fill up faster than most groups expect, especially in summer (June through August) and during Rochesterfest week in late June. A Saturday night crawl with less than two weeks' lead time limits your vehicle options. Lock in the date as soon as your headcount is confirmed.
When to Do This Crawl
The obvious answer is May through September, when LTS's covered patio and yard games are running at full capacity and Forager's outdoor space is open. Summer evenings in Rochester are exactly what this three-stop format is designed for. But the crawl works year-round — LTS's heated tent handles fall and early winter temperatures, Forager's indoor space is comfortable in any season, and Kinney Creek's taproom is entirely inside.
A few specific windows worth factoring into your planning:
- Rochesterfest (late June): Rochester's summer festival brings heavier traffic into the downtown brewery district. Forager and Kinney Creek see heavier demand that week — book your bus at least three to four weeks early and consider calling Forager ahead to confirm table availability for a group of your size.
- Mayo Clinic conference weekends (year-round): Rochester's medical event calendar fills hotels and spikes rideshare demand on an unpredictable schedule. If your crawl overlaps with a major Mayo event, bus availability tightens along with everything else. Book with a lead time buffer.
- Weeknight happy hour crawls: A weeknight evening that starts at Forager at 4 or 5 pm has the entire downtown leg in lighter-crowd conditions. Check Forager's current happy hour details for any food-and-beer specials that run on weekdays — that kind of deal at stop one sets a good tone for the whole evening. Just build the LTS leg around their 3 pm weekday opening; arriving before doors open at the final stop kills the momentum entirely.
Other Rochester Breweries Worth Adding
If your group wants to extend the crawl beyond three stops, Rochester's craft beer scene has grown enough to support it. Little Thistle Brewing is a family-owned taproom with nearly two acres of outdoor space and ample parking, and a strong enough tap list that regulars make it their primary stop. It sits on the south side of the city, which makes it a logical add-on if the group wants a fourth destination at a completely different point on the map.
The Forager-Kinney Creek-LTS circuit remains the most geographically coherent three-stop version in Rochester right now: two downtown anchors within walking distance of each other, and one northwest stop that rewards the bus ride with a different atmosphere entirely. That contrast — full scratch kitchen, historic taproom, outdoor patio — is what makes it feel like a crawl rather than three of the same bar in a row. Call 507-516-3780 and tell us which breweries are on your list; we will work out the routing from there.
Who Does This Crawl
A few of the groups we put on this route most often:
- Bachelor and bachelorette parties. A Friday-night brewery crawl with a party bus in Rochester is a reliable formula — the built-in bar on the ride out to LTS keeps the energy up, and the yard games at the final stop give a celebration group something to do while the pints settle.
- Birthday groups. A milestone birthday deserves a bus for the whole group and no one stuck as the responsible one for the evening.
- Corporate and team outings. Three distinct taproom atmospheres make for genuine conversation across a company night out — better than a single loud bar for four hours running.
- Out-of-town visitors and Mayo Clinic guests. Rochester draws a consistent wave of visitors who ask what to do after hours. The brewery crawl is the honest local answer, and a party bus makes it accessible for a group that doesn't know the city's geography yet.
Whatever the occasion, the bus handles the one decision that derails a good night: who drives. Everyone shows up, everyone stays together, and everyone gets home. That is the whole point of renting a party bus in Rochester for this crawl.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart are Forager Brewery and Kinney Creek Brewery?
About one block. Forager is at 1005 6th St NW and Kinney Creek is at 1016 7th St NW — the walk between them takes roughly two minutes. Your bus stays parked in the downtown ramp network (free after 5 pm on weekdays and all day on weekends) while the group walks between both stops on foot.
The bus only moves when it is time to head to LTS on 32nd Ave NW.
Why can't we just drive ourselves to LTS Brewing?
You can, but someone has to stay sober for the 3.5-mile drive from 7th St NW out to 32nd Ave NW — and back downtown at the end of the night. After two rounds at Forager and Kinney Creek, that designated driver conversation is the thing that strains a group outing. A Rochester party bus rental takes the decision off the table entirely.
The route between stops is taken care of, everyone participates at every stop, and no one leaves resentful about being the responsible one.
What are the hours at each brewery on this crawl?
Forager Brewery is open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Kinney Creek Brewery runs Sunday through Tuesday noon to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Thursday noon to 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday noon to midnight. LTS Brewing is open Monday through Thursday 3 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The key constraint on weeknight crawls is LTS's 3 p.m. weekday opening — build your Forager and Kinney Creek timing around arriving at LTS after they open.
Does Kinney Creek Brewery serve food?
Kinney Creek does not run its own kitchen, but they fully welcome carry-in food and delivery orders. Food trucks rotate through on select evenings — check their website before your visit to see if one is scheduled. If the group wants a mid-crawl snack at stop two, ordering delivery to the taproom is a reliable option.
Forager's scratch kitchen at stop one is the right place for a real meal, and LTS has soft pretzels and pizzas at stop three.
How much does a party bus cost for a Rochester brewery crawl?
A three-stop brewery crawl typically runs four to five hours of reservation time. Minibuses in our network run roughly $150–$250 per hour; party buses with LED lighting and sound run higher. Split across the group, the per-head cost usually comes in competitive with individual rideshares across three separate stops — with everyone traveling together at every transition instead of splitting across multiple cars.
Call 507-516-3780 for a free, all-inclusive quote built around your headcount and date.
How far in advance should we book a party bus for this crawl?
For weeknight crawls with fewer than 20 people, a week or two of lead time typically works. For Friday or Saturday evenings — especially in summer, around Rochesterfest in late June, or during busy Mayo Clinic event weeks — book two to four weeks out. The right-size vehicles for evening social trips fill first on popular weekends, and waiting until the week of your crawl limits what is available.
Call 507-516-3780 as soon as your group's date is confirmed.
Is LTS Brewing pet-friendly?
Yes — the outdoor patio and green space at LTS are pet-friendly. The covered tent and yard game area work well for groups traveling with dogs, especially on warmer evenings. It is worth knowing ahead of time if anyone in your group is bringing a pet, so the stop lands at the right part of the evening when the outdoor space is still accessible.
What time does the bus pick us up and drop us off?
You set the schedule — that is the point of a private bus rental. Our reservation team builds the timing around your preferred start, the hours at each brewery, and where the group is coming from. For a standard Friday-evening crawl, most groups start around 5:30 or 6 pm and wrap up between 10:30 and 11 pm.
We confirm all timing details when you book so there are no surprises at the curb. Call 507-516-3780 to work through the specifics.
Book Your Rochester Brewery Crawl Bus Today
Three breweries, one night, and no one stuck driving: that is the version of this crawl worth doing. Party Bus Rochester has access to a fleet of party buses, minibuses, Sprinter limos, and charter buses across the Rochester area — the right size for groups of 10 to 50, with all-inclusive pricing online in under 30 seconds. Whether your crawl is a bachelor party, a birthday, a corporate outing, or just a group of friends who have been meaning to hit Forager, Kinney Creek, and LTS together for months, the bus makes it happen cleanly. Give us a call any time at 507-516-3780 for an all-inclusive price quote, or use our online tool for instant availability on your date.
