It gets its name from the first line of the Kensington Runestone: "8 Swedes and 22 Norwegians (Northmen) on an exploration journey from Vinland westward."

My wife and I made a trip up to Alexandria, MN over the weekend to check out the brand new 22 Northmen Brewing Co. Owned by the same family as Carlos Creek Winery, it's located on the same property, adding a very different -- albeit unique -- touch and flavor (literally).

22 Northmen Brewing opened Father's Day weekend, and -- for a brand new brewery -- we were beyond impressed!

Clearly, lots of thought and attention to detail had gone into the Longhall taproom -- like the wood accents, wood tables, antler chandeliers, high ceiling and supporting beams.

A list of names recognizes kickstarter backers.

A kitchen provides delicious woodfire pizzas.

And the beer was fantastic! Pulling inspiration from the original Viking's journey, beers fall into four main categories -- German, Belgian/French, Scottish and "New World" (American style). Nine beers were available on tap when we visited, though they have a potential of 20! A couple of our favorites were the Sommer Lager (a refreshing lager with lime and sea salt), Kolsch and Brown Porter.

As beer bloggers, my wife and I tend to have a pretty critical eye and palate. But we were genuinely beyond impressed by our first impression of 22 Northmen Brewing Co. and would highly recommend a visit this summer!

Bonus: If you don't like beer, there's plenty of wine available in the next building over!

For more adventures through Minnesota's great craft beer scene, follow along at AleAdventuresMN.com!