Back Channel sits at the water’s edge in Spring Park, in a channel connecting Lake Minnetonka’s West Arm and Seton Lake to the big lake proper — hence the name, and hence the marina with dock attendants who tie up boats so patrons can walk right in. In 2025, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild named Back Channel Brewery of the Year, and the taproom is stacked with recent Best in Show, Amber Lager, Hazy IPA, and British-Irish-Scottish Ales wins. Star Tribune profiled the operation earlier in 2026. Owner-operators Josh and Melissa Leddy visited fifty West Coast breweries before opening, and the throughline of everything they picked up on that trip — that great settings can’t rescue mediocre beer — shows in the taps.
On the THC side, Back Channel brews three house lines. FIZZ is the flagship — 12oz cans, 10mg THC, rotating flavors including Kiwi Strawberry, Tropical Punch, and Mixed Berry. Green Party is the CBD-balanced line at 10mg THC + 10mg CBD (Pineapple, Mango, Tangerine), and Green Party Justice Page runs a second Green Party flavor set (Plum, Pink Guava, Blueberry) named for former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and Vikings Hall of Famer Alan Page — part of Back Channel’s tradition of naming beverages after iconic Minnesotans (Jagr, Brian Seltzer, and others live on the beer board too).
The patio backs onto the water and fills fast on summer weekends; food trucks rotate daily (Red Rocket Pizza, Russell’s Traveling Kitchen, Brick Oven Bus are regulars). Come winter, there’s a sauna and cold plunge, and the Jumbotron runs year-round for Vikings, Wild, Twins, and World Cup matches. Kid-friendly and dog-friendly, with happy hour weekdays 12–3pm ($5 tap beer, $3 N/A beer, $3 pretzels). Josh Leddy sits on the board of the Hemp Beverage Producers of Minnesota and is one of the more visible voices in the industry.
Back Channel doesn't run a kitchen — instead a rotation of local food trucks parks at the brewery daily. Regulars include Red Rocket Pizza, Russell's Traveling Kitchen, and Brick Oven Bus. Pretzels and snacks available from the bar.
Happy hour staple. Weekdays 12–3pm, $3 alongside $5 tap beer and $3 N/A beer.