It’s a good time to be a beer drinker in Minnesota.

A 2011 Legislative action, dubbed the “Surly Law,” has paved the way for small breweries to sell their beer by the pint on-site.

Though Surly, whose supporters championed the law, has yet to begin construction or officially settle on a site for its “destination brewery,” 10 beer makers have beat it to the punch. The vibe in the current mix of taprooms, as brewers call the areas where they serve the public, ranges from a nightclub-like corner of a warehouse to drinking with a few hundred people in a big boat house.

Craft-beer fans have embraced this trend, testing hand-crafted beers by the flight or pint before taking home growlers (half-gallon jugs) to enjoy later.

We’ve been making our way around the Twin Cities, gauging the atmospheres of taprooms, which are as varied as the beers they serve.

None of the taprooms open so far has on-site food service, but many invite food trucks to sit in their parking lots and serve hungry beer drinkers.

Here are 10 taprooms we tried in the metro area. More are in the works, so watch for updates.

ABV means alcohol by volume. Run-of-the-mill American pilsners from big breweries hover in the 5 percent range. Light beers from those same breweries are usually a percentage point lower.

DANGEROUS MAN

Dangerous Man’s copper and stainless-steel decor, pillars, eclectic light fixtures and long communal table defy classification, kind of like owner and brewer Rob Miller’s beers.

Beers to try: If we had to choose one word to describe the ever-changing beers flowing from the taps in Miller’s taproom, it would be: good. We seriously liked all the varieties we tried on two visits to this bustling Northeast Minneapolis destination for craft-beer lovers. The beers are complex, creative and tasty.

Our favorite, and maybe flat-out favorite local beer, is the chocolate milk stout (6.2 percent ABV), which tastes like an effervescent version of that childhood-favorite drink. Even friends who don’t like stout were won over by this beer’s slightly sweet, crisp drinkability.

We also liked the honey notes in the cream ale (5.5 percent ABV) and the in-your-face alcohol content and slight banana flavor in the Belgian golden strong (9.5 percent ABV).

Don’t be married to trying a particular beer when you go, though, because the taps change frequently. There’s house-made soda, too, if you want to bring the wee ones or your teetotaling friends.

Dangerous Man Brewing Co.: 1300 Second St. N.E., Minneapolis; dangerousmanbrewing.com; 4-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 4 p.m. to midnight Fridays, noon to midnight Saturdays

POUR DECISIONS

Hidden in a nondescript building in an industrial area of Roseville, the Pour Decisions taproom is the opposite of Dangerous Man. It’s workaday and dark.

But the brewing equipment is in full view, and the bar is endearingly reminiscent of someone’s basement watering hole.

We were there on a Saturday, when the brewery closed at 5 p.m., but the room was still bustling with locals filling up on session beers.

The term “session beer” is being bandied about quite a bit in the taproom culture. Basically, it means the beers have lower alcohol content, so consumers can drink more of them in one “session.”

Beers to try: The Patersbier (5.7 percent ABV) is a Monk’s golden ale that delivers some of the spicy, fruity flavor of a Belgian ale without the usual high alcohol content.

Pour Decisions Brewing Co.: 1744 Terrace Drive, Roseville; pourdecisionsbrewery.com; 4:30-7 p.m. Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays

612 BREW

612’s big taproom opens up to its brewery so beer drinkers can admire the shiniest fermenters in town. High-top tables were filled on a recent Wednesday night with locals imbibing the brewery’s easy-drinking beers. There’s a shuffleboard table and a nice long bar, too.

Beers to try: The beers are less interesting than some of the other local entries, but we liked Six, the brewery’s American pale ale (5.1 percent ABV). Mildly hoppy, it’s a good entry-level craft brew for people who don’t think they like fancy beer.

612 Brew: 945 Broadway St. N.E., Minneapolis; 612brew.com; 4-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 2:30 p.m.-midnight Fridays, noon-midnight Saturdays

STEEL TOE

Despite its modern wall color and light fixtures, we still felt like Steel Toe had a small-town dive- bar vibe, and that’s a good thing. Friendly faces drinking equally friendly, tasty beer can’t be bad.

The lighting is low, and there’s not a lot of seating. We ended up standing near the door, which was a little chilly. But the beer made up for any discomfort.

Beers to try: We already knew we liked Provider (5 percent ABV), a refreshing, citrusy, slightly grassy, perfect-for-barbecuing beer. But we discovered that the rest of Steel Toe’s beers are worth a trip, too.

Our second favorite was Rainmaker (6.5 percent ABV), a double red ale with a nice balance between floral hops and earthy malts that make for a delicious anytime beer.

Steel Toe Brewing: 4848 W. 35th St., St. Louis Park; steeltoebrewing.com; 4-8 p.m. Thursdays, 3-10 p.m. Fridays, noon-10 p.m. Saturdays

HARRIET BREWING

Harriet is our favorite taproom so far.

It’s part taproom and part nightclub, it smells charmingly of beer being brewed, and there’s eclectic art hanging from brightly painted walls behind the stage.

There’s live music a few nights a week, so check the schedule on the brewery’s website.

One of our favorite features there, besides the strong yet not-strong-tasting Belgian-style beers, is proximity. The beer being poured into our glasses came from fermenters and barrels less than 10 feet away.

The vibe varies from rowdy to just crowded, especially on nights when there’s live entertainment.

Beers to try: Divine Oculust (8.9 percent ABV) is a fruity, fresh, slammable beer, which is dangerous considering how strong it is. The clarity of it, and most of Harriet’s beers, is striking.

For something a little less strong, try the amber-colored West Side Belgian IPA (6.5 percent ABV). It’s the most bitter of the Harriet beers we tried, but much more subtly hoppy than some other hop-forward beers around town.

Harriet Brewing: 3036 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; 612-315-4633; harrietbrewing.com; 4-11 p.m. Wednes-days-Thursdays, 4 p.m.-midnight Fridays, 1 p.m.-midnight Saturdays.

EXCELSIOR BREWING

Drinking at Excelsior is like hanging out in your rich uncle’s boat house. And in the winter, it’s kind of weird because everyone is wearing parkas.

The back-alley brewery behind Excelsior’s boutique-heavy downtown is crawling with locals who play cards, order pizzas or just socialize with friends, shopping bags in tow.

Surf boards and life savers hang from the ceiling. It’s loud, but what would you expect from a boat-house party where there’s easy-drinking, house-made beer?

You’re more cut off from the brewery than at Harriet, but there are cute velvet stanchions keeping you out instead of a brick wall.

Beers to try: Big Island Blond (5.1 percent ABV) is clean, refreshing and would be great on a boat. It fits the theme.

For something more seasonal, try the roasty-toasty Bitteschlappe brown ale (6.8 percent).

Excelsior Brewing: 421 Third St., Excelsior; excelsiorbrew.com; 4-10 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 2-10 p.m. Saturdays.

FULTON

Fulton’s taproom, the first to open in Minnesota, is large and good-looking.

Its long bar, backed by a big black wall with Fulton’s simple hops logo, and mix of high- and low-top tables accommodate pre-game Twins fans on their way to Target Field and North Loop neighbors who gather for happy hour.

It’s a little hard to find, and parking is not great. But it’s worth any hassles to sample Fulton’s refreshing, interesting brews with fellow craft-beer fans.

The taproom is separate from the brewing room, but from a window at the end of the bar, you can see guys in rubber boots mucking out the tanks.

Beers to try: A staple in our house, Lonely Blonde (4.8 percent ABV) is a perfect everyday beer. Low in alcohol but high in flavor, it’s great with pizza, tacos and, well, just about everything. It’s bright, citrusy and clean.

Sweet Child of Vine (6.4 percent ABV), the brewery’s other flagship beer, is grassy, floral and balanced.

Fulton: 414 Sixth Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-333-3208; fultonbeer.com; 3-10 p.m. Thursdays, 3-10 p.m. Fridays, noon-10 p.m. Saturdays, expanded hours on days of Twins home games.

INDEED BREWING

Indeed’s taproom feels like a corner bar, complete with a shuffleboard table.

The trio of friends who started the brewery last year used reclaimed wood and other recycled material to build most of the bar. They also salvaged the taproom tables, which still have signatures of famous visitors to the club room of an old printing company inscribed on them.

All the natural wood, exposed brick walls and big, old warehouse windows make for a beautiful beer-drinking setting.

Beers to try: Day Tripper (5.4 percent) is an intensely hoppy, spicy beer that’s good for all those hop-heads out there.

Our favorite Indeed brew is the Shenanigans Summer Ale, but you’ll have to wait for warm weather to try this seasonal brew.

Indeed Brewing: 711 15th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-843-5090; indeedbrewing.com; 3-11 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, noon-11 p.m. Saturdays.

LIFT BRIDGE

Hiding inside a boxy former gymnastics gym in a Stillwater business park, the Lift Bridge Brewery taproom is a surprisingly warm, inviting space with a small bar manned by volunteers.

The beer slingers apparently drink enough of the beer to help patrons order the right thing. Try a flight, served on a wood paddle, to decide your favorite.

The brewery equipment is walled off from the public, but there’s a window where you can see what’s happening inside.

Upside-down beer barrels and long picnic tables are filled with locals most nights. Occasionally, there are events at the taproom. Check the brewery website for a calendar.

Beers to try: The Farm Girl Saison (6 percent ABV) is a pale, smooth, citrusy, slightly spicy Belgian beer that works well in any season.

We also loved the HarvestÃƒÂ¶r Fresh Hop Ale (6.5 percent ABV), a fresh, grassy and really drinkable beer. Unfortunately, it’s a fall limited release, and it’s sold out.

A good bet for the colder months is the Chestnut Hill brown ale (6.5 percent ABV), a nutty, roasted malt affair that manages to be rich but not too heavy.

Lift Bridge Brewery: 1900 Tower Drive, Stillwater; 888-430-2337; liftbridgebrewery.com; 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, noon-8 p.m. Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays.

SUMMIT

Old-man Summit, not to be left out of the craft-brewing groundswell, has opened the Ratskeller at its St. Paul brewery on Friday nights and sells beer by the pint and flight.

The Ratskeller, German for “council room,” doubles as a community room and company lunchroom.

Not surprisingly, the taproom at the biggest brewery of the bunch feels more sterile and less intimate than taprooms at smaller producers. Still, Summit has been brewing since 1986, and its refined lineup of beers are local favorites.

Sometimes, the brewery offers special beers from its pilot brewing system, and it taps a cask beer each week. Get there early, though, because the cask — beer served without additional carbonation — sells out fast.

Beers to try: Old 152 (5.8 percent ABV), the current beer in the brewery’s Unchained series, is malty, caramely, slightly smoky and easy to drink.

Oatmeal Stout (5.1 percent ABV) is thick, rich and smooth. It’s available only on tap in select locations, and it’s worth a trip to the taproom to try it if you’ve never had it.

Summit: 910 Montreal Circle, St. Paul; 651-265-7800; summitbrewing.com; 3-8 p.m. Fridays.

Jess Fleming can be reached at 651-228-5435. Follow her at twitter.com/jessflem.