lead are the days in which get over down a quality cocktail is a difficult after - employment labor . Even the diviest of Twin Cities ' dives can stir up a solid interracial drink . While this make a weekday Manhattan an leisurely win , the cocktail ’s newfound omnipresence in the region makes in truth craft cocktails even more telling . These 14 bit ( plus one honorable citation ) are straight arbiters of booze : their exact dedication to libations results in a Cartesian product that is really worthy of your bombilation .
Parlour
The flagship of the Jester Concepts bar grouping has hold strong since rent local craft necromancer Jesse Held to contribute the squad . The Parlour Old Fashioned is now a Twin Cities Hellenic cocktail in its own right field , while the layer Wise Beyond His days ( Scotch , spiced vanilla liquor , honey , and lemon ) shows off the squad ’s more experimental chance event .
Heyday
One of the thing that makes Heyday – already one of ourall - sentence favourite Twin Cities restaurants– stand out is its addition of an extremely well - executed cocktail program . The barroom flaunts its skill in drinks like the Bitter Redhead , a blending of bourbon , Campari , ginger , jalapeño , and lemon that is balanced into a cocktail that ’s sweet , sour , spicy , and just a little bit floral .
Constantine
Like the rest of the Jester Concepts family , Constantine , which just turned one , features cocktail from Jesse Held , but that ’s the only law of similarity between it and its older sib . Located in the dark basement of Hotel Ivy , the billet does n’t take itself too seriously , rolling with a menu of cheeky drinks , like the Lumbersexual , which mix in citrus vodka , orangish curacao , lime , and cranberry cordials . But do n’t allow that fun make you think this spot is anything but a fantastic measure . Constantine does its cocktail well . Really , really well .
Saint Dinette
Saint Dinette shines bright under the big tincture cast by its elderly sister , The Strip Club Meat & Fish . For a sample of its product , order the Thanks for Last Night . The potable sport tequila , sweet corn tomatillo , Zing Zang , and lime , and comes with your pick of a Sol Mexican Lager ; or the Healthy Vacation , an equally impressive concoction of Gosling ’s dark rum , mezcal , honey liqueur , pep , lime , and a mix of bitters . If you show up for brunch , the dawn cocktails digest up to the late - night fare , and the staff makes a mean Bloody .
Eat Street Social
This little bar , situated mighty along Nicollet Ave ’s Eat Street , has been dish up outstanding cocktails for year . The independent stripe features rotating seasonal drinks like The Drunken Botanist , an capably named concoction that features snare , strawberry rhubarb , sake , lemon , pineapple , rear , and orangeness bitters . And you could hit up the special Tiki bar in back for all your fruity , intemperately garnished deglutition needs .
Volstead’s Emporium
When it first opened , Volstead ’s Emporium took a sight of flack in the residential area for its strict speakeasy approach . No internet site , Facebook page , or anything more than mere word of mouth to spread info on this Lyndale spot may seem a fiddling too pretentious to some , but the level of quality that continue to match the secrecy makes it all work out exceptionally well . For the saki of the speakeasy , all we can tell you in regard to location is that the door is located in a back alley at Lake & Lyndale , behind a well - known cowboy - theme bar . Once inside , if nothing on the often change menu catch your eye , ask a barkeep for help , or trust that the Old Fashioned , or any of the sherry - based cocktail , have yet to let down .
Du Nord
Du Nord still ’s in - house cocktail elbow room features a few signature drinks utilizing its own brand of L’etoile Vodka and Fitzgerald Gin along with a list of various seasonal offerings . If you ’re recollect what we ’re thinking , a Fitzgerald & tonic ca n’t pass fast enough .
The Strip Club Meat & Fish
When it comes to having a reputation that ca n’t be overrepresented , The Strip Club in St. Paul consistently exceeds expectations , and that also extends to its Browning automatic rifle curriculum . Cocktails like the longstanding Cobra Kai , which features Kilo Kai Rum , habanero bitters , and the house - made sour , are mere mixtures , so the component and like an expert layered flavors gleam .
Marvel Bar
Having bring in a well - deserved national rep for its cocktail curriculum , Marvel Bar continues to deliver one of the in effect top - shelf bar experiences in the area . Its signature Oliveto cocktail features olive fossil oil , egg white , lemon , Licor 43 , and Gordon ’s gin , while the Gatsby combine Benedictine , Tomatin 12 Year Scotch , salt , apricot , and water for a truly luscious drinking experience .
Spoon and Stable
Gavin Kaysen ’s North Loop dining destination has quickly earned its berth as one of the top speckle in the Cities to nab a delicious swallow courtesy of Robb Jones masterful cocktail menu . A beautiful pisco sourness always collide with the spot , but Spoon & Stable ’s mutation makes the classic even better with Macchu Pisco , pineapple plant , orange bloom pee , and lemon , while the spot ’s swordplay on an Old Fashioned includes Plantation Grande Réserve rum , Angostura , and a muted sweetness from roasted pineapple demerara .
Tattersall
This might be the newfangled holy land for cocktails in the Twin Cities as fabled barman Dan Oskey has produce a brand - new distilling empire . While you’re able to find Tattersall ’s spirits in many of the liquor stores about town , head straight to the beginning : the barkeeper at the massive cocktail room are always set up together drink of the out-and-out gamey caliber .
Icehouse
With a signature drink list laced with salient cocktail like the And Fire In The Sky ( mezcal , Cynar , maraschino , demerara sugar , and lemon yellow succus ) or the Ballad Of A slight Man ( Tattersall Aquavit , ananas and basswood juice , and bitters ) , Icehouse unfailingly deliver on its cocktails . However , what we are really loving are its $ 5 sipping shooter . minuscule than a typical crapulence , but make on sparkler to prevent shot , these drinks might just be the best cocktail quite a little in the Twin Cities . With offering like the Keyser Söze ( tequila , ginger , unslaked lime , and smuggled currant bush ) , the Satan Laughs & spread His Wings ( a blending of bourbon , hazelnut orange liqueur , and gamy bitters ) , or the Playing Make Up , Wearing Guitar ( a carbonated bourbon Manhattan with dope - cherry tree bitters ) , you get your five dollars ' worth every . Single . fourth dimension .
Bradstreet Crafthouse
The godfather of Twin Cities wiliness cocktail , Bradstreet Crafthouse has maintained its standard ( and name ) since moving to a raw , larger Uptown area locating from its original spot in the Graves Hotel , where it ’d been since 2009 . The signature tune Bradstreet cocktail , made of Jim Beam Rye , jasmine , ginger , lemon , and egg white , brave the move in dash , but the balance of the carte du jour is equally worth your attention ; if you ’ve never tried an on - tap cocktail , try the water with the Professor ( gin , lime , peppiness , and Angostura bitter ) .
Tongue in Cheek
Perfect for a cocktail novice , Tongue in Cheek breaks its menu down into flavor categories to help oneself take your roof of the mouth . Looking for something savoury ? Try the Mother of Dragons , which feature jalapeño - infused Jim Beam , Mathilde Pêche , and passion yield . require to ease in with something sugared ? Go for the Ron Swanson , a loaded combination of Bulleit Rye , Luxardo Maraschino , Ferrand Dry Curaçao , and Blackstrap Bitters . If you need more guidance , opt for a flight of steps , which boast one from each class , and allow the bartenders talk you through the lineup .
Honorable mention:
Lawless Distilling Co.
The phratry behind democratic Bittercube bitterness just opened this Seward spot at the tail end of June . While it ’s too new to declare “ best , ” that Lawless Distilling has cull together an impressive menu of cocktails all made with its own vodkas and gins warrant an honorable mention , and a call for you to grab a spot on the patio ASAP.Sign up herefor our day-after-day MSP email and be the first to get all the food / drink / fun the Twin Cities have to offer .
Parlour Bar|Sasha Landskov/Courtesy of Parlour Bar
Parlour Bar|Sasha Landskov/Courtesy of Parlour
Constantine|Sasha Landskov/Courtesy of Constantine
Eat Street Social
DuNord Craft Spirits
Marvel Bar
Courtesy of Grayson Hary
Bradstreet Neighborhood Crafthouse
Lawless Distilling
