Cocktails

Ghebregzi at Bar La Grassa: A deceptively simple Drink of the Week

Ghebregzi Bar La Grassa$9In the world of cocktails, some would argue there's nothing new under the sun; a little sweet, a little sour, a little bitter -- a cocktail is a cocktail, and it's something to enjoy, not dissect. So when you come across a regular old pairing of spirit and mixer that sneaks ... More >>

Top 10 craft cocktail bars in the Twin Cities

There's never been a better time to be a drinker. It's become almost mandatory for every new restaurant of a certain price point to employ a master mixologist behind the bar. These days you can't swing a shaker without smacking over a few bottles of handmade bitters. While the craft cocktail movemen ... More >>

Happy Hour of the Day: Rosa Mexicano

It's Friday afternoon, and I hear the tequila calling. What say we all kick off early and hit up a happy hour? When Rosa Mexicano first opened, experiences were mixed (ahem), but there have been a few crucial changes. One is the executive chef position. The man who leads the kitchen can now not only ... More >>

Eat Street Social rolls out new Indian Summer cocktail menu

One of the best things about turning the calendar page over to September is the influx of new and classic fall beverages. Starbucks and Caribou pull out the old pumpkin spice latte (would it be so craveable if you could get it year-round?), the orchards start selling gallons of cider, and wine drin ... More >>

Strip Club Meat & Fish pours the metro's first cocktails on tap

Ever on the cutting edge of the craft cocktail revolution, the Strip Club Meat & Fish has added two new drinks to its menu. The drinks are versions of summer favorites experienced bar-goers have likely tasted before; what's unique is the way Strip Club is serving them--on tap.The idea began with ... More >>

Summer cocktail recipe: Raspberry Basil Rum Fizz

See Also: Ginger beet gin & tonic Rhubarb vodka smash Right now, the Twin Cities have that sultry tropical vibe, so we thought you would appreciate a rum cocktail to complement the heat. This one is a variation on the Mojito, with basil playing the role of the mint while adding a more complica ... More >>

How I learned to stop complaining and love the Mojito

The Mojito is a classic summer cocktail. Its origins lie in Cuba, but the specifics (like many cocktails) are debated. Some believe that African slaves working in the sugar cane fields created an early version of the drink in the late 1800s as a way to beat the island heat. Others contend that the d ... More >>

Red Stag's happy hour could use a boost

Red Stag Supper Club509 First Ave. NE, Minneapolis612.767.7766; Red Stag website Hours & Details:Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m.Monday-Thursday 10 p.m. to closeSunday 3 p.m.-close$3 domestics$4 select taps$4 select cocktails$3 house wineRecently, while in northeast Minneapolis, we stopped off at the ... More >>

La Belle Vie named one of the top 25 bars in the country

It's nice to get the notice, when the man running the bar program literally wrote the book on fine drinks cocktails. Johnny Michaels's cocktail-shaking star continues to rise. This week Men's Fitness magazine named La Belle Vie one of the 25 best bars in America.

Top 10 margaritas in the Twin Cities

​ The margarita is a classic, no doubt about it. The earliest published recipe we can find is in Esquire magazine in 1953. The recipe called for tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime. As everything else does, this drink evolved in various ways, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse ... More >>

History of Hip: A Brief History of Cocktails

Top 10 martinis in the Twin Cities

​Life keeps getting better for Twin Cities cocktail lovers. New and exciting craft cocktails are being conceived, and classic cocktails are being rediscovered. No list of classic cocktails would be complete without the martini.It's clean, elegant, sexy, and its simplicity is part of it genius. The ... More >>

Cafe Maude's Bronx Cocktail: a new twist on an old classic

Cafe Maude's Bronx Cocktail ​Bronx Cocktail $10 Cafe Maude 5411 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis 612.822.5411 Its been said that there are no new cocktails, only new ways of making old ones. I don't believe that's true, but I am always impressed when someone takes a drink I know well and really makes i ... More >>

Mix Factor

Jelly Shot Test Kitchen's super cool cocktail gels

Courtesy of JSTKMichelle Palm loves this one...​With a City Pages photo shoot, an upcoming book, and a website that's been getting all kinds of acclaim, Jelly Shot Test Kitchen is having an amazing year. It's the brain child of Edina resident Michelle Palm, whose stunning gelatin cocktails and top ... More >>

B.A.N.K.'s bankers hours: a swanky happy hour of the week

Sitting at the bank...​B.A.N.K.88 South 6th St., Minneapolis612.656.3255Hours and Details:Monday - Friday, 3-6 p.m.$3 domestic taps$5 house wine$5 special cocktail (rotates daily)1/2 off selected appetizers: calamari, rock shrimp, sliders now (may be changing soon)$4 martinis on Tuesdays onlyWe al ... More >>

Edina Grill's petite cocktails make it the happy hour of the week

Land of petite happy hour cocktails​Edina Grill5028 France Ave S., Edina952.927.7933Hours and Details:Monday - Friday, 3-6 p.m.$3 Kenwood Table red and white$3 Summit Pilsner and Ranger IPA bottles$3 Petite cocktails: tropical mint, rum punch, cucumber agave martini, spiked pear, sweet and spicy m ... More >>

Morning happy hour? Yep, at Victor's 1959

Guanabana mimosa​Victor's 19593756 Grand Ave. S, Minneapolis612.827.8948Hours and Details: Monday through Friday, 8-10:30 a.m.$4 sake bloody Mary's$4 tropical mimosas (guava, mango, guanabana, orange)An evening happy hour is par for the course in these Upper Midwest parts, but Victor's boasts some ... More >>

Pittsburgh Blue: Happy hour of the week

Roy, working hard at happy hour​Pittsburgh Blue11900 Main St. N., Maple Grove763.416.2663Hours:Daily, 3-6 p.m."Late night": Monday-Thursday, 8-10 p.m.,Friday-Saturday, 9-11 p.m.$3 tap beers$3 house wine$3 well drinks$3 off martinis and specialty cocktails$3 mini Philly cheesesteaks, chili fries, p ... More >>

Top 5 happy hours of 2010

by Marsha TrainerThe writing's on the wall.​The Twin Cities are home to many killer happy hours in a variety of venues. In the Upper Midwest, snazzy joints are just as likely to discount their cocktails in the early evening as your friendly local dive bar. The Hot Dish has been diligently visiting ... More >>

Conga Latin Bistro: Happy hour of the week

Happy decor for a happy hour​Conga Latin Bistro501 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis612.331.3360Hours and Details:Monday - Friday, 5-7 p.m.1/2 priced appetizers2 for 1 Conga drinks: Mojito, Cuba Libre,Daiquiri, Rum Punch, Caipirinha2 for 1 Draft beersConga Latin Bistro is coming up on its tenth year a ... More >>

Four spooky vintage cocktails for Halloween!

Corpse Reviver #2​As Halloween approaches, we want to make sure you have the proper cocktails to party down, spooky-style. Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean you have to drink some nasty concoction like the Floating Eyeball or Bloody Brain. These vintage recipes are quite delicious and styli ... More >>

La Cucaracha's fun and down-to-earth happy hour

Hola.​La Cucaracha Mexican Restaurante, 36 South Dale St., St Paul, 651.221.9682 Hours and details: 7 days a week 3 -6 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10-midnight. $2-$3 beer specials, $3.50 house margaritas and rail drinks, $5 appetizers. Other daily specials: Monday: $2 off large bullfighters Tue ... More >>

Heavy Table and Crispin Cider's autumn mixology contest

Crispin CiderThe flavors of autumn.​ Do you fancy yourself a fine mixologist? Crispin Cider and Heavy Table are looking for you to share your finest cocktail creations made with Crispin and ingredients of your choice in their Autumn Mixology contest. This is your chance to show the world th ... More >>

Whiskey sour recipes to celebrate National Whiskey Sour Day

A 150-year-old classic​Like an easy lady, the whiskey sour has a tarnished reputation, similar to the tequila sunrise's. Being made for years with sour mix that tastes like bathroom cleaner will do that to a drink. Since today is National Whiskey Sour Day, it's a perfect opportunity to make th ... More >>

Top 5 gins are a tonic for the boring cocktail

Michelle Leon A gin for every occasion.  ​It used to be that gin had a bad reputation because it so often tasted like a pine tree air freshener bought at a truck stop. As more cocktails are created using this juniper-based spirit, the shades and variations of flavo ... More >>

The Hemingway Daiquiri--toasting the legend

Michelle LeonCome to Papa: The Hemingway Daiquiri/ Papa Doble​Since this week we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Ernest Hemingway, it seems fitting to sample the cocktail that bears his name. This Hemingway Daiquiri recipe is a variation of the cocktail the legendary writer drank at his ... More >>

Classic cocktail recipes--drink like Mad Men do

Michelle LeonClassic Martini​Want to learn how to make classic cocktails like those that the philandering, cigarette smoking, deceptive characters on Mad Men swill? As the AMC series starts its fourth season Sunday, the period piece set in the '60s reflects a time when it was okay to have a bar in ... More >>

Fourth of July cocktails celebrating the red, white, and blue

Michelle LeonIt's your patriotic duty to drink this​ If ever a holiday was worthy of its own cocktails, Fourth of July is the clear winner. On a day spent sitting on blankets in the grass with friends and family with a cooler full of snacks and brewskis--not to mention the fireworks overhead-- ... More >>

Ginger cayenne margarita--a killer cocktail recipe

Michelle Leonginger cayenne margarita​ Our search for the ultimate summer cocktail continues with this selection that is simultaneously spicy, sweet, and tart. With just a dash of cayenne, this take on a classic margarita captures all the traditional notes, but the ginger and cayenne give the dr ... More >>

Bradstreet, Solera, and more: Happy hours for grownups

Drink like an adult on a college kid's budget

Yelp sponsors 1/2 off drink specials

Great drink deals this week at OM, Frost, Bradstreet, BLB and more...

Studio Bricolage: Mixology: It's All About the Bitters

Studio Bricolage: Mixology: The Art & Science of Drink

More mixology clases @ Bradstreet from Studio Bricolage

Mark your calendars for "The Origins of Spirits" and the Philosophy of Ice and "All About the Bitters."

Drink of the week: La Belle Vie's 12 Drinks Before Christmas

12 cocktails from La Belle Vie sure to warm even the most holiday-hatin' heart.

Carnivale

Rum a good winter warmer

It's a rum resurrection, with books and now a movie romanticizing the Caribbean specialty.

At Bradstreet, it's all about the ice

Cocktails are the new dinner, and Bradstreet Restaurant has the ice--5 kinds!--to accessorize all your drinks.

Bar Abilene: Half off everything

Toast of the Town

By tracking down rare liquors from around the world, importer Eric Seed is fueling the nation's classic-cocktail revival

Barhopping: Moscow on the Hill

Sex and the City drinks

Drink of the Week: Miami Vice Grip

Light a Candle

Temple, Minneapolis's newest high-style fine-dining restaurant, is sexy to the max

This Ain't No Party

The tequila you knew and loved as a social drunk has caught a serious case of respectability

Shaken and Stirred

Martinis for purists and lovers of fruity mixed drinks alike

The Chino Syndrome