For a couple of years now, the folks at World Whisky Day have been featuring different cities across the globe as “Whisky Capitals” in their weekly newsletter. Many of these are not what you might normally expect as hotbeds of whisky. Finally, we decided to submit our own location to them and it was featured in their Whisky Wednesday newsletter from April 2018. Understandably, the editors trimmed for effective length, but below is the full text of how the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, have become an unexpected must-see for whisky fans. And rest assured, we know there were many places we missed!
What are the best places to have a whisky in Minneapolis/St. Paul?
Merlin’s Rest is an old-style pub in the Longfellow neighborhood, south of downtown Minneapolis. It is filled with classic pub foods from Cornish pasty to bangers & mash. It also has the largest whisky selection in the state with close to 500 Scotch and Irish whiskies. Even better is the option to order in drams, or half shots. It is not uncommon to find scotch tastings (with accompanying pipers), trivia nights or shanty sings taking place on many evenings. For something more formal on the other side of the Mississippi River, the St. Paul Grill offers a relaxed atmosphere situated at the base of the St. Paul Hotel with a superb collection of whiskies and very knowledgeable bartenders, evoking an old-world feel out of some golden age movie. The kitchen offers an impressive array of meat-centered dishes to keep your stomach padded.
Where would you enjoy a whisky cocktail?
Dalton and Wade in the North Loop is an example of the cocktail wave overtaking the Twin Cities in the past several years. It is a place full of Southern-style food and a respectable whisky list, along with some very creative cocktails. Marvel Bar, one of several area speakeasies, is a little harder to find but well worth the effort. The mixologists specialize in avant-garde cocktails from a surprisingly deep whisky list. So secretive they don’t publish most of their drinks online.
Merlin’s Rest
Where would you go to dram and dine?
For a more informal meal, head to the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of St. Paul and visit the Happy Gnome, an electric little place that’s great for brunch, dinner, or late-night snacking. To go along with the friendly fare, the whisky list is impressive not for its length but for the calculated selections (e.g. one of the few places in the metro that serve Compass Box). If you think ahead enough to make reservations, you can’t beat The Butcher and the Boar in downtown Minneapolis, which specializes in stunning meats, craft brew beer, and bourbons.
How about distilleries in the Twin Cities?
Since a law change in 2011 made distilleries more viable in the area, almost two dozen have sprung up, many centered in the Twin Cities. Being new, most have started by offering white spirits like vodka and gin, with some laying down spirit for bourbons, ryes and other whiskies to age. Another feature of many metro distilleries is an attached cocktail room, where they can not only showcase talented drinks featuring their spirits, but also serve to elevate brand awareness. Tattersall Distillery and Norseman Distillery are two of the area’s most prominent, both for their spirits and their destination cocktail bars. Trust us, there’s more.
Where would you shop for whisky?
There are a surprising number of wine stores and liquor stores in the metro (how else to keep warm during the long winters?), but chief among them is located in the western suburb of Hopkins, Ace Spirits. This small shop is whisky-centric and contains almost every whisky available for purchase in the state. Privately owned, this small business is often home to various whisky tastings and a knowledgeable staff who will make the time to talk with you about what’s on the shelves. The store is aggressive about purchasing single barrels to feature in store and regularly has a dozen in rotation from the US, Canada, and Scotland. South Lyndale Liquors also has very good selections and prices.
Volstead House Whiskey Bar & Speakeasy
Where would you find a whisky hidden gem?
An oft-overlooked destination is Volstead House Whiskey Bar & Speakeasy, located in Eagan, a southern suburb of St. Paul. The ambiance plays to the Cities’ history during the Prohibition Era, specializing in spirit-forward cocktails and a dizzying array of whisky presentations. This place has maybe the most balanced menu in the metro, including an array of world whiskies rarely seen elsewhere in the area. Gori Gori Peku is a very small, very new whisky bar in downtown Minneapolis whose focus is Japanese whisky, including some rarer bottles seen nowhere else in the state.
And if you’ve only got 24 hours in the Twin Cities? What should you do?
Start with breakfast at the Hi-Lo Diner, where you can have cocktails with your bacon and eggs if you choose. Classic diner food served in a diner car salvaged from a long life just north of Pittsburgh, PA. To walk off all those pancakes, cross the Mississippi River into St. Paul and explore Como Park, full of rolling hills and laughing children. Visit the Happy Gnome nearby for a light lunch and tipple before going west to spend a few solid hours at Merlin’s Rest, sampling new additions and old favorites. Filled with ideas from their scotch bible, drive out to Ace Spirits in Hopkins and find a few bottles to bring home with you. Head back to downtown Minneapolis for dinner at the Butcher and the Boar and remind yourself what country you’re in by having a bourbon. Stave off the meat-coma threatening to overtake your system by taking a night stroll across the Stone Arch Bridge amid Mill Ruins Park that offers some breath-taking views of both the river and downtown. Close out the evening in the cooler weather by relaxing at Marvel Bar with a few cocktails and exceptional ambiance. In the summer months, however, it is hard to beat going to Betty Danger’s Country Club on the other side of the river and sipping a cocktail while riding their Ferris wheel.
