Minneapolis
Minneapolis's cocktail scene rewards drinkers who know where to look. The cocktail bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — North Loop, Northeast, Uptown, Lyn-Lake all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
NORTH LOOP · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
James Beard semi-finalist. Order: Hot toddy with Minnesota whiskey. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
NORTH LOOP · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Steakhouse with a serious cocktail program. Order: Hot toddy with Minnesota whiskey. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
NORTHEAST · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Speakeasy reached up a fire escape in an alley. Order: Hot toddy with Minnesota whiskey. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
NORTH LOOP · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Ground-floor cocktail bar of the Hewing Hotel. Order: Hot toddy with Minnesota whiskey. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
DOWNTOWN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Restaurant-and-cocktail-bar with one of Minneapolis's longest amaro lists. Order: Hot toddy with Minnesota whiskey. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Minneapolis or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten cocktail bars that any serious drinker in Minneapolis would tell you to put on the list.
James Beard semi-finalist. Order: Hot toddy with Minnesota whiskey. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Steakhouse with a serious cocktail program. Order: Hot toddy with Minnesota whiskey. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Minneapolis? See our guide to the best cocktail bars worldwide, or compare cocktail bars city by city. Or find cocktail bars near you.