Sign at Ombibulous liquor store
The sign will guide you.
Ombibulous. Say it a few times, to get it nice and rooted, Ombibulous. Ombibulous. See, it's kinda fun! It means: one who enjoys beverages of all sorts. So: it me.
Ombibulous is the new libations store on E. Hennepin that is maniacally focused on selling only Minnesota-made beer, wine, and spirits. "My husband and I argue about Wisconsin," owner Michelle Ross told me, "so that's probably going to be an on-going discussion."
They've lightly rehabbed an old gas station, just up the road from the new Five Watt/Headflyer Brewing building. For those in the know, it was the one where that guy James sold his wicked good barbecue from a trailer in the parking lot. "Yeah, he might be back this summer for some fun if we can figure it out!" There will be a bigger sign with the name on it, soonish.
Interior of Ombibulous liquor store
Inside the small shop.
I love our distillery, cocktail room, brewery, and taproom culture, because I love test-driving liquids and seeing what their makers do with them, but you can't always buy what you want, when you want it. It think this is a perfect sidekick to local makers, because it's a one-stop shop: I can grab some Norseman Olympia and a Tattersall Fernet in one fast swoop. Sure, other liquor stores have local product, but sometimes it's a bear trying to find it. And maybe sometimes they don't have the shelf space for the really little guy. Ombibulous does.
The entire back wall is a cooler stocked with local brews. "We don't keep any beer at room temp, it's always properly chilled from the moment it gets here. We keep it organized by type, not brand. You get a better idea of who is making what in town." Everything is loose too—meaning you can pick a can of Insight IPA, a can of Utepils, and a can of Flat Earth and call it a tasting flight.
Whiskey shelf at Ombibulous
I had not tried that Vikre whiskey yet!
Spirits are also grouped by type, and I found a few bottles that I haven't seen elsewhere. Maybe the most impressive is the Minnesota wine selections they have. There are a lot of wineries in our state that might never get noticed in bigger stores amongst bottles from California and Washington. Here, you might just pluck a bottle and find something new and different.
Bitter Stix, moonshine, sangria, and red wine from Ombibulous
Currently at my house.
Here are my finds from the store that I'm most excited about:
Ombibulous business card
What are these Bitter Stix?? I'm going to swish some of these Minnesota oak sticks in my drinks this weekend and report back. I'm headed to a dinner party this weekend so I need to bring a hostess gift, and I think this woman (who just spent time dogsledding in the upper Northern hemisphere) would love a little Mamma's Moonshine from Twin Spirits Distillery. It's distilled once a month on the full moon. Uh, pink sangria in a can? Yes I Can is from the Loon Juice kids at Four Daughters Vineyard, and it feels like I should have a pack in the basement fridge at the ready for a March melt day. And I nabbed this Devi's Red from Burr Vineyards—which I had never heard of—from Brandon, MN. I dunno, maybe I'll grab a pizza on the way home and make a night of it.
Go check them out! They are family owned and operated, have samples at the ready, and would love to see locals supporting locals.
