South Minneapolis Booze Crawl

Let's take that new law out for a cocktail crawl, shall we?

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Like a new pair of shoes, some South Minneapolis restaurants got a shiny new addition to their look: FULL LIQUOR! With the changing of the liquor laws this past election, some places that were formally only zoned for beer and wine have applied and received sparkly new liquor licenses. Word on the street is that there were around 35+ applications in process with the city in just the first six months. 

The most important thing to understand about this new world of booze is that it's new: to us, and to these operations. Many of these places have lived in their neighborhoods for years without a full bar, and it's not like they could just carve out part of their kitchen for massive rail space and a Monte Carlo-esque back bar (boy, that one's a beaut, yeah?). So the key is to keep expectations in check: Not everyone will have the space to stock all the liquor in the world, so while you'll find a nice selection of new drinks, you might not be able to get that Captain-and-Coke. Unlike a new restaurant that can build space and cost into plans, these guys are figuring out how to make it all work.

With that in mind, I thought I would check on the progress with a quickie bar crawl. 

Terzo

It's only appropriate that we started at Terzo at 50th and Penn, where Molly Broder is Queen Matriarch. She was instrumental in lobbying for and passing the new law. Charlie Broder made us a few drinks from the new Terzo cocktail menu. Their idea with the new program is to stick to the Boot with an offering of six Italian drinks. "We're not going to try to do margaritas. With all the love for amaro going on, why wouldn't we stick to that lane?"

I tried a Capri Sunset which is like their answer to an Aperol Spritz, but boosted with kombucha and grappa to give it more depth. Also loved the Hugo Spritz, a light and tart drink of elderflower, prosecco, lemon, and mint. Of course there's a solid Negroni, and a rye kicked Boulevardier, but try the Strega Nona which floats fennel fronds in an herbaceous sipper for something new. These drinks will be batched daily, so that they can be fresh, and poured fast and easily by their current bar crew. They're also looking to bottle some cocktails for the patio when the Porchetta Window opens. 

We also got a sneak taste of the house limoncello, and heard stories of a coming rhubarbcello?? Charlie really put his cabin-fever-lockdown from Jan-Apr to good use. 

Red Wagon Pizza

Next stop was just a hop up the block at 54th and Penn. Pete Campbell showed us all the drinks in his new Draft Cocktails section of the menu. The Red Wagon crew cleared out a few beer lines to make room for kegged cocktails and now they can pour a Negroni in under a minute. Pete wanted his drinks list to match the ones he makes in his own home, so he kept it pretty streamlined. "We're a modern American pizza joint, so we thought we'd do modern American drinks with great ingredients. I'm not going to razzle dazzle, not with Marco and his team as neighbors, we just want to bring something to the neighborhood mix." Also in the hood: Book Club which has had full liquor since day one (as it did when it was built as Cafe Maude). 

All of their drinks come from the tap, including that balanced Negroni, an Old Fashioned with a bit of pineapple sweetness, a straight Daiquiri, and a Margarita that's lifted with rooibos tea-infused Aperol. So not really plain and simple, but clearly easy and refreshing. That Old Fashioned was a secret not-for-sale item that would show up sometimes at 11 p.m. on weekends in the past, so a few in-the-know neighbors are already wise to that recipe. 

For something totally fresh, try the Ferarri which is like a 50/50 blend of Fernet and Campari, but here made with some very boutique spirits. Also, don't doubt you can finish the sweet pitcher of gin and tonic, which is more fully flavored with a ginger infusion than just pine and lime. 

Pizzeria Lola

Popped a few more blocks over to 56th and Xerxes for a bit of Lola. Wouldn't you know that their drink recipes come from Adam Gorski, the cocktail savant over at James Beard Award-winning Young Joni. They have a neat and simple list of 6 drinks, which are all batched ahead of time, "We don't have a dedicated bar staff, everyone in the restaurant works all the stations, so we needed to keep it easy," general manager Emily O'Brian told me. The servers just put the good ice in the glass and pour the batched drink over, "we are easing into this and doing what we think makes sense for the neighborhood and Lola." 

Aperol Spritz is a classic patio banger, feeling like you'll see it a lot this summer. And the Old Fashioned is straight up classic. There's a beautiful drink in a Nick-and-Nora glass called the Lolita, and it's light and lively with Gordon's vodka, Tattersall orange crema, and Cocchi Americano. The margs are salted with gochugaro salt for a nice kick, and the Negroni is made with local Crooked Water Abyss gin. There is no shaking or stirring here, and everything is batched so there are no free-pours from bottles. So don't ask for a gin and tonic, try the gimlet instead. 

St. Genevieve

Last stop was back down on 50th and Bryant at STG. Now, my day drinking here has usually been bubbles-oriented, and the great news is I don't have to change that much. STG's new cocktail list really fits in nicely. They already had bar space and have found a nice way to incorporate what they already have. "It's great for the day bartender, which is a little like a Cinderella job of cleaning and setting up for the next shift," day bartender Katie Rose Gabriel said. "It's a fun new addition and people are loving the drinks." They too do batched drinks and bottled cocktails, but there's a bit more mixing and stirring that comes with this list. 

While most of the lists we saw had an Old Fashioned, and they tweaked and riffed to meet the theme, none was as luscious as this one made with Calvados and honey chamomile syrup. Delightful. The STG Spritz was elderflower with Yellow Chartreuse and a sparkly Crémant, topped with a sprig of baby's breath was just damn elegant. Also know, they are using Champagne in their French 75 because they are not letting down their standards of bubbles, just because they get to play with other liquids. Again, you won't really be able to order drinks not on the list, but as Katie Rose put it, "I'm much more interested in helping people be better humans than worrying about a tip." 

All in all: EXCITING! For some places, who have only been popping caps and uncorking bottles to go with their food, this is a whole new flavor and taste exploration. They get to create and play with a whole new mix of menu items for the first time. I'm excited to see how this all goes! Onward to the new lists at Tilia, Corner Table, Tiny Diner, Cafe Ena, and many more as we get this South Minny party rolling.