Trip Ideas

Sweet Sipping in Minnesota's Sweet Spot

From craft beers to craft cocktails, Minnesota’s Sweet Spot has it all. Enjoy a whole weekend of delicious drinks.

Food
Drinks

Friday

Morning

Begin your trip to Minnesota’s Sweet Spot at the quintessential brunch restaurant in Golden Valley, the Good Day Café. Start your day with a mimosa – they have seven unique offerings, including the GDC Grand Mimosa made with Grand Marnier or the Man-Mosa spiked with Fireball whiskey! The Café offers a wide variety of omelets, pancakes, waffles, crepes, French toast, and baked goods. Their oversized apple souffle pancake, made with Granny Smith apples smothered in a cinnamon sugar glaze, was even featured on the Food Network show “Best. Breakfast. Ever.”

Afternoon

Next up is Rojo Mexican Grill, known for their novel culinary creations and traditional Mexican dishes. Rojo is home to an exceptional collection of tequila and mezcal, with 60 different types of tequila, including blanco, reposado, añejo and extra añejo, and 50 varieties of mezcal. Hang out on the patio, nosh on some chips and salsa, and try a flight of your favorite brand. Or enjoy one of Rojo’s signature cocktails, such as “El Guapo,” a layered drink that combines Rojo Double Barrel Herradura Reposado, Nucano Mezcal, St. Germain, and a house-infused habanero simple syrup.

 

Spend the rest of your afternoon at Teresa’s Mexican Restaurant and decide for yourself who truly has the most flavorful margarita in town. Sample the spicy, yet refreshing, cucumber jalapeño, strawberry mint, or their piña caliente, made with Patrón Silver, passion fruit, pineapple, and a chili lime rim. Plus, your taste buds will delight in all the authentic dishes, from street tacos to fajitas and molcajete.

Evening

For dinner, it’s back to the West End and CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar, a contemporary restaurant offering vibrant American cuisine, fresh sushi, and cool sidewalk seating. CRAVE’s cocktail game is exceptional, from their signature Smoked Manhattan to fruit forward favorites like their Pineapple Mojito and Blackberry Mule. CRAVE particularly shines when it comes to their extensive wine list, offering a selection of over 80 reds and whites from around the world. Not to be left out, sake enthusiasts will delight in the nine varieties available to accompany CRAVE’s tasty selection of nigiri, sashimi and specialty rolls.

Walk off your delicious meal by strolling over to the AC Hotel Minneapolis West End. On the 6th floor, you’ll find REVEAL Rooftop Bar, THE place to watch the sunset. Their master mixologists will make you the perfect hand-crafted cocktail to sip as you soak in the views of downtown Minneapolis. Scotch, bourbon and rye drinkers will delight in the nearly 50 different types on hand. This stylish and energized bar, with its cozy couches and inviting nooks, also serves a variety of tapas. If it starts to rain, they’ve got you covered – literally – with a retractable roof that makes this the perfect patio!

Saturday

Morning

Ease your way into the day with brunch on the four-season “paw”tio at The Block Food + Drink. Start your morning with a signature bloody mary. They have three different levels of bloodiness: Mary Mary Quite Contrary for bloody mary newbies, the Block Bloody made with their special homemade mix, and the Dragon Mary, crafted with habanero infused vodka and Sriracha for those who aren’t afraid of a little spice. Or choose one of their six mimosas. Make sure you try their “pacos” – mini pancakes stuffed with cheesy scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon, served with spicy pepper jam and maple syrup. They also serve vegan entrées.

Afternoon

Breweries

Spend your Saturday afternoon sampling some award-winning beer. St. Louis Park’s Steel Toe Brewing, offers seven year-round brews, several barrel-aged beers that make regular appearances, plus a number of seasonals. Their Dissent Dark Ale took home the gold medal at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival.

 

In Golden Valley, you’ll find Under Pressure Brewing, a family-friendly brewery and blendery offering modern brews in a laid back, medieval-style setting. They offer over 20 beers on tap and an equal number of blended beers. Choose one of their sample flights or go all in with an 8-pint flight that’s perfect for sharing with friends. Harry Potter fans will want to try their version of butter beer. Feeling hungry? Don’t worry. Food trucks make regular appearances at both breweries!

Evening

Kick off your Saturday evening with dinner at Lat14 Asian Eatery, known for its critically acclaimed fine dining featuring small, shareable plates featuring the cuisine of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and their neighboring countries. A full bar features over 40 different types of scotch, bourbon and rye, an Irish whisky and five Japanese whiskies. Try them neat or in a cocktail.

Distilleries

End the evening with a nightcap at one of our two distilleries. Dampfwerk Distillery specializes in European-style fruit brandies and liqueurs made from locally sourced fruits. This cocktail lounge is modern and sexy with dim lighting, dark walls and gold accents. Take a tour of the family-owned distillery as a post-dinner activity.

 

A short walk across the parking lot will bring you to Copperwing Distillery, a grain-to-glass micro distillery. They are your go-to place for gin, vodka, FRESAS (strawberry gin), bourbon, and their signature creation – Vodskey®, a bourbon mash distilled like vodka. They also offer ready-to-drink cocktails in a bottle (anyone for an Old Fashioned?) and weekly cocktail kits to make at home.

Sunday

Morning

Start your last day in Minnesota’s Sweet Spot with a stop at St. Louis Park’s favorite local hangout, Bunny’s Bar & Grill. In business for over 80 years, you’ll often find lines out the door at this popular breakfast spot. Order one of their signature skillet scrambles – scrambled eggs and American fries topped with melted Monterey jack-cheddar cheese, bacon and more – or try the cinnamon fritter French. Be sure to try a Bunny Mary, their take on a bloody mary served with a Kramarczuk’s spicy beef stick and a snit of Coors Light.

Afternoon

Beer Halls

If you want to kick back and catch the latest game on TV, you’ll love Yard House, a high-end sports bar at the West End.  Beer lovers will be high-fiving over their selection of more than 100 of the best American and imported craft beers (ciders, too)! Plus, they offer more than 100 made-from-scratch dishes to tempt even the pickiest of eaters.

 

Or head to Golden Valley’s New Bohemia Wurst + Bier House, which bills itself as “the New American Craft Bier Hall,” and it couldn’t be truer. Exhibit A: The 36 rotating beers on tap — 23 of which are local Minnesota beers. And it only gets better from there. New Bohemia also offers 24 different kinds of sausages, all of which are locally made from all-natural, whole cuts of meat with no artificial flavoring and zero nitrates. And these aren’t your standard sausages — try the Juicy Lucy brat stuffed with provolone and pepperoncini or a mac and cheese stuffed brat. For the bold, there’s a whole section of the menu called “adventurous wursts,” which features items like the lamb gyro brat served with cucumber sauce, the smoked elk brat, the wild boar brat and the Louisiana alligator bayou brat.

Evening

As the day draws to a close, arrive at Mill Valley Kitchen, where you’ll find fresh cuisine inspired by the California coast. The restaurant serves locally sourced, farm-to-table food in a cozy, fine dining atmosphere. Menus change seasonally and feature entrées such as miso glazed seabass with ginger-shiitake quinoa and herb roasted chicken breast with farro-mushroom risotto. Their wine list features over 70 selections, with an emphasis on the vineyards of California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Raise a glass and toast the end of a delightful weekend getaway.