Minnesota is home to 'America's coolest drinking city' says new Wall Street Journal magazine

Five Twin Cities bars get a spotlight in the gushing article.

May 25, 2018 at 4:56AM
Preparing a cocktail at Tattersall Distilling in Minneapolis. (AARON LAVINSKY)
Preparing a cocktail at Tattersall Distilling in Minneapolis. (Tom Horgen — STAR TRIBUNE/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

We're kind of surprised, too. But hey, we're Minnesotans.

In the debut issue of the Wall Street Journal and National Geographic's new joint venture, "Far & Away," the Twin Cities area gets some huge — and a little unexpected — props. But there it is, an article naming Minneapolis and St. Paul "America's coolest drinking city." So cool, in fact, that the travel magazine says it takes two cities to contain such awesomeness.

The fun article, which you can read here, goes on to list five of our best watering holes. (In case you're wondering, "Far & Away" is being distributed in WSJ subscriber newspapers twice a year and online on National Geographic's site.)

Marvel Bar, that North Loop leader in the local cocktail scene, tops the list. Restaurant Alma makes the cut, but instead of mentioning its superb bar program on the cafe side, the main dining room's wine list gets all the kudos (well deserved, though). Another restaurant on the list is Saint Dinette, which also has an excellent cocktail menu.

The acclaimed Tattersall is the lone distillery included in the guide. You can tell the author did his homework with this line of detail: "When your Lyft finishes bouncing over the scattershot potholes in the alley behind the historic Thorp Building, the dimly lit tools of the trade behind Tattersall Distilling's bar will banish any doubts about this out-of-the-way gem." True, those potholes are intense!

The fifth entry goes to Grumpy's Bar & Grill, because what would we be without our beloved dive bars?

Of course those East Coasters can't do a write up on good 'ol Minnesota without a few "flyover country" lines. Here's how the story opens: "With a surprising number of Fortune 500 companies (17) for such a small metropolitan area (Minneapolis and St. Paul together have only 725,000 residents) ..." and so on and so forth.

OK, geez, we're not Mayberry out here, guys.

about the writer

about the writer

Tom Horgen

Assistant Managing Editor/Audience

Tom Horgen is the Assistant Managing Editor/Audience, leading the newsroom to build new, exciting ways to reach readers across all digital platforms.

See More

More from Eat + Drink

A plate with slices of Hmong sausage, a stuffed chicken wing and crispy pork belly, a mound of white sticky rice and shreds of white and orange papaya salad in a lettuce leaf

Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.