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Prohibition Bar at Foshay Tower in Minneapolis

We wanted to visit the iconic Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis, but their 32nd floor observation deck is only open Fri-Sun. The 30th floor museum is open every day, though, and is worth a quick visit. We made do by visiting the Prohibition Bar on the 27th floor for some great cocktails and also some nice views through the windows.

My cocktail was the Sidecar (without a sugar rim), which is my usual go-to for places like this where ordering a daiquiri is sometimes refused like it was this time (though I sometimes wonder if the server thinks a blender is needed…). And Prohibition’s Sidecar was really great.

There was sort of a mix-up with the cocktail. The server asked if I wanted brandy or cognac and I asked for cognac. The actual spirit used was middle-tier rather than lower-tier from the list (I didn’t call a specific brand, neither did the server), so it was a little pricier than I expected. But, like I said, the cocktail was fantastic. We worked it out with the server in the end.

The trendy W Hotel has a great lobby bar on the first floor of this iconic building. It’s a really interesting building to check out in Minneapolis.

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Oakhana Summer Swizzle Silent Auction – Opens Friday, Register Now

A small charity focused tiki bar crawl is happening on Saturday, organized by the Oakland-based Tiki Ohana – the Oakhana. This two bar crawl has limited capacity and tickets are sold out, but even if you’re not attending you can get into the action by participating in the silent auction. There are some great items available, with proceeds going to Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.

In addition to tiki mugs, gift cards, books, and fashion items, there are a couple experiences available. I’m pleased to include an Ultimate Mai Tai Happy Hour at Jeff Hall’s Dragon’s Den home tiki bar in Oakland.

Ultimate Mai Tai Happy Hour:
3 hours, from 4-8 attendees

Taste three different Mai Tais to appreciate how different rums and other ingredients can help you develop your own personal ultimate Mai Tai. The Mai Tai was born with a long-aged rum from Jamaica, and Kevin will be bringing some rare and potent rums to demonstrate the variability when using different rum styles.

Depending on who wins the auction, we can customize the rums being brought and definitely will prepare something awesome for the attendees.

The registration for the silent auction is now available, with bidding starting on Friday at Noon Pacific time and closing Saturday August 19 at 7:30 pm Pacific.

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Farewell Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge

We’re in Minneapolis for other reasons and were going to visit the tiki restaurant Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge anyway, but we weren’t going to miss it after their recent announcement that they’re closing on August 19.

Apparently everyone has gotten the memo, because Wednesday at 7 pm seemed like a weekend at prime time. There was a giant line for walk-ins, but thankfully we made a reservation a few weeks ago. That said, all your ordering is done via a web app on your phone (more on that later), or via a gigantic line at the patio bar (yes, even if you have a table reservation). Everything on the lower level and on the patio was completely filled, but the staff made good time running around delivering food and drink orders that came pretty quickly. They weren’t seating upstairs, and sadly the gift shop is also closed.

We had some issues getting to the checkout screen on the app but once we force-quit the browser it worked finally. Our personal sized pizza’s were okay (too heavy on the crust, especially on Mrs. Mai Tai’s pizza). There’s not a lot of variety on the food menu these days.

I ordered two drinks. The Paralyzed Politician has four rums, hibiscus, grapefruit and citrus. Or so they say, since this didn’t have a lot of flavor to be honest. Thankfully, the Mai Tai was pretty reasonable. There’s a little pineapple juice in there, so it leans a little sweet, but overall this was a refreshing tropical cocktail. I didn’t love the plastic glasses.

Who knows what’ll happen to the decor inside, but we were glad to visit before the closing. It leaves a big void in Minneapolis.

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Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Mai Tai

This Mai Tai is part of a line of bottled cocktails from O’ahu’s Kō Hana rum distillery. We’re fans of their rum products and this cocktail line is starting to become available outside the islands. I picked mine up at Bitters and Bottles. Retail price is around $15.

In terms of overall taste, the Kō Hana Mai Tai’s most pronounced taste and bouquet is coming from the stellar Hawaiian Rum Agricole. This rum is distilled from cane juice and has a savory and sweet taste that’s different from rums distilled from molasses. There are also tangy citrus flavors and some light fruity flavors, but I’m not getting a lot of orange or almond like you’d expect from a traditional Mai Tai. But I’m also not picking up much pineapple or coconut, so in that respect this bottled Mai Tai is already a lot better than most.

Kō Hana recommends this served over ice and I found it to be noticeably better in this format. It comes in at a hefty 22% ABV, which means that 375 bottle is best for a couple people. Throw a pineapple or umbrella in the drink and take a Hawaiian vacation.

This is one of the better bottled Mai Tais. If you love rums made from cane juice, Kō Hana’s Mai Tai is truly outstanding.

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The Fink – New Cocktail Bar in Downtown Napa

We were excited to try the new cocktail bar in downtown Napa from local raconteur Judd Finkelstein – aka “The Fink” where the venue gets its name. The bar is the same spot as the former Silo’s and is situated in the historic grain mill that now houses the upscale Napa River Inn. The venue takes inspiration from the nearby Napa River and is cohesively themed by Daniel Gallardo (Tiki Diablo) as a nautical trading post. It’s dark yet warm with a large bar, some two-top tables, several booths with portholes, and a lounge area. There is a stage with a piano that will house live music starting in a few weeks.

The Fink serves beer and wine, and Finklestein’s experience with Judd’s Hill Winery means you won’t be lacking for good options. But first and foremost this is a cockail bar and they’ve hired experienced bartenders from the area including Andrew Salazar (ex-Miminashi) to put together the cocktail program and execute it flawlessly.

There are currently 24 cocktails, with more to come. Presently there’s a twelve item House Cocktails section, with six each for the tiki-inspired “LA to the Bay” and classics-inspired “Gotham City.” New Orleans will be the next destination.

OG Mai Tai from The Fink’s Judd Finklestein

Our starting place was the OG Mai Tai, which features house-made Orgeat. This nutty cocktail includes two Jamaican rums and one from Martinique and is quite good. We loved two other exotics on the menu, the tangy Cobra’s Fang and the spicy Nui Nui. All of these would stand up to any cocktail you’d find at leading tiki bars in the country.

Cobra’s Fang and Nui Nui

We also tried the Casino Royale cocktail including Cognac, lemon, orange bitters, Maraschino Liqueur, and Champagne. It’s an elegant cocktail with a medium-bodied mouthfeel and a lingering finish.

Casino Royale

The Fink serves small bites and has some great merchandise options (with more coming) including a membership pin. We loved the swizzle stick that pays homage to Finklestein’s eyewear. We had a great time at The Fink and it is truly worth seeking out or making a special trip for.

OG Mai Tai
Swizzle Stick
Grain Silo Behind the Fink’s Back Exit
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Turkey Grog Revisited

Had a grapefruit to kill so I made this cocktail that I developed a few years back and it remains a popular favorite. The use of flavorful Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon is the key component and where the cocktail gets its name.

Turkey Grog by Kevin Crossman
¾ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Ruby Grapefruit Juice
½ oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
½ oz Velvet Falernum
½ oz Don’s Spices #2
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
¾ oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
1½ oz Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
Shake with ice, garnish with mint. Serve in glass of choice.

Don’s Spices #2: Equal parts Vanilla Syrup and Pimento Dram/Allspice Liqueur.
If you have non-alcoholic Falernum syrup then drop the amount to ¼ oz.

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Dead Reckoning Rum – Australia and Fiji

A new private label rum brand has emerged, originally selling in Australia but now coming to Europe and the United States. Deck Reckoning is sourcing some interesting rums and we were provided with samples of two expressions.

Dead Reckoning Australia 9 Year Bourbon Cask

Issued at 55% ABV, this cask strength rum is aged four years in the tropics with an additional five years of continental aging. There’s no indication of the still type, though this leans light in body. There’s plenty of flavor and while it did okay in a Mai Tai it is more interesting to sip neat. I taste a blend of baking spices and this is a fine sipping rum that’s only mildly assertive.

Dead Reckoning South Pacific (Fiji) 10 Year Muskat Cask

Don’t overlook this very interesting expression, even if the 47% ABV will turn off rum nerds who only partake in cask strength territory. The pot/column distillate is aged in Muskat casks and is 100% tropical aged. As such, this is a very expressive rum with a rich and full-bodied flavor. The Muskat cask aging definitely imparts a fragrant, floral, and fruity taste profile, but it doesn’t overpower. The long finish is delightful.

Even better, I loved the Mai Tai I made with Dead Reckoning South Pacific 10 Year Muskat Cask. This is a great example of where the Mai Tai really wants an assertive and bold rum to play with and Dead Reckoning’s expression works perfectly.

The rum samples were provided by Dead Reckoning but this is not a sponsored post. I wasn’t provided with pricing info but they are limited expressions so surely won’t be cheap.