Lots of Cocktailing Going On This Weekend: December 10 through 14, 2015

Thursday, December 10

Sip like a pro

Nothing gets you through the holiday season like sipping 20 tiny cocktails. At City Pages Second Annual Cocktailian, try samples from over 20 local and national distilleries and wineries, learn from the best local mixologists through educational demos, nibble on bites from various eateries like Red Table Meats and Bradstreet Crafthouse and enjoy some live music to boot.

Friday, December 11

The 12 pubs of Christmas

The 11th annual 12 Bars of Christmas pub-crawl through downtown Minneapolis will focus on two routes, green and red. Get it? Christmas colors! Pick a route, purchase a t-shirt and take advantage of drink specials at establishments like Kieran’s, Gluek’s and The Pourhouse. The festive crawl is sponsored by the 12 Foundation and proceeds from t-shirt sales go to the Opportunity Partners and Rainbow Rumpus organizations.

Saturday, December 12

Sour Social

The Sour Social event at Republic will feature rare sours paired with small plates. New Belgium brewer Ross Koenigs and Indeed sour brewer Adam Theis will be on hand to answer your questions. Ticket includes a full sized beer, six sample pours of rare sours accompanied by six small plates, one tulip glass from New Belgium and Indeed and a tapping of a few special beers from each brewery.

Biscotti and beer, yes please

Lift Bridge celebrates its annual release of their holiday themed Biscotti™ brew with a bake-off, live music and an ugly Christmas sweater contest. Bring the kiddos to meet Santa from Noon to 3 pm, but they must vacate the premises by 7 pm, which is when the fun really begins.

Jolliest pub crawl ever

The St. Paul Santa Crawl is a charity pub-crawl benefiting Toys for Tots. Donate a toy and get a drink on Santa. Each bar on the crawl will have a toy donation box, live entertainment, and drink specials for crawlers. That tolling bell you hear means Santa’s sleigh has arrived to whisk you off to the next destination. It’s like Uber in the North Pole. You must have a St. Paul Santa Crawl wristband to participate.

Another market at Tattersall

If you missed last weekend’s holiday market in the ginormous warehouse space behind Tattersall, fear not. They are doing it all over again this weekend, and it promises to be even grander and boozier. Local purveyors will include Faribault Woolen Mill Co., LeMond Bikes, Oak Tree Arts and many more. They don’t serve Habanero infused cocktails at the mall. Just sayin’.

Joy Summers

Sipping at Tattersall. Photo by Joy Summers

Sunday, December 13

Pets love the holidays, too

The holiday market and pet food drive at Flat Earth Brewing will include items like handbags, pottery and jewelry and much more, all made by local sellers, along with nibbles from New Bohemia and Sara’s Tipsy Pies. Flat Earth will also be releasing their Hold Your Fire brew, a spicy pepper infused porter.

Revelers are asked to being a pet food donation for People & Pets Together, a local organization providing pet food and supplies to local food shelves as well as immunization clinics and support.

Hola Arepa is pulling together for Ryan Barott (sort of pictured far right.) Photo by Joy Summers

Monday, December 14

Everybody loves Ryan

Hola Arepa will hold a benefit to help bartender Ryan Barott and his wife Rebecca rebuild their home after a burst pipe did some serious damage recently.  A $25 ticket gets you one drink and one food item, and there will be plenty of additional vittles and libations, including cocktails crafted by Ryan and Vietnamese street foods by Chef Christina, available for purchase.

Net proceeds from the event will go to Ryan and Rebecca. Hola staff are generously donating their talents and tips to the cause.