As we celebrate the last day of Cocktail Week 2013, let's raise a well-mixed, discounted glass. That's right, we're talking cocktail happy hour. Sure, most every Twin Cities establishment offers beer (and usually wine) deals during those happiest of hours, but solid cocktail happy hours are harder to come by. And we're not talking about mixed drinks here, people.
Here are 14 killer cocktail happy hours, mapped in geographic order, to help you find discounted drinks at some of the top cocktail spots in town.
Don't see your favorite cocktail happy hour? Let us know in the comments.
It may be called Lucia's Wine Bar, but it's got great cocktails, too, and they're $2 off from 9-11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday nights. Starting today, Lucia's is adding the same happy hour on Friday and Saturday nights, too, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Throw in a $5 charcuterie plate and $4 pommes frites, and you're all set.
A $5 changing daily cocktail means you can hit the Nightingale happy hour up every day of the week and get something different. Served daily (that's right, daily) from 4-6 p.m. and 11 p.m.-1 a.m. And get yourself some $2 oysters alongside that cocktail while you're at it.
Pick your poison at this new addition to Eat Street, offering $2 off all cocktails during happy hour. Get after it from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 3-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 9-11 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, and 10 p.m.-midnight Wednesday-Saturday. (That is, if you can remember when happy hour even runs on a given day.)
This Uptown "diner" is one of the few spots offering a cocktail happy hour that runs until 7 p.m. And it's daily, too! From 4-7 p.m. or 10 p.m.-2 a.m. get a Jeff's Choice Cocktail for just $6.
Sangria might not quite be a cocktail, but it is a kind of wine punch, so it's good enough for us. Get $3 glasses from 4-6 p.m. Sunday-Friday and 10 p.m-midnight Sunday-Thursday.
The drinks aren't cheap during Union's happy hour, but they are slightly cheaper. During Union's social hour (2-6 p.m. daily), you can get the Union Manhattan ($9.50), the Persian PussyCat ($7.50), the "Oh si, mas" ($9), or a rail martini ($7), along with lots of food specials.
Bradstreet Crafthouse at the 601 Graves Hotel offers the 601 Hour (get it?), wherein three cocktails plus various snacks are a measly $6.01. It runs from 5-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 p.m.-close Tuesday through Thursday.
Get your choice of three happy hour cocktails for $5 each (or get there at the start of happy hour and try all three). There's also $3, $5, and $7 small plates, for any budget. Saffron's happy hour runs Monday-Friday from 4-6 p.m.
The bar at this downtown restaurant is kind of strangely separate from the rest of the space, but if you find yourself in need of a bite, you can get deals on caramel corn, calamari, bouillabaisse, wings, clams, and shrimp cocktail, plus a $6 pineapple martini or a $5 drink with 2 Gingers Whiskey or Prairie Vodka.
Sit on the river (or very near the river) and enjoy a $6 special seasonal cocktail, plus $4 cheese plates and $7 flatbreads. The Aster's happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 p.m.-midnight on Sundays.
Shochu gummi sours are $6 during this Northeast spot's happy hour, plus specials on seemingly all the food you could want, from robata to ramen. Happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 p.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, and 9-11 p.m. on Sundays.
Kim Bartmann's Northeast supper club offers $4 select cocktails and late night food specials Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m., Monday-Thursday 10 p.m.-close, and Sundays from 3 p.m. to close (yes, that's all afternoon and evening on Sunday).
The only cocktail on Salut's happy hour is a "business time martini," but when a martini is $5, what else do you need? There's also $2 oysters and $2-$7 small plates. Happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 p.m.-midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Happy hour at this downtown St. Paul spot runs from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, offering up $5 cocktails, 2 for $4 oysters, and lots more options.
It may be called Lucia's Wine Bar, but it's got great cocktails, too, and they're $2 off from 9-11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday nights. Starting today, Lucia's is adding the same happy hour on Friday and Saturday nights, too, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Throw in a $5 charcuterie plate and $4 pommes frites, and you're all set.
A $5 changing daily cocktail means you can hit the Nightingale happy hour up every day of the week and get something different. Served daily (that's right, daily) from 4-6 p.m. and 11 p.m.-1 a.m. And get yourself some $2 oysters alongside that cocktail while you're at it.
Pick your poison at this new addition to Eat Street, offering $2 off all cocktails during happy hour. Get after it from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 3-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 9-11 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, and 10 p.m.-midnight Wednesday-Saturday. (That is, if you can remember when happy hour even runs on a given day.)
This Uptown "diner" is one of the few spots offering a cocktail happy hour that runs until 7 p.m. And it's daily, too! From 4-7 p.m. or 10 p.m.-2 a.m. get a Jeff's Choice Cocktail for just $6.
Sangria might not quite be a cocktail, but it is a kind of wine punch, so it's good enough for us. Get $3 glasses from 4-6 p.m. Sunday-Friday and 10 p.m-midnight Sunday-Thursday.
The drinks aren't cheap during Union's happy hour, but they are slightly cheaper. During Union's social hour (2-6 p.m. daily), you can get the Union Manhattan ($9.50), the Persian PussyCat ($7.50), the "Oh si, mas" ($9), or a rail martini ($7), along with lots of food specials.
Bradstreet Crafthouse at the 601 Graves Hotel offers the 601 Hour (get it?), wherein three cocktails plus various snacks are a measly $6.01. It runs from 5-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 p.m.-close Tuesday through Thursday.
Get your choice of three happy hour cocktails for $5 each (or get there at the start of happy hour and try all three). There's also $3, $5, and $7 small plates, for any budget. Saffron's happy hour runs Monday-Friday from 4-6 p.m.
The bar at this downtown restaurant is kind of strangely separate from the rest of the space, but if you find yourself in need of a bite, you can get deals on caramel corn, calamari, bouillabaisse, wings, clams, and shrimp cocktail, plus a $6 pineapple martini or a $5 drink with 2 Gingers Whiskey or Prairie Vodka.
Sit on the river (or very near the river) and enjoy a $6 special seasonal cocktail, plus $4 cheese plates and $7 flatbreads. The Aster's happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 p.m.-midnight on Sundays.
Shochu gummi sours are $6 during this Northeast spot's happy hour, plus specials on seemingly all the food you could want, from robata to ramen. Happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 p.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, and 9-11 p.m. on Sundays.
Kim Bartmann's Northeast supper club offers $4 select cocktails and late night food specials Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m., Monday-Thursday 10 p.m.-close, and Sundays from 3 p.m. to close (yes, that's all afternoon and evening on Sunday).
The only cocktail on Salut's happy hour is a "business time martini," but when a martini is $5, what else do you need? There's also $2 oysters and $2-$7 small plates. Happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 p.m.-midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Happy hour at this downtown St. Paul spot runs from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, offering up $5 cocktails, 2 for $4 oysters, and lots more options.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57894733/Totchos.419.jpeg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60038069/Charlie_cooking_corn_2.33.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60038541/IMG_0645.49.jpeg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38861160/salut_20st_20paul.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064875/luciaswinebar-570x382.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064877/barbette.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064879/nightingale.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064881/_ISA8150Buddha_20Kitchen.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064883/the_20lowry.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064885/solera.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064887/union.0.0.png)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064889/bradstreet_20crafthouse.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064891/saffron_20bar.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064893/sea_20change.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064895/aster_20cafe.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064897/masu_20sushi.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064899/red_20stag.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064901/salut_20st_20paul.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62064903/meritage_202.0.0.jpg)