The Dampfwerk Distillery Cocktail Lounge — Restaurant in Saint Louis Park

If you haven't been... go. If you've been once... go again. It's different and better every time.

The cocktail lounge is cool, hip and funky without being pretentious. The team is knowledgeable, friendly, and beyond talented in their ability to match a cocktail to your particular tastes (e.g. "You know what I feel like?"...)

The cocktails? Visiting multiple times is a must so you can try each of the offerings on their menu (which changes periodically). Each offering on the menu is remarkably complex, layered, and accessible. Every cocktail begins with one or more of their spirits, all of which are crafted onsite in gleaming copper and stainless steel at the attached distillery. They are mixed in front of you with fresh juices, teas, and bitters (again, all made onsite).

I have been a regular, and I always have a little anxiety when the menu changes, and I have to say goodbye to old favorites. It usually takes no more than one or two visits to fall in love with the new, thematic offerings.

Take some time, soak-up the ambiance, chat with your bartender, nibble on a charcuterie board. Don't leave without buying a bottle to take with you. The whiskey is beyond compare and the gins (all three of them!) are sublime.

As the weather grows chilly, the German herbal liqueurs are perfect in front of the fire. I keep a stock of The Pfeffersack and Pfefferminz as thank yous and gifts for friends. For those special people, a bottle of Rabbit in the Rye (pour an ounce and breathe deeply - all is well).

Pro-tip, the bottles themselves are a work of art and make a great vase or a vessel for olive oil or home-made maple syrup.

So. If you're looking for a great first-date destination, or a refuge to treat yourself and let the stress melt off with a quick snack and a favorite craft-cocktail, this is the place. You will not find anything like it in the cities.

Why are you wasting your time reading this review. Enter the address in your google maps and jump in the car. If you see me at the bar, I'll...

Finally got around to making my inaugural stop in! I entered to a sign at the host stand reading: Please Wait To Be Seated. I could see the bar from where I waited and a few minutes I heard someone say "someone is at the door"... I continued to wait.... a few minutes later I heard it again.....and waited....but shortly after I was greeted. Didn't let it dampen my experience....it's business. I took a seat at the bar and was given a short glass of lemon cucumber water (I apologize if this is incorrect) it was delicious. There are these skinny pencil looking things on a stand, its a wonderful little lamp to assist looking over the menu! As I perused the menu another guest told bartender Wyatt to "give her that thing....the heathers" Wyatt gave me a small pour of a delicious but STRONG liqueur... They said it was 48 proof, that was all I needed to know that I wouldn't be finishing my pour. Ha. As I perused the menu and told Wyatt I tend to lean right in to an Old Fashioned, they gave me their recommendations and we discussed proofs. I opted Wyatt's original suggestion of the 45 proof The Rope....as they discussed it was made w white asparagus. We laughed as I said: I never knew white asparagus was a thing until last week I ordered asparagus at a distillery and my server didn't even give me a heads up before bringing out... white asparagus. ha. But it complimented this sipping cocktail wonderfully! It really eased the 45 proof alcohol. Just after Wyatt gave me my drink Kyleeia came behind the bar so I asked her her cocktail go-to's. She had me intrigued w the Mrs White. That one will be on-deck my next visit due to her flavor description and the fact that another guest was drinking one. I like the cocktail room..... just dark enough, comfortable padded bar stools and comfortable standard height tables. Easy parking out front and overflow parking on the street. Thanks Dampfwerk for a friendly informative and delicious inaugural...

I wonder why we haven't been to the Dampfwerk Distillery tasting room before. It opened in 2019! Somehow I thought they just made fruit brandies. They do make 4 kinds of brandies, but they distill 3 types of gin, make an aquavit, 5 types of herbal liqueurs, and a whiskey.

The interior is dark and serene. The bar is long, topped with steel, and the place is very clean and modern with its black walls.

We sat at the bar as usual. I had the flight of gins and aquavit. They are all good. They make a pretty classic London dry style gin They barrel age this in wine and oak barrels, but it is not overly oaked and retains a nice gin character. The crane gin is quite unusual. Apparently it has camomile as one of the flavorings. While it was not my favorite of the group, it was herbal and interesting. The aquavit is very nice, with a smooth taste.

My husband had a cocktail they called "Will grandma put me in her will?". It is a whiskey based cocktail that also had aquavit, grape brandy, sweet vermouth, and banana. It had a very complex flavor profile, not surprising considering all those ingredients. All their cocktails are pretty "out there", which of course is part of the fun.

They offer bar food only. They have a cheese board, a meat board, and lots of small bar type food- tinned fish and olives and the like.

This place is in an industrial park in St. Louis Park. The distillery itself is adjacent to the tasting room.

They make interesting distillates and have super imaginative cocktails, all in an upscale kind of venue. It is definitely...