Tattersall Distilling now open in NE

The stage is now set for a crop of new Minnesota distilleries, thanks in part to the far-reaching ramifications of the Surly Bill and a few pioneering local businesses like Panther, Far North Spirits, Millers & Saints, Vikre, and J. Carver, to name a few. Tattersall Distilling is part of the new distilling wave, and has made a bigger splash than other cocktail rooms. Whether this is due to good marketing, a great name and location, or it’s affiliation with Dan Oskey (Easy & Oskey cocktail products) is unclear. But something is working because the Tattersall name, compared to many others in the local liquor scene, can be heard buzzing far and wide.

Founded by Dan Oskey, Jon Kreidler, and Michelle Kriedler, Tattersall boasts a much broader menu of spirits than any other new distillery in Minnesota. They go far beyond the standard debut spirits like gin and vodka by offering aquavit, amaro, fernet, and absinthe. The breadth of their line is exciting and means the cocktail room can create a seemingly infinite menu.

Curiously, though, the only thing local about Tattersall Bootlegged Bourbon is the proprietary label – the darkened color of the spirit betrays its Kentucky roots (it’s merely bottled in Minneapolis). Does that feel a bit like cheating? Sure. Would the average consumer care? I’m not sure.

The tri-fold menu offers dozens of drinks including straight spirits.

The most successful cocktails were the Residency, a refreshing and tart drink with lemon and black walnut bitters. The pairing of tart and earthy depth was ideal and very pleasant on a sunny day.

The Old Fashioned was a near-hit, although the bourbon seemed to be lacking depth of flavor making the entire glass come off a bit thin. It was orange heavy, but not to a distracting degree. After reading the menu’s description of chicory and cherry, it was pretty tame. but generally balanced and enjoyable.

The Stamos Fizz was bright and crisp with a robust head of egg white foam. Unfortunately, it was quite one-dimensional with only citrus and gin notes. The barrel element was not present

Avoid the Psycle, which was just about undrinkable. It smelled like under-ripe pumpkin and the taste was dominated by a hot pepper finish. This was surprising as we’ve heard some other positive feedback about this drink, so perhaps it was an error in mixing.

Don’t shy away from sampling their spirits unmixed. The Amaro, which I ordered on the rocks – or rock, rather, as it was one giant ice cube – was licorice-forward and very herbaceous. I was impressed with the harmonious bitterness and complexity. I am eager to try other unmixed spirits including the first liqueurs to come out of Minnesota as well as absinthe.

Prices are at the high end for a cocktail room, although there are not many to use as comparison. Du Nord, on the south side of Minneapolis, is a better deal but has a more restricted repertoire. Notably, Tattersall’s pre-batched cocktails, served on draft, are more reasonable.

I am looking forward to seeing Tattersall grow. In their current infancy stage, there is little to be impressed by beyond their giant line-up. Our experience was so mixed that I would wait to return for a while, but I look forward to hearing the opinions of those around me, as the place seems to be on the destination list for most locals.

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