Minnesota Speakeasy on List of the Best in the Country

When I think of a Speakeasy I think of the 20s, I think of prohibition, I think of flapper dresses, feathers, swing dancing, cool cars and of course bootlegging and speakeasies.

There is a speakeasy that is located downtown Rochester called Bitter and Pour.  This is a speakeasy where you really do need to answer a riddle before the door will open.  It just adds to the uniqueness and the cool points go way up.  A secret door opens and you are able to enter the establishment.

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While you are in the bar, you will find many comfy chairs, sofas and low tables that add to the speakeasy feel.  The light is dim, and the cocktails are delicious.  They are craft cocktails with not just bartenders, they are "mixologists".

While I was living in Rochester, this was one of our favorite hang-outs.  As far as being ranked as one of the best in America and Canada, this is very deserving.  This was a list of the top 50 speakeasies and Bitter and Pour came in at number 13.  That is very respectable.

Bitter and Pour has been open since 2018.  Their website describes them as this:

Bitter & Pour® is the lovechild of four nice guys with stardust in their eyes. A subterranean hideaway housed in the Merchant Exchange building on Historic 3rd Street where only the finest spirits and elixirs are served to Rochester’s hippest drinkers. In the pursuit of excellence, we created a tiny altar that pays tribute to everything we’ve always wanted. A cozy and stylish atmosphere, detail-obsessive cocktails, impeccable wine, and craft beers.

This place was a speakeasy before the 2018 version, and was a great place, but since 2018, it's gotten even cooler.  If you are familiar with Rochester at all, and have been in that area, it was previously called the Doggery.

If you are in the Rochester area, or heading in that direction, it is definitely worth a stop in.