Probiotics, essential oils and nutritious supplements are all the current health rage, but have you ever thought about putting them in a cocktail? Intelligent Nutrients in collaboration with Prohibition Kombucha and Verdant Tea did, and it’s a delicious mix.
IN Spirits has officially opened in the Northeast location of Intelligent Nutrients, serving a list of inventive cocktails that mix Intelligent Nutrients aromatic oils with creative drink recipes—making it the first aromatherapeutic cocktail bar in the Twin Cities.
“IN Spirits is here to press rewind and bring back the classics with a makeover,” IN Spirits’ head bartender Nate Uri said.
The menu puts a spin on a number of classic cocktails—like the Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour or the Manhattan, among others—but uses original ingredients such as gum syrup, quinine and incense smoke (the smoke is actually folded into the drink, creating a taste sensation you’ve never experienced before) paired with one of seven different aroma oils.
Each drink was laboriously thought out by head bartender Uri and Verdant Tea Founder David Duckler to find a taste mixture that complemented the aroma oil while still creating a delicious cocktail. Both are exceedingly passionate about their craft, which is evident in each recipe.
If you haven’t been in Northeast’s Intelligent Nutrients location, you’re missing out. The interior is a gorgeous mix of an eclectic, comfortable and soothing environment, and the bar is nestled naturally into it all.
I was invited to taste test their menu just before their grand opening on July 16, and they didn’t disappoint. Each drink is named after the aroma oil it is paired with from—Awaken to Attune and Nurture to Restore.
My absolute favorite was the #7 Focus Gin and Tonic, the last on the list. But rather than using tonic, Uri used Prohibition Kombucha, brewed locally, to create that bubbling base to the drink—ultimately mixing quite possibly the best gin and tonic I’ve ever had.
Another favorite was the #4 Nurture Whiskey Sour. With Bourbon, elderberry syrup, lemon and the #4 Nurture aroma oils—a mixture of lavender and carrot seed oil—it takes a more “floral” take on a whiskey sour with citrus notes and a comforting after taste.
To Uri and Duckler, the ingredients used are what make each drink so special.
“Quality is absolutely a priority,” Uri said, “and no compromises will be made.”
While their current menu uses aroma oils from one series, they hope to create new drinks with different oils when the season changes. Both Uri and Duckler have aspirations for a hot cocktail aromatic menu for late fall and into winter.
Until then, visit their location for a taste of cocktails that engage your senses while altering the spirit—all thanks to the aroma oils used.
IN Spirits will be open Thursday and Friday nights from 4 to 8 p.m.
Intelligent Nutrients, 983 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55414
