10 top cocktails: The Drinking Squad's cocktail crawl

An Uptown mojito with a risqué concept and flexible flavors is named the Twin Cities' best cocktail by the Vita.mn Drinking Squad.

August 17, 2012 at 9:06PM
(Margaret Andrews/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Give it up for the Crack Ho! The Crack Ho Mojito from Chino Latino, that is. The 2008 Vita.mn Drinking Squad almost unanimously picked the Uptown superbar's mojito as its favorite cocktail during a six-hour, nine-bar marathon in Minneapolis, testing the top 10 drinks in town as selected by Vita.mn users.

The six-person Drinking Squad was asked to perform a weighty task: drink free booze and then talk about it. To survive the ambitious 10-cocktail itinerary, the drinks were served in Dixie cups -- although members were allowed to drink more on their own dime.

True to Chino Latino's tradition of mixing good and bad taste, the do-it-yourself Crack Ho Mojito encourages creativity, allowing drinkers to mix and match their own flavors from three brightly colored fruit purees served in containers reminiscent of crack vials. Offensive? Sure. Tasty? Definitely.

What follows is a diary of the Drinking Squad's Friday night bus tour of Minneapolis bars, which began downtown (the Local, Temple) and stretched south (La Belle Vie, the Red Dragon, Bar Abilene, Chino Latino), to E. Lake Street (Town Talk Diner) and finally Northeast (Tony Jaro's, Psycho Suzi's). You'll notice the squad's comments got progressively sillier -- after all, alcohol was involved.

Don't try all 10 of these drinks in one night. But if you do, bring a designated driver -- and Dixie cups.

The 2008 Vita.mn Drinking Squad


Jake Freeberg

27, web designer, Minneapolis

Emily Goretsky

23, sales manager / hospitality, Rosemount

Joe Holan

29, finance, Minneapolis

Barbara Lickness

54, neighborhood specialist, Minneapolis
Moe Regnier

27, revenue manager, Minneapolis
Amanda Schneider

29, investment banker, Roseville 1 | 2 Next page

The Drinking Squad's Joe Holan, left, and Moe Regnier prepare to taste the first cocktail of the night, the Big Ginger at the Local in Minneapolis.
The Drinking Squad's Joe Holan, left, and Moe Regnier prepare to taste the first cocktail of the night, the Big Ginger at the Local in Minneapolis. (Margaret Andrews/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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