If it's New Year's Eve, then the name of the game is "open bar," baby. The trend hit last year when several clubs offered all-you-can-drink New Year's parties for one big ticket price. This year, everybody's doing it -- at least 16 bars, by my count. While $85 or even $100 might seem like a lot of money for one night, Bootleggers owner Chris Mueller puts it like this: "It's a way to almost control your spending on New Year's Eve." Huh? Actually, he's got a point. You can expect to pay at least a $20 to $30 cover charge at your average NYE party and then drop even more cash on drinks. After paying a single ticket price at an open-bar event, all you need to worry about is getting drunk enough. But hurry, because advance tickets are going fast.
- The scene: The busiest nightclub in downtown Minneapolis.
- Cost: $100, all you can drink plus a $5,000 balloon drop.
- The scene: New owners took over the old Fahrenheit space this year, turning it into an intimate hip-hop club.
- Cost: $70, open bar with B96's Tone E. Fly broadcasting live.
- The scene: Uptown Tex-Mex restaurant/bar big on margaritas.
- Cost: $85 open bar all night, food until midnight.
- The scene: Located in the old Skyway Theater building, it'll open up its main level plus the fourth-floor loft for NYE.
- Cost: $75, premium open bar. It's 18 and older, too (no drinks for kids, of course).
- The scene: Bargoers looking to graduate from the college bar scene come here.
- Cost: $85, includes all drinks and shots.
- The scene: The recently renovated Bird nightclub is now a water-themed party bar. Still in a strip mall, though.
- Cost: $75 guys/$55 ladies. Premium open bar and a "Casino Royale"-themed party.
- The scene: Upscale nightclub with lots of pretty people.
- Cost: $85, premium open bar, which means top-shelf liquor brands such as Grey Goose are available. Plus appetizers and comedian Pete Lee.
- The scene: Downtown's other great live music venue.
- Cost: $100 open bar, with appetizers and the BoDeans.
- The spot: Downtown's underground nightclub is literally in the basement of the Lumber Exchange Building.
- Cost: $60 advance/ $70 door. Open bar and hip-hop music.
- The spot: The two-clubs-in-one concept works nicely here, with a party bar up top and a nightclub below.
- Cost: $85 premium open bar.
- The scene: This bar became a surprise hit in downtown Minneapolis' North Loop this year.
- Cost: Sold out, but call for possible cancellations.
- The scene: Swanky veteran of the Warehouse District.
- Cost: $75 premium bar, with fire dancers and more.
- The scene: The metro area's largest nightclub ... is in a former Just for Feet. That never gets old.
- Cost: $104 gets you an open bar and a live show by Poison's Bret Michaels.
- The scene: Cheeky Uptown bar that crosses "Scarface" with "Miami Vice."
- Cost: $70 advance/$80 door, includes food and drink.
- The scene: A new European-style nightclub by local club king Johann Sfaellos.
- Cost: $60 open bar.
- The scene: This staple in St. Paul's Highland Park is like any old sports bar, except with bottle service.
- Cost: $50 premium open bar from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. or $90 for premium open bar all night, plus dinner.
