Walk past the customers casually sipping boba tea in this brightly lit, casual Uptown cafe and make your way upstairs to its upside-down counterpart: a dimly lit speakeasy serving craft cocktails. L2 at Tii Cup rolled out quietly in May, shortly after the local bubble tea chain opened an outpost on the first floor.
Bar manager Brad Woodford, whose family owns Tii Cup, said they have been toying with the idea of trying their hand at a cocktail lounge with Asian-infused pours. When they took over the former Saint Sabrina’s tattoo parlor, the second-floor space with a quaint patio overlooking Hennepin Avenue seemed the perfect spot. Woodford started playing with recipes and then brought in local mix experts Earl Giles to consult.
“They helped us flesh out the whole menu and provided us with some syrups to come up with some of our specialty drinks,” Woodford said.
Tii Cup is among a slew of recently opened venues touting delicious cocktail programs right out of the gate. Here are the latest cocktail hot spots worth considering for your next night out on the town.
Ava
Grab a perch at one of the U-shaped cushy tan benches, velvety dark green swivel chairs or glossy bar at this stylish, dress-to-impress cocktail lounge in a restored warehouse space in the North Loop. Specialty cocktails that riff on classics are the stars — the Rose with Japanese strawberry-infused gin and frothy egg whites was our group’s favorite, while Ava’s embellishment on the Old Fashioned with clementine liquor was also a frontrunner. Late-night revelers or those looking to linger after a show might want to take note: This spot, open Wednesday through Sunday, keeps things rolling until midnight or 2 a.m. most nights. (Nancy Ngo)
124 3rd Av. N., Mpls., avampls.com

Barcelona
Speaking of new North Loop spots with late-ambitious bar program includes specialty cocktails, sangrias, organic wines (sourced from small producers around the world) and porron shots poured directly from spout to mouth via the restaurant’s signature glass pitchers. We’re already repeat customers of the smooth-tasting Alebrijes cocktail, in which mezcal is smoothed out with honey syrup, bee pollen and lemon. Dragon fruit dust sprinkled on top adds to the prettiness of this smoky, citrusy, slightly sweet preparation. And because tapas are all about grazing, we love that the philosophy extends into the wine list, in which 3-ounce tasting pours are available starting at $4.50. (N.N.)
508 Washington Av. N., Mpls, 612-446-0202, barcelonawinebar.com