The Great Northern Ice Bar
Jan 26–28, Jan 31
& Feb 1–3, 2024
Downtown Minneapolis
The Great Northern Ice Bar is free and open to the public, with drinks available for purchase at the bar. Drink ticket prices: $5 for kids beverages and beer; $10 for N/A craft cocktails; $15 for regular craft cocktails. View the menu here.
The Great Northern joins forces with Minnesota Ice to craft a bespoke, 100-foot ice bar inspired by Minnesota’s natural beauty and expansive community of mixologists, breweries, and distilleries. Located in downtown Minneapolis spanning an entire block, The Great Northern Ice Bar is a unique winter gathering experience that invites visitors and beverage enthusiasts of all ages to meet up and explore the magic of Minnesota’s hospitality scene. Beverage director Adam Witherspoon (Mara, Four Seasons, 3Leche) will curate a special menu including alcoholic and nonalcoholic offerings—with featured creations from visiting bars and guest bartenders (see below).
Green travel made easy! Metro Transit is offering free rides on bus and METRO lines in partnership with The Great Northern Jan 26-28 and Jan 31-Feb 4. Download your pass for the day you plan to attend: Jan 26 | Jan 27 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 1 | Feb 2 | Feb 3 | Feb 4
Open hours are subject to change depending on weather conditions.
Special programming schedule:
Fri, Jan 26:
Earl Giles / Jesse Held
Keeper’s Heart / Pip Hanson
Peder Schweigert
Sat, Jan 27:
Dampfwerk / Bridgit Loeffelholz
Mara / Nate Beske
Sun, Jan 28:
Megan Luedtke / Porzana
Katy Dimmick / New France Wine Company
Wed, Jan 31:
Caribou Coffee
Thu, Feb 1:
Earl Giles / Jesse Held
Vikre Distillery / Ellen Vaagen
Fri, Feb 2:
Earl Giles / Jesse Held
Libation Project / Jon Olson
Peder Schweigert
Sat, Feb 3:
Steady Pour / Jeff Sedensticker
3LECHE / Marco Zappia
Dry Wit / Peder Schweigert
About Adam Witherspoon (Beverage Director)
Adam Witherspoon’s true introduction into hospitality began with Marco Zappia, who he credits his overarching success to. Marco, a former partner in Bittercube, initially brought Adam on as a bartender for the opening team of the short-lived Scena Tavern, a highly anticipated opening where he met Jaime Malone. Following its closure, Adam was brought onto the larger Bittercube team to help open projects such as Restaurant & Cafe Alma 2.0, Lawless Distilling Company, and Can Can Wonderland. In 2015 Marco and Adam departed Bittercube to assist Jamie and Erik in opening the Grand Cafe while waiting to open up their first carte blanche bar program at Martina with Daniel Del Prado. The following years were formative for Adam as he learned to expand and hone his craft, observe the intricacies of a fast paced and successful independent restaurant, and forge enduring relationships with industry professionals, regular clientele, and the greater Twin Cities community.
His time at Del Prado’s restaurants was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but opened new doors for him and his partners Marco and Dustin Nguyen, who took the opportunity to launch 3LECHE, a beverage manufacturing company focused on producing exceptional expressions of the Midwest flora through the lens of non-alcoholic goods for the modern bar program to democratize and make accessible high quality cocktails.
After being accepted into the highly regarded MAD Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark to further his holistic understanding of how the hospitality business operates, Adam returned to the frontlines to apply his cumulative learnings of both ends of the business to something larger. In early March of 2022 he joined the Four Seasons Minneapolis as their opening Beverage Director, curating the team, ethos, and framework for the entirety of the hotel's beverage operations.
Stepping away from the hotel, Adam has once again found himself working alongside Jamie Malone at the Paris Dining Club, as well as St. Paul-based Libation Project as he pursues opportunities for restaurant ownership.
Music by Berlin
Inspired by the experimental music culture of Berlin and centered around a high quality sound experience, this intimate venue and cocktail lounge will bring live music to North First Street when they will open their doors in February 2024.
This event is supported by Minneapolis Foundation, The Pohlad Family, Minneapolis Downtown Council, Downtown Improvement District, and Caribou Coffee.
Thank you to the following partners for in-kind product donations: