Top 5: Drink of the week 2009

In 2009 cocktails were made of herbs, tinctures, house-made bitters and infusions. And, in some venues drinks were created as tributes to short bald rockers. Here are our top 5 drink of the week selections from 2009.

Photos by Steve Neuharth

1. Ten Thyme Splash
$10.00

Bank
88 South 6th Street, Minneapolis
612.656.3255 website

Located in the former Midland Bank building [now The Westin Hotel], the historic renovation of this restaurant was done with sensitivity to the art deco features and an inventive approach to preservation: former bank offices are now private dining rooms, the vault is used as a wine cellar, and there is bar seating at the former teller counters.

Sitting in this room will make you feel like F. Scott Fitzgerald or Eleanor Roosevelt-- you may even start saying the word splendid in the voice of Thurston Howell the Third--the correct term since the drinks actually are splendid.

These are stunning cocktails, made with sparkling fresh herbs, presented so beautifully that they beg to be back lit and photographed at an angle. This is the kind of drink list that transforms a plain-ole bartender into a mixologist. The Ten Thyme Splash stood out among the many tempting choices. This union of thyme, cucumber, lime, and Tanqueray Ten gin--topped with a splash of white cranberry juice was so delicate-- I would dare to call it sublime.

So venture out to the bright lights of the big city, wearing your best feathers, ascots and finery--a marvelous evening awaits you at Bank.