Enbar Serves Up Craft Cocktails

Lead mixologist at Enbar prepares a cocktail

It was a cold and snowy day, probably best for staying inside by a warm cozy fire.

Whoa, change of plan! I was off to a new craft cocktail lounge in downtown Great Falls!

Enbar opened December 1st in a beautifully renovated historic building and has seen a steady crowd of folks stopping by to sample their craft cocktails.

So, what separates Enbar from your typical lounge?

They use Montana liquors in their cocktails and each cocktail seems to have an added twist or ingredient. They also have only Montana brewed beers available and even have on tap an “Enbeer” brewed special for them at The Front Brewing in  Great Falls. Other Central Montana brews at Enbar are from Triple Dog Brewery (Havre), Harvest Moon (Belt) and Black Eagle Brewery (Black Eagle/Great Falls).

The Juniper – signature cocktail at Enbar

I visited with Enbar’s manager and he said the Juniper is their signature cocktail. The Juniper has Montgomery Distillery’s Whyte Layde gin (made in Bozeman, MT), several fresh blueberries, house-made mint simple syrup and lime juice. It’s beautifully displayed, a pale rose color with blueberries floating on top.

The local favorite so far – probably the Old Fashioned which is made with Headframe Spirits’ Neversweat Bourbon Whiskey (made in Butte, MT), bitters and orange peel. This cocktail had a rose color also which must come from the bitters.

The showiest cocktail I saw being made was the Fireside Chat. I even took a video of the “lighting of the marshmallow”! The cocktail begins with marshmallow vodka, then some Godiva White Chocolate liquor, then a bit of cream and chocolate. The martini-shaped glass is dipped in graham cracker crumbs.

First sip of the Fireside Chat

A marshmallow on a skewer is placed across the rim of the glass and lit -not your average campfire roasted marshmallow! Oh yeah, this could be dessert!

A friend of mine tried the Pyrus and loved it. This cocktail begins with Montgomery Distillery’s vodka, then organic pear juice, clover honey, ginger simple syrup and a vanilla bean. This one sounds incredibly refreshing and it’s on my list as the next one to try.

There are plenty more cocktails to choose from – a martini, Carmel Russian, Golden Chai, Manhattan, Summer’s End, Sazerac. There will also be some rotation on the cocktail menu with some new creations based on customer demand.

If you’re going with a wine conniseur they won’t be disappointed. A selection of wines by the glass or by the bottle is available.

I’d recommend planning on some food with these yummy cocktails though. Enbar has a unique Tapas menu including a hummus plate, caprese salad, fried artichokes, garlic shrimp, bourbon meatballs and cinnamon honey crème brulee. The manager said the Tapas menu will change seasonally so I’ll have to keep going back to try everything!

Relax and connect with friends at Enbar

Call some friends and make plans for an outing at Enbar.

Enbar’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday open from 4pm to 1am, Saturday and Sunday open 11am to 1am. They are located next to Cory Block Bakery at #8 Fifth Street South in downtown Great Falls. Find them on Facebook.

 

 

 

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