I’ve always been a vodka girl. In college, it was Burnett’s (just typing that makes me dry heave). In young adulthood, it’s Grey Goose. And, now, Cardinal Spirits.
And, they may soon turn me into a gin girl, too.
Cardinal Spirits is a small distillery that recently opened in Bloomington, right along the B-Line Trail. I’ve visited a couple of times and have always been blown away by the drinks. The distillery itself is beautiful with lots of windows, funky decor and a giant patio I can’t wait to take advantage of this summer.
The bartenders at this place are amazingly talented. They can make any cocktail you request and the drinks on the menu never disappoint. I especially love going for “Tiki Tuesday,” when they serve up island-themed, tropical cocktails.
On Saturday, we decided to stop by for brunch. While Cardinal Spirits only has a few light appetizers on its menu, they have an amazing food truck in the parking lot on weekend called La Poblano. It serves up super fresh, authentic tacos, burritos, tortas and tamales. I ordered the chorizo burrito and a Cardinal Sling (vodka, vermouth, bitters and bubbles) to wash it down.
Both were so, so delicious.
We also sampled Cardinal Spirits’ gin for the first time, which was being released that day. I’m not a huge gin fan, but I really like Cardinal Spirits’ batch. It doesn’t taste like a Christmas tree and has more citrus tones to it, which I love. I’m excited to go back and try some of their mixed drinks featuring gin.
During a free tour of the distillery, our guide mentioned they plan to roll out a new product every month. Next up is coffee liqueur and I have no doubt it will be delicious!