Small Business Spotlight: Meteor
Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 3:26AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
Interior of Meteor
Meteor was recently nominated for a James Beard Award. We talked to co-owner Robert Jones about what the nomination means for the business, the interesting backstory to the bar’s name and their approach to creating inspiring and memorable cocktails. The business is located at 2027 N 2nd Street. Visit them and see why their tag line is “Meteor is an old ass bar with good ass drinks.”
Q: How does it feel to be nominated for a James Beard Award, and what does it mean to you and your team, personally and professionally?
A: It was an incredible surprise. I never thought that this would be the bar that would garner that type of recognition. It’s incredibly gratifying personally after working so hard in this industry for the last 20 years. My team is elated, they're really the soul behind the bar, I’m so happy to be able to share this experience with them.
Q: Why did you name your bar Meteor?
A: We named it Meteor after a deep dive into the story behind the neighborhood we’re in. We’re in the Hawthorne neighborhood of Minneapolis, named for Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter is full of symbolism, and the midway and in most transitional point of the story a Meteor appears. Opening the bar was a point of transition for us at the time, so it felt appropriate. Meteor is also a word that just feels nice to say. Hawthorne would be a great name for a bar for a number of reasons, but it already exists out east.
Q: Can you tell us about one of your signature cocktails and the inspiration behind it?
A: We’ve had a lot of great cocktails on the menu. Our team draws inspiration from travel, memories and sometimes just passion for a specific ingredient. Our most popular cocktail is the Secret Tiger. It was inspired by my trips to Mexico, and named for a secret bit of tiger carpet that we kept on the wall when we were doing our remodel.
Q: How do you balance innovation with creating drinks that appeal to a wide audience?
A: We try to balance our menu and include something for everyone's palate. We might take an unfamiliar ingredient but then surround it with flavors that are less challenging and more familiar. We always appreciate it when people ask questions, because there’s a lot of interesting new things to work with, and it’s hard to keep up on everything!
Ask your bartender about whiskey!
Additive-free tequilas
Q: Are there any particular ingredients or techniques you find especially exciting or challenging to work with?
A: I’m still passionate about Mexican spirits in general. They vary so much from bottle to bottle and style to style.
Q: What drink should we try if we’re a newcomer to Meteor, and why?
A: I think the best way to order anything anywhere new is to have a conversation with your bartender or whoever is guiding you through your experience. Hopefully we can get you to a place where you’re confident and happy with what you order.
Q: What role does ambiance and atmosphere play in the Meteor’s success?
A: Meteor is just a bar. It’s great for that reason alone. We made a bar that is approachable to everyone. We try to remove a little of the pretentiousness of the fancy cocktail world out of what we do. It’s a place where you should be comfortable ordering a beer and a shot, or a perfect daiquiri or martini.
Q: How may we follow your news?
A: We’re on that gram: @meteor_mpls
