Bar Mara Reimagined: The Cocktail Lounge within Mara at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis Redefines the Hotel Bar Experience

Bar Mara, the cocktail lounge complementing James Beard Award-winning Chef Gavin Kaysen’s Mara at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, steps into a new era of creativity and craft. Guided by acclaimed Twin Cities bartender Pip Hanson, Bar Mara serves as a vibrant counterpart to Mara, sharing the same spirit of innovation and hospitality. Since joining the hotel in May 2025, Hanson has transformed the bar with a new signature cocktail program and Minnesota’s first functional cocktail menu.

“As I worked on Bar Mara’s new menu, I was inspired by the hotel bars I visited and worked at in London. I loved the pomp and circumstance of the grand hotel bars at The Connaught and Claridge's and I want to provide a similar experience in Minneapolis, one that expresses our version of hospitality and feels completely at home here,” says Hanson. “To me, luxury in Minnesota is warmth, comfort, seasonality and the outdoors, all of which Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis is already very attentive to. Located a pitch away from Target Field, our new vision for Bar Mara is to be accessible and welcoming for all people and occasions.”

Classic cocktails with a modern twist take centre stage on the new menu. A few highlights include:  

• Smoggy Martini, a smoked, savoury reimagining of the dirty martini, features Ketel One and smoked olive brine, finished with champagne and served with oversized olives 
• Infinite Black, Bar Mara’s answer to the espresso martini, blending single malt, cognac, and Minneapolis-made Black Cashmere Coffee Liqueur with cold brew from The Get Down Coffee Co. for a silky, stirred drink that celebrates local craftsmanship
• Turncoat, a seasonal special that pairs pumpkin spice with caramelized butternut squash, mirin, and chestnut honey with 10-year malt and a whisper of mezcal
• Cortada, which turns cacao beans into espresso for a new take on a chocolate-inspired espresso martini

New Functional Cocktail Menu

Part of Bar Mara’s evolution is a focus on functional cocktails. The menu highlights a fresh, bold approach with low and no alcohol beverages sharing the spotlight with spirited cocktails, honouring the growing movement toward mindful drinking. These drinks feature botanicals known for their potential mood-enhancing or health-supportive benefits, showcasing a new level of non-alcoholic cocktails that mirror the craft and innovation of the team’s signature cocktails. One highlight is the Typico, incorporating Peruvian Aqara Agave Spirit and Secco dry vermouth, which captures the smoky allure of a mezcal margarita at 0.0 percent ABV. This thoughtful approach moves beyond the traditional non-alcoholic category, offering guests a richer, more inclusive way to experience the craft of the cocktail. 

“Our signature and classic drinks will be a lot of fun. There will be the usual weird and wonderful cocktail side, though the functional category is where my attention will really be in the long term,” Hanson says. “That space is just exploding and there are a lot of brands getting behind the term ‘functional’ to describe what is a growing excitement in new ingredients to use in zero-proof cocktails. I think the evolution of our non-alcoholic menu, which is the first functional menu in the Twin Cities, is going to be one of the most interesting things to watch in the future.” 

“From the moment I met Pip, I knew he was the person to lead Bar Mara,” says Florian Riedel, General Manager at  Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. “His creativity and curiosity have completely redefined our cocktail program; from our timeless classics to the city’s first functional cocktail menu. The result is an experience that feels both innovative and deeply rooted in our sense of place. Guests will discover something new each time they join us.”

Bar Mara is open for cocktails Sunday through Thursday from 2:00 to 11:00 pm and Friday and Saturday from 2:00 pm to 12:00 midnight. The kitchen is open until 10:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and until 11:00 pm Friday and Saturday. Walk-ins are always welcome.

Follow @marabygk for Bar Mara’s latest updates.