Dampfwerk Distillery — German-Style Spirits and Cocktail Lounge

6311 Cambridge St
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
612-460-8190

Dampfwerk Distillery is a family-owned distillery and cocktail lounge where German-style spirits take center stage, including brandies, gins, aquavits and herbal liqueurs.

Location

6311 Cambridge St
St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Hours

Tues – Thurs: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Contact

612-460-8190

A Spirited Family Business

Ralf Loeffelholz, Owner/Head Distiller and native of Muhldorf, Germany, brings 25 years of experience from the global food and beverage industry. The concept for a distillery developed gradually as he considered how much German food culture had disappeared in the U.S.

Recreating that culture became Dampfwerk’s passion and the foundation of its pursuit of premier craft spirits. The business began with a name: Dampfwerk. Though its pronunciation can be challenging, the name translates to steam works, an essential part of the distillation process used to produce premium spirits.

Dampfwerk imported a hand-hammered copper still originating from the Schwarzwald in Bavaria. Like farmers in Bavaria, the distillery emphasizes relationships with local orchards and suppliers while producing spirits under exacting conditions.

This is a true family-run business. Ralf’s wife Mary serves as co-proprietor and manages the day-to-day operation, son Christian works as a distiller and leads the whiskey project, and daughter Bridgit directs branding, marketing and the cocktail room. The business has operated since 2016, and the cocktail room opened in 2019.

Features & Amenities

The Distillery

In St. Louis Park’s unofficial Distillery District, The Dampfwerk Distillery Co. is a family-owned and operated distillery and cocktail lounge. Its offerings include European-style fruit brandies, gins, aquavits and herbal liqueurs, each given an unexpected American twist. These spirits are made for enjoying alongside family and friends.

The 3,000 sq. foot cocktail room includes a fireplace, comfortable seating, a communal table for gatherings and an Instagram-worthy photo wall decorated with the fruit ladies featured on the distinctive bottles.

The bar highlights neat spirits, sipping shots, flights and classic cocktails. Dogs are welcome on the patio, where space heaters and gas fire pits provide warmth on cooler days and nights.

Happy Hour is 5 – 7 pm on Wednesday & Thursday; 4 – 6 pm on Friday and Saturday.

The Spirits

American Single Malt Whiskey — After four years of development, Dampfwerk’s first single malt whiskey emphasizes deep fruit, chocolate, toffee and caramel notes.

Fruit Brandy — Dampfwerk uses skin-on fermentation to make full-bodied fruit brandy. Each brandy bottle features a whimsical fruit woman. The collection includes Tilli – Apple Brandy, Ivey – Barreled Grape Immature Brandy, Gwen – Pear Brandy, and a more mature Tilli – Barreled Apple Brandy.

Gin & Acquavit — The London Dry Gin offers woodsy, resinous flavor notes. Barreled Gin provides a Minnesota interpretation of the classical juniper botanical blend. Crane Gin is floral and draws inspiration from an old German recipe, with rosemary, lavender, chamomile, juniper berries and clove. The caraway Aquavit represents Northern Germany, retaining a traditional golden hue and incorporating bourbon for warm, sweet and savory notes.

Herbal Liqueurs — Dampfwerk reimagines liqueurs dating back 200 years. Helgolander is a botanical bitter from a small island in the North Sea. Rabbit in the Rye combines a traditional bitter liqueur from Thuringia Germany with an American rye whiskey. Pfeffersack offers a contemporary German-style herbal bitter liqueur rooted in the Old-World spice trade. Pfefferminz3 is a Northern German peppermint liqueur.

Spirits can be ordered online for pickup at the distillery. Retail hours are Mon – Tues 10 am – 4 pm, Wed – Sat 4 – 10 pm.

Tours

Dampfwerk offers tours by appointment.

The 1-hour in-depth tour is led by either Ralf (owner) or Christian (head distiller). It explores the process, science and story behind the Dampfwerk spirits portfolio. The experience includes a sampling of 3 products of your choice and 25% off a cocktail in their Cocktail Lounge.

Participants must be 21+ to participate. Groups are limited to 8 people, and the cost is $45 per person.

Event Space

Groups of 6-10 people can receive complimentary table reservations at Dampfwerk.

Private Events

Gather in the private room, Die Stube, a welcoming, cozy and informal setting for eating and drinking. The space is suited for up to 40 guests.

Available Tues – Thurs (full evening rental); Friday & Saturday (partial or full evening rental)

Outside catering allowed

For a larger gathering, the entire distillery is also available to rent. Pricing is available upon request. Contact [email protected] for more information.