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Cardinal Spirits

4.5 (246 reviews)
Open • 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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CARDINAL SPIRITS ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Cardinal Spirits

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Inside seating area
Joyce D.

My partner and I decided to drive down to Bloomington for the day to explore another restaurant we have never tried. We decided to check out Cardinal Spirits - the ambience is nice - casual and nice. They serve cocktails - the alcohol is from their own distillery from what we were told. Their food menu is not necessarily expansive so we settled on the citrus salad and the charcuterie board. Salad was tasty and the charcuterie board was yummy - we were not disappointed and we left the place feeling satisfied. The staff was friendly and courteous- no complaints! This was a good experience. I think this is a good place to get together with friends - have drinks and have small bites to eat.

1/2 price Flights on Fridays
Jessica C.

Very fun and Classy. Very refreshing Drinks and tasty fries. Very nice staff and fast service. 1/2 Price Flights on Friday. My favorite drink was the Passion Fruit Mojito. It was sweet with a slightly bitter undertone.

Liquor flight
Mya M.

The service was good, their menu has expanded quite a bit but we just went for drinks. Automatic 20% is added to the bill. I found this spot on Facebook events when I was looking for live Christmas music, it was so fun and cozy!

Molly C.

Cute little spot in Bloomington, IN. Distillery, cocktails. Light spirits, I was in town for the eclipse and stopped by. Light fresh cocktails. Food was meh. Flatbread needs some work. Mostly bread, crispy, lacking toppings. Cute patio!

Mushroom Melt Sandwich: Roasted portobello mushrooms, provolone, roasted bell peppers, giardiniera, hoagie role, side of jus
Danielle W.

It's been a minute since I've been to Cardinal Spirits and I was blown away by the menu selection, outdoor patio, and delicious drinks! Seasonal curated dishes with Vegan & Gluten Free options - so many good options Food highlights of my favorites: Burrata: Baby spinach, shaved fennel, toasted almond, lemon + white balsamic vinaigrette, crostini Steak Frites: 8oz steak, chimichurri, OMG fries Best Cocktails in Bloomington - my favorite is... Apple of My Eye: Bramble Black Raspberry Vodka, La Boîte American Amaro, apple, rosemary, lemon, smoke bitters I can never convince my husband to come here because he claims "they don't have Bourbon" but yes, they do - only at the restaurant. Looks like I'll be planning us a date night soon! Great to visit year round but especially in the summer/fall on the outdoor patio which is kid/dog friendly. Pro Tip: 15% off Carry Out Bottles & Cans when you Dine In

(L to R) Boulevardier, Laverne & Shirley, Crimson and Clover, Warmed Spiced Cider with bourbon
Jennifer H.

We only came for drinks, so I cannot speak on the food. We did have great service, and the vibe is relaxed and comfortable inside. Drinks were unique and delicious. Appreciated their 15% off any purchases; nice way to stock up on their regional spirits!

Burrata salad with Lakehouse, spiced rum apples, fennel, almonds, spinach, and Crostini
Jennifer L.

Intimate interior with twinkle lights & chill vibes. Servers & bartenders appear to be passionate and creative about their craft. I've met more than one who took a job here because they loved coming here and the quality of the product. That reminds me of Trader Joe's. I've been here alone, with friends and with my husband about four or five times. The food menu is limited, but the kitchen is small. Everything I've had so far, which is about everything, is well-made and delicious. *The everything deviled eggs are salty but delicious. The cheese and charcuterie board is probably the best choice to pair with the delicious cocktails. I highly recommend checking out the high proof laughs Comedy series in the spring. All of the proceeds go to good causes at local nonprofits. I also very much enjoyed the drink making classes. We have also recently invested (summer 2023) as Angel Investors! Whoo hoo! #staylocal #drinklocal

OMG Fries
Jessi A.

My partner took me here for my birthday today ! We walked in and were told that it's reservation only. However, they let us sit since it wasn't very busy. It took them awhile to wait on us, but the server came over and apologized as she had forgotten our table was ours. Completely understandable since we hadn't made a reservation. I ordered the Ivory Tower, which was a spicy rum drink with pineapple and coconut. My partner ordered the Earth Song, which was a gin drink with beet juice. My drink was absolutely delicious ! I didn't quite care for my partners, I thought it tasted like dirt. But he liked it. We also ordered the OMG fries ! They were so good. Whatever the seasoning is on them, it was super tasty. They gave us three dipping sauces: some kind of BBQ, a Bloody Mary ketchup, and a truffle aioli. I could have used a gallon of the aioli because it was to die for ! Definitely worth the trip !

Niki B.

Add this to your Bloomington Bookmark List. STAT. Cardinal Spirits is a shining gem of Indiana. The staff are friendly, bright, and creative, and the cocktails are out of this world. They just won Yelp's number one spot to eat in Bloomington and their ever-changing cocktail menu includes several drinks made from their own spirits. I haven't gotten to dine in yet, but I've enjoyed an always-great tiki Tuesday here. They do it every week to spice up your Tuesday with a drink topped with a flamingo, chunk of pineapple, mini umbrella - anything. They're super involved in the community and I always end up seeing them at local events. That says a lot about a business! They're also located along the B-Line trail in Bloomington, so you can even bike or walk here. They have a lot of seating inside, in addition to a beautiful bar and a fun, large patio. Bring all your friends!! OR - you can even buy their new canned cocktails at a local liquor store if you don't live in Bloomington. The Bramble Mule is my favorite!

Chrissy C.

My husband and I went to Cardinal Spirits this past week to meet college friends. We did the tour, which I booked online. It ends up being $16.50 each for the tour, tasting, and 1 drink. It's a pretty good deal. It did seem like you could book the tour onsite and the day we went it wasn't very busy, but with the hour drive we may not have risked it anyway. The Tour/tasting was really just about 40 min. And 75% of the experience is the tasting. Next time we would eat first. It was a lot of alcohol. It can change on season, but there were 16 kids to try. My husband and I have had Cardinal Spirts before, bit it was knew for our 3 friends. We definitely found some favorites. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and fun. It was just our small group. I did think it would be more tour and then a tasting after. Our lunch reservation was after the tour. The menu is very limited. My friend who is a local also thought they would soon have any less. I had looked at the menu a few months ago when making the plans and it was larger. I now wish we had eaten elsewhere then done the tasting/tour. The food just wasn't good and it was pricey. 3 of my friends got the OMG fries, which were $15. I looked at those, but with the sandwich. All of us wanted burgers after all the alcohol. My sandwich came with chips. I opted to not get the OMG fries, because it came with BBQ. All 3 of my friends ordered the $15 fries, because all 3 of them thought it was topped with BBQ. But it turns out it was just BBQ sauce. So fries with 3 sauces and they only used the ketchup. They really need to update the misleading menu. I was really excited about checking out Cardinal Spirits and I really talked it up when we made the plans. But overall it was mostly disappointing. We did like our drinks. The bramble mule was very good. My friend also liked the coffee. My husband and I got ice cream and it was excellent. I got the coffee to go with it, but it could have used sugar. There was none on the table. I should have gotten a 2nd ice cream. There were 5 of us and they added a 20% tip, which wasn't pointed out. I also think our waiter could have been better about the menu. People should know that it's not BBQ meat on the fries.

Salmon appetizer

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2 months ago

Very gluten friendly restaurant! Lots of great options the portions are smaller but worth it!

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2 years ago

Great food, ambience and staff! I love the Rum, unique menu and atmosphere after a long work week.

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

Good drinks with good light fare. Their cocktails are the real highlight and the space is nice.

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7 years ago

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Ask the Community - Cardinal Spirits

During Brunch are the Main menu items also available?

No, only the brunch items.

Does the brunch open for all age??

Only over 21 inside. Under 21 are welcome on the patio when it reopens in the spring

Is there anything vegan on the brunch menu?

Yes! Our distillers bourbon mash with coconut, spiced pecans, and chai spices is delicious. Even… Read more

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C3 Bar - Sliders

C3 Bar

(142 reviews)

$$

Everything was amazing here! Nicest restaurant I've been to in a while. I made a reservation with…read moremy parents for Friday evening which I would recommend doing because it was very busy. We loved the atmosphere though - the building is kind of interesting and the decoration was very classy. Maybe the main area was a little loud, but we ended up seated in a semi-private room with one other table, so we had relative quiet. It was dim but not in a bad way. All of the staff was very friendly. Our waiter was attentive and enthusiastic but didn't come across as trying to upsell us. Drinks were excellent. I usually just go for beer, but the cocktail menu looked really interesting, so I got a cocktail was very glad I did. I got the rye-based "boss fight", which was very strong with unique, complex flavours. I also had many sips of my dad's earl grey cocktail - also very interesting and delicious - and my mom's "problem child" with non-alcoholic gin. They have a really nice non-alcoholic drink menu with different NA spirits too. Food was equally excellent. We got the muhammara appetizer, I had the butternut agnolotti for my entreee, and we shared a chocolate and a vanilla-cranberry bread pudding for dessert. My dad said the muhammara was one of the best dips he's ever had. The middle eastern flavour was a little different from stuff you usually get at American restaurants, and it was presented very nicely with different garnishes. The blue cheese cream sauce on the agnolotti was also a little different and really complimented the flavour of the squash. The bread pudding may have been the best bread pudding I've had in a restaurant - it was very moist but wasn't too sweet or too rich. The chocolate cake was kind of like an oreo cake with the thick vanilla frosting and cookie crumbs - not your generic chocolate cake with white frosting, but conventional enough that I think it would make anyone happy. Maybe the portions of the entrees alone are a little small, but I think they were the right size to enjoy along with a shared appetizer and dessert. Considering that, the prices are okay for upscale dining.

For our dogs BirthDay, Becky and Me went out to celebrate at C3 (dog had to stay home, LOL!)…read more Making a resrevation was super easy, and we were seated in a cosy table in a roomy dining nook. We knew the food would be good because the menu was small- Hats Off to Exacutuve Chef Matthew Smits!!! Becky got the 'Chicken' and loved the savory broth and decadent cilantro(?) sproutes. The chicken VERY juicy too! I got the Fulaful- I don't even know what that is, but I felt adventerous! I loved the orange sweet potatoes and Pistashio Nuts, and the savory Spinach was incredible! The feta cheese on the fulafel got swallowed by all the other flavors, but an incredible meal none theless!! Keep up the GREAT COOKING!!!

Fuzzy's Vodka Launch Party - Meatballs provided by Cardinal Spirits

Fuzzy's Vodka Launch Party

(1 review)

Wow, what a perk for being Elite! When Fuzzy's Vodka announced it was going to relocate production…read moreto Cardinal Spirits in Bloomington, an opportunity was created for several Yelpers to attend the kickoff event. I've enjoyed food, beverages, and a tour of the distillery at Cardinal Spirits before, so I jumped at the chance to sign up for the event. The bar/dining area served as the spot for Fuzzy Zoeller, Champion Pro Golfer, to speak about his line of Ultra Premium Vodka. He highlighted a few special moments in the history of his business and seemed excited to be bringing the production of the high end vodka to Indiana. He also introduced State Senator Ron Alting, a long time friend, who had worked with Fuzzy over the years to help bring opportunities to be involved around the state. After the introduction and chats, guests were treated to a free cocktail made with the vodka. I ordered a "Fuzzy's Mule" which adds lime and ginger beer to the spirit. Excellent! The fine folks at Cardinal Spirits also provided an assortment of delicious foods for us to snack on. There were meatballs, vegan sliders, Italian green salad, caprese skewers, and Deviled eggs with truffle oil. I need to make a point to bring friends here for dinner! I enjoyed the opportunity to attend the event and hope that the transition of production to Cardinal Spirits will go smoothly bringing the same high quality product but using Hoosier corn, and talent. Thanks to Fuzzy's, to Cardinal Spirits for hosting, and to Yelp for the opportunity to attend. Review #3346

Cardinal Spirits - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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