Bar
Unclaimed profileThe Bartender's Handshake
Des Moines, IA · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
The Bartender's Handshake runs a seriously playful bar program: $12 cocktails like the cumin-dill KUMIN GO and the gochujang-spiked LUNA MOTH sit alongside a wine list with Broadbent Vinho Verde and Teutonic Gewürztraminer. Handshake shots and boilermakers—Cynar with mezcal, gin with High Life—keep things quick and weird. Spirit-free drinks get equal attention, including the VACATION EMAIL. Prices stay friendly across the board.
- What should I order?
- Start with KUMIN GO, a cumin and dill-infused white negroni that shows the kitchen's savory instincts. For something bolder, LUNA MOTH layers mezcal with melon, ginger, lime, and a gochujang tincture with MSG. Both are $12.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Cocktails run $12 each, with spirit-free options from $8 to $9. Handshake shots are $7.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The bar bridges craft-cocktail ambition with barstool pragmatism: a $12 cocktail menu featuring MSG and house tiki bitters, plus a 'We'll Take It From Here' custom option at $15, coexists with $7 Handshake shots and $7-$9 boilermakers like SPAGHETT with Aperol and lemon.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
A dozen house cocktails at a flat $12, ranging from the cumin-dill KUMIN GO to the mezcal-and-gochujang LUNA MOTH. The menu also includes a frozen NEGRONI SLUSH and a Community Cocktail supporting Planned Parenthood.
Menu strengths
- — Flat $12 pricing keeps the whole menu approachable regardless of spirit or technique.
- — A 'Community Cocktail' directs proceeds to Planned Parenthood, adding a civic angle.
Standout selections
- — KUMIN GO: a white negroni infused with cumin and dill.
- — LUNA MOTH: mezcal with melon liqueur, ginger, lime, gochujang tincture, and MSG.
- — OLD FASHIONED NO. 6: rye, toasted-coconut-infused bourbon, Jamaican rum, and house tiki bitters.
Pricing: $12 each
Wine
A compact but characterful wine list with playful descriptions: Broadbent Vinho Verde for hammock naps, Teutonic Gewürztraminer with apricot and mineral notes, and a Chablis in a can. Prices top out at $62.
Menu strengths
- — Wines are grouped by mood rather than region, with evocative descriptions like 'Dry Fresca and crunchy pickles' for WONDERWERK Big Orange.
- — Several wines are offered in multiple formats, including 250ml cans and 1000ml bottles.
Standout selections
- — Teutonic Wines Crow Valley Gewürztraminer: apricot, honeysuckle, mineral, orange peel.
- — Broadbent Vinho Verde: $9 a glass or $34 a bottle.
- — Chateau de Beru Chablis: 250ml can with oyster shell and salted custard notes.
Pricing: $9-$62, glass and bottle
Beer
A beer list that covers cheap classics (PBR, Miller High Life) and craft options like Pipeworks Premium Pilsner and Lion Bridge Yard Sale IPA. Prices stay low, from $3.50 to $8.
Menu strengths
- — Balances affordability with craft credibility, featuring local and regional breweries.
- — Includes a dry sake-style saison from Stillwater for adventurous drinkers.
- — Beer also anchors several boilermakers on the spirits list.
Standout selections
- — Lion Bridge Yard Sale IPA: $7.; Stillwater Dry Sake-Style Saison: $7.
Pricing: $3.50-$8
Nonalcoholic
A serious zero-proof program: spirit-free cocktails like VACATION EMAIL (orange spice tea, grapefruit, coconut) and GREEN THING (cucumber, jalapeño, mint) at $8, plus GHIA TONIC at $9 and three non-alcoholic beers.
Menu strengths
- — Cocktails are built with full flavor layers—spice, citrus, herb, and chili—not just juice.
- — Includes non-alcoholic beers from Confluence, Heineken, and Go Brewing.
- — Pricing is thoughtful, with most options under $10.
Standout selections
- — VACATION EMAIL: orange spice tea, grapefruit, lime, cinnamon, tonic, coconut.
- — GREEN THING: cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, mint, coconut water, lime, honey.
- — GHIA TONIC: non-alcoholic aperitif with Fever Tree tonic and orange.
Pricing: $6-$9
Spirits
A focused spirits section called 'Handshakes' offers amaro and mezcal shots at $7, while boilermakers pair spirits with beer, like SPAGHETT (Miller High Life, Aperol, lemon) and TRIP TO CHICAGO (Kölsch, Malört).
Menu strengths
- — Encourages fast, social drinking with a dedicated shot list.
- — Boilermakers cleverly combine familiar beers with distinctive spirits.
- — House Amaro offers a signature bittersweet blend at a fair price.
Standout selections
- — CHOKES & SMOKE: Cynar and Banhez Mezcal.; LAKEWATER: Miller High Life pony with Beefeater gin.
Pricing: $7-$9
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