Grand Avenue just picked up a new nightspot, and it did it on the quiet. The Vermilion, a dimly lit cocktail room built around craft cocktails and a curated selection of whiskeys, opened this week next door to Iron Ranger at 1085 Grand Avenue in St. Paul. The bar has its own entrance and a more intimate feel than its neighbor, even as it serves Iron Ranger’s food. For now, The Vermilion plans to operate Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with a late-night happy hour on the way and a small street patio expected in the coming weeks.
As reported by the Pioneer Press, the space takes its name from Lake Vermilion in northern Minnesota and was developed by Iron Ranger owner Tom Forti, with cocktails by Tomas Iniguez. According to the paper, The Vermilion will start its late-night happy hour at 9 p.m. on the nights it is open and will stay open later than the adjoining restaurant.
Address, hours, and setup
Iron Ranger’s official site lists the address as 1085 Grand Ave. and bills The Vermilion as “an exciting new addition” with a focus on cocktails and bourbon. The restaurant’s winter hours show it closing at 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 9 p.m. on most other nights, and the site lists the Grand Avenue contact number. For details, see Iron Ranger.
Menu and late-night plans
The Pioneer Press reports that The Vermilion will pour a distinct cocktail list while offering the full Iron Ranger food menu, with bartender Tomas Iniguez behind the drink program. The paper describes the room as dark and bar-forward and notes that the team plans to add a street patio shortly. Taken together, the setup is intended to give Grand Avenue a fresh late-night option.
How it fits on Grand Avenue
Grand Avenue already mixes cafes, taverns and restaurants, and The Vermilion slides into that lineup as a focused cocktail room attached to a neighborhood mainstay. Local guides that map the avenue’s dining scene list Iron Ranger at the same address and highlight the block’s patios and after-work crowds. For a quick look at nearby spots, see the local directory at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.
For the latest hours and The Vermilion's cocktail list, check Iron Ranger's Vermilion menu page or call the Grand Avenue location at 651-203-7096. The team says it will ramp up the patio and evening programming over the next few weeks as the room settles into Grand Avenue’s nightlife rotation.
