Jordan Lindgren’s love for mixology came by pure accident.
“I fell in love with cocktails when I lived in Minneapolis over a decade ago,” he recalled.
Starting by managing in retail, he transitioned into bar-backing at a sports bar and working the front lines of a new nightclub.
“I was very green and eager to absorb everything about the hospitality and bar scene,” said Lindgren.
His newfound career led him to bartending in Los Angeles for a couple of years, and he later returned to his South Dakota roots in Sioux Falls with the goal of working in the downtown bar scene.
Lindgren met his goal by slinging craft cocktails at places like The Treasury at Hotel on Phillips and Crawford’s. He recalls a couple of years back when a Hilton Careers recruiter approached him online to come work for Canopy by Hilton Sioux Falls Downtown and Cascata Italian Cuisine.
“I marveled at the thought of building a bar program from scratch, as well as playing a role in opening a hotel/restaurant, and well…here we are,” he said. “I also saw an opportunity to build a healthy culture in the restaurant industry with my experience and passion for people.”
Get to know more about the food and beverage manager and social media mixologist.
WHAT ARE THE VIBES AT THE CASCATA BAR?
Swank central—the lighting, couch and chair design, overall aesthetic, Canopy’s signature aroma. I love the hallway with the massive Sioux Steel letters; the opposing wall hosts framed moments of Sioux Falls’ history and landmarks, such as the Palisades [State Park].
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MORE POPULAR DRINKS ORDERED BY PATRONS? WHAT’S YOUR GO TO?
Our Amaro Old Fashioned rings true as our best seller, but we also make our own limoncello in house using locally-made vodka by our friends at Glacial Lakes Distillery. That’s used in our interpretation of a Lemon Drop Martini. My go-to cocktail is a Manhattan, so you’d be doing yourself a favor by trying the Fragola Manhattan—a strawberry-artichoke take on the cocktail.
TALK ABOUT YOUR COCKTAIL VIDEOS YOU POST ON INSTAGRAM.
About a year ago I took up photography as a hobby with the goal of shooting food and drink professionally. I would consider myself a nerd in the cocktail world, and I have developed a knack for educating on the world of cocktails, spirits, wine—I love it all, and I want people to understand they don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment to make an awesome drink. Little did I know that the Sioux Falls and online community would love my content the way they have, which has been a nice bonus!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
The guest experience. More specifically watching my team deliver on that in so many ways. I am extremely grateful for their hustle and talent, and elevating every patron’s night out.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU DOING WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
There’s a good chance you can find me looking for vinyl records at Total Drag or Last Stop CD Shop, or walking my dogs at the state parks outside or walking my dogs at the state parks outside of town.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CASCATAITALIAN.COM+
