Christin and Josh Blom had their first date at Ben’s Brewing Co.—a downtown Yankton staple.
“[Ben’s] always had a special place in our hearts, and we’ve enjoyed the atmosphere,” said Christin. “It’s a fun sports bar. We’ve really always loved the place.”
After 19 years in business, owner Ben Hanten decided to sell the iconic location, and the Bloms jumped at the chance to add it to their growing portfolio.
The entrepreneurs had recently purchased the Riverfront Event Center, the Meridian Venue, and The Brewery Event Center, all located in Yankton.
“We said, ‘Well, why not?’ It gave our bartenders working at the wedding venues somewhere to go to keep their second job and stay up to date on their bartending skills,” said Christin.
“I love to tell people where i’m at. they’ll ask, ‘Where are you?’ and I’ll say ‘I’m at the bar,’ and they’ll say, ‘what bar?!’ I have to give my husband credit for that one.”
-Christin Blom
Now named @ The Bar, the Yankton community has embraced the new vibe since the change of hands in July of 2024. The goal, the couple says, was to provide a place for people to gather, whether it’s to “watch the game,” date nights, friendship, or otherwise.
“It’s an intimate little bar, and we’ve got a good local following,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun to get to know everybody in the community that way, too.”
Christin and Josh decided to make the bar their own, adding special touches like new TVs and renovations to the upstairs.
Josh says they’re looking forward to hosting watch parties on the new screens for March Madness and other sports events.
“Sundays are my favorite day during football season. We went into our first football season really new,” revealed Christin. “We have the most fun football crowds.”
Along with encouraging sport fans to gather, @ The Bar has live acoustic music every Thursday night in The Copper Room—a speakeasy-inspired space upstairs above the main area. They often feature local artists, and on March 13 Severio Mancieri will perform.
The Bloms say they’re dedicated to keeping things fresh with @ The Bar by incorporating seasonal drinks and fun activities for the community.
During the month of February, The Bar featured Valentine’s themed drinks, including the Strawberries and Cream Martini with strawberry and vanilla vodka, Baileys, cream, and freeze-dried strawberries, and the Blackberry Smash cocktail with Blackberry Crown as the base.
Josh added how successful and fun the 12 Drinks of Christmas were, and how they plan to continue to debut festive, seasonal drinks as the year progresses. His favorite from December was the Peppermint White Russian.
“A lot of people came out and tried it, really getting into the holiday spirit,” said Christin. “We live in a great community, and they have been a huge support to us and all of the employees we’ve taken on since opening.”
“In the copper room side of the world, we’re trying to bring in acoustic music sets more frequently and do live entertainment on a regular basis.”
-Josh Blom
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Bar serves a variety of pizza, pretzels, and free popcorn.
PRETZELS:
Cream Cheese
Nacho Cheese
PIZZA:
Chicken, Bacon, Ranch
Mega Meat
Pepperoni Jalapeno
Supreme
For March, as @ The Bar gears up for St. Patrick’s Day, they will be featuring a classic green beer, a sweet, tart Melon Ball and Apple Martini, and a lucky Pot of Gold Shot.
The Copper Room will carry on its speakeasy vibe featuring drinks including a Dirty Martini, The Bee’s Knees (with gin, honey syrup, lemon juice, and garnished with a lemon twist) and the Dark Alley (with Knob Creek Rye, dry vermouth, and chocolate and orange bitters).
On March 14, @ The Bar will be hosting a scotch and whiskey tasting to let participants try different spirits and learn more about them.
“Our inspiration is both of us together, how we can continue to work together and build this brand, and to continue to grow with the people around us,” said Christin.
For more information, visit FACEBOOK.COM+
