Bourbon, Vinyl, and Vibes - A Night at The Hello Marjorie in Des Moines

First Impressions - A Flashback in the Best Way #

It started with a neon sign. “THIS MUST BE THE PLACE.” That’s what pulled me in.

I was wandering downtown Des Moines on a Friday night, looking for a spot that wasn’t drowning in light beer and bad country music. And there it was - The Hello Marjorie, glowing like a secret handshake for those in search of something a little cooler, a little stronger, and a little less… predictable.

Walking in felt like stepping into the Mad Men era, but without the casual workplace misogyny. Think dim lighting, leather booths, vintage decor, and a well-dressed crowd sipping proper cocktails. It was moody, it was warm, and it smelled like whiskey and nostalgia. In other words - my kind of place.

The Drinks - Smooth, Strong, and Dangerous #

The menu at Hello Marjorie doesn’t play games. It leans into classics with a twist, heavy on the bourbon, rye, and gin - exactly the kind of drinks you want when the lighting is low and the conversation is good.

I kicked things off with their Old Fashioned, because you can tell a lot about a bar by how they handle a drink with only three ingredients. And let me tell you - they nailed it. The bourbon was rich, the sugar perfectly balanced, and the orange peel had that just-barely-burnt edge that makes the whole thing sing. It was the kind of drink that makes you close your eyes for a second after the first sip.

Next up - the Marjorie Sour. A bourbon sour with house-made lemon cordial and a cloud of egg white foam so perfectly silky it looked Photoshopped. Tart, smooth, and just boozy enough to make me text my ex “hope you’re doing well” before wisely deleting it.

For my final act, I asked the bartender to surprise me. He slid over a mezcal negroni, smoky and bitter in all the right ways, served in a heavy-cut glass that felt expensive and vaguely powerful. If the Old Fashioned was the drink of a 1960s advertising exec, this was the drink of the guy who knows a guy.

The Vibe - A Mix of Mid-Century Cool and Modern Mischief #

What makes Hello Marjorie special isn’t just the drinks - it’s the atmosphere.

The place is designed to make you linger. Vinyl records spin behind the bar, filling the space with jazz, blues, and the occasional deep-cut rock track that makes you turn to the stranger next to you and say, “This song? This song.” The bartenders work with the casual confidence of people who know they’re making the best drinks in town, and the crowd is an easy mix of downtown professionals, artsy couples, and cocktail nerds who know the difference between bourbon and rye and are prepared to explain it at length.

At one point, a guy in a tweed blazer raised his glass and toasted the room. No one knew him. No one questioned it. We all just raised our glasses back, because at Hello Marjorie, that kind of thing just makes sense.

Insider Tips #

• Get there early. By 8 PM, the place is packed, and finding a seat becomes a competitive sport.
• Sit at the bar. Watching the bartenders work is half the fun.
• Try the Marjorie Sour. It’s a signature drink for a reason.
• Ask about the vinyl. The bartenders have great taste and might even take requests.
• Don’t rush. This is a place to drink slow, talk long, and stay a while.

Final Sips #

The Hello Marjorie isn’t just a cocktail bar - it’s a perfectly distilled experience. The drinks are unapologetically strong, the ambiance is effortlessly cool, and for a few hours, you get to exist in a world where everything is just a little smoother, a little slower, and a lot more interesting.

So if you ever find yourself in Des Moines and see that neon sign glowing in the night - don’t hesitate. This must be the place.