March 6, 2025

This paid piece is sponsored by Vanguard Hospitality.

The annual Mash Madness competition downtown Sioux Falls has expanded in a big way this year — and restaurants are responding with plenty of creativity behind the bar.

Minervas has developed Romantic Dreams, made with Aztec bitters, strawberry liqueur, Bumbu rum, soda and orange blossom water, topped with aquafaba whipped topping and a strawberry macaron from neighboring CH Patisserie.

Here’s a closer look at it:

At the adjacent Paramount Studio Cocktails & Food, you’ll find Wildflower Whisper, which blends St. Germaine elderflower, Freixenet Prosecco, lemon juice, soda water, sliced lemon and mint.

Looking for an alcohol-free option? Paramount also is competing in the mocktail category with Lavender Lux, a crafted beverage featuring lots of local flavors: Heikes Farm honey, JJ’s barrel-aged maple syrup and Songbird blueberry lavender kombucha, plus lavender syrup, dragon fruit sorbet and lavender seeds.

Here’s a closer look at both:

Mash Madness runs through March 31, and voting is done through the DTSF app. For information about Mash Madness, including a list of participating businesses and details on how to participate, visit dtsf.com.