Fulton Grace hunted down the freshest cocktails, so you didn’t have to. Submit to spices. Disco with the devil. Embrace orange. Get too comfortable with The Zombie, though, and your drinks are numbered.
Pick: Beatnik, West Town
Poison: The Color of Crocus
Courtesy/Beatnik
First up is this “true to hue” shaken beauty. The bright and florally-inspired concoction summons Aguardiente, Lemon, Carrot, Saffron, and Ginger. Who can we thank for all that orange? The visionaries behind West Town’s latest entrant, Beatnik, where rich worlds and even more opulent beverages are mixed. Order The Color of Crocus over dinnertime musings or at brunch opposite a chai cinnamon roll.
Pick: CH Distillery, West Loop/Fulton Market
Poison: Witch Hunt
Courtesy/CH Distillery
An occult creation you’ll want to stalk. Chicago’s favorite distillery just showered us with some frisky, new cocktails, and this pick induces flight. CH Rum, the loaded CH-Dogma Amargo de Chile, Allspice, Vanilla, and Ginger transport the drinker through all kinds of warmth. Fear not the flames.
Pick: The Violet Hour, Wicker Park
Poison: Hungry for Apples
Courtesy/Melissa Blackmon and Violet Hour
We liken this cocktail to wandering through an apple orchard with a divine buzz. Trade lugging a bag of red and green fruit for nursing this spiced libation. Supernatural bartenders at Wicker Park’s acclaimed speakeasy craft the Laird’s BIB Apple Brandy-based drink. We dare you to fall.
Pick: The Heavy Feather, Logan Square
Poison: Disco Devil
Courtesy/The Heavy Feather
Temptation never tasted so good. This brand new option from The Heavy Feather’s Fall 2017 menu lurks in your dizziest 70s nightmare. Plot twist, you love it. Bow to the Blanco Tequila, Ginger Liqueur, Lime, Blackberry, and Rubin Grapefruit Liqueur at play in the punchy Disco Devil.
Pick: Three Dots and a Dash, River North
Poison: The Zombie
Courtesy/Three Dots and a Dash
This ritual begins with an offering of Jamaican and Overproof Rums, a little spice, and a lot of fruit. Call on 2-3 willing participants to help you rattle the undead. Tiki proprietors at Three Dots and a Dash promote an atmospheric escape to accompany every, mystifying sip.
Pick: The Barrelhouse Flat, Lincoln Park
Poison: Punchy Hands
Courtesy/The Barrelhouse Flat
Scotch is always in season, but a hint of maple earns Punchy Hands a spot on this roster. Combine the two with Varnelli Punch, Lemon, Orange, and Club Soda, and you’ll imbibe the sweet, zesty nectar only autumnal beings understand. 2624 N Lincoln Ave provides.
Pick: Split-Rail, West Town
Poison: Pumpkin Spice Flip
Courtesy/Split-Rail
Split-Rail rode into town June 9th, but Pumpkin Spice Flip bespeaks the “now.” An elixir of Plantation Original Dark Rum, Cardamaro, Allspice Dram, Pumpkin, Vanilla, Nutmeg, and a Whole Egg raises your encounter with a fall favorite. Like most of their menu, traditional comfort crosses into unforeseen territory with mad delicious results.
Pick: Prairie School, West Loop
Poison: Quickstep
Courtesy/Brian Culp
What better way to celebrate nature and its metamorphoses than with a beverage from just-opened Prairie School. A blend of Plymouth Gin, Lustau ‘Don Nuño’ Oloroso Sherry, Concord Grapes, Umeboshi Vinegar, and Leopold Brothers Absinthe educates the senses. Bartender extraordinaire Jim Meehan and Heisler Hospitality (Bad Hunter, Sportsman’s Club) showcase drinks of an anticipated, soaring caliber.
Pick: The Duck Inn, Bridgeport
Poison: Autumn Kaleidoscope
Courtesy/The Duck Inn
If sprawling out in a heap of fallen foliage sounds ideal, meet Autumn Kaleidoscope. The Bridgeport native suppresses the need for any other time of year. The Duck Inn harvests Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey, Becherovka, Catskill Provisions New York Honey, Tempus Fugit Creme de Noyaux, Barkeep Baked Apple Bitters, and Burnt Fall Leaves for your local, drinking pleasure.