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Quench Your Locathirst at Watershed

By Roger Kamholz in Food on Dec 23, 2010 8:30PM

2010_12_ital_hurricane.jpgDozens of cocktail dens around Chicago have been quick to muddle, squeeze and otherwise embrace in their drinks the increasing amount of small-batch, regionally produced spirits, mixers and bitters available to them. But perhaps none go so far as the Watershed to source locally. To boot, none feel quite so much like a den.

This relative newcomer to River North (it opened in September) is located underground, tucked underneath Pops for Champagne. A doorway crowned by a W at the southeast corner of Pops leads the way in. Patronizing Watershed is like walking through the bedroom of a blonde to visit her sister who lives in the basement and is into maps and science - you pause for a moment to look around but know your heart belongs downstairs. It's a handsome little room with comfortable chairs at the low-slung bar and tall booths lining the far wall. And yes, there is indeed a map on display - illustrating the Midwest, of course.

The beer selection is heavily tipped towards Great Lakes-area brews; the spirits come from a slightly wider radius, basically to include Kentucky; and the wines, they're almost all from just around the bend in Michigan. But what attracted us most to the Watershed - surprise, surprise - were the ambitious cocktails. Its Shake in the Hay - a gin and cucumber concoction - was named one of Tasting Table's 15 top drinks in the city for 2010. But for us, the Italian Hurricane is Watershed's winner.

This pungent, exuberant, uncompromising drink combines Hum, Mezcal, Campari and a double dose of lime, all of which is topped with ginger beer. The Campari and Mezcal team up to lend a rootsy, smoky-sharp backbone; the Hum strikes a smiling, floral chord; and the addition of ginger beer elevates the whole endeavor with high notes of heat, spunk and general effervescence. (Full disclosure: We'd be happy drinking ginger beer out a shoe.) And like a feather in a bright red cap, they add a single leaf of "punished" basil to garnish the glass.

Our server and drink-maker (everyone does everything at Watershed) clued us in that many of the names of Watershed's original cocktails are lifted from early 20th-century soda jerk slang. Thus, the Eighty-seven and a Half cocktail refers to a pretty girl. A "Shake in the Hay" is how one once ordered a strawberry shake. And an Italian Hurricane? That's code for spaghetti and meatballs. Mmm, now we like it even more.

Italian Hurricane

1/4 ounce Todd Appel's Lime Cordial (Rose's works, too)
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
3/4 ounce Campari
1 ounce Hum Botanical Spirit
Ginger beer
Basil leaf

Shake together first five ingredients with ice and strain into a glass over ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a "punished" leaf of basil (slapped between the palms to release its oils).

Watershed is located beneath 601 North State Street.