June is GLBT Pride Month, and this refreshing sipper is the perfect drink for celebrating it. more ›

Two hundred and five years ago to the day, the first known description of the Cocktail appeared in print. The publication: The Balance and Columbian Repository. The recipe: "...a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters..." The Museum of the American Cocktail has commemorated the appearance of this fateful passage by deeming May 13 World Cocktail Day. And that is what we call a great excuse to have a drink. more ›

Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to be testing out a few cocktails from The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim's new cocktail book. Abou-Ganim is one of the fathers of modern mixology, one of the superstars of the cocktail revival and a mentor to many of the best bartenders in the country (including our old friends Jennifer Contraveos and Bridget Albert). more ›

A few weeks ago we found ourselves in Boston and thirsty for a cocktail. The interwebs told us that a visit to Drink would be worth our while. They were most certainly correct. How to describe the place? Picture what would happen if The Violet Hour operated a bar on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, and you'll have a fair idea. As bustling a bar as we've had the pleasure to visit, with each bartender expertly fashioning cocktails at the speed of sound. more ›

In a week that's been very focused on beer over here on the Food and Drink side of things, it seems fitting to end the week where it began: focusing on Half Acre. From the moment the first cases of Half Acre Lager popped up on retail shelves and in bars throughout the city, one question over all others stood out: Can they succeed? Can a beer company calling Chicago home, brewing its product on contract in Wisconsin, be able to tread water until it finds both the equipment and space to start brewing within the city limits? more ›

Goose Island's been working a lot with rye malt recently. Their Juliet ale, brewed with rye, marionberries and aged for six months in Robert Kraig cabernet casks, has been a popular selection among those Chicagoist staffers who've tasted it (Jacy and myself). This week, we're featuring another rye-based Goose Island offering that's been flying off shelves. more ›

We've been thinking about what sort of cocktail would make a good after-dinner tipple for the cold months. Something a little sweet, a little spicy, with just enough of a punch to let you know it's high-octane. The kind of cocktail you'd like to cozy up to if you were snowbound. So we've been tinkering, testing and tasting and now we're ready to unveil our new creation. We've named our cocktail after beloved Chicago-born character actress Beulah Bondi, who played Jimmy Stewart's mom in It's A Wonderful Life. It'll give you that same homey feeling. Careful though: just like Ma Bailey, it's got hidden strength. more ›

Our Ideal Manhattan, the end result of trial and error over the years, balances power with a soft finish. And it's pretty darn easy to make. more ›

Toby Maloney calls it a “crazy year,” but it's been over a year since he opened up The Violet Hour, the now-famous bar with no sign, no cellphones, no smoking (pre-ban) and some of the finest drinks that Chicago has ever seen. With a focus on fresh-squeezed juices, homemade syrups and bitters, and an excellent array of fine spirits with an emphasis on gin, rum and rye – no vodka at the outset – VH was the kind of place you either loved instantly, or just didn’t get it. more ›