McHugh Looks To Prohibition For Cocktail Week Inspiration

By Chuck Sudo in Food on May 7, 2009 6:40PM

World Cocktail Week 2009 started yesterday, and what's shaping up to be the major local event in honor of this is "Speakeasy Over Dearborn." From 9 p.m. until midnight Monday, Kyle McHugh is turning his Drinks Over Dearborn boutique liquor store and salon (650 N. Dearborn, 312-337-9463) into a speakeasy, complete with password entry. If you don't know the password, you don't get in.

When we heard about this we initially thought that it was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the resistance posed by McHugh's neighbors when they heard that a liquor store was opening up in River North. Instead, McHugh relished the opportunity to throw a unique event; proceeds from Word Cocktail Week events support the Museum of the American Cocktail. After e-mailing fellow mixologists for participation didn't pan out, McHugh came upon the speakeasy idea. "I thought, what better way to celebrate World Cocktail Week in Chicago than (utilize) some of our best influences to cocktails, most of which grew up around our unique Prohibition character? Plus, we're ideally situated to do a speakeasy, as we have poor signage and have to be buzzed in for access to a business office building where you'd never expect booze."

McHugh and the DOD staff are going all out for this, including dressing in Prohibiton-era garb. "We've got live blues, a 'blackjack' table in our classroom, an Absinthe Room in the Rare & Luxurious room in the back like an old opium den, a 'cigarette girl' working the crowd, and Plymouth Gin South Siders, Absolut 100 Bloody Marys, and one other Chicago-inspired cocktail for guests." At midnight, the fun ends and guests will be escorted out, with the coppers none the wiser. Folks interested in attending Speakeasy Over Dearborn should know that Mchugh is giving away passes to the event on the DOD website, and Drinks Over Dearborn's Facebook page and Twitter feeds, so there are still some chances available, including this evening between 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Drinks Over Dearborn.

Photo credit: Nathan Mandell