Wicker Park's Dixie Is Serving Complex, Southern-Inspired Cocktails
By Anthony Todd in Food on Jul 20, 2016 2:37PM
The interior of Dixie/1952 1/2. Photo by Neil Burger.
We're pretty excited about Dixie, the new modern southern restaurant in Wicker Park from Chef Charlie McKenna. It opened Tuesday, it's got a gorgeous design and it took over the old Takashi space.
But we hadn't heard much about the cocktail program, at least until now. Toss out any preconceived notions you might have about boring "southern" style cocktails featuring nothing but bourbon and mint; these complex drinks are pushing the envelope.
Dixie's cocktail program is helmed by bar vets Jorge Saldarriaga and Dylan Melvin. Melvin did stints at Yusho, Pipeworks Brewing Company and Belly Q, while Saldarriaga spent time at Little Goat Diner and Lillie's Q. The concept is actually split in half; the restaurant is Dixie, while the bar is called 1952 1⁄2. All the cocktails will be available in the dining room, but the bar will be open until 2 a.m., providing the neighborhood with a new late-night, yet civilized, bar experience.
The sarsparilla old fashioned. Photo by Neil Burger.
While the cocktails pair with Dixie's modern southern cuisine, they aren't "southern-style" per se.
"There's nothing you can come in and say this cocktail is a 'steadfast true southern cocktail,'" Melvin told Chicagoist, "but we used cultural influences to build our own recipes reminiscent of southern cuisine."
They've also added some historical twists to the menu, which cocktail geeks will appreciate. One drink is called the William Houston, named after a renowned 18th century Georgia botanist who was sent to Madeira to attempt to gather grape plants for planting in the new world.
"It didn’t work out, but what he did bring back was a lot of Madeira wine, and it was a huge, popular hit in the American South," Melvin said. His namesake drink combines aged rum (another classic 18th century spirit), madeira, lemon, green tea and bitters, and "We used his story to build that cocktail."
Other cocktails are inspired by places in the south, like New Orleans. They discovered the recipe for the Suissesse when searching for an absinthe-based cocktail that was actually well-balanced. It's a mix of cream, absinthe and a homemade malt syrup.
"Having that fat from the cream cuts down some of the abrasiveness of the absinthe," Melvin said.
Saldarriaga and Melvin were careful to expand the definition of southern drinks beyond the stereotypical mint juleps, and include the wide variety of spirits that have been popular in the south.
"Obviously bourbon is important, but we saw a lot of gin, sherry, fortified wines and others throughout our research," said Saldarriaga. Their version of the julep includes port, amaro and fernet. "Juleps go far beyond the Kentucky mint julep that we know today," said Melvin. "They’re booze forward, and they were a predecessor for the cocktail we have today but without the bitters."
Saldarriaga calls their version of a julep a representation for the restaurant as a whole: "Chef has talked about how [Dixie] is a southern evolution, with a little bit of modern spin." The complete menu is below.
The Suissesse. Photo by Neil Burger.
For whiskey geeks, the vintage portion of the menu will be particularly exciting. They're jumping on the vintage spirits trend, but focusing exclusively on whiskeys. Some of their selections allow guests to taste original recipes of products that might still exist, but not in their authentic form. Take, for example, their 1968 bottling of Old Crow. Melvin explains.
"In the early 1970s, National Distillers had a lot of expansion, they grew the Old Crow distillery considerably, and during that expansion we saw the loss of the original Old Crow recipe and the decline of its popularity. In 1987, the brand was bought by Jim Beam and now it’s just Jim Beam rye with an Old Crow label. This is the coolest look back into history because it’s so different."
In other cases, they serve multiple generations of a single brand, so guests can taste how that brand has evolved. Taste modern Medley bourbon, and then compare it with a bottle from the 1970s, laid down by the grandfather of the current distiller. Prices for these rare quaffs are actually fairly reasonable, with most vintage pours ranging from $15-$50.
Despite the fancy whiskey and complicated drinks, the bartenders don't want to make this an exclusive lounge. "We’re neighborhood guys, and we’re excited to bring this experience to the neighborhood," Saldarriaga said. "We want to make it as comfortable as possible."
Dixie and 1952 1/2 opened Tuesday and are located at 1952 N. Damen.