Shake it Up

Chicago is making its mark as a world-class cocktail capital.

BY ROD O’CONNOR

Chicago’s signature steak houses have always been known for their massive 16-ounce martinis, but today the city is garnering attention for a host of 5.5-ounce cocktails made with the precision of a lab technician.

These less-voluminous libations can be found at The Violet Hour (www.theviolethour.com; 773-252-1500), named one of the most exciting new bars in the country by Condé Nast Traveler. This classy beverage emporium is dressed up like a 21st-century speakeasy—complete with an unmarked door. While the drinks may be smaller than some locals are used to, the impeccable pedigree and amazing flavors have helped make this Wicker Park spot a leading player in a Windy City cocktail renaissance.

While some debate the use of monikers like “mixologist” or “bar chef” (certain parties find both terms a tad pretentious) when describing this national movement—which was ignited 20 years ago by classic cocktail pioneer Dale DeGroff at New York’s Rainbow Room—there’s little doubt that Chicago’s adventurous culinary world now has a drinking scene to match. The goal at these new havens of mixology: introduce customers to the exquisite beauty of the perfectly poured drink. But what exactly is a mixologist?

“A mixologist is an artist who creates cocktails,” says Bridget Albert, chairwoman of the Illinois chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, explaining the distinction. “It’s a little diff erent from just bartending. Rather than going by someone else’s menu, you’re creating something from scratch.”

“To me, it involves a deeper understanding of ingredients, of balance and of how flavors work,” adds Tim Lacey, former mixologist of Chicago’s Spring Restaurant Group. “And it also involves a certain level of creativity. Anyone can come up with a key lime martini. I want to see something original—taking a classic and doing something truly different with it.”

The Violet Hour’s “chief intoxologist” Toby Maloney riff s on classic cocktails with an attention to detail that rivals that of any chef. A former protégé of Sasha Petraske of New York’s Milk & Honey (a beacon in the modern mixology movement since 2000), Maloney’s drink menu focuses on old-school spirits like gin, rye and brandy—complex, dry platforms that allow for subtle layers of flavor.

Most of his cocktails contain but a few impeccably chosen ingredients, and many menu standbys are in a constant state of evolution. For example, a drink called the Southside was born last year as a simple summer elixir (gin, lime, mint and a dash of bitters), but Maloney added a dose of ginger syrup to give it new life for the winter months.

Even the ice is taken incredibly seriously. All cubes are double-filtered, frozen to between 10 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and hand-hewn. “Ice is to a bartender as a stove is to a chef,” Maloney says. “What you want is ice that’s very cold, with a lot of surface area, to get the proper amount of water content and chilling.”

Another hallmark of a sophisticated mixologist is the skillful use of bitters, and The Violet Hour has close to 10 housemade varieties in its arsenal. “I consider bitters to be the seasoning, the salt and pepper of the cocktail,” Maloney says. “A dash of bitters will help accentuate all the diff erent ingredients and also bring them together. But a little goes a long way… we have ours in droppers because they’re so powerful.”

Directions:

Shake all ingredients without ice to aerate. Add ice. Shake long and hard. Strain into an empty glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and bitters.

Seasonal ingredients are a key facet of any cocktail program worth its Boston shaker, and perhaps no other restaurant in Chicago best showcases fresh fruit and herbs like Green Zebra(www.greenzebrachicago.com; 312-243-7100). At this progressive, almost entirely vegetarian restaurant from James Beard Award-winner Shawn McClain, mixologist Lacey utilized premium liquors infused with farm-fresh ingredients including basil, cranberry and sage for a delicious effect.

Lacey, who worked the bar at the legendary (but now closed) four-star restaurant Trio in suburban Evanston, says his exposure to acclaimed chefs helped shape his cocktail philosophy. “The service bar was back in the kitchen, so I started realizing, ‘Hey, they’ve got ingredients I could conceivably use,’” he says.

The hardworking Lacey also matched classically influenced drinks to a meat-focused menu at McClain’s Custom House (www.customhouse.cc; 312-523-0200) and came up with Asian-inspired libations for the chef’s original restaurant, Spring (www.springrestaurant.net; 773-395-7100). But Lacey’s creativity might shine brightest in his inventive nonalcoholic selections. His housemade sodas such as pink peppercorn-thyme, rose water and other sparkling drinks are still available at Green Zebra.

But ask any mixologist in Chicago where they go to drink, and chances are they’ll point you in the direction of Adam Seger and the Latin restaurant/nightclub Nacional 27 (www.nacional27.net; 312-664-2727). Time Out Chicago’s readers’ choice for best mixologist, Seger spent time as general manager at Chicago’s four-star TRU restaurant and participated in the famed training program at Th omas Keller’s French Laundry in Napa Valley.

As beverage director at Nacional 27, Seger draws on his culinary background when creating new liqueurs and condiments, from salsas that serve as the base for sangrias to sorbets that chill mojitos. And his El Corazón, made with Corzo Silver Tequila, passion fruit and pomegranate juices, served in a Tellicherry peppercornrimmed glass, was named one of the city’s best cocktails by the Chicago Sun-Times.

If Seger is Chicago’s elder statesman of mixology, its burgeoning superstar is Peter Vestinos of the hip restaurant Sepia (www.sepiachicago.com; 312-441-1920). Winner of last fall’s “Chicago Iron Bartender” competition (beating contenders Lacey and Seger), Vestinos is just as reverential to pre-Prohibition cocktails as the guys from The Violet Hour, which makes him the perfect fit for this West Loop restaurant housed in a refurbished 1890 print shop.

Standouts from his libation list include the strawberry old fashioned, featuring strawberry-and-peppercorn-infused bourbon and star anise bitters, and a Pimm’s cup with cucumber-lime ice cubes.

With so much happening in the city’s cocktail scene, the only question may be where to go. Indeed, if you’re a lover of handcraft ed cocktails, or finally looking to graduate from Red Bull and vodka, there’s never been a better time to belly up to the bar in Chicago.

BEHIND BARS

The tools of the trade are crucial to creating a great cocktail. According to Bridget Albert, chairwoman of the Illinois Chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, a fully stocked home bar should contain the following items: TOOLS Boston shaker • Strainer • Muddler • Citrus press • Sharp knife set • Picks SPIRITS Vodka • Rum • Tequila • Brandy • Cognac • Whiskey • Bourbon • Triple Sec • Flavored liqueurs MIXERS Orange juice • Fresh lemon juice • Simple syrup • Fresh cranberry juice • Fresh pineapple juice • Fresh grapefruit juice • Lemonade • Sprite • Coca-Cola • Tonic • Soda water • Ginger ale GARNISHES Seasonal fruit • Olives

MAKE ME CHI-TOWN FLIP

The Violet Hour’s “chief intoxologist” Toby Maloney reinvents a Prohibition-era cocktail.

Ingredients:

2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
3/4 oz tawny port
1 oz sugared heavy cream
3/4 oz Licor 43
1/4 oz simple syrup 1 whole egg

Grated nutmeg and three drops of Fee Brothers Old Fashion Bitters for garnish