Drinking Edited by Elizabeth Atkinson
timeout.com/chicago/bars @elizabethrose14 Hotel hangs
We check into five new hotel bars breaking the corporate, too-expensive mold. By Anthony Settipani
HOTEL BARS CARRY a certain stigma: uninspired, übercorporate settings designed for business-class nightcaps after a long day of traveling. Bland, pedestrian—no thanks. But not all hotel bars are created equal. These new gems at some of the city’s finest lodgings pull out all the stops to present a top-notch experience. Be careful, though. You may find yourself wanting to grab a room by the end of the night.
Up & Up at the Robey Sip an innovative cocktail while enjoying a
breathtaking view of Chicago’s skyline at the rooftop lounge of Wicker Park’s Robey hotel. Try the Coyote, a powerfully smoky blend of Ardbeg Scotch and grapefruit bitters, named after the tower in which the hotel resides. If sweet is more your style, order a Kid Koala or a Sweet Boys Only—the drinks are built around eucalyptus and pineapple, respectively. Be prepared for a wait—the lounge only seats 35 people—but when
you get to the front of the queue, also be prepared to be blown away. à 2018 W North Ave (872-315-3050,
therobey.com)
Vol. 39 at the Kimpton Gray Hotel Shelves of hardbound books take up most
of the interior wall space at this downtown bar, and neatly upholstered chairs and marble tabletops make the room seem at once classic and modern. The drinks follow suit. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club cocktail is as fancy as it sounds: a decadent mix of falernum, orange curaçao and two types of rum. Classic cocktails are given personality: The whiskey sour comes fluffed to cloudlike proportions and sprinkled with an edible glitter called “disco dust.” à 39 S LaSalle St (312-750-9012,
vol39.com)
Bodega at ACME Hotel Drinks are divided into three main
categories at this bartender’s take on a classic “corner store” in River North: fizzy, boozy and frosty. Order a Purple fizzy beverage, a grape-brandy– based cocktail that tastes purple even though it may appear clear. For something stiffer, try the Traveler, which is bourbon-based and arrives— true to its name—in a 200-milliliter glass flask. On warmer evenings, grab a frosty Negroñi Colada (picturefrom the gently swirling machine behind the bar. à 15 E Ohio St (312-894-0800, acmehotel
company.com)
Baptiste & Bottle at the
Vol. 39 at the Kimpton Gray Hotel
39
Conrad Chicago Hotel Sit at the bar or grab a table overlooking Michigan Avenue on the rooftop of this sprawling high-rise hotel standing tall between Rush Street and the Magnificent Mile. Dark spirits are the theme, in case the whiskey-filled cabinets in the entrance didn’t tip you off. The bar is so serious about its whiskey, in fact, that it has its own exclusive series of bourbon, Baptiste, from Ravenswood’s KOVAL Distillery. Ordering either of the premium cocktails on the menu—the Huntsman or A Curtsy and a Bow—will prompt a visit from the mobile bourbon bar complete with theatrics as the bartender tops the drinks with a dry-ice “Tonka fog” or a rooibos tea smoke. à 101 E Erie St (312-667-6793,
baptisteandbottle.com)
March 8–June 6, 2017 Time Out Chicago
PHOTOGRAPHS: JACLYN RIVAS
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