CH Distillery
564 West Randolph Street
chdistillery.com
It was only a matter of time before the city’s first grain-to-bottle spirits distillery opened its doors to patrons watching to get a glimpse of the distilling process—and sample the end product. Enjoy a range of made-on-site spirits mixed into cocktails.
City Winery
City Winery
1200 West Randolph Street
citywinery.com
DIY wine, live music (recently: Wyclef Jean), comedy shows, French wine tastings or just wining and dining… There isn’t much you can’t do, see—or drink—here.
Greenbush Brewing Co.
5885 Sawyer Road, Sawyer
greenbushbrewing.com
Take a trip out to the nearby town of Sawyer for a bite and a pint at this popular craft brewery and pub. With 12 beers on tap, you can try a sampler flight or just hunker down with a stout or hoppy pale ale.
J. Parker
J. Parker
1816 North Clark Street
jparkerchicago.com
Located 13-stories high atop the Hotel Lincoln, J. Parker offers some of the best views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline in Chicago. The classy lounge (hint: great date spot) has seats both indoors and outdoors, and a small plates menu perfectly complement any of the custom cocktails.
Lagunitas
1843 South Washtenaw Avenue
lagunitas.com
The fresher the beer, the better. With that in mind, Lagunitas founder and Chicago suburbs native Tony Magee just brought his cult California suds to the city with a new 300,000-square-foot brewery and taproom in Douglas Park, providing local craft-beer lovers with crisp, brand-new brews
Reno Wine Bar
Reno Wine Bar
2607 North Milwaukee Avenue
renochicago.com
From the team behind Bluebird, Telegraph and Webster’s Wine Bar comes Reno. Daytime choices include wood-fired bagels and sandwiches like the Pine (chicken thigh, white cheddar, dill pickles); night means pizza and pasta. You’ll also find a well-curated wine and whiskey list—the kind of picks that made Chicagoans drunk with love.
RM Champagne
RM Champagne
116 North Green Street
rmchampagnesalon.com
Romantic and glowing, warm and welcoming, celebratory and sparkly—this bubbly-first nightspot toasts artisanal growers whose champagnes fill the flutes.
The Berkshire Room
15 East Ohio Street
acmehotelcompany.com
Classic cocktails are the focus at the Acme Hotel’s new drinks destination in North River. Barrel-finished Manhattans and Negronis take the spotlight alongside new concoctions like the Nepi (Amaro, honey tea syrup, prosecco)—or try a Dealer’s Choice and let the bartender create a cocktail customized to your specifications.
The Underground
56 West Illinois Street
theundergroundchicago.com
The Underground is one of Chicago’s hottest nightlife venues. After receiving glowing recommendations from both Cosmopolitan and Playboy magazines, it’s clear that men and women alike will love being treated like a VIP at this hotspot.
Three Dots and a Dash
435 North Clark Street
threedotschicago.com
This festive bar takes an artful approach to both modern and traditional tiki cocktails. The décor will make you feel like you’re at a Hawaiian luau, and with the bar’s selection of over 200 kinds of rum, you’re sure to find a flavor you like.
Violet Hour
1520 North Damen Avenue
theviolethour.com
The finest ingredients are made to create custom cocktails at this classy bar, so it’s no surprise that Violet Hour has a drink on the menu featuring a type of liquor that’s increasingly popular in Chicago—malort. What is R. Franklin? The R. Franklin’s Original Recipe Malort uses lemon, honey and mint to offset the bitterness of the malort.
