It's a double shot of holiday cheer for Lincoln Square, as Monday's the opening date for Benjamin Schiller's (The Berkshire Room) new neighborhood cocktail bar, The Sixth. That piece of news, along with last weekend's opening of Roots Handmade Pizza next door, means the space at 2200 W. Lawrence Avenue will soon be fully operational. And that includes a special Clineball ice machine that spits out 300-pound blocks of ice for those fancy drinks.
Ownership wants customers to know that one out of every six men used to be involved in the distilling or distribution of bourbon. That's according to "The Social History of Bourbon," a book authored by Gerald Carson, and that's where they got the bar's name. The news release describes the bar as a 50-seat space (14 at the bar) with marble counters and Dutch modern-inspired furniture, including yellow couches and armchairs made of wood and leather.
Hungry patrons will be served Euro-style veal döners, plus duck-fat fries with different dips. There's four beers on tap and 30 more in bottles, and 24 wines. But the cocktails remain the stars at the bar that's stocked with more than 300 spirits. There's 10 house cocktails, including the much-hyped Silly Rabbit, inspired by the fruity Trix breakfast cereal mascot. There's more nostalgia thanks to the Spaceman Spiff, which "Calvin and Hobbes" fans will recognize. Check out the drink descriptions provided by the bar below.
Doris (gin, lemon, flower water, salt)
Named after Schiller's grandmother, who was an avid gardener, the Doris cocktail is gin-forward and crystal clear and served over a custom made ice cube that contains a rose inside the Collins glass. A flower water garnish is applied table-side with an antique perfume sprayer.
Spaceman Spiff (mezcal, grilled pineapple, hazelnut, cedar)
Named after Calvin's alter ego from the "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strip. When drunk, the "saucer" part of the cocktail is removed and a cedar and citrus smoke is released. After the smoke clears, an alien scene from a world Spiff visited is revealed.
Patina (vodka, Aperol, cucumber, grapefruit)
A sweet and sour cocktail with a cucumber finish. Served in an antique coupe glass.
Autumn Into Summer (apple brandy, bourbon, sherry, clove, vanilla)
Fall flavors are presented in the style of a refreshing and cooling summer cocktail served over crushed ice in a modified pilsner glass.
Statler & Waldorf (white rum, amer bigallet, seasonal fruit, mint)
Named after the cantankerous and always-heckling duo from The Muppets, this cocktail has molasses notes from the rum and clean citrus and mint flavors that are complimented by the seasonal fruit. It's a smash format cocktail (Schiller's favorite style) that's served over a large two-inch crystal clear ice cube in a rocks glass.
Saturnus (aquavit, brandy, falernum, ginger)
An aquavit variation of the tiki classic cocktail called the Saturn (Saturnus is Swedish for Saturn). Brandy serves as the bridge between the aquavit, falernum, and ginger. The cocktail is served in a copper pineapple with crushed ice and it is garnished with a Swedish flag and Swedish Fish candy.
Bracer (rye, stone pine, amaro, porter)
Bracer is a nod to "Game of Thrones" and Eddard Stark—it's a strong and straight-forward cocktail with alpine spice notes served in an ox horn mug sans ice.
Weston (wheated bourbon, Dark Matter coffee essence, pipe tobacco)
A strong and stirred Schiller classic served over a large two-inch crystal clear ice cube in a rocks glass.