Chicago Will Abide With a ‘Big Lebowski’ Pop-Up Bar This Week

In a sea of Christmas bar pop-ups across the city, one West Town bar is going against the grain to celebrate a movie that has nothing to do with the holiday. Starting on Friday, the Rookery will host a pop-up celebrating The Big Lebowski, the 1998 cult-favorite film that starred actor Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski — an aloof Californian who loved to drink White Russians. The limited-time event “The Dude’s Abode: The Big Lebowski Pop-Up” will a feature a trio of White Russians inspired by the movie. The Dude jokingly called them “Caucasians.”

The pop-up takes place on the second-floor landing at the Rookery, which previously hosted a Fleetwood Mac pop-up. The bar’s owners wanted to shake things up, as holiday pop-ups this year have been heavily marketed. The only thing that could connect the movie to Christmas is Jesus — Jesus Quintana. That’s the name of a movie character played by John Turturro.

The Dude’s Abode: The Big Lebowski Pop-Up [Official Photo]

The Dude’s Abode: The Big Lebowski Pop-Up [Official Photo]

The movie inspired the drinks’ names. There are three White Russians: “The Dude” (Smirnoff vodka, Kahlúa, Cream), “The Big Lebowski” (Evan Williams bourbon, maple, Benedictine, cream, coffee bitters), and the Little Lebowski (Fugu horchata vodka, Kahlúa, lemon, cream, egg white, chocolate cereal, chocolate bitters, soda water, burnt marshmallow).

Check out the pop-up’s other drinks below. The pop-up will last from Friday through mid-February on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

• Shut The F*ck Up, Donny: Three Sheets barrel-aged rum, curaçao, falernum, Peychaud’s bitters, Angostura bitters, Folgers instant coffee
• Bunny’s Toe: peach brandy, Champagne, Peychaud’s bitters, gummy toe
• The Nihilist: black sesame/honey syrup, Gosling’s black strap rum, CH amargo de chile
• Nobody F*cks With The Jesus: aguardiente, Blanc vermouth, creme de violette, amaro Meletti, orange bitters, butterfly pea flower extract
• World of Pain: malört, aperol, Beefeater gin, orange juice, Angostura bitters