8 Places For Meaty Cocktails in Chicago

by Eater Staff Jul 9, 2014, 8:50am CDT

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by Eater Staff Jul 9, 2014, 8:50am CDT

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When Spanish jamón ibérico first arrived stateside almost six years ago, Adam Seger, then creating cocktails at Nacional 27, embarked on a culinary experiment.

Before then, meat from Spanish hogs were illegal in the U.S. But once lawmakers lifted the restriction, Seger procured a rare jamón leg and submerged it in Spanish brandy, leaving it alone for 72 hours. The results were pleasing to him.

"The brandy literally sucked up the complex, smoky flavor," Seger recalls, gushing about the aroma. "It was almost like an aged flavor from a good cheese."

Seger's experiments led to the creation of the "Ham and Cheese Sidecar," which he mixed with jamón-infused cognac, honey, cinnamon and manchego cheese. Cured meats, bacon especially, allow the liquor to absorb the flavor best, Seger says.

Others have now followed Seger's lead in using meat as a cocktail ingredient, but Seger—who since has founded HUM spirits, and now is a partner at Rare Botanical Bitters Co. and Rare Tea Syrups & Shrubberies—remembers the initial reaction from customers.

"People were just excited by the fact the real, proper jamón was finally in Chicago," he says. "But the cocktail was just another way to experience it. But a lot of them thought we must be nuts."

The ham and cheese cocktail even fascinated vegetarians, Seger adds. "When you get a vegetarian to eat meat through a cocktail, you know you're on to something," he says.

So in celebration of Eater's Five Days of Meat, here are eight Chicago-area watering holes where you can find a meaty cocktail.

—Ashok Selvam
· All The Five Days of Meat Coverage [-ECHI-]

The Southern

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Maple Bacon Manhattan. Using house-infused bacon bourbon, North Country apple-smoked bacon, maple syrup and sweet vermouth, the Southern puts its spin on the old favorite. But that’s not all, the bartenders also will garnish Bloody Mary’s with andouille sausage, says general manager Marc Nichols.

1840 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

(773) 342-1840

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Randolph Tavern

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The Stockyard. Randolph Tavern’s bacon-infused rye opens the door to several possibilities including their Stockyard, a cocktail that combines the aforementioned rye with absinthe rinse, bitters and a sugar cube.

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188 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601

312.683.3280

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Paddy Long's

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Bacon-infused Old Fashioned. Paddy Long’s offers an Old Fashioned made with bacon-infused Bulleit bourbon and exchanging the sugar found in a traditional Old Fashioned with maple syrup. Patrons always have a bevy of bacon options at Paddy’s, including Bloody Mary with a slice of bacon for weekend brunch.

1028 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 290-6988

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Flo

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Bacon Bourbon Bloody Mary. Though some bartenders aren’t keen to swap out a traditional spirit for a meat-fused version on the fly, brunch favorite Flo allows diners order house made bacon bourbon in any of their three Bloody Mary selections.

1434 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

(312) 243-0477

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The Dawson

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Golden Elephant. Vegetarians don’t despair. Plenty of bars use vegetarian ingredients, such as smoked ice in the Negroni at SideDoor, to give drinkers a guiltless fix of meat. Among them is the Dawson, where bartenders use barbecue bitters for the Golden Elephant, a concoction made with white tequila, mescal, lemon, mango and bitters. The barbecue bitters come from Sante Fe, NM-based The Bitter End and are made with orange peel, coffee beans, pepper, allspice, thyme, cumin, bay leaf, mustard seed and oregano.

732 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60654

(312) 243-8955

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Headquarters Beercade

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Bloody Mary with White Castle garnish. Using meats — such as a bacon or ham — as part of a Bloody Mary garnish isn’t anything novel. But the folks at Headquarters Beercade in Lakeview take it to the next level by dressing their Bloodies with White Castle sliders upon request.

2833 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

(773) 665-5660

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Barbakoa

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Smokey Joe. Seger touted the Smokey Joe, a tequila-based beverage featuring smoked chorizo, caramelized pineapple and sweet peppers.

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1341 Butterfield Rd, Downers Grove, IL 60515

630.852.2333

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Twisted Spoke

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Bloody Queen and Bloody Franco. Over at the Twisted Spoke, it’s almost impossible to find a Bloody Mary without meat. The Spoke’s menu includes the Bloody Queen with lime-infused gin and a garnish featuring shrimp, green onions and the traditional celery. Meanwhile the Bloody Franco mixes in sherry made with chorizo along with green onions and a cherry peppers as garnish.

501 N Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

(312) 666-1500

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