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A white metal cup filled with apple cider.
Cider on offer from Parson’s Chicken & Fish
Clayton Hauck

11 Hot Cider Drinks to Try in Chicago Now

Where to drink hot cider in Chicago, both with and without booze

by Kat Odell Updated
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Cider on offer from Parson’s Chicken & Fish
| Clayton Hauck
by Kat Odell Updated

As the weather outside grows frightful, why not warm up with a hot mug of spiced cider? Boozy or not, a plethora of Chicago-area restaurants and bars are getting in on the fall-flavored fun with creative riffs on apple drinks. From classic to contemporary, spiked with Japanese Cognac or Mexican rum, check out the below list for 11 of the Windy City’s most satisfying hot apple cider drinks, freshly updated for fall 2019.

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Gadabout

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Andersonville’s newbie, globally-inspired Gadabout is celebrating cider, too. Barman Brian Hartman is responsible for “Thor’s lullaby” ($12), which blends spiced rum, apple cider, star anise, coriander, and cinnamon. The hot dram is crowned with boozy hazelnut apple whipped cream, agave-date nectar drizzle, and allspice.

5212 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 944-0429
(773) 944-0429
A clear glass with a handle filled with apple cider, topped with whipped cream.
Gadabout’s spiced cider
Gadabout [Official Photo]

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Fat Cat Restaurant & Bar

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Uptown drinking den Fat Cat is offering both boozy and N/A hot apple cider. The boozy ($9) version calls for apple cider, along with cinnamon, candied ginger, clove, orange zest, star anise, pink peppercorns, and Hell-Cat Maggie whiskey. While the drink has been a hit for the last five years, new for 2019 is the “cider sidecar” ($12). Think Cognac aged in oak barrels, orange cream, mulled cider, served up with a lemon peel and kirsch-soaked cherry.

4840 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 506-3100
(773) 506-3100

Band of Bohemia

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Ravenswood’s Michelin-starred gastropub Band of Bohemia is pressing apple cider in house for its “morning warmer” ($10) cocktail. The restaurant’s head of coffee and tea, Tom Santelle, is behind the drink, which involves Cognac, PX sherry, smoked apple juice, spiced syrup, and a double espresso shot. The hot beverage is then finished with an orange peel and cinnamon stick.

4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 271-4710
(773) 271-4710
A white tea cup filled with apple cider sitting on a brown trunk.
Band of Bohemia’s Morning Warmer
Band of Bohemia [Official Photo]

Also featured in:

Intelligentsia Coffee Broadway Coffeebar

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Chicago-area Intelligentsia coffee bars are getting into cider, using juice specifically sourced from Michigan orchard Seedling Fruit, which grows about 20 different kinds of apples. Intelligentsia locations will serve Seedling’s classic cider blend for $3.50, $4.50, and $5.50 per 8, 12, and 16-ounce cup, respectively.

3123 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 348-8058
(773) 348-8058
Intelligentsia’s Seedling Cider
Intelligentsia [Official Photo]

Parson's Chicken & Fish

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The hot cider on offer at Parson’s Chicken & Fish (both locations) can be boozy, or not ($9). Beverage director Charlie Schott created a mulled cider a few years ago, and it includes cinnamon, clove, allspice, star anise and oranges. Spike it with bourbon, brandy, rum, or Żubrówka bison grass vodka.

2952 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 384-3333
(773) 384-3333
A white metal cup filled with apple cider.
Cider on offer at Parson’s Chicken & Fish
Clayton Hauck

Also featured in:

Cafe Robey

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Both the Lounge and Cafe Robey within the Wicker Park hotel of the same name are serving a hot cider cocktail. Bartender Vanessa Beaderstadt created “It’s a Wonderful Life” ($13), named after the 1946 American Christmas film. Her drink calls for Seedling Farms apple cider (infused with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cardamom), bourbon, allspice dram, honey, lemon, and black walnut bitters, topped with maple whipped cream.

1616 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(872) 315-3084
(872) 315-3084
A tall, clear glass with a brown drink, topped with whipped cream.
The Robey’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”
The Robey [Official Photo}

Also featured in:

Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods

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Wicker Park’s New Orleans-style restaurant and bar Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods is going for a caramelized apple take on cider. The eatery’s hot “Tchoupitoulas cider” ($12) is made with Journeyman Distillery “O.G.C.” Old Country Goodness apple cider whiskey, apple cider liqueur, and it’s topped with whipped cream, caramel, and freshly grated cinnamon.

1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 360-8320
(773) 360-8320
A Mason jar filled with cider, topped with whipped cream, sitting beside a bottle of apple cider.
Ina Mae Tavern’s Tchoupitoulas Cider
Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods [Official Photo]

Also featured in:

Petit Margeaux

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Chef Micheal Mina’s French cafe Petit Margeaux in the Waldorf Astoria Downtown is offering non-alcoholic cider ($5) with juice hailing from Mick Klug Farms in Michigan. The cider is spiced with a mix of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and — for those keen to kick it up a notch — a shot of bourbon or Cognac for $5 extra.

11 E Walton St, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 625-1324
(312) 625-1324
Petit Margeaux’s cider offering
Petit Margeaux [Official Photo]

Also featured in:

Travelle at The Langham, Chicago

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Travelle, the new American eatery within the Langham hotel in River North, is celebrating cider season with “grandma’s apple pie” ($15). New to the menu, this autumnal martini riff calls for apple-infused vodka, marshmallow syrup, and lemon juice, and it’s finished with torched marshmallow.

330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 923-7705
(312) 923-7705
A Nick & Nora glass filled with a brown-yellow cocktail.
Travelle’s Grandma’s Apple Pie cocktail.
Travelle at The Langham [Official Photo]

The Ruin Daily

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All-day eatery and coffeehouse the Ruin Daily in the Loop is going the no-booze route. Drop in for “Koji Demaro’s chaider” ($5), which hit the menu earlier this month. Think chai tea plus cider, made from chai concentrate and apple cider steamed together, and topped with fresh cinnamon shavings.

328 S Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 929-2707
(312) 929-2707
A white coffee cup filed with apple cider.
The Ruin Daily’s Chaider drink
The Ruin Daily [Official Photo]

La Luna

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Chic Mexican eatery La Luna in Pilsen is spiking its spiced cider cocktail “la manzana” ($12), but not with the usual agave-based spirit. Instead, the drink calls for Mexican rum, along with apple spice, lime, house bitters, and a dehydrated apple as garnish.

1726 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 248-8940
(312) 248-8940
A coupe glass filled with a yellow cocktail.
La Luna’s La Manzana cocktail
La Luna [Official Photo]

Also featured in:

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Gadabout

5212 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640

Andersonville’s newbie, globally-inspired Gadabout is celebrating cider, too. Barman Brian Hartman is responsible for “Thor’s lullaby” ($12), which blends spiced rum, apple cider, star anise, coriander, and cinnamon. The hot dram is crowned with boozy hazelnut apple whipped cream, agave-date nectar drizzle, and allspice.

5212 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 944-0429
(773) 944-0429
A clear glass with a handle filled with apple cider, topped with whipped cream.
Gadabout’s spiced cider
Gadabout [Official Photo]

Fat Cat Restaurant & Bar

4840 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60613

Uptown drinking den Fat Cat is offering both boozy and N/A hot apple cider. The boozy ($9) version calls for apple cider, along with cinnamon, candied ginger, clove, orange zest, star anise, pink peppercorns, and Hell-Cat Maggie whiskey. While the drink has been a hit for the last five years, new for 2019 is the “cider sidecar” ($12). Think Cognac aged in oak barrels, orange cream, mulled cider, served up with a lemon peel and kirsch-soaked cherry.

4840 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 506-3100
(773) 506-3100

Band of Bohemia

4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Ravenswood’s Michelin-starred gastropub Band of Bohemia is pressing apple cider in house for its “morning warmer” ($10) cocktail. The restaurant’s head of coffee and tea, Tom Santelle, is behind the drink, which involves Cognac, PX sherry, smoked apple juice, spiced syrup, and a double espresso shot. The hot beverage is then finished with an orange peel and cinnamon stick.

4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 271-4710
(773) 271-4710
A white tea cup filled with apple cider sitting on a brown trunk.
Band of Bohemia’s Morning Warmer
Band of Bohemia [Official Photo]

Intelligentsia Coffee Broadway Coffeebar

3123 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

Chicago-area Intelligentsia coffee bars are getting into cider, using juice specifically sourced from Michigan orchard Seedling Fruit, which grows about 20 different kinds of apples. Intelligentsia locations will serve Seedling’s classic cider blend for $3.50, $4.50, and $5.50 per 8, 12, and 16-ounce cup, respectively.

3123 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 348-8058
(773) 348-8058
Intelligentsia’s Seedling Cider
Intelligentsia [Official Photo]

Parson's Chicken & Fish

2952 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

The hot cider on offer at Parson’s Chicken & Fish (both locations) can be boozy, or not ($9). Beverage director Charlie Schott created a mulled cider a few years ago, and it includes cinnamon, clove, allspice, star anise and oranges. Spike it with bourbon, brandy, rum, or Żubrówka bison grass vodka.

2952 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 384-3333
(773) 384-3333
A white metal cup filled with apple cider.
Cider on offer at Parson’s Chicken & Fish
Clayton Hauck

Cafe Robey

1616 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Both the Lounge and Cafe Robey within the Wicker Park hotel of the same name are serving a hot cider cocktail. Bartender Vanessa Beaderstadt created “It’s a Wonderful Life” ($13), named after the 1946 American Christmas film. Her drink calls for Seedling Farms apple cider (infused with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cardamom), bourbon, allspice dram, honey, lemon, and black walnut bitters, topped with maple whipped cream.

1616 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(872) 315-3084
(872) 315-3084
A tall, clear glass with a brown drink, topped with whipped cream.
The Robey’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”
The Robey [Official Photo}

Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods

1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622

Wicker Park’s New Orleans-style restaurant and bar Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods is going for a caramelized apple take on cider. The eatery’s hot “Tchoupitoulas cider” ($12) is made with Journeyman Distillery “O.G.C.” Old Country Goodness apple cider whiskey, apple cider liqueur, and it’s topped with whipped cream, caramel, and freshly grated cinnamon.

1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 360-8320
(773) 360-8320
A Mason jar filled with cider, topped with whipped cream, sitting beside a bottle of apple cider.
Ina Mae Tavern’s Tchoupitoulas Cider
Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods [Official Photo]

Petit Margeaux

11 E Walton St, Chicago, IL 60611

Chef Micheal Mina’s French cafe Petit Margeaux in the Waldorf Astoria Downtown is offering non-alcoholic cider ($5) with juice hailing from Mick Klug Farms in Michigan. The cider is spiced with a mix of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and — for those keen to kick it up a notch — a shot of bourbon or Cognac for $5 extra.

11 E Walton St, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 625-1324
(312) 625-1324
Petit Margeaux’s cider offering
Petit Margeaux [Official Photo]

Travelle at The Langham, Chicago

330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Travelle, the new American eatery within the Langham hotel in River North, is celebrating cider season with “grandma’s apple pie” ($15). New to the menu, this autumnal martini riff calls for apple-infused vodka, marshmallow syrup, and lemon juice, and it’s finished with torched marshmallow.

330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 923-7705
(312) 923-7705
A Nick & Nora glass filled with a brown-yellow cocktail.
Travelle’s Grandma’s Apple Pie cocktail.
Travelle at The Langham [Official Photo]

The Ruin Daily

328 S Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661

All-day eatery and coffeehouse the Ruin Daily in the Loop is going the no-booze route. Drop in for “Koji Demaro’s chaider” ($5), which hit the menu earlier this month. Think chai tea plus cider, made from chai concentrate and apple cider steamed together, and topped with fresh cinnamon shavings.

328 S Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 929-2707
(312) 929-2707
A white coffee cup filed with apple cider.
The Ruin Daily’s Chaider drink
The Ruin Daily [Official Photo]

La Luna

1726 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608

Chic Mexican eatery La Luna in Pilsen is spiking its spiced cider cocktail “la manzana” ($12), but not with the usual agave-based spirit. Instead, the drink calls for Mexican rum, along with apple spice, lime, house bitters, and a dehydrated apple as garnish.

1726 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 248-8940
(312) 248-8940
A coupe glass filled with a yellow cocktail.
La Luna’s La Manzana cocktail
La Luna [Official Photo]

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