Taking a crawl of the best Chicago cocktail bars would take several days and would involve even more stops. Accordingly, the better plan is to pick a couple cocktail bars to visit during your trip. But which couple?
One option is to visit James Beard winners like The Aviary and The Violet Hour – both bars are cocktail royalty. The Aviary, part of the Alinea group, provides a full sensory experience. The Violet Hour, hidden in plain sight, is where the Paper Plane cocktail was invented.
Another option is to drink at the Milk Room, a historic speakeasy inside the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel or at the Berkshire Room in the lobby of The Acme right near Eataly (see above). You could hypothetically stay at one of these hotels, which is what we did, simplifying the commute home after a night at the bar.
Where to Drink Cocktails in Chicago
After, Aviary, Bar Sotano, Berkshire Room, Billy Sunday, Bokeh, Broken Shaker, The California Clipper, Celeste, Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar, The Drifter, Heavy Feather, Kumiko, Lazy Bird, The Matchbox, Milk Room, Moneygun, Moonflower, Mother’s Ruin, Nobody’s Darling, The Office, Ørkenoy, Osito’s Tap, Outside Voices, Scofflaw, The Sixth, The Sportsman’s Club, Three Dots & a Dash, Violet Hour, Vol. 39 and The Whistler
