Tapping In
Remember when draft handles were reserved for beer? Forget those days. The past few years have seen a tidal wave of taps filled with a whole slew of new spirits and libations, from Fernet and Malort to composed cocktails and even nourishing nut milks.
Cocktails on tap are hotter than doughnut fryer oil these days, featured everywhere from River North newcomer Henry’s Swing Club to Logan Square dance hub Slippery Slope. The latest entrant to the bottled cocktail bandwagon is III Forks Prime Steakhouse, which recently added five new cocktails to their tap program. Courtesy of mixologist Melissa Pinkerton, the drinks include The Running Man made with Knob Creek bourbon, black raspberry and basil syrup, and lemon; the Rattle Snake featuring Rio Star Pinnacle gin, Aperol, Carpano Bianca, and Stiegl Grapefruit Radler; and the Summer Moonwalk with Cruzan Single Barrel rum, Creme de Yvette, passion fruit, and orgeat.
Singular spirits on tap make it mighty easy to consume shots and/or infuse spirits into other drinks. Scofflaw goes right for the gut featuring Malort on tap, the infamously potent liquor with a knack for eliciting contorted faces from drinkers. Another spirit notorious for the pained reactions is Fernet, which can now handily be consumed at 5411 Empanadas in Wicker Park. The slick new storefront, an offshoot of the Lincoln Park outpost, contains a myriad of Fernet, most of which is available on tap. Chase your Malbec beef empanada with a shot of Fernet and feel the burn.
Chicago’s latest and greatest in juice is OWEN + ALCHEMY, a gourmet juice bar and vegetable-focused eatery in Logan Square from Anne M. Owen and powerhouse restaurant group Element Collective. Not only is the space sleeker than any juice bar in town, but it’s got the goods to back it up, notably a miscellany of wholesome juices, smoothies, and vegetable bowls. Plus, OWEN + ALCHEMY is doling out nut milks on tap. Not just any average nut milk, this stuff is as elegant as the rest of the space, from the toasted Marcona almond nut milk with dates and vanilla to the pistachio nut milk with cashew, kaffir lime, and raw local honey and the raw almond and cashew milk with cold-brewed organic coffee, maca, and vanilla bean.
And since there’s always room for good beer on draft, HUB 51 is honoring that old chestnut with a new “Draft of the Moment” program. In addition to the bar’s seasonal craft beer selection, the draft du jour hones in on a limited edition beer that changes frequently. This includes beers such as Sweet Leif from Local Option, Greenflash West Coast IPA, and Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro.
III Forks Prime Steakhouse
180 N. Field Boulevard, Chicago
(312) 938-4303
Website
Scofflaw
3201 W. Armitage Avenue, Chicago
(773) 252-9700
Website
5411 Empanada
2045 W. North Avenue, Chicago
(773) 755-5411
Website
OWEN + ALCHEMY
2355 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago
(773) 227-3444
Website
HUB 51
51 W. Hubbard Street, Chicago
(312) 828-0051
Website
