A Trip Down Memory Lane
Did you know that Chicago is filled with restaurants and bars chock full of cocktail nostalgia, from Tang mimosas to homages to Orange Julius? Here’s where to remember the good ol’ days.
Americana is the name of the game at Lakeview’s Spritz Burger, where the Hearty Boys Steve McDonagh and Dan Smith work alongside pastry extraordinaire Gale Gand to curate a menu lush with childhood-inspired lore. Case in point the Tang Mimosa, a brunch staple that recalls youthful days of lunchbox beverages. The mimosa utilizes Tang cubes a la sugar cubes used in bubbly in Italy, which in this case lends a splash of tart sweetness to the fizzy libation. Not to mention an ample dosage of kiddie recollections.
Ice cream floats are the pinnacle of pre-teen dessert drinks. Depending on your parents and how strict they were, it sometimes doubled as a reasonable pre-dinner beverage when out at a restaurant. At Boiler Room, you can have your float as a cocktail and no one is going to tell you no. The Cream Stache cocktail features Finch’s Cream Stache stout dolloped with a float of Jameson soft-serve ice cream. So a bit different than the floats you probably enjoyed at the friendly neighborhood family restaurant.
Kiddie cereal gets a kick at Headquarters Beercade, where the Cereal Killer is an apt trip down memory lane alongside the bar’s array of old-school arcade games. Said cocktail features house-infused Old Overholt rye whiskey and Cinnamon Toast Crunch with walnut bitters.
Horchata isn’t exactly the personification of childhood memories for everyone, but Alex Renshaw at Drumbar is kind enough to share his pastime with us all, and the sentiment is sweet. The spiked horchata slushie at Drumbar is an ode to the Mexican grocery stores of Renshaw’s youth, where he would maximize his horchata intake on the regular. His version is a bit of an update on the bodega template, featuring cream, rice water, housemade cinnamon syrup, and orgeat.
Remember those blessed days lingering in mall food courts, fueled by Orange Julius? Well half of those wistful memories can be re-experienced in the form of 25 Degrees’ Orange Whipped drink/dessert. A nod to the Orange Julius comforts of yore, the adult float contains Orange Crush, Grand Marnier, vanilla bean ice cream, and whipped cream, a nifty upgrade from the food court norm. And you don’t have to rush back to class.
Spritz Burger
3819 N. Broadway, Chicago
(773) 868-9866
Website
Boiler Room
2210 N. California Avenue, Chicago
(773) 276-5625
Website
Headquarters Beercade
2833 N. Sheffield Avenue, Chicago
(773) 665-5660
Website
Drumbar
201 E. Delaware Place, Chicago
(312) 933-4805
Website
25 Degrees
736 N. Clark Street, Chicago
(312) 943-9700
Website
