YELP bought together 15 of Chicago’s favorites bars and challenged them to create a unique and simple cocktail for their Cocktail of Chicago competition. Attendees were greeted by enthusiastic drink masters who showcased their cocktails and shared the inspiration behind their drinks.
After sampling each of the cocktails, attendees then voted for their favorite.
There were several clear standouts of the night.
Cocktail by Son of a Butchers
After the tallies were in, The Get Down from The Walk Inn Bar was named Chicago’s Cocktail of the year.
As the winning drink, the Get Down will be carried at ALL of the participating bars for the next year! So if you don’t make it to The Walk Inn, you can order this drink at any of the bars listed as competitors. Scroll down to the bottom for the complete list of competing bars serving the Get Down.
The competition was held at the beautiful Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall, a 2,522 concert venue that dates back to 1904; a stunning space! The Orchestra Hall was designed by renowned Chicago architect Daniel Burnham.
Competitors and vendors were spread out throughout the first and second floors of the space making for easy navigation. There was a nice mix of vendors at the event, in the midst of all the sampling I got to enjoy a chair massage.
A-Z Music provided the DJ for the night. He was so fun and energetic. In addition, his song selection had me grooving! I’d recommend hiring him for an event!
Our first drink of the night was actually The Get Down at the Walk Inn Display station. It came as no surprise that this drink was declared the winner. I wanted to vote as soon as I tried it even though I had 14 additional stations to visit! This cocktail consisting of pineapple rum, Drambuie, lime, pineapple, and bitters blew my friend Robea and I away!
The Walk Inn is located at 2727 N. Milwaukee Ave in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. Their goal is to create elevated cocktails in an approachable way. They never want to be seen as pretentious bartenders in this spot. They use super high ingredients and make fresh juices in-house for their cocktails. They have a Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 5-8 pm during which guests can get $5 cocktails and $3 draft beers. They offer a limited menu so you can get food delivered to the bar. They have a very relaxed and friendly vibe and I can’t wait to visit the bar.
Le Bar: French Boulevardier No. 6
I had a few other standouts from the night. Like Le Bar’s French Boulevardier No. 6: Delord Napoleon Bas Armagnac, Grand Marnier, Carpano Antica, Amaretto, and an assortment of bitters and garnished with a foie gras stuffed cherry, fresh apricot, and dried mandarin orange. That garnish bite was INCREDIBLE! I imagined myself sipping this after dinner drink in front of my fireplace.
Le Bar’s French Boulevardier No. 6
My third standout was Throwing Shade from Brando’s Speakeasy! It was amazing. It’s a combination of coconut cream, lime juice, vodka, and hpnotiq. The creator Freddie was going for refreshing and playful; he nailed it! It’s easily something that you could make at home. It was my final sip of the evening and the drink that I voted for. It was close between Throwing Shade and The Get Down; I was happy with either winning. Both cocktails were outstanding!
Throwing Shade came in second place overall.
Brandos Speakeasy, located at 343 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, has a 5-7 happy hour 7 days a week and has been named one of Chicago’s top Karaoke Bars. I’m also looking forward to checking this spot out in the near future. Good cocktails and karaoke are a recipe for fun!
Yelp put on a fantastic event, and I’m looking forward to their next one.
Are you a Yelper? Make sure that you sign up so that you don’t miss out on their fantastic FREE events. To join, you can either download the app to your smartphone or join from your computer. Make sure that you check the YELP events for your particular city.
Here’s a link to the Chicago YELP events page: https://www.yelp.com/events/chicago
Hope to see you at the next event!
Tell me, which Cocktail would get your vote?
THE COCKTAIL COMPETITORS INCLUDED:
Son of a Butcher by Whisk: Malort, blueberry puree, citrus, agave, mezcal
The Walk-In: The Get Down- pineapple rum, Drambuie, lime, pineapple, and bitters
The Bar & Table at CH Distillery: Pretty Thoughts-CH Vodka, CH Dogma Rubin, Elderflower Cordial, Orange, topped with soda
Baptiste & Bottle: The White Walkers-Belvedere Vodka, ?, Hot Coffee, Peppermint, and whipped cream
Brando’s Speakeasy: Throwing Shade: Absolut Elyx Vodka, Hpnotiq, Coco Looez, Lime Juice
Broken Shaker: I Would Die For You-Beefeater Gin, Clement Canne, Bleue Rhum Frappe, Blackberry, Tempus Fugit Violette, Absinthe, Coconut, fresh citrus
Freehand Chicago:
Joy District: Whisky Maple Cider- Apple Cider, Crown Royal Regal Appel, Fresh Lemon, Maple Syrup, garnished with an apple cider donut
Larry’s: Guava Fresca: Tequila, guava, yerbamate (an Argentinian tea)
Le Bar: French Boulevardier No. 6-Delord Napoleon Bas Armagnac, Grand Marnier, Carpano Antica, Amaretto, Angostura Bitters, Angostura Orange Bitters, Egg White, Simple Syrup, Crushed Almonds
Nacional 27: Beethovens Supper-Ford’s Gin, Lemon Juice, Thyme Syrup, Cheese Infused Wine Syrup, Aquafaba
Primehouse: Middle of Nowhere-Old Overhold Rye, Carpano Antica, Cynar, Mike’s Hot Honey Syrup
Polk Street Pub: Chicago Breeze: Jameson, Yulupa Champagne, elderflower liquor, orange juice
Remedy: Alternative Facts-Aperol El buho Mezcal, Yellow Chatruese, Lime Juice
Roanoke Restaurant: Lush #135-Tea Drip Infused Tito’s Apple Syrup Reduction, Angostura, Lemon Expresss.