Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/403159
With a bracing combination of sweet and tart f lavor profiles, the sour cocktail is a taste-bud-tingling addition to menus this season. Three local mixologists share their insight on what to sample and sip. True to its classically clubby space, Drumbar (201 E. Delaware Pl., 312-933-4805; drumbar.com) creates seasonal mash-ups of staple libations such as the daiquiri, gimlet, and South Side. "We're not trying to be cute—we're just trying to make sure it tastes good," says resident mixologist Alex Renshaw, who pours two-dozen sour libations like the Local Option (dry whiskey, amaro, lemon juice, sugar, and apple juice) at the Streeterville rooftop lounge. "A sour-structure cocktail is a great way to introduce yourself [to spirits] and broaden your horizons." Paul McGee of Three Dots and a Dash (435 N. Clark St., 312-610- 4220; threedotschicago.com) also appreciates the creativity offered by sour libations. "They're easier to drink," says the veteran bartender, "because they have the citrus element, [and] you have freedom to do whatever flavors you want." Still, McGee recommends adding a sweet element to balance the tartness: For his signature rum daiquiris, he suggests using a simple syrup with fresh raspberries or peach preserves, adding grapefruit or lime juice for acidity, and finishing with a bit of honey. At Femme du Coupe (777 N. Michigan Ave., 773-916-6070; femmeducoupe.com), Revae Schneider embraces the DIY aspect of sour cocktails as she works one-on-one to help mixologists-in-the-making up their home-entertaining ante. "Simple cocktails utilizing lemon and lime tend to resonate with people without scaring them off," says Schneider, who recommends a trip to Mariano's to have lemons and limes freshly juiced. Schneider herself puckers up with her favorite autumn sour, dubbed Fall's Revenge—a heady mix of Templeton rye whiskey, Le Sirop ginger zest, lemon juice, Campari, blackberries, and a pinch of rosemary. MA Pucker Up This fall, ChiCago mixologisTs foCus on poTions ThaT paCk a refreshingly sour punCh. by chiara milioulis Femme du Coupe's Fall's Revenge cocktail blends Templeton rye whiskey, ginger zest, lemon juice, Campari, blackberries, and rosemary. When it comes to Chicago's foodie scene, "local" and "sustainable" con- tinue to be major buzzwords, with another crop of recently opened concepts eager to embrace the farm-to-table trend this fall. Dubbed the "casual offspring" of Vie and Perennial Virant, Vistro (112 S. Washington St., Hinsdale, 630-537-1459; vistrorestaurant.com) features products from Illinois farmers and artisans like Hinsdale Farmers' Market, Green City Market, and Genesis Growers. "Not only is the taste better, but it helps the small businesses that make the Midwest so special," says chef-owner Paul Virant. Expect to see Virant integrate autumnal produce with spring and summer preserves into dishes such as wood-oven-roasted pork belly with brown-butter squash purée and cranberry aigre-doux. At River North's Bottlefork (441 N. Clark St., 312-955-1900; bottlefork .com), chef Kevin Hickey insists, "I won't buy locally just to buy locally—[I do it] because it's the best quality you can get." Hickey's autumn menu boasts seasonal dishes with squash, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, and persimmons as well as a high-grade duck from Culver Farm in Indiana. Equally dedicated to local vendors is Evanston's Boltwood (804 Davis St., 847-859-2880; boltwoodevanston.com), where chef Brian Huston (for- merly of The Publican) incorporates fresh products from an array of farms—think nuts from Three Sisters Garden, squash from Nichols Farm & Orchard, and peppers from Iron Creek Farm in northern Indiana. "Control of quality and building relationships is what drives us," says co- owner John Kim. "Most of everything that goes onto a plate has a story behind it." MA Great Harvest Three noTable new resTauranTs welCome The freshesT flavors for fall. by chiara milioulis Smoked lamb ribs in tamarind barbecue sauce with yogurt and mint at Bottlefork. photography by rockit ranch productions (bottlefork) TasTe Cuiscene 100 michiganavemag.com