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/67043
photograph by katrina wittcamp T he Guide the very best of month this devour: patio dining imbibe: summer cocktails acquire: home goods relax: perfect spray tans eat, drink, shop, and unwind the beat goes on DRUMBAR BRINGS THE SPEAKEASY BACK TO CHICAGO. by jeff keleher P erched atop an 18-story, brick-clad monolith, Drumbar, the new Gold Coast cocktail lounge, offers a return to a most storied tradition: the speakeasy. The luxurious Raffaello Hotel's latest addition is a whis- key-focused lounge drawing inspiration from a bygone era. With lavish trappings and meticulously crafted cocktails, Drumbar strikes a perfect bal- ance between opulence and workmanship. Jun Aizaki's inviting design beckons to enterprising travelers and sophisticated locals alike, drawing them in with a décor that emanates comfort and elegance, highlighted by a stately white marble bar, plush leather sofas, and an antique fireplace that's equally fit for soft contemplation or boisterous storytelling. For those seeking some solitude among the din of the city's nightlife, the lounge is dotted with snug alcoves perfect to crawl into and while away the evening. Like its renegade predecessors during the Prohibition era, Drumbar places its focus on potent spirits. The menu of rich whiskeys is culled from some of the best distilleries in the world, and it offers an array of bour- bons, Scotches, and other fine liquors. Putting these spirits to good use, Drumbar's mixologists continually draw up seasonal cocktail menus, crafting time-tested, classic libations suitable for enjoying year-round. At the end of the night, when weather permits, venture out onto the rooftop terrace and gaze upon the awe-inspiring views provided by the city's gor- geous lakefront and sprawling architecture. Genuine speakeasies may have gone the way of Prohibition, but at Drumbar, their spirit lives on—in a wonderfully contemporary fashion. 201 E. Delaware Pl., 312-924-2531; drumbar.com MA michiganavemag.com 151