teatpuller wrote:Excellent. We have the beginnings of a list:

1. Bar DeVille (701 N. Damen)
2. The Violet Hour (1520 N. Damen)
3. Weegee's (3659 W. Armitage)
4. Matchbox/Silver Palm (770 N. Milwaukee)
5. In Fine Spirits (5418 N. Clark)

I'd add Tiny Lounge to this list. There are two locations (see below) and I've only been to the Leavitt location. Very good cocktail list and the bartenders were skilled enough to make some good off-menu drinks for my wife and me. We were last there when the weather was warmer and the list had too many sweet/summery drinks for my personal taste.


Tiny Lounge
4352 N Leavitt St, Chicago
(773) 463-0396

1814 W Addison St, Chicago
(773) 296-9620

I mixed a few more drinks from the list last night for my Sunday night group - we're up to 19 now - and everyone's surprise favorite was the Maple Leaf. We were all curious about it, but also rather hesitant. It seemed an odd combination of flavors. It was perfectly balanced between rich maple, tart lemon and ...bourbon-y bourbon. Really a perfect drink for this time of year and one that I definitely plan to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. It's something I likely never would have tried if not for this list, so I guess the list is doing its job!

Maple Leaf
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz maple syrup

We tried this with a few different bourbons and found that a good bourbon really shines in here. It's also better with a stronger (both in flavor and alcohol content) bourbon as opposed to one that's more smooth. We liked it best with Bookers.

The Maple Leaf reminds me of the cough syrup my dad used to make for me when I was a kid -- bourbon, lemon juice, and honey. Boy, did I look forward to having a cough! Having loved that concoction, I definitely feel the need to try the Maple Leaf.

Funny, but I was actually rather pleased with myself that I'd had 20 of the drinks (added the Old Fashioned at the LTH picnic -- thanks Ronnie). Of course, there are a number of drinks not on the list that I might have included, and have drunk. After all, how seriously can you take a list that doesn't include a bloody mary?

I'd say my scan of the list was more of a trip down memory lane -- remembering with pleasure the places I had each one first. But it's fun to know that there are so many other options out there. The future looks bright.

gleam wrote:

ndgbucktown wrote:Might as well post it here as anywhere else: I've spent the better part of this weekend drinking Maple Leaf cocktails (bourbon, lemon juice, and maple syrup, shaken to hell). I really need to stop lest I dispatch too visible a share of the Old Grand-Dad bottle, but, seriously, wow. Whoever created this thing is a genius.

FWIW, I'm working with 3 oz. bourbon, .75 oz. lemon juice, and .75 maple syrup. Just delicious.

Are you sure the name of that drink isn't the Master Cleanse?

Add some cayenne, minus the bourbon, yeah, you've got the master cleanse.

Darren72 wrote:

teatpuller wrote:Excellent. We have the beginnings of a list:

1. Bar DeVille (701 N. Damen)
2. The Violet Hour (1520 N. Damen)
3. Weegee's (3659 W. Armitage)
4. Matchbox/Silver Palm (770 N. Milwaukee)
5. In Fine Spirits (5418 N. Clark)

I'd add Tiny Lounge to this list. There are two locations (see below) and I've only been to the Leavitt location. Very good cocktail list and the bartenders were skilled enough to make some good off-menu drinks for my wife and me. We were last there when the weather was warmer and the list had too many sweet/summery drinks for my personal taste.


Tiny Lounge
4352 N Leavitt St, Chicago
(773) 463-0396

1814 W Addison St, Chicago
(773) 296-9620

Tiny Lounge used to be on Addison but was bumped by the Brown Line construction. The only location is on Leavitt.

Aaron Deacon wrote:
You have no idea. +1 to the thank yous. This is now one of two links that are permanently embedded in my Firefox toolbar (the other being Wondrich's Esquire cocktail database).

And Aaron, thanks for sharing the Wondrich's Esquire cocktail db. Have now bookmarked it as well (it's quite helpful).

Sadly I've only had 19 of the 100...must make a lot of progress in the long winter ahead!

Darren72 wrote:

teatpuller wrote:Excellent. We have the beginnings of a list:

1. Bar DeVille (701 N. Damen)
2. The Violet Hour (1520 N. Damen)
3. Weegee's (3659 W. Armitage)
4. Matchbox/Silver Palm (770 N. Milwaukee)
5. In Fine Spirits (5418 N. Clark)

I'd add Tiny Lounge to this list. There are two locations (see below) and I've only been to the Leavitt location. Very good cocktail list and the bartenders were skilled enough to make some good off-menu drinks for my wife and me. We were last there when the weather was warmer and the list had too many sweet/summery drinks for my personal taste.


Tiny Lounge
4352 N Leavitt St, Chicago
(773) 463-0396

1814 W Addison St, Chicago
(773) 296-9620

After my inaugural visit there last night, I'm thrilled to add The Whistler to this list.

The Whistler
2421 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647-2627
(773) 227-3530

=R=