Neat, Shaken, or Stirred: A Guide to Some of the Best Bars in the World

Plenty of space has been devoted to bars: in literature, travel magazines, blogs, even poetry. Seems Ernest Hemingway couldn’t write a story without having at least one scene set in some atmosphere-rich bar or café, many of which seemed as interesting and appealing as the stories’ characters. 

The Aviary, Chicago.

For me, fellow Illinoisian Hemingway is one of the best. Whether it was the bars of Pamplona during the running of the bulls or Paris’ Ritz on liberation day, the master storyteller captured the beguiling, sometimes other-worldly feel, allure, grit, and character of bars. 

Could the vivid scenes he created or the conversations between iconic characters have occurred anywhere but a bar?

I’ve passed some pleasant hours in memorable bars where I’ve enjoyed inspired conversation, sublime surroundings, tasty cocktails and the chance to meet locals and soak up (sometimes literally) the culture and customs of the spot. 

To be clear, I’m not looking to get drunk or to spend all night in a bar while traveling. For me, a visit to a bar for a drink or two before dinner or for a nightcap after is ideal. The visit provides an opportunity to get warmed up for dinner or wind down before bed, but always to experience a bit of the local culture wherever I’ve landed. 

For those of us drawn to the allure and ambiance of a bar, a vacation that includes a visit to a good one is the cherry atop the sundae (er, Manhattan?) Good thing the world offers plenty—hotel bars, corner bars, tapas bars, neighborhood bars, pubs, dive bars, restaurant bars, rooftop bars. 

Here are some favorites:

The Elephant Bar, Raffles, Pnom Penh, Cambodia. While not as grand as the original Singapore Raffles, this outpost effectively channels its namesake. The bar’s signature cocktail, the Femme Fatale, was concocted for Jackie Kennedy’s visit in 1967. During my visit, we opted for refreshing, classic gin and tonics, surrounded by décor that channeled Joseph Conrad. 

View from the terrace at the Jigger Inn.

Jigger Inn, St. Andrew’s Old Golf Course, Scotland. Overlooking the idyllic rolling greens and rough of the iconic course of historic St. Andrew’s, the turbulent, indigo North Atlantic as a backdrop, this simple, pub-like outpost is the perfect place to soak up the views of one of the most scenic and storied golf courses on the planet. 

Closeries des Lilas, Paris. One-time haunt of writers from the Lost Generation and France’s literary canon, this Montparnasse institution offers perfectly-mixed cocktails, jazz, and formally-clad, attentive waiters (well, and I may as well confess homemade potato chips that are addictive.) Small brass name plates mark the spots for regulars from another era, such as Emile Zola, Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Hemingway.

Napoleon House, New Orleans. The air in this worn, musty and dark bar hangs heavy with history and offers just the right amount of dinge and character. The rich feel of history makes the perfect partner for expertly mixed cocktails. Or, during a sweltering Louisiana summer, an ice-cold beer. 

Brown Bars, Amsterdam. Flying to Europe from the States is a mini-marathon: a boarding not dissimilar to Pamplona’s running of the bulls, a mushy, wine-soaked dinner, a fitful night’s sleep, and then a bleary-eyed, early morning taxi ride to the hotel. If my room is ready, I take a nap. If not, I grab breakfast, walk around, and then check in. 

It’s not typical that I visit a bar on arrival morning, but it happened once. 

During a trip to Kenya which included a two-day layover in Amsterdam, my aunts and a friend and I had a few hours to kill before we could check in. Instead of grabbing breakfast, we headed to one of the city’s iconic brown bars (it was vacation, after all.) 

At these atmospheric, traditional spots you’ll find locals stopping in for an early morning short-pour on their way to work. Rich with patina, decades of smoke stains, well-worn wood, tarnished brass and marble, the bars are an Amsterdam tradition and a portal into a fast-disappearing world that is as Amsterdam as a canal or bicycle. For a list of the best brown bars, see this website. 

The Hassler bar.

The Hassler, Rome. Crowning  the Spanish Steps, the fabled Hassler offers one of the most intimate, atmosphere-rich bars in a city sprouting with enticing spots. Think polished wood, marble, murals of old Rome, impeccable service, and expertly-mixed drinks perfectly suited for this gilded, Lilliputian spot. 

Cherry Circle, Chicago. Tucked in the inner recesses of an historic, Venetian Gothic building on Michigan Avenue, this vintage L-shaped bar overlooks a dimly-lit dining room that channels its former identity as a private business club. 

Dublin's Kelly's Cellar,

Kelly’s Cellars, Belfast. This traditional, craic-filled Irish pub in operation since the 1700s features music most nights, Guinness on tap (of course!), and sometimes a simple Irish stew to soak up the beer. 

The Langham, Chicago. While it might seem counter intuitive, newer hotel bars have plenty to offer. One of the best, in the Mies van der Rohe-designed Langham, is tucked into an aerie with expansive views of the Chicago River and a stunning wall of one-of-a-kind skyscrapers lining the river. 

The Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi.

The Norfolk, Nairobi. When Americans and Europeans first set off on safaris to experience  East Africa’s vast wilderness areas and wildlife, most headed to Kenya. While there, a good share idled away a few hours at the Norfolk Hotel’s bar. While the simple, well-preserved bar I visited in the original hotel has been replaced, there remains a bit of the old bar’s atmosphere in this expanded and renovated Nairobi mainstay. For a distinctly local libation, try the dawa (medicine, in Swahili) concocted with vodka, lime and honey. 

Matchbox, Chicago. Before cocktail culture was a thing, this cozy corner bar took the time and effort to concoct classic drinks. A well-stocked bar, Old School bartenders, and standing room only offer a rare experience that’s changed little in half a century or more. 

I Frattelini, Florence. While Florence’s I Frattelini may not exactly qualify as a bar, it’s also not exactly a restaurant. Open since 1875, the curbside stand tucked into a medieval building in the historic city center offers an impressive array of Italian wines by the glass. Hankering to try a Barolo or lesser-known Italian wines but hesitant to drop a hundred euro for a bottle? This is the spot for you. 

Hotel Bristol, Oslo. In the heart of Oslo’s old city center, this hotel bar, festooned with fresh herbs and mixers, offers cocktails mixed with Scandinavian precision. While not technically a bar, the Oslo Opera House’s café serves drinks with stellar views of the harbor. 

Seville’s Bullfighting Sports Bars: While plenty of bars the world over might resemble each other, a particular type of sports bar in Seville is unique. With décor that celebrates bullfighting, including giant mounted bull’s heads, posters, photographs of famous fighters, and related mementos, the bars are unique to Spain. For two of the best, visit Bar El Baratillo or Casa Pepe Hillo. 

Scotch bars in Edinburgh: While this scenic city of patinaed stones and Gothic gables may not be the center of Scotch production, you wouldn’t know it based on the number of tasting rooms and bars that boast vast selections of the stuff. Whether a large-windowed spot with views of the city’s medieval streets or a musty old bar that mixes the smell of the dust of centuries with a flavorful dram, Scotch bars in this city of mossy stones and fairy tale turrets offer plenty of options. See this Decanter list for some of the best. 

An Edinburgh Scotch bar.

The Oslo Opera House bar/terrace.

The Langham, Chicago.

Bars to Skip

Oddly enough, two bars I recommend skipping are housed in hotels by the name of Ritz—Paris’ storied hotel’s Hemingway Bar and Cairo’s Ritz bar. The former was renovated and sanitized as to remove any hint of patina or age. It now resembles a rather bland middle-of-the-road hotel bar—with cocktails that run $30. It’s the sort of place Hemingway would hate. 

The Cairo Ritz has little atmosphere and staff who don’t know the difference between a vodka tonic and Manhattan. To order a cocktail here is a patience-testing game of Russian roulette. Cairo doesn’t have many bar options so if you do visit, stick to uncomplicated classics—like a beer or glass of wine. 

Soured on Napa? Sonoma's Still Sweet.

In the 1980s when I first visited the Napa Valley it was casual, recently discovered, and in its adolescence tourism-wise. I casually drove around the valley, visiting different wineries on a whim. And I loved it. After an absence of nearly three decades, I recently made a return visit. And while Napa’s wines might be aging well, the same can’t be said for the valley.

Traffic clogs the area’s few major thoroughfares and the streets of once sleepy towns. Reservations are essential at restaurants and wineries. And everything is large, luxe or shellacked with a perky shopping mall patina of fresh paint, including coffee shops, tasting rooms, restaurants and stores. Even the parking lots of wineries haven’t been overlooked—they’re designed, sculpted, and landscaped. If there’s a speck of dust or something out of place in a town or tasting room, it’s an anomaly.

This was not the Napa of thirty years past, the dimly-lit tasting rooms heavy with the scent of spilled and aging wine, dusty bocce ball courts, or sleepy rural roads. No, that Napa is gone.

MacRostie vineyard.

Fortunately, there are other areas that resemble the Napa of three decades ago. And one of them is a mere hour’s drive from Napa. Sure, neighboring Sonoma isn’t a secret and is a tourist destination itself. But there are still many corners of Sonoma that are quiet, serene, and unpolished.

During a recent visit to Sonoma, I joined family and friends and rented a rambling house on a thickly wooded hilltop above Guerneville. From this convenient base, we visited a number of nearby wineries—all of which were sleepy and casual by Napa norms.

Passalaqua vineyard.

Just to the east, Westside Road carves a meandering route through wooded hills, rolling pastureland, and acres of vineyards. There are enough wineries along the route to spend a few afternoons here, and when you finish, you end up in Healdsburg which offers several excellent restaurants, including Chalkboard and Campo Fina.

As for the wineries, here are some favorites along Westside Road and nearby.

Mill Creek Skip the winery’s dark tasting room and head outside to the terrace which provides views of Dry Creek Valley vineyards, a millpond, and a working water wheel.

Passalacqua With a deck and perfectly landscaped grounds, Passalacqua might offer the most beautiful wine tasting spot in the area. While reservations are recommended, our party of five just showed up, followed an hour later by four more of our party, and we were all accommodated—cheerfully.

Martin Ray offers a number of seating areas, some situated on the edge of the vineyards.

MacRostie Located on a storybook hilltop circled by vineyards, MacRostie offers one the best views in the area. While the airy, sleek rooms inside offer expansive views of the countryside, you’ll want to sip wine on one the decks which seem to hover over the adjacent vineyards.

Martin Ray This small winery offers several seating areas situated in several gardens loaded with colorful flowers. A shaded bocce ball court tempted, but I chose to sit under a colorful umbrella and focus on tasting wine.

Arista Full disclosure: we didn’t visit this winery, but we drove past it several times and were tempted by its verdant setting and excellent reviews.

Passalaqua vineyard.

Cocktail Couture in Paris

A perfect Manhattan at La Closerie.

Those forward-thinking cities that were early adopters of cocktail culture often boast classic and historic bars. Of course, some spots are tourist traps and others serve cocktails that don’t match their reputation. In the case of Paris, though, the city has been mixing drinks for more than a century and boasts several bars worth a visit—or two.

La Closerie des Lilas

Montparnasse is a bit removed from the main sites of Paris, so plenty of tourists don’t bother to visit. And that’s their loss.

During a recent trip to the historic La Closerie Des Lilas in Montparnasse, we lucked out as the garden lilacs, the restaurant’s namesake, were blooming and filling the courtyard, bar, dining room and brasserie with their sweet scent. And, while they weren’t fragrant, camellias, azaleas, tulips, and daffodils in the entrance garden lent an air of enchantment to the spot.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's spot at La Closerie.

Though charming, the courtyard garden—where Lenin played checkers and Hemingway probably pontificated—aren’t the main attraction. No, many come for the bar, a haunt of literary luminaries including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Simone de Beauvoir and artists such as Picasso (look for brass nameplates on bar tables to see where your favorites sat). All this history comes with a side of expertly-prepared cocktails.

From April through August, the last golden rays of daylight shine all the way into the bar, casting the whole place in a timeless, ethereal glow.

Warning: Bowlfuls of old school, house-made potato chips and green olives accompany drink orders, but may prove addictive.

Café Deux Magots

Most people think of this historic spot for breakfast or a café au lait with a shot of serious café culture. But Deux Magots also serves cocktails and offers one of the best seats in the city for watching a parade of Left Bankers stroll past.

Waiters at Deux Magot dress for work.

On a recent trip, we visited at cocktail hour and the place was packed with regulars, office workers, and tourists. Comfortably seated in classic café chairs just off busy Boulevard Saint Germain, we ordered Old Fashioneds which were poured tableside with a flourish by a poised, black suit-clad waiter. On a mild April night, we people watched, sipped our perfect cocktails and enjoyed a storybook view of the medieval, stone-clad Saint Germain church across the square.

Hemingway Bar at the Ritz

It’s said that when Paris was liberated from the Nazis, Hemingway celebrated with a drink at the old bar at the Ritz on historic Place Vendôme. To Hemingway, Paris was back to normal when cocktails were once again being shaken and stirred in the marble-clad rooms of the old hotel.

Well, the combination of Hemingway, the liberation of Paris, history, and the bar’s pedigree meant the place ranked high on my list of institutions to check out. I’d tried to visit during previous trips, but the stars were never aligned (once I was wearing jeans, once I was too early, and once I was too late and the small two-room bar was at capacity). Well, my fourth visit was the charm. (And I was charmed.)

At cocktail hour, a waiter ceremoniously opened large doors, revealing two intimate rooms with a handful of low, petite tables, a half dozen bar stools, and a smaller room up a few stairs. Memorabilia and ephemera—in some cases seemingly and in others obviously—associated with the Oak Park, Illinois writer fill the walls.

What the place lacks in space it makes up for in ambiance—well, and prices (most cocktails are 30 euro and higher.) Despite a wait for entry and elevated prices, I’m glad I went, though I’m not sure I need to return.

(Note: If you plan to visit, a line begins to form 30 minutes prior to the 6:00 p.m. opening.)

Le Bar's well-equipped, well, bar. 

L’Hotel

Tucked into a sleepy backstreet in the Latin Quarter, the storied L’Hotel and its intimate, posh bar offer a welcome retreat from the hurly burly world outside. More luxe and discreet than the Ritz, L’Hotel’s bar offers cocktails that are nearly half the price of those at the Right Bank Hemingway haunt, but every bit as tasty.

If you can swing the adjacent Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Restaurant, book a table well in advance. If you’re doing drinks and dinner, you may as well consider staying the night. The 20-room L’Hotel is the smallest five star hotel in Paris. Having provided rooms for Oscar Wilde, Princess Grace and Elizabeth Taylor, the hotel might be the perfect spot to rest your head after exploring Paris’ cocktail couture.

A Down-to-Earth Idea at Lofty Everest

There’s probably never been a better time than the present to visit Chicago’s top-rated restaurants. Given the economy, even the best restaurants have made some changes—all designed to get us into their dining rooms.

At Everest, tucked into a lofty perch on the fortieth floor of a pink granite tower adjacent to the Board of Trade, Chef Joho is encouraging wine lovers to look to their own collections and choose a prized bottle to bring to the award-winning restaurant.

Joho’s “Cellar Celebration” affords diners the unique opportunity to dust off a favorite vintage 21 years or older, enjoy a custom-designed course to complement the wine, and learn about the wine’s history from wine director David Johnston.

“In this economy, many of our guests have been looking to gems in their own cellars rather than adding to their collections,” Joho said. "They have stories around the wines they've acquired, and we're looking to enhance that story by creating a custom course that complements that rare bottle."



What if you don’t have a fine vintage wine to bring to the award-winning restaurant?

Visit anyway.

The Midwest, with some of the most fertile farmland in the world, serves as breadbasket and produce bonanza while being rich with artisan food producers. Everest takes advantage of its location, sourcing plenty of ingredients from nearby farms and suppliers, and what it can’t find locally it imports from France, including a diverse and rare selection of Alsatian wines—the largest collection in the world.

While the cuisine served in the hushed, thickly carpeted salons is decidedly haute, Chef Joho ensures that dishes reflect his own style and approach. Oversize tables set far apart offer privacy and a feeling of spaciousness that’s amplified by the stellar views of the glittering skyline and surrounding neighborhoods.

Offering a menu reminiscent of the finest Michelin-rated restaurants in France, Chef Joho creates well-executed meals such as filet of veal tenderloin with a fennel crust or pork cheeks with poached veal tongue. First courses and entrées—often inspired by Joho’s native Alsace—are frequently sourced from fine local, small-scale producers. The menu, as with all fine restaurants, is seasonal and, therefore, ever-changing.

For example, one locally-sourced dessert, a Michigan cherry compote with pistachio glacée, joined standard finishing course selections such as a chocolate or Grand Marnier soufflé and a selection of award-winning Midwest cheeses (the delectable soufflé should be ordered upon arrival).

For a relative bargain, sample Chef Joho’s refined cuisine by trying the pre-theater three-course menu at 5:00 on weekdays and 5:30 on Saturdays.

"Cellar Celebration" is available Tuesday through Thursday—one bottle per table. Reservations are required at least 48 hours in advance and you’ll need to let them know which vintage bottle (21 years or older) you’re bringing. There’s no corkage fee.

For questions or reservations, call Everest at 312-663-8920.

Rum Comes of Age

“There’s naught, no doubt, so much the spirit calms as rum…” Lord Byron

Now that I’m past the age of 40, I’m much less thrilled with the idea of aging than I was at say, 16. However, there are notable exceptions and some things that might actually improve with the accumulation of years. Rum is one of these.

If you’ve raised an eyebrow or chuckled after reading that last bit, you’ve yet to discover one of the fastest growing, fascinating sectors in the world of spirits: aged rums.

The Original American Spirit

With the possible exception of root beer, no beverage’s history is more closely intertwined with that of the United States’ as rum. Originally distilled by New England Yankees and quaffed by colonists up and down the Eastern Seaboard, rum served as the spirit of choice long before the first grape vine had sunk its roots into Napa’s soil or corn lined Bourbon County’s hillsides. When settlers poured over the Appalachians, discovering the fertile American midlands, fields of grain flourished and corn, rye and barley-based whiskey replaced rum as our the spirit of choice. As the mid-section of the country was plowed, planted and settled, so ended America’s first love affair with rum.

A century or so later, our country’s second affair with rum began. Led by a thirsty and adventurous Hemingway, the Rat Pack and an emerging jet-set, Americans re-discovered the spirit of their colonial ancestors, this go-round imbued with a decidedly Caribbean flavor, though. Oster blenders across the country worked overtime churning up Daiquiris, Piña Coladas and Mai Tai’s—all laced with the white and dark rums of Latin America and the Caribbean—while more serious cocktail connoisseurs savored Cuba Libres, Mojitos or Zombies.

When Cuba fell under Castro’s spell and the jet-set discovered the French Riviera, however, rum went the way of the celebrated Tiki Bar. To generalize a bit, Americans turned to beer in the 70’s, wine in the 80’s, vodka in the 90’s, and seemingly, rum, tequila and bourbon in the current decade. And that brings us to America’s current passion for rums white, dark and aged. Fueled by an itch for spirits with more flavor than vodka and inspired by sun-dappled trips to the Caribbean and Latin America, Americans have again turned to the mainstay and first-born of our national liquor cabinet.

An Oldie, But Goodie

While rum may have returned Stateside, Frank, Sammy and the rest of the Pack might not recognize the rums we’re sipping today.

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, rum sales bumped up a considerable 6.1% in 2004—and more noticeably, sales of premium and super premium brands (read, aged) have increased 10% in volume. Beverage behemoth Bacardi, which launched its aged Bacardi 8 right around the millennium, has recently seen a surge in sales of the brand. In this, our third love affair with rum, we’re going after those brands that offer the most distinct and complex flavors, and spending more in our pursuit of them.

While aged rums have been around for, well, ages, a mere handful of Americans, mostly spirit aficionados, adventurous travelers and distillers themselves, had sampled the stuff until a handful of years ago. In the late 90’s, José Gómez, Bacardi’s master blender, helped create one of the first mass-produced aged rums, offering with his Bacardi 8 what until that time only the Bacardi family and the company’s distillers had enjoyed.

Created by storing rums distilled from molasses or the juice from sugar cane in charred oak barrels, aged rums come to maturation from about three to twenty-four years. The longer the rum ages, of course, the more it can take on the flavor of its cask. The rums’ heady flavor profiles can be complex and creamy and redolent of vanilla, oak, caramel, or orange.

Before aged rums hit the market, the spirit’s flavor was almost consistently overwhelmed by coconut milk, pineapple juice or Coke. With the arrival of these newest, old rums, producers, bartenders and spirit aficionados were now pleading with rum drinkers to savor the flavor—not to bury it in a tidal wave of tropical fruit. Like the one-time grade school kid who’s favorite drink is no longer Kool-Aid, premium producers started sharing with consumers what they’d discovered—rum can taste damn good.

No Mix-up Here

Unlike their younger brethren, aged rums are crafted for sipping neat, with a splash of water, or an ice cube or two. As with other complex spirits such as cognac, scotch or bourbon, the flavors of aged rum are diminished—or compromised—when a beverage with any flavor is mixed with them. Unlike purveyors and connoisseurs of other aged spirits, though, rum blenders, distillers, and purveyors adopt a much more laid back attitude about mixing an aged rum. While they may not recommend that you mix an aged rum with Coke, in the words of Gómez, “People should drink rum as they like: with Coke, with juice, with whatever tastes good.” Since it’s made with quality rum, he explains, “They’re really going to enjoy that drink no matter what.”

And some restaurants even seem to encourage mixing. When I first explored aged rums in 1999, distillers, restaurateurs and bartenders alike cringed at the thought of cocktails created with aged rums. A half-dozen years later, though, a perusal of local restaurant cocktail menus tells a different story. Adopting an approach similar to bars serving premium tequila cocktails, aged rum devotees have decided that if the ballast for a cocktail is comprised of a fine aged rum, then whatever is mixed into it had better be of similar pedigree.

At Nacional 27, as at other spots around town, luxe cocktails are the latest trend. While the industrial age which generated so much wealth for Chicagoans is long over—and the dot com bubble has recently burst—diners at a handful of local restaurants think nothing of shoveling out wads of dough for cocktails that might just as well be named for Gatsby. Nacional’s Cocktails Reservado list, created by cocktail wunderkind Adam Seger, includes a Cask 23 Mojito mixed with the usual ingredients, but fueled by a decidedly tasty Pyrat 40 Year Old Rum—one of Seger’s favorites. At 25 bucks a pop, the Cask 23 gives the ubiquitous Mojito a pricey, but swanky makeover.

Further afield—and for only a short time longer—Mitchell’s Fish Market in Glenview serves a rich and traditional hot-butter rum, laced with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, and butter, of course.

Flights of Fancy

If you’ve gotten this far, you may be wondering where to dip a toe (er, finger?) into the world of rum. Doing so has never been easier, thanks to that winning concept borrowed from the world of wine: flights. Increasingly, bars and restaurants around the city offer rum flights. The originator, Mambo Grill, still offers the most rums, seventy, and four different flights, the most expensive featuring four aged rums consisting of harder to find selections assembled during owner Susan Frasca’s travels around the Caribbean and Latin America. Some are distilled in petite batches and poured into hand-numbered bottles, while others are distilled and aged in larger batches for distribution around the world.

River North mainstay Nacional 27, which carries an impressive 21 aged rums, offers a flight of the über tasty, less common Rhum St. James distilled in Martinique. Rums from this French territory, like the spirits from its Gallic motherland, conform to stricter guidelines than others, namely that they be made directly from sugar cane and not molasses—the more common, less costly and easier production method. The flavorsome result can be savored in a flight of three different rums of varying ages or a second which features three different 15-year-olds.

Adobo Grill’s two locations also offer samples of three rums, including the stellar 23-year Ron Zacapa Centenario Reserva from Guatemala, an 8-year El Dorado and a 5-year Ten Cane Rum. Meanwhile, Sofitel Hotel guests can sip a three-rum flight consisting of plantation rums from Barbados (1991), Trinidad (1993) and Guyana (1990) at Le Bar.

A Rum of One’s Own

Finally, while hopping about the city and suburbs sampling rare and tasty rums offers satisfaction, nothing quells a thirst for premium rum like a visit to Binny’s. The liquor super store boasts enormous quantities of rums, including rare and flavor-packed selections such as a $237 Pyrat from Anguilla for subdued sipping or a bottle of a $20 Guatemalan Ron Botran, created from virgin cane honey and aged in white oak bourbon casks for twelve years. As David Soto, former Sam’s Spirits Specialist and spirit enthusiast explains, most aged rums run between $15-60, making them a far better deal than cognacs or Scotches.

“Aged rums are an excellent value,” he tells me. “You can get a wonderful bottle of aged rum like a silky, cognac-like Santa Teresa from Guatemala for under $40. For a Scotch drinker used to paying $200 or $300, aged rum is a really good deal.”

And saving money at the liquor store means you’ll have more money to spend on luxe rum cocktails. In short, you can have your aged rum and drink it, too.

Nacional 27, 325 W Huron; Chicago; 312.664.2727

Mitchell’s Fish Market, 2601 Navy Boulevard, Glenview; 847-729-3663

Mambo Grill, 412 N Clark; Chicago; 312.467.9797

Adobo Grill, 1610 N Wells; Chicago; 312.266.7999 &

2005 W Division St, Chicago; 773.252.9990

Le Bar, 20 E Chestnut; Chicago; 312.324.4000

Binny’s, 213 W Grand; Chicago; 312.332.0012

Big Time Flavors in Small Batch Bourbons

If local bars are any indication, a growing number of Chicagoans are turning the vodka corner and re-discovering a quintessentially American spirit—bourbon. Not just any bourbons, though. Like the handcrafted wines and micro-brew beers that came before them, small batch bourbons have redefined the bourbon selections of a growing number of Americans.

These days, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that any spirit other than vodka exists. While I enjoy an occasional Cosmopolitan, sometimes I prefer a drink made with liquor packing a heavier flavor punch. After all, vodka is judged on its smoothness and relative lack of flavor, which makes it ideal for mixing, but hardly the spirit of choice if you’re in the mood for a cocktail with backbone.

Moreover, given that the dollar has all the heft of say a feather duster, prices for popular European spirits have grown increasingly higher and the time has never been more ideal for seeking spirits distilled a little closer to home. Though our runaway love affair with vodka hardly seems to be waning, small batch bourbons represent a welcome addition to the contemporary pantheon of popular spirits.

A Little Bourbon Background

Like the renowned thoroughbred horses, bourbons largely spring from Kentucky where they were first distilled in the late 1700’s. Bourbon County, in the central Bluegrass Region, served as the principal embarkation point for liquor headed down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans (winding up in Bourbon Street bars and points beyond). Barrels departing the county, stamped with its name, resulted in whiskies from the area being referred to as bourbons. Today, bourbon doesn’t have to originate in its namesake county, but must meet certain criteria.

For starters, bourbon must be made with primarily corn and aged for a minimum of two years in new, white oak barrels that have been charred. To create the spirit, distillers employ the sour mash method in which backset from a previous distillation is used. The backset gives each bourbon batch relatively consistent flavor, a process not dissimilar to using starter when making sourdough bread.

Virgin oak barrels, a requisite for production, remain pricey and hardly the sort of thing you find stocked at Home Depot. Requiring time, care and skill, barrel-making contributes significantly to the overall cost of bourbon.

In the 1970’s, bourbon fizzled, a trend that continued for nearly two decades. In 1988, Booker Noe, grandson of legendary Jim Beam, released Booker’s True Barrel, the first small batch bourbon. Bottled straight from the barrel and intended for friends and family, the spirit was made available worldwide within a few short years, uncorking the small batch bourbon renaissance.

Within a few years, Knob Creek and Maker’s Mark established themselves as the largest “small batch” brands by creating mellow, smooth, flavored bourbons. Other smaller distillers set up shop, most in Kentucky, and began producing even smaller batches. Names such as Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, Van Winkle, and ever-smaller brands joined Knob Creek and Maker’s Mark on bar shelves.

Not Your Grandpa’s (or Grandma’s) Bourbon

If there’s a ground zero for small batch bourbon in the city, it is decidedly Delilah’s, a North Side institution. While house-spun rock may not at first seem the ideal match for bourbon-sipping, this Lincoln Avenue watering hole has earned a national reputation for its selection of around 50 bourbons and its small batch-savvy owner. If a few thimblefuls of bourbon are your limit, owner Mike Miller recommends a jigger of the extremely rare Jimmy Russell Tribute which runs $16 per shot. For those with budding bourbon tastebuds, sample Delilah’s house brand 10-year made by Van Winkle for a more economical $6 per shot.

While many small batcher’s pack enough flavor to be drunk neat, flavorful options abound. In the Gold Coast, urban-slick Syn offers five options and a Matt-hattan, a top drawer version of the classic mixed with Woodford Reserve ($9). Syn co-owner Scott Smith has seen an uptick in small batch sales and Woodford is currently the club’s top-seller. At nearby hang Elm Street Liquors, patrons can savor the Debutante—Knob Creek, grapefruit juice, honey, and Laurent-Perrier Demi-Sec. In Wicker Park, Rodan updates a classic with its Ginger Julep ($5.50) concocted with ginger tea, bourbon and a mint leaf. At the Bungalow Lounge on west Belmont, specials concocted with bourbon include mint juleps, Manhattans and bourbon ball martinis—all created with Woodford Reserve.

Bourbon as Apertif

Getting into the spirit, restaurants have begun stocking small batch bourbons. Just off Michigan Avenue, tony Tru leads the pack with its house brand bourbon created with Woodford Reserve—which offers custom barrels and bottling. A few blocks away, Sofitel’s Le Bar offers a handful of small batcher’s, as does nearby Allen’s, which offers five, including a 16 year A. R. Hirsch, the ideal apertif before sitting down to a meal of the restaurant’s renowned venison or other game specials.

Given the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Lawry’s recently hosted a special dinner. Consisting of four courses paired with complementary bourbons, the menu took inspiration from the early explorers’ favorite spirit. In their honor, diners sipped Basil Hayden’s, Makers Mark, Booker’s True Barrel, and a jigger of smooth Woodford Reserve, paired with apricot and cherry bread pudding with a—you guessed it—bourbon sauce.

A Bourbon of One’s Own

For a bourbon-lover, there is perhaps no better city than Chicago. Given the relative proximity of bourbon country and our fondness for the brown spirit, Chicago has an edge on New York and L.A. when it comes to appreciating this essentially American spirit.

If you live in Chicago, acquiring small batch bourbon hardly demands the effort exhibited by early fans Lewis and Clark. Modern sippers merely need visit a local watering hole, restaurant or liquor store. And I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to visit a super store, it’s not going to be Costco—but Sam’s or Binny’s which boast some of the most extensive bourbon selections in the country.

My discussions with bourbon aficionados, representatives and producers yielded a few clear conclusions. While Knob Creek and Maker’s Mark came across as clear leaders in the larger batch bourbon category, I now know the small batcher’s I plan to pick up or order while out. Van Winkle bourbons, though somewhat rare, represent obvious favorites. And Ridgemont Reserve 1792—while hardly the price of a six-pack—represents a clear value in comparison to some of the truly micro brands, such as the wickedly-tasty and uber-rare Black Maple Hill, that run between $80 and $225 a bottle.

Bourbon serves as antidote to higher priced imported spirits affected by the anemic dollar. So the next time you experience price-induced vertigo when liquor-shopping, head for the bourbon aisle. Along with distinguished pedigree and more reasonable prices, you’ll enjoy rich brown color, smooth, vaguely-sweet, and assuredly flavor-packed bourbon.

Though I didn’t discover any organic bourbons while researching this story, I did learn that the spirit is an entirely natural product, its sole ingredients consisting of grain, water, yeast and whatever bleeds into it from the barrel oak during aging. Unlike a fine cabernet, though, bourbon doesn’t age in the bottle. Once the spirit has left the barrel, its flavor profile has reached full maturity. So when you buy a bottle, drink up.

Northern Exposure: Cool Climate Wines Back in Spotlight

In truth, many incredibly tasty wines come from cooler climes. Case in point: Burgundy and Bordeaux, the famed regions of France, sit astride the so-called magic 45th parallel which puts them at nearly the same latitude as Oregon and Ontario’s wine-producing regions.

While you may have heard of Oregon’s luscious wines, you might not be as familiar with the increasingly sought after ice wines that trickle from the Niagara Peninsula in Canada. Jim Bernau, owner of Oregon’s Willamette* Valley Vineyards, describes his state as one of the great wine regions—and the Niagara Peninsula is viewed similarly. What might have elicited suppressed giggles some years ago is rarely disputed today. In essence, cool climate wines are becoming increasingly, well, cool.

A Tale of Terroir

As Chicagoans continue their march through the world of wine, they’re discovering all the facets of that world, as if peeling an onion. And perhaps at the heart of the onion is terroir, the concept that the land and climate play as great a role in a wine’s taste as the grape itself or the efforts of the winemaker. A French word once the provenance of only sommeliers, ardent oenophiles and vintners, terroir crops up in publications with a frequency which would have been startling even ten years ago.

Nearly every wine expert I spoke with cited terroir as one of the defining characteristics of Oregon wine. In Pops for Champagne’s wine director W. Craig Cooper’s estimation, “The Willamette Valley is really the only New World region that has shown both the necessary dedication and the collective understanding of the varietal to allow this terroir to bloom.”

To the Willamette Valley’s Bernau as well as other local wine experts, the climate and land are ideal to produce three outstanding wines, pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris.

“The style we get from these soils and climate is delicate, well-balanced, feminine, food friendly wine,” Bernau explains. “Oregon pinot noir and pinot gris have a particular taste profile and aroma.” To the impassioned, pioneering winemaker, Oregon pinots have structure and balance and are eminently food friendly (which he claims is the reason they’re so popular in Chicago).

Pinot noir, which put the state on the map for wine-making, was first planted in the 1970’s. According to Jane Lopes of Lush Wines, “Pinot noir is a fickle grape and requires a lot out of its growing conditions and its winemaker. It’s a risky grape to grow because it needs to ripen very slowly and a poor vintage—especially in the hands of a less talented or less detail-oriented winemaker—could be disastrous.”

A Warming Trend

Bernau believes that Oregon wines will only grow in popularity. “In Burgundy there’s no more space to plant more vineyards. They’d have to tear down houses. In Oregon, there’s plenty of land.” Moreover, he and more than 50% of Willamette Valley winemakers have certified sustainable operations in order to protect the environment.

“People aren’t just buying on quality and price,” he explains. “How can you possibly enjoy a glass of wine if you knew the environment was damaged in making it?” The Oregon vintners’ stewardship of the environment, as well as their Old World, craftsman’s approach to wines, have produced legions of fans in Chicago.

If you have the opportunity, visiting Oregon wine country has its own rewards. The antithesis of Napa, the Willamette Valley is mellow, laid back and infinitely more approachable. Just south of Portland, the scenic valley is full of low key wineries and impressive vistas.

The Coolest of Them All: The Pinot

At first, pinot noirs were rather rare and could be difficult to find, and then came the movie Sideways. Now it’s one of the most popular wines, and Oregon—along with California—is one of the largest producers.

Bernau contrasts Oregon’s storied pinot noir with California’s as follows: “The California pinot noir is like the flashy girl you wanted to date but couldn’t bring home to mom. She’s voluptuous and wears a deep cut blouse. Oregon pinot noirs are elegant and wear a black evening gown. They’re the ones you want to take home to mom.”

Chris Cavarra, of McCormick & Schmick’s, calls Oregon’s pinot noirs “phenomenal” claiming there’s no better wine to serve with salmon. “People think that you can’t drink wine with seafood,” he explains. “But pinot noir is very versatile and works.” The wine enthusiast also recommends Oregon’s pinot gris wines which he believes are an underappreciated wine and wonderful value.

An Even Cooler Cool Climate Wine

When I first heard about ice wine I have to confess that I wasn’t drawn to the stuff. With a moniker that’s not intuitive and two nouns that I’d learned should never go together, I was skeptical. I was celebrating at Charlie Trotter’s with four long-time friends, when for our finishing course the waiter plunked down (well, delicately placed) glasses of a fine ice wine called Inniskillin.

Thankfully, the sommelier explained the almost syrupy, richly colored wine as he filled our petite wine glasses, and after I drained one glass, I wanted more. (But anyone who’s been to Trotter’s knows there no such thing as refills.)

It’s easy to regard the stuff as something for old ladies looking for an accompaniment for a bowl of bon bons, but ice wines—albeit sweet—are far too complex to be so quickly dismissed.

A Chilly Proposition

Given their price tags, ice wines might be identified with another ice—that found on engagement rings. What justifies the high price tags and lofty reputation of these golden nectars and are they worth it?

Creating ice wine is no easy feat. According to Inniskillin’s Bruce Nicholson, a winemaker for 22 years, there’s little predictability. “With other grapes you know when they’re going to be harvested. With ice wine you never know. The temperature has to be at 18 degrees Farenheit or below for a prolonged period. And more often than not, that happens in the middle of the night.”

In other winemaking regions workers might pull long days, laboring to harvest the grapes during mild autumn days. At Inniskillin and with many ice wine producers, harvesting is done in the middle of the night during the dead of winter. And once the frozen grapes have been carefully harvested by bundled-up pickers, the work begins.

“The grapes are pressed right away,” he explains, to preserve the high concentrations of sugar in the fruit and to extract water in the form of ice crystals, leaving only a dribble of pure, concentrated nectar. (Talk about pulling an all-nighter.)

And if the challenge of harvesting the grapes and pressing them in the middle of a cold, dark Canadian night isn’t enough, there are myriad other potential threats. Because the ripe fruit must remain on the vine for three or four months, Mother Nature constantly threatens.

In 1983, Inniskillin’s crop was nearly obliterated by flocks of ravenous starlings, and in other years thaws or other weather extremes reduced harvests. Protective nets now cover vineyards, but freak thaws and high winds can still exact a toll. Nearly seven pounds of grapes are required in order to make one 376-milliliter bottle of ice wine—nearly a tenth of what the grapes would yield in regular wine.

Giving Ice Wines a Warm Embrace

To Nicholson, all the effort and cold weather work are worth it. “Ice wines are something special,” he gushes. “The concentration of flavors is incredible.”

Describing ice wines as sweet is akin to saying the North Pole is chilly. While at first the thought of all that sugary liquid sluicing across your taste buds might foster a frown, the characteristics of the wine run more toward refreshing as opposed to cloying. Medium to full bodied, the wines are known for their long, lingering finish and intense, memorable flavors. The nose is often reminiscent of stone fruits, honey, citrus, figs and caramel, or even tropical fruits such as lychee. Even the color can be illustrative of its rich, nearly viscous lushness. Amber, honey or golden hued, the wines are imbued with seductive colors which are as beguiling as the drink itself.

Lush’s Lopes describes ice wine as “special because it’s such a difficult and risky proposition.” The unique process of allowing the grapes to freeze “concentrates the sugar and flavors, making for a sweet, rich dessert wine that is really unlike other sweet wines in its precision and intensity.”

Some Cold, Hard Facts

Ice wine is thought to have been first produced in 1794 in Germany when monks were surprised by an early frost. Making the most of their plight (and faced with a cold winter sans vin), the enterprising monks salvaged and pressed the grapes, discovering a rich, seductive nectar—the first ice wine.

While a number of countries produce ice wine, including Germany, Austria and the U.S., Canadian ice wines are the most highly regarded and most plentiful thanks to the ideal growing conditions of the Niagara Peninsula. Producers must follow Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) regulations which stipulate, among other things, the sugar level of the grapes used to make the wine. Most wines are crafted from Riesling, Vidal, and Cabernet Franc, though makers are experimenting with other grapes and have also created sparkling versions. Typically sold in 375 or 200 milliliter bottles, the wines are meant to be sipped and not quaffed.

While the wine is often paired with dessert, it can just as easily be served with pungent cheeses or as an aperitif.

A Chilling Conclusion

Ultimately, whether it’s a crisp Oregon pinot gris, structured pinot noir or elegant, nectar-like ice wine, cool climate wines are climbing the charts.

Americans love affair with wine continues unabated and Chicagoans seem to create as many trends as they adopt. Maybe its because our climate is perfect for the consumption of all types of wines, or perhaps its stellar restaurants which demand wine that’s of equal variety and caliber. Bracing January evenings beg for a hearty red while scorching August days call for a refreshing pinot gris. So perhaps it only makes sense that cool climate wines have found a home in a cool city.

*While visiting an Oregon vineyard, I spotted a t-shirt on a staff person that read, “It’s Willamette, dammit,” which is a clearer and more expedient pronunciation guide than any I could dream up.

The ABC’s of Wine Collecting

It’s no secret that Chicago area residents consume a great quantity of wine, as if Lake Michigan were some North American version of the Mediterranean (albeit with blizzards instead of balmy winter days). With wine super stores and myriad smaller shops sprinkled throughout the area, Chicagoans seem to consume wine as if we’d grown up in Sicily or Provence.

But perhaps there’s something else going on here. Maybe Chicagoans—ever mindful of the joys of food and beverage—are simply discovering the manifold pleasures of the diverse and infinitely pleasure-inducing world of wine.

With Americans on pace to exceed the French as the number one quaffers of vino, Chicagoans are riding the crest of a rising tide of wine drinkers in the U.S. One by one, we’ve discovered the seemingly endless offerings of the world’s unique and arcane offerings, from prosecco and ice wine, to pinot noir and barolo. So perhaps it’s not surprising that we’re pursuing with equal zeal the storied and rewarding pastime of wine collecting.

According to Kevin Mohally of Northbrook’s Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe, wine collecting has nearly doubled in the past few years. More interesting is the diversity of recent collectors. “Quite a few kids coming out of college are now interested in collecting,” Mohally observes. And according to Robert Canales of Mainstreet Wine Shop in Countryside, an established corp of collectors regularly visits his store in Countryside, seeking traditional collecting wines, as well as über-rare selections in which the shop specializes.

According to Mohally and Canales, the reasons for collecting are limitless. A collector sits on an ever-evolving selection of wines which, if diverse, mature at different times. And holders of even smaller wine collections can ceremoniously march out special bottles to commemorate significant occasions (for maximum effect, I recommend blowing some dust off the bottle—a safe distance from the table, of course.)

Canales’ customers routinely purchase wines they intend to uncork on some future date when they celebrate an anniversary, a child’s graduation, retirement, or the birth of a child or grandchild. For hundreds of years, wine drinkers have purchased barrels or cases of Madeira, port or wine which is then presented to children on auspicious birthdays or on their weddings. While this practice continues, today’s collectors are more likely to purchase wine for their own use or to help celebrate some future occasion.

Wine enthusiasts wax ecstatic about their collections, patiently awaiting the uncorking of what will likely be superb bottles of, brunellos, white and red burgundies, riojas, California cabernets, ports, madeiras, rieslings, sauternes and bordeaux—all ideal wines for aging. To figure out which wines to acquire, would-be collectors should assess their tastes, sampling wines and talking to knowledgeable wine staff. Both Canales and Mohally stress that pleasure from wine collecting can only be derived by purchasing what you like—not whatever receives the highest points from Wine Spectator.

But once you begin collecting, how do you know when to drink the wines you’ve assembled? The probable date for maturation can be determined by finding out how long a particular wine typically ages, following advice from cognoscenti at your local wine store, reading wine newsletters and magazines or at www.cellartracker.com. If you’ve bought a case or more, another approach is to sample a bottle each year beginning with the first year the wine might be aged to perfection. This provides the advantage of allowing a collector to taste the wine as its profile develops and matures. And aren’t we all looking for a good excuse to drink a bottle of wine, anyway?

Oak Park resident Stacy Lunardini, 41, started collecting a few years ago when she and husband Marc traded their condominium for a bungalow. Their new house has plenty of storage space, including a cool, dark basement which is currently being renovated to include a basic wine cellar. The couple collects bottles on their travels to Europe and California, but before settling them down for a long nap, Stacy scribbles drinking notes as well as the expected date of maturation on small wire tabs which are then attached to each bottle’s neck.

As with pets, certain wines demand specific care, though the requirements fall infinitely short of those required for say, dogs. When collecting and aging wines, a few guidelines should be considered. Optimally, wines should be stored in a cool, dark area with a temperature range from 58 to 65 degrees and no more than a two-degree fluctuation in a day. An acceptable temperature would range from 65 to 75 degrees, with no more than a four-degree fluctuation in any given day. Subject the wine to a 90 degree day or more than a ten degree temperature difference in a day and the bottle’s contents might at best be slightly compromised and at worst be better suited for cooking.

While wines hardly require one of those labyrinthine, cobweb-draped cellars seen in Masterpiece Theater episodes, they accomplish their best aging when it’s cool, dark and just slightly damp. If some range in temperature is permissible, setting bottles upright is strictly verboten. Rapid oxidization of wine can do considerable damage and by storing bottles on their sides, corks remain in contact with the wine and don’t pull away from the glass, thus admitting just the right amount of oxygen.

For apartment or condo dwellers, a retrofitted cellar might be impossible to pursue—and even if you could, all those wines aging in a shared storage room, perfuming the air with tempting, heady scents, might be asking for trouble.

If you start collecting and find yourself so impassioned with your new-found hobby that you run out of space, most areas offer wine storage facilities—check with your local wine store. For smaller caches, a climate-controlled wine storage chest can be had from specialty food, wine and appliance stores.

If John Stuart Blackie’s assertion that “Wine is the drink of the gods” is true, then collecting wines assures that you’ve always got something on hand to serve even the most exalted of visitors. And if a deity doesn’t arrive, then you can ceremoniously blow the dust off a bottle and serve it to family or friends—or better yet, enjoy it yourself.

I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines.
Oliver Goldsmith

Wine is bottled poetry. Robert Louis Stevenson

Wine is the most civilized thing in the world. Ernest Hemingway

When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking. Alexis Lichine