Infused with owner Julia Momosé’s signature elegance and razor-sharp attention to detail, Kumiko is a sophisticated cocktail bar that blends Japanese and American cocktail influences with style and finesse. The minimal interiors are softened by light wood and exposed brick, punctuated with thoughtful details like the occasional flower arrangement, helping Kumiko serve as a quiet and upscale respite from the bustle of Chicago’s West Loop bar scene.

There are plenty of beautiful pre-mixed beverages to choose from at this West Loop bar where drinks can be picked up and taken home. Seasonal drinks menus present a refined approach. In addition to the thoughtful collection of sake, shochu and Japanese whisky, cocktail menus feature drinks made with both Japanese and American ingredients, usually selected with seasonality in mind.

"Provocative and spiritous" Umé Boulevardier, for example, modernizes the classic cocktail in a contemporary direction with Japanese whisky, Campari, aged Uméshu and Italian sweet vermouth. And since Momosé is known for her pioneering work in creating alcohol-free drinks, there is always a progressive option for the non-tipplers at the bar. Reservations can be made for the main dining room; bar seats are first come first served.

• Google Rating: 4.8/5.0
• Price Range: Average Price per Cocktail $14
  
• Opening Hours: Wed to Sun 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM (Next day)
• Phone: +1 312-285-2912
• Website: https://barkumiko.com/
• Address: 630 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60661

Step into Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar and you’ll immediately be hit with the scent of Chinese food wafting from the kitchen. That’s the first clue that this new Bucktown bar is more than just a place to get a fancy drink. The latest concept from the folks behind acclaimed Logan Square restaurant Giant, Chef’s Special offers cocktails and American Chinese cuisine that’s “fun and delicious with a zero judgment atmosphere.”

The real center of attention in Chef’s Special’s space is the bar, so starting with a fun cocktail is definitely a good idea. Their cocktail menu is organized into three different types: spritz’d, mixed and stirred channeling tropical vibes all around. Many of these can also be made booze-free, too. After a few fruity cocktails, you may want to switch it up, so they have a great list of wines and rotating beers, along with easy drinkin’ domestics. Upgrade your takeout order with a cocktail or two—the chili-oil–soaked wontons are a perfect match for the Blue Moon, a blue-hued, tequila-infused sipper with notes of elderflower.

The bar's vaguely retro design riffs off both old-school Chicago taverns and family-owned Chinese restaurants. Tuck into a tiny booth, belly up to the 19-seat round bar, or make some friends at a communal table. If you're planning a dinner trip, reservations are a good idea. With a lively atmosphere and a menu that encourages repeat visits, Chef's Special is poised to become a neighborhood fave.

• Google Rating: 4.6/5.0
• Price Range: Between $10-$12
  
• Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM (Next day), Sun 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
  
• Phone: +1 773-666-5143
• Website: https://chefsspecialbar.com/
  
• Address: 2165 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

The Aviary is a cocktail bar that emphasizes molecular gastronomy. Grant Achatz, the mastermind behind the bar and owner of the world-famous restaurant Alinea, has evolved into an experimental cocktail connoisseur.

The staff is trained in the same way that chefs are in order to truly develop their palates and understand the depth of the variety of fiery flavor combinations. Utilising infusion flasks, rotary evaporators and blast chillers, there are cocktails with a fine-dining approach. All of the ingredients are carefully sourced and combined to create some of the most intricate and revolutionary cocktails in the world.

For a true taste of this gastronomic drinking experience, try their famous Rooibos cocktail, served in what looks like a Bunsen burner contraption. It is perfectly crafted by brewing rooibos tea with cinnamon, saffron, vanilla, cardamom, crushed almonds, mint, verbena and lavender in a vacuum flask. Or for something even more theatrical why not try the In the Rocks where you’ll have to extract the drink by cracking open an ice shell with a small tool? The innovation of this bar knows no bounds.

All of these cocktails perfectly complement the selection of delicious light bites served up throughout the evening. How about a nibble of some tempura crab or premium wagyu beef when sip on your cocktail creation? This is more than an evening out, it is an experience. An experience that absolutely cannot be missed.

• Google Rating: 4.4/5.0
• Price Range: $15 - $20
  
• Opening Hours: Sun & Wed - Fri 6:00 PM - 02:00 AM, Sat 6:00 PM - 03:00 AM
• Phone: (312) 226-0868
  
• Website: https://www.theaviary.com/
• Address: 955 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

Located in the former dining room of longtime neighborhood restaurant Moon Palace, Nine Bar is a moody, Blade Runner-esque space with a killer menu of cocktails and bar bites that owners Lily Wang and Joe Briglio have dubbed “Asian-ish".

The menu at Nine Bar will focus on specialty cocktails, including the Chu-Hai, a shochu highball with baijiu, Midori, and Calpico; a mai tai with Chinese almond cookie orgeat syrup; and the Good Fortune, an Old Fashioned made with Japanese vodka, Medjool dates, plum brandy and infused with barley tea that mimics the characteristics of whisky. There will also be non-alcoholic cocktails, plus a modest selection of beer, wine, and sake, and shot-and-beer combos.

The snack menu will be brief, about 10 items, half of which will be vegan, all devised by Elvis Mom, a chef who formerly worked at the Spinning J bakery and soda fountain in Humboldt Park. He won the job at Nine Bar when he told Wang and Briglio that he’d been working out a way to make vegan milk bread. That bread will be served in the style of Hong Kong-style French toast, bruleed with palm sugar and served with a drizzle of coconut condensed milk.

There will also be fried cauliflower in orange chicken glaze; a McKatsu sandwich made with Japanese pork katsu, American cheese, and spicy bulldog sauce on a sesame seed bun; and fries covered with Moon Palace’s mapo chili sauce.

• Google Rating: 4.7/5.0
• Price Range: $13 - $ 15
  
• Opening Hours: Wed & Sun 5:00 PM - 1:00 AM (Next day), Thu to Sat 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM (Next day)
  
• Phone: +1 312-225-4081
• Website: https://www.ninebarchicago.com/
• Address: 216 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60616
  

On cold nights, gathering around one of the fireplaces at this River West favorite hits all the right notes. The Dawson has everything you can ask for in a gastropub—a convivial vibe, clever bites and a wraparound bar pouring stirring libations.

The Dawson, long a favorite place to eat and drink in casual comfort, offers a number of exceptional to-go-cocktails, including Beachfront Manhattan (Bicardi 8 year, Overproof Rum, Averna, and plantain syrup), G.T.O To Go (Beefeater gin, Bonal vermouth, lime, thyme, grapefruit, and hopped bitters) and Park Life (gin, green Chartreuse, peppermint, lavender, and lemon juice). With drinks this good, you’ll find that drinking at home or a friend’s house can be a lot more fun than you’d have thought.

A communal table and open kitchen with a counter offer multiple opportunities for meeting, greeting, and eating. When hunger strikes, get nibbling on chicken fried lobster with spicy ranch or roasted cauliflower with a boldly spiced masala. Lest you forget, seared duck breast and sausage with Oaxacan mole is great for sharing; while a Bourbon caramel blondie sundae is the stuff of dessert dreams.

The Dawson’s interior design draws inspiration from the history of the neighborhood and the industrial innovation of that era and offers an artfully stripped-down aesthetic, highlighting natural and reclaimed materials in unexpected ways throughout the establishment.

• Google Rating: 4.5/5.0
• Price Range: $15 - $40
  
• Opening Hours: Tue to Thu 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM, Fri 4:00 PM - 1:00 AM (Next day), Sat 10:30 AM - 1:00 AM (Next day), Sun 10:30 AM - 9:00 PM
  
• Phone: +1 312-243-8955
• Website: https://the-dawson.com/
  
• Address: 730 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654

Federales, one of the best spots to order to-go cocktails in Chicago, is known for its variety of margaritas — both frozen and classic — including a spicy watermelon version and a frozen tequila rosé. A lineup of locally-distilled spirits and beers includes vodka from Deep Ellum Distillery, whiskey from Balcones Distilling, gin from Blackland Distillery, and beer from Deep Ellum Brewing Company.

They offer a big selection of tequilas and mezcals, including two private barrel offerings and tequilas organized by age, smokiness, and premium status. In keeping with its south-of-the-border vibe, Federales is offering a fantastic take-home margarita mix. Nothing goes better with tequila and lime juice than Mexican food, and Federales has a huge selection of to-go Mexican items to pair with your Margs: shrimp and avocado ceviche, smoked brisket tacos, and a Gringo taco supreme.

Happy hour runs Monday-Thursday 4-7 pm, with half-priced starters and margaritas. The space is big and fun with a large outdoor patio. It’s great for big groups, but the process of getting a table can be a pain. That’s because there is no process. You’ll have to hunt for people getting ready to leave and pounce like a vulture to snag their table.

• Google Rating: 4.3/5.0
• Price Range: $6 - $55
  
• Opening Hours: Mon to Thu 4:00 PM - 2:00 AM (Next day), Fri 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM (Next day), Sat 11:00 AM - 3:00 AM (Next day), Sun 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
  
• Phone: +1 773-831-9696
• Website: https://www.federaleschicago.com/
  
• Address: 180 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607

The Violet Hour, one of the Chicago bars in the avant-garde of America’s renewed interest in cocktails, is now offering to-go cocktails. This place is far more than just another speakeasy-style bar, it’s an institution and one that needs to be experienced. There’s no sign outside, just a bulb above the door marking the entrance; the interior is dramatic, all gorgeous blue walls, velvet drapes, and crystal chandeliers. Candles flicker on tables and the sound of low, happy voices fills the room. But impressive as all of this is, it’s the drinks that people flock here for and it’s easy to see why.

The Violet Hour serves artisanal cocktails in the heart of Wicker Park. The James Beard Award-winning bar program features a seasonally rotating cocktail list, as well as an extensive selection of approachable and sought-after spirits. The drink menu is organized by alcohol type, and though you'll find vodka, brandy, tequila, gin, and rum cocktails, The Violet Hour's speciality seems to be whiskey, and a sip of the eponymous Old Fashioned confirms it. This is your Chicago destination for a night of refined, expensive drinking.

• Google Rating: 4.6/5.0
• Price Range: $11 - $30
  
• Opening Hours: Wed to Sun 5:00 PM - 1:00 AM (Next day)
  
• Phone: +1 773-252-1500
• Website: http://www.theviolethour.com/
  
• Address: 1520 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

If you’re looking for a non pretentious place to order a great or to-go cocktail in Chicago, the Whistler has got you covered. Like the artwork out front, the cocktail menu changes seasonally. Head Mixologist Paul McGee—named one of Chicago’s Top 10 Bartenders by Metromix—continuously pushes the envelope when it comes to creating and showcasing new concoctions.

The Whistler offers a nice selection of pre-mixed drinks for pickup, such as the “Delhi Cooler” (gin, curry nectar, pineapple, lime) and the “Cool & Vicious” (Averna amaro, peated scotch whisky, Jamaican rum, salt and pepper bitters). There’s also plenty of juices, mixers, syrups, and spirits for fans to play with at home. The menu changes daily and each of the equally complex and inventive specialty cocktails run a mere $8, making it one of the best values of its kind in the city. You’ll also find a decent selection of bottled brews, and don't let the drink menu fool you into thinking the place is too upscale.

Also home to a gallery, record label and many-a weekend DJ set, The Whistler has made a name for itself by cashing in on all the funky vibes and creative capital found in the neighborhood. Stop by to see the best new local band or catch an improv troupe and prepare to be wowed.

• Google Rating: 4.6/5.0
• Price Range: $3 - $16
  
• Opening Hours: Wed to Thu 6:00 PM - 1:00 AM (Next day), Fri to Sat 6:00 PM - 2:00 AM (Next day)
  
• Phone: +1 773-227-3530
• Website: https://whistlerchicago.com/
  
• Address: 2421 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Through a fresh and innovative American lens, Proxi, a sister restaurant to Partner and Executive Chef Andrew Zimmerman’s Sepia, scours the most culinary-rich corners of the globe to inspire a menu that celebrates the bold flavors of multicultural street foods through pristine ingredients. Located in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood along Restaurant Row, Proxi, designed by award-winning Meyer Davis, unites an award-winning team to transport its guests around the world, beginning with cuisine and extending to an eclectic beverage program focused on worldly inspirations and diverse, exotic ingredients.

Like its food, Proxi’s cocktails veer towards the exotic but with a balanced hand. Their playful names hint at the surprises to be found within. With its barrel-vaulted ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows and beautiful details throughout—some antique mirrors here, leather-quilted upholstery there and colorful tile work everywhere—Proxi’s interior design is rooted in beloved American brasseries of the mid-century.

To pair with these up-market renditions of the kind of food you might expect to find on the streets of Mexico City or Delhi, there are beverages like Lola is Back (Rhine Hall apple brandy, Zubrowka, Mancino Secco, cherry bark and vanilla bitters) and Bruja in the City (Banhez Mezcal, Strega, fennel, star anise, lemon, black pepper, and egg white).

• Google Rating: 4.6/5.0
• Price Range: $31 - $50
  
• Opening Hours: Tue 4:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Wed to Thu 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Fri to Sat 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
  
• Phone: +1 312-466-1950
• Website: https://www.proxichicago.com/
  
• Address: 565 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

This Chicago's premier tropical tiki bar and craft cocktail destination is hidden beneath River North's bustling streets. The secret hideaway – named one of The World’s 50 Best Bars by Drinks International – is led by cocktail expert Kevin Beary. Their team has worked tirelessly to source and create the best tiki cocktails possible, using only the freshest exotic fruits and spices, the finest rums and distilled spirits, as well as juices and elixirs that are cold-pressed and concocted in-house every day. Give up your worries and let Three Dots and a Dash whisk you away on a rum-soaked tropical adventure.

The elaborate sharing cocktails served in an array of unusual custom vessels, as well as the appropriately over-the-top tiki décor, are a highlight here. Don't forget to check out the heated patio for some outdoor tiki drinking. There are also island-style dishes available, such as coconut shrimp and pork skewers. It has the feel of a beach party and is a great place to go with friends on a night when you want to forget you live in a city where winter lasts six months of the year.

• Google Rating: 4.5/5.0
• Price Range: $30 and Under
  
• Opening Hours: Sun - Wed 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM (Next day), Thu - Fri 4:00 PM - 1:00 AM (Next day), Sat 2:00 PM - 1:00 AM (Next day)
  
• Phone: +1 312-610-4220
• Website: https://www.threedotschicago.com/
  
• Address: 435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654