Pro-ABV: Why Chicago cocktail bars are embracing overproof liquors (Via EaterChicago)
But how is Chicago developing such a taste for the hard stuff while other cities appear to be doubling down on the beverage world’s softer side? It all started with a few coveted bottles.
Whether it was the city’s proximity to Louisville, history of illicit Prohibition-era activity, frigid winters that constantly demand a body-warming antidote, or abundant access to raw materials like grain, along with endless train routes for distributing barrels — or, most likely, all of the above — Chicago has seemingly always had a vested interest in America’s favorite brown liquor.
“We’ll always have this reputation as a whiskey town, and now there’s so many other cool products coming out at still strength,” says Aba lead mixologist Liz Pearce. “What we get in the United States, for the most part, is all watered back, and that’s something people don’t realize. Things don’t come off the still at 80 proof, so with still strength, you can really taste the distillers’ soul. That’s the best part about overproof.
“Most classic cocktails utilize higher-proof spirits as base spirits for good reason,” says Lazy Bird’s Lee Zaremba, one of the beverage directors for Chicago’s fabled. “It’s an incredible foundation to build with — the strength of the alcohol can stand up to the addition of sugar and pops of acid from fresh juices.”
Mixing these hearty and generally harder-to-find expressions into cocktails might seem antithetical to liquor purists who consider neat the only way to truly experience a pricey pour. But Chicago, a city where the nightlife mindset is equal parts upscale steakhouse bravado and anything-goes corner dive, has proven to be the ideal place to experiment with high-octane mixology.
And it turns out that a stiffer spirit might even lessen a cocktail’s sticker shock. “There’s a definite ‘bang for your buck’ culture in the Midwest, and people want to feel like they are getting their money’s worth when spending $12 to $15 for a cocktail,” Zaremba observes. “Higher-proof spirits help you get there.”
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