recommendation: hand crafted cocktails

I recently posted on the curious creations at The Violet Hour. This past Saturday (date night!) after dinner at Vivo , an amazing rustic italian restaurant in the West Loop, we wandered 5 blocks over to a new establishment, The Aviary. I had no idea that this place existed and probably would not have as there was no signage. Beware, it can get kind of confusing back there as this area is known as the 'meatpacking district' and is filled with warehouses and trucks. My co-worker Amy recommended to me a fantastic blog that she follows, Refinery 29 and after reading a post about date night ideas for the west loop, which was exactly what we had planned, I figured we should try to add The Aviary to our agenda! Here is what Refinery 29 had to say:

Cocktails at The Aviary
To set the mood, start things off right at a memorable cocktail spot. Grant Achatz, world-renowned chef and restauranteur, is the driving force behind The Aviary, a unique lounge featuring artisan cocktails and eighteen different types of ice (yes, really), all held in custom-designed glassware (yes, really) that will give you plenty to talk about. From the man that brought us Alinea, you can expect drinks that are nothing short of amazing. The Aviary, 955 West Fulton Market (at Morgan Street).

We arrived and after 15 minutes were able to get in to the standing room only area which worked out for the better as we had a front row view of the kitchen. This kitchen was filled not with chefs but mixologists, taking just as much care with each ingredient in their drinks. Peeling the rind off 5 oranges in a row with no mistakes, blowtorches, flowers and mixers, it was high energy. They gave us an amuse, a tequila based drink with an ice cube made of juice and chilies, that infused the tequila as it melted. I ordered a fruity drink that came in a volcano like glass and tasted sophisticated and floral (which feels like a weird way to describe a cocktail but that's what it was). My hubs got a carbonated version of a tom collins. Both of our drinks had great stories to them that our waitress enthusiastically shared.

We decided to try one more and went with the blueberry, a drink that we kept seeing and knew we had to try. This drink is a wheel, with strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, flowers and rinds and herbs. A combination of verjus, sweet vermouth, rye are poured in through a little spout when ordered and it slowly infuses, changing flavor over time. They give you tiny glasses so that you can taste the progression. We finally decided to call it quits (drinks are quite expensive there, wheel was $19), and were presented with one last treat! They blowtorch a strip from an old scotch barrel, cup the shotglass over to capture the smoke, mix in a milky scotch drink and serve it with the check!

Overall, worth the experience. It is fun to be at a place where people care so much about the product they are giving you. These cocktails each have a purpose. Check it out!