Old Fashioned. Martini. Manhattan. Gimlet. Certain cocktails are considered “classic” … but that doesn’t mean that more can’t be added to the list! And now you can help create the next classic cocktail every Sunday at SIP Southport & Irving Restaurant and Bar Chicago {4000 North Southport Avenue; 773.857.2890}.
Their Unscripted Sundays promotion encourages guests to create cocktails according to their liking, thanks to an impeccable bar staff and their custom cocktail creator. In just a few simple questions, they can mix up a delicious drinks just for you for only $8-$12. Bar Manager Ardit Dizdari gave us the details.
DiningOut: How did you come up with the concept for Unscripted Sundays?
Ardit Dizdari: As we have a very extensive cocktail list, our customers can get a bit overwhelmed. It is always a conversation of favorites and go-to cocktails/spirits to figure out what would suit their taste.
A lot of the folks do get creative and go for the Unscripted Sundays form (at end of piece), and leave it in our hands.
Is it important to have a signature drink as a diner?
Yes, it is. You have to have some cocktail staples in your list!
What are some unexpected flavor combinations that work well in drinks?
Savory and spicy. Our cocktail on draft has herbs, jalapeños, cucumber, and lime peels infused in vodka, aquavit, salt, agave, lime, and grapefruit. Sweet-spicy-savory = awesome.
Define a “cocktail nemesis.” Is it something we can overcome?
With a cocktail we hate, it helps me to steer away from a flavor when creating a drink. Or, in other instances I can encourage the adventurous ones to try something along those lines and help them learn to like a “gin” per se.
What is your favorite cocktail?
The Old Fashioned, always. Super simple, one of the oldest cocktails around. Rye whiskey, angostura bitters, sugar, and an orange peel.
What is the most fun new cocktail you have created with this promotion?
This past Sunday I had a guest fill out the form. Loved peaty Scotch, gin and tonics occasionally, flavor profile “bacon or pulled pork” (that was a curveball), nemesis anything with Malibu rum.
Made him a cocktail with barrel-aged gin, Amer, sweet vermouth, and angostura and cherry bitters, smoked it with a smoking gun, served it with an orange peel and a big ice cube. He loved it.
By Kaleigh Glaza | Online Editor
The post Customize Your Cocktail with Unscripted Sundays appeared first on DiningOut Chicago.