TOP DRINK

Recently, a favorite Bucktown restaurant of mine, Duchamp, debuted a brand new craft cocktail list and partnership with local Mixologist Eric Hay. This new menu is a much better fit for the French/American restaurant and focuses on classic pre-prohibition cocktails with a modern, seasonal twist.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Hay and hear about his inspiration behind the new menu, as well as some insight into the craft cocktail resurgence. Hay has helped Duchamp create a menu that goes along with the restaurant’s philosophy of using fresh, local ingredients in their food, and applying that to the drink menu. He has started making fresh juices, home-made syrups and infusions in-house, and really focuses on classic, quality recipes. Hay also taught me a few tid-bits about the craft cocktail world, like the fact that bitters changed the profile of drinks forever and Gin is preferred over vodka when combining flavor profiles for a drink. Also, did you know that spirits are supposed to be stirred and not shaken?

Either way, Duchamp’s new menu is AMAZING. I highly recommend the Loretto Flower and the Limon Agave Margarita. Also, one of my favorite items is the Dealer’s Choice – a rotating daily classic cocktail offering picked by the bartenders. Plus, their gorgeous outdoor patio is the perfect spot to indulge on any one of these drinks!

You can check out Duchamp’s full cocktail menu here: www.duchamp-chicago.com.

Annie Neyman Block Group Director