Tired of the same old, blah vodka tonic? Bored with your uninspired vodka cranberry? Sounds like it’s the season for you to spice things up with an infused cocktail. Bars and restaurants are getting creative this fall, offering flavor-infused cocktails that tickle the tongue with tastes like ginger, clove and cinnamon.
Rock and Rye Toddy, $11
When swanky Le Passage (937 N. Rush St. 312-255-0022) reopens Nov. 9 after remodeling, tableside bartending will be available in the new back room, called The Drawing Room. Consider requesting a cocktail made from the Rock and Rye Holiday Infusion, concocted with rye, dark rum, rock candy, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange and lemon — peel and all. After sealing and shaking the ingredients in a mason jar where it sits for up to two weeks, bartenders use the filtered infusion to make the Rock and Rye Hot Toddy, a mix of the Rock and Rye infusion and hot water.
Apple Ginger Snap, $10
Joe Blizzard, manager of Minibar (3339-41 N. Halsted St. 773-871-6227), describes this cool-weather cocktail as “ginger with an apple aftertaste.” Makes sense to us. Peeled ginger root soaks in Svedka vodka for a couple of weeks — look for it in giant infusion jars behind the bar — before it’s combined with DeKuyper Pucker Sour Apple Schnapps, cranberry juice and ginger ale to create this new fall martini. Sip one or two on a weeknight when the vibe is chill and loungey, or fuel up with one before diving into Minibar’s raucous weekend scene.
Forbidden Fruit, $10
Wicker Park’s organic pizzeria Crust (2056-58 W. Division St. 773-235-5511) combines local Seedling apple cider with cinnamon-infused Rain organic vodka and a brown sugar syrup to create this cocktail. Andrew Lurie, Crust’s director of operations, says the drink is not as sweet as it sounds. “The vodka with the sugar in it actually has less sugar in it than typical sweetened alcoholic drinks,” he says. Join the rest of the organically inclined hipsters and buggy pushers for a taste of this forbidden fruit — preferably on a weekday when the crowds are not as thick.
Gage Cocktail, $12
The namesake cocktail at The Gage (24 S. Michigan Ave. 312-372-4243) combines Grey Goose LaPoire (pear-flavored vodka), Aperol (an orange-flavored aperitif), a splash of cranberry, pressed lime juice and clove-infused pressed apple juice. Gage owner Billy Lawless says the drink has a “spicy sweet” taste that presents a hint of cloves right away. To create the juice infusion, the lime juice and cloves are added to about a gallon of apple juice and cooked on low heat for about 45 minutes before they’re brought to a boil right at the end of the process. The hearty drink, which pairs well with The Gage’s equally hearty fare, is perfect for the winter-weary after-work set.
Snap Frost, $11
Even to utter the word frost may seem unfathomable at this time of year — it’s still October, after all — but Viand (155 E. Ontario St. 312-255-8505) already is prepared to bundle up for the winter with this cocktail. French Ciroc vodka, made from grapes, is infused with fresh figs, grapes and sweet pears, then Viand mixologist Steve Budrow adds a bit of simple syrup to bring out the sweet flavors of the fruit and waits about a week for the infusion to take. The drink is served ice-cold in a sugar-rimmed martini glass with a skewer of frozen grapes. Brrr!
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metromix@tribune.com
