State Street Gimlet: Philip Marlowe drank gimlets. He liked them tried and true, gin and Rose’s lime juice, with “a pale-greenish-yellowish, misty look … sweet and sharp at the same time,” as novelist Raymond Chandler wrote. Still, it’s tough picturing Marlowe, or any embittered ’40s gumshoe, waltzing into State and Lake, on the ground floor of the Wit Hotel, and ordering a State Street Gimlet ($12). It only sounds hardcore. It swaps bite for comfort, gin for vodka, and not just any vodka — cucumber vodka. “It screams freshness and cool temperatures in a summer sun,” says Linh Pham, beverage manager at the Wit. He created the drink, which is simple, and looks simple: a cold, clear glass, slice of cucumber, ginger ale, lime juice, grassy cucumber flavor. Pham likes “twists on throwbacks,” but gin was strong for a lot of people and “good drinks needn’t be that complicated.” On a hot July day, you’ll want to order several. Talk about a long goodbye. 201 N. State St., 312-239-9400, stateandlakechicago.com
