Best Bars In America 2019 List Includes 12 From Illinois

As winter takes hold for real, there’s nothing like the warm cordiality of a favorite watering hole, which The Daily Meal called “the great socioeconomic equalizer” in its roundup of “The 150 Bars in America for 2019.” Illinois had 12 on the list.

Members of The Daily Meal’s editorial staff have been compiling the list since 2011, explaining the process: “The Daily Meal walks into a bar and — we peruse the menu, the clientele, and the drinks list; we scrutinize the drink, the place, the vibe; we take mental notes. Then we decide to grab a wad of cocktail napkins and start scribbling notes for a list like this. …”

The list includes everything “from simple beach bars and swanky cocktail lounges to innovative houses of ‘molecular’ mixology to dusty dive bars and dens of iniquity,” The Daily Meal said.

Among “The 150 Best Bars in America for 2019” in Illinois that left a big impression on The Daily Meal staff are:

Bar No. 1 - The Office, Fulton Market, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 1

"If you thought Grant Achatz's innovative bar The Aviary was exclusive, wait until you encounter the 16-seat VIP lounge underneath it. The Office — which requires advanced bookings through Tock, developed by Nick Kokonas, co-owner of the Alinea Group — lures patrons to the Chicago space with rare spirits and intriguing reinterpretations of classic cocktails..."

Bar No. 2 - The Aviary, Fulton Market, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 3

"Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas' cocktail venture in Chicago, The Aviary, is an experience: From the setting and the cocktails to the service and the food, no detail is overlooked at this “redefined” cocktail bar. Even the ice that is used to craft the cocktails is elevated to high art. The place churns out more than 25 types of ice, from minuscule ice balls to flavored spheres to enormous blocks for hand-chipped ice. It’s safe to say an evening spent here is unlike any other..."

Bar No. 3 - The Violet Hour, Wicker Park, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 7

"A marble bar spans the length of the room, which features cornflower blue walls, white crown molding, crystal chandeliers, and hardwood floors, giving the space an elegant feel. Tipples include 25 seasonally changing cocktails made with an array of house-made syrups, bitters, and fresh juices as well as a small but continually rotating list of wines by the glass and beer."

Bar. No. 4 - Milk Room, the Loop, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 23

"Milk Room is a cozy microbar with just eight seats, located on the second floor of the Chicago Athletic Association. The Illinois bar prides itself on its creative cocktails made with rare and vintage spirits and ingredients that are hard to find."

Bar No. 5 - Blackbird, West Loop, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 30

"Creative craft cocktails that change to fit the distinct seasons of Chicago and exemplary savory and sweet culinary options have made Blackbird a hit. There are six seasonal cocktails and four Captain’s List cocktails like the Blackbird old fashioned (Woodford Reserve Personal Selection 2017, Demerara, Angostura, orange peel), plus a wine list of nearly 200 varieties on offer."

Bar No. 6 - The Ladies Room, Logan Square, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 33

"Seating just 18 people, this intimate, speakeasy-style Illinois spirits haven is reminiscent of the fantan (Chinese gambling halls) and red light districts that proliferated around Macau in the mid-19th and 20th centuries. Adjacent to the award-winning restaurant Fat Rice (it is a six-time Michelin Bib Gourmand Recipient, among other awards), The Ladies Room is decorated with vintage 1920s Chinese pinup posters and a six-and-a-half-foot mural of an Asian Madonna to create the space’s sensuous, dimly lit aesthetic. "

Bar No. 7 - Billy Sunday, Logan Square, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 34

"Bar director Stephanie Andrews impeccably prepares and presents a craft cocktail collection of nearly two dozen concoctions, including the Victorian (Dutch gin, wormwood bitters, Amaro Sibilia, and Fernet) along with draft libations and large-format punches."

Bar No. 8 - Scofflaw, Logan Square, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 36

"The gin-focused Scofflaw, which will celebrate its seventh anniversary in March, is a Chicago gem — a neighborhood bar in Logan Square that warmly welcomes all to settle onto barstools or settees for cocktails, from tiki drinks to absinthe sprays to American craft beers. There are exceptional small plates that are worth a taste, too, at this Illinois bar."

Bar No. 9 - Sportsman's Club, Ukrainian Village, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 38

"When Sportsman’s Club was transferred into the hands of Heisler Hospitality (the folks behind Chicago bars like Queen Mary, Lone Wolf, Pub Royale, The Revel Room, and Estereo) in 2013, the Windy City was (and still is) abuzz about the bar’s daily blend of amaro (an Italian herbal liqueur) served chilled in a shot glass."

Bar No. 10 - Spilt Milk, Logan Square, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 57

"Spilt Milk offers a bit of a hipster vibe and a lot of attentive service. If you’re not feeling the dark and well-decorated interior, there’s a nice patio for the warmer season where you can enjoy the Illinois bar’s cocktails like the Frozen Coffee (Irish whiskey, Metric "Hellion" cold brew coffee, chocolate, and espresso liqueur) or the Sarsaparilla Zazerac (house bourbon, sarsaparilla, roasted grain, almond, and absinthe)."

Bar No. 11 - Three Dots and a Dash, River North, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 97

"Dots and a Dash is a speakeasy take on a traditional tiki bar and one of Illinois’s craft cocktail destinations. Hidden down an alley in the middle of downtown Chicago, the tiki bar was named one of The World’s 50 Best Bars by Drinks International and is led by cocktail expert Kevin Beary."

Bar No. 12 - Lost Lake, Logan Square, Chicago

Ranking on the list: No. 101

"A stylish tropical oasis-meets-flotsam-strewn island hut, Lost Lake evokes both the glamorous tropical escapism of 1930s Hollywood and the rugged nautical, island aesthetic of the world's first tiki bar, the original Don’s Beachcomber Café..."

Bars “are ubiquitous and unifying,” the site said, adding: “Nearly anyone of legal age can enter a bar, pull up a stool and buy him- or herself a refreshing glass of liquid luxury in its many forms: from a budget ice-cold brew to a fine wine to a potent shot to a classic cocktail to a spectacular modernist creation.”

Read more on The Daily Meal.

Image: The Aviary in Chicago; by Amber Fisher/Patch Staff