For those who love overly complicated drinks and a bar tab that may end up costing more than your whole dinner, GQ has your back with their Guide to New Wave of Cocktails in the January 2012 issue.
The list is hardly a revelation, as though anyone needs further introduction to chef-driven cocktail bars at Michelin-rated restaurants like New York’s Daniel, WD-50, or Eleven Madison Park. Naturally, Grant Achatz’s cocktail temple The Aviary gets the only Chicago nod on a very short list of categories that include: barrel-aged, local and seasonal, molecular, and The Silver Platter (fine dining). Still, given the territorial nature of Chicago bartenders (specifically when it comes duking it out over cred), we wouldn’t be surprised if the list ruffles a few feathers—especially in the local and seasonal ingredients and barrel-aged categories.
