The COVID-19 pandemic has left indoor dining in a constant state of flux in Chicago. As bars and restaurants throughout the city are scrambling to make outdoor dining as comfortable as possible for guests, rigged tarps and igloos aren’t exactly ideal conditions to sip craft cocktails as temps continue to drop. Luckily, curating a bar cart at home is a simple alternative to catch a buzz without freezing your ass off. Here’s a list of at-home bar cart essentials that allow you to buy local while being your own bartender.
Another prime component to a bourbon old fashioned are bitters. While great for cleansing the palate and facilitating digestion, the key to bitters on your bar cart is for balancing your drinks. Chicago’s Bitter Ex is operated by exes in love/partners in business Ryan Rezvani and Stephanie Andrews. The company creates handcrafted bitters locally with bottles starting at $15. Bitter Ex recently introduced CBD bitters in a variety of flavors that boast 300 mg in each bottle to add a different kind of buzz.
Now that you’ve got your booze, let’s talk accessories. Your cart should include a shaker, jigger, julep strainer, and muddler, as well as a citrus press and zester. You can usually find these as a set, which makes them easier to hunt down. Other must-haves include a bar spoon and an ice bucket with tongs. When it comes to glassware, to start, you can get by with a set of highball (prime for a Collins or gin fizz) and lowball glasses (best used for drinks like an old fashioned or Manhattan). Once you’ve decided you’re ready to take the next step in your glassware game, you can begin collecting martini glasses, coupes, and champagne flutes. Barshop Chicago sells these items, alongside a lineup of decanters, at moderate prices that can be shipped to your door. For an in-person shopping experience, you can stock up at the newly opened Kit: A Bar Supply Store in Portage Park.
The Smith’s Hot Toddy
