CHICAGO — At a loss for how Chicago's top bartenders craft delicious, intoxicating cocktails? Looking to "wow" guests at your next party?
A new (to Chicago) delivery service will soon be there to help. Cocktail Courier aims to "demystify" the world of craft cocktails, and after launching downtown earlier this month, the service is expanding with citywide and same-day delivery Friday.
The key to Cocktail Courier is its connection with ShakeStir, an online bartender community. Each week, Cocktail Courier selects a handful of local ShakeStir bartenders to offer a custom recipe. Customers order a set of drinks, and the freshly prepared ingredients are delivered soon after.
"We find that people use Cocktail Courier for various reasons. The customer might appreciate the bartender and be a regular. Another person might like gin and want to try a new kind without investing $100 in a bottle," said co-creator Scott Goldman.
Ariel Cheung talks more about Cocktail Courier:
Cocktail Courier originally launched in New York City in November, "but we've had our minds on Chicago because the cocktail movement is on par with really any other city," said Goldman, who founded the service with his two brothers.
While mixology skills and craft drinks spread like wildfire on the bar scene, Goldman said it seemed many customers didn't have the know-how to make even simple cocktails.
"They're willing to pay $10-$15 for a good cocktail, but when it comes to creating them at home, even if it's a vodka tonic, the tonic water is flat, the lime juice is artificial. The drink doesn't come out right," Goldman said.
But Cocktail Courier goes beyond mere vodka tonics; recent options included a Pinup Sailor Daiquiri (Sailor Jerry rum, Combier Pamplemousse liqueur, lime juice, jalapeño simple syrup and bitters) crafted by The Drifter's Liz Pearce and a gin-and-mint Botanical Beach created by Nico Osteria's Matty Eggleston.
Cocktail Courier also offers a couple of seasonal classic cocktails like a St. Patrick's Day Hot Toddy (Irish whiskey, cloves, lemon juice and sugar) and a Moscow Mule.
Prices per drink range between $7-$10 and include a tip for the bartender, taxes and delivery fees. Customers can also enroll in a weekly or bi-weekly subscription that provides about a 20 percent discount per drink.
Bartools like jiggers and shakers and glassware can be ordered separately. All drink orders are filled by In Fine Spirits, 5418 N. Clark St.
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