Top 10 ~ Part 2 of 3 in the Windy City

~ More must-visit drinking holes in Chicago. ~
Be sure to take a look at yesterday's Top 10, part 1.

Big Shoulders was a stop on both days of the Crawl in Chicago, and Tim and his team shared two different drinks from their signature menu. Day 1 it was the Cafe Bombon (top image), espresso poured over ice and a layer of sweetened condensed milk. The second drink was a housemade ginger-lemonade mixed with cold brew and served with a mint to make a coffee Arnold Palmer. Two exceptional coffee drinks! - Jason 

Cup and Spoon welcomed Crawlers from the sidewalk all the way to the back of their cozy neighborhood shop, where they brewed up Chemex, v60 and toddy brews of Metropolis coffee and exemplified their motto of "coffee, community and art." - Sadie 

That hidden back patio at Delicious Cafe is almost as spectacular as their vegan baked goods and Chapin Coffee options. Love when a shop and roaster tag team on a Crawl, and that's what Autumn of Delicious and Jennifer of Chapin (cha-peen) did. I'm bringing the fam next time I visit. - Jason

La Colombe's Chicago roasting space welcomed Crawlers with take home sample bags of whole bean coffee, a siphon brewed Esmerelda estate honey processed geisha, and some great Q & A. - Sadie 

The last time we rented a house as a team it was Portland, and we made sure there were local wines and beers stocked. This go around in Chicago we were barely at our place. We decided on a local brew, Half Acre, and one of Jason's favorite East Coast breweries, Sixpoint to keep within reach. They even came in handy on the train ride home. - the team

The team at Berrista took our taste buds on a trip like none other - after tasting cold brew coffee, plum tea and a house made grapefruit soda, we were all instructed to let an ice cube, made with "miracle berry" juice, melt on our tongues. We then tasted a lemon slice and all the bevs again, but - surprise! - they were all sweet! A taste receptor blocking phenomenon, this was one for the books! - Sadie 

The extensive Filtron cold brew set up at New Wave Coffee set the stage, and Jamie explained the process as we sipped the final product - smooth, chocolatey and delicious. - Sadie 

We craved refreshing after a 12 hour (or so) Caffeine Crawl blitz with one route after another. We found just the spot at The Aberdeen Tap. Michael got his chill down on with a Stiegl Radler and a Death's Door gin summer cocktail that he plans to duplicate back home, and Jason with beers from Dogfish Head and Buckledown Brewing.  - Michael and Jason

Our very own Caffeine Crawl menu at Portage Grounds had us feeling right at home after a long walk in the sunshine. Robert answered all of our questions about the friendly neighborhood shop, and we sipped our favorite beverage and munched pastries. - Sadie 

Scott at Caffe Streets made a few Chemexes for a compare and contrast of two different origins. First a Peru and then a Kenya. Both from Metric Coffee. - Jason

Stay tuned... the rest of our Chicago trip coming tomorrow! 

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