Top 10 ~ Part 3 of 3 in the Windy City

~ A wrap of our Top 10, er, 30 from our Chicago trip. ~
Also browse through part 1 and part 2.

Pic taken by Hose.

I think we all agree we'll miss Bad Wolf Coffee - the drinks, pastries and atmosphere. They made a coffee creme soda using cocoa nibs, espresso, club soda, and a cream or milk substitute. A unique and very cool approach to a coffee drink. - Jason

Come for the amazing coffee from Halfwit Coffee (we did a side-by-side comparison of brew methods), but stay for the surrounding artifacts from the 70s, 80s and 90s at The WormHole. Macintosh computers, a Delorean from Back to the Future, or maybe even a Ghostbusters sign will greet you with other pop culture symbols from the past 30+ years. - Michael

Eastman Egg split their stops up by using their brick and mortar location where they unleashed a homemade Twinkie from Stella Bakes alongside a Chemex brew of Sparrow Coffee. The other stop was a visit to their food truck for more Sparrow Coffee. - Jason

Unless you have been, you just can't understand how amazing these drinks really are! The Aviary is one of the top cocktail clubs in the country. If you are studying cocktails, or just a fan of drinking them, this place is a must visit. Each drink is a work of art and handcrafted by some of the best in the business. Smoke in suitcases, bubbles, aquariums filled with spirits, shrubs and more! We had several rounds with Chicago friends and all memorable experiences. More on The Aviary on later blogs. - Michael and Jason

We learned about teas from around the world from the tea pros at TeaGshwendner. Nepal, China, white, black, hot, cold you name it, and these folks know their leaves! It was great to see one of the two TeaGshwendner shops in the U.S. - Michael

Some bars get labeled cool, or the place to go right away, and then there are those that have been the spot for decades. We stayed right around the corner from The Green Mill, and if you don't know the bar's history here you go. No sights of Capone's ghost, but into the wee hours as an alto sax played on stage we laughed and took in a pour of Buffalo Trace, rum & Coke, and a negroni. - the team

Osmium, a Dark Matter Coffee shop, sampled their Chocolate City nitro cold brew, and talked about the brews process and their collaborations. This cafe has one of the best decors in Chicago, too. - Jason

Nothing like a night of cured meats, high-end seafood, and quality handcrafted cocktails at a James Beard Award-winning restaurant! Publican did not disappoint. Top that off with the annual celebration of Negroni Week, which Jason and I did our job supporting. - Michael

Dollop used 3 different shop locations for their individual Crawl presentations. 2 of the shops focused on the coffee side with their beans from Metropolis Coffee. Downtown gave a presentation on cold brews while the Lakeview location did a Sumatra and Ethiopia blend comparison from a Chemex and AeroPress. 
The Uptown store invited Rishi Tea, and they talked about some tea basics, plus made a few tea-based drinks for all of us with different milk options. - Michael and Jason

Bowtruss gave a nice presentation at their River North store that was on the Crawl. They talked about their coffee and new space in the works. We left the shop with a bottle of their cold brew to go, which our crew saved for the train ride home. We also got a chance to visit their Pilsen location. - Jason

~ Join the Conversation ~