Are Bottled Cocktails The Next Big Bar Trend?!

Jake Melnick's bottled "Mexico: 5 A.M." cocktail. (Photo: Jake Melnick's)

I first encountered bottled cocktails during the recent Chicago Gourmet event when Olmeca Altos tequila had them on standby for chefs working the Supreme Lobster tent. What made these bottled Palomas especially delicious was the fact that they were carbonated, which meant that their all-natural ingredients would stay fresh longer.

We were treated to a host of even more bottled drinks at bellyQ during its first-ever Chef Karaoke Throwdown. For the event, Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Brian Huston (Publican), John Manion (La Sirena Clandestina) and others were charged with coming up with a signature cocktail to be bottled. We sampled everything from a margarita to a fernet-based elixir.

Unfortunately none of that bottled booze can be had on a regular basis, which makes the new offerings at Jake Melnick's particularly special. I know, right?! Who would have thought this Gold Coast sports bar would carry such concoctions!

For fall, they're serving up five specialty bottles, each priced at $12:

Cranberry (cranberry-infused Bacardi Silver, orgeat, quartered lemon, dried cranberries)

Big Words (Bombay Sapphire gin, maraschino, green chartreuse, elderflower)

Mexico: 5 A.M. (Jose Cuervo Traditional, carpano antica, illegal mezcal, heering coffee liqueur, "secrets")

Snickerfritz (Bacardi Dragonberry, Bacardi Silver, Appleton rum, rhubarb syrup, falernum)

Diplomatic Immunity (Templeton rye, smoked blood orange bitters, punt e mas, Lagavulin single malt scotch rinse)