If there was a place that could amaze you with it's scientific wizardry (pun intended), The Aviary, in Chicago would be that place. It's one of the most famous bars in the US, and possibly in the world. It's a part of the Alinea group, and if you're a foodie, Alinea is also one of the most innovative restaurants in the world, so it's natural that the sister bar to Alinea pushed the boundaries of craft cocktails (and no, I don't call it mixology). I'm a HUGE science geek so this bar was right up my alley in term of it's concept and it didn't disappoint! The cocktails on the menu are a masterful combination of visual and scientific "gimmickery" but still having great balance and flavor in each cocktail. There's a couple of tasting menus and featured "courses" of cocktails but I was there with bartenders so we decide to just choose our own. We all had 3 rounds of cocktails which is wayyyy to many to describe, but I'll go over some of the more spectacular ones.

Loaded to the Gunwalls

*mace, pineapple, hazelnut, batavia arrack*

Crazy Rich Raisins

*warm, rooibos, mandarin, whiskey, rum*

In the Rocks

*benedictine, angostura, oak-aged apple brandy*

Wizard Staff

*avenues, knickerbocker, pisco punch, nui nui*

I hope you enjoyed those pics and videos, but it really doesn’t do the place justice. It’s definitely an in-person experience. Here are some extra pictures of a few more cocktails that we had there. They do have their own cocktail book, which you can purchase online or at the bar. The book also has some incredible shots of their cocktails, and is definitely worth buying if you’re a cocktail geek. Thanks for checking out this post, and be sure to come back for some more cocktail posts! I still have lots of pics from bars that I’ve visited!

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