Boozy brunch cocktails for the win.
Drink of the week: Arcades Project ($12) at Big Jones
5347 N. Clark St.773-275-5725
Coffee at brunch is a necessity, but coffee-infused booze is a luxury we’ll certainly take advantage of when the opportunity arises. Big Jones in Andersonville serves up the Arcades Project, a brandy-based cocktail with house-infused Campari, vermouth, bitter artichoke liqueur and a flamed orange peel garnish. It’s a dynamic drink with flavors that evolve with each sip.
Beverage director Andrew Shay calls it a “collage cocktail,” pairing elements from two classics: a boulevardier (bourbon or rye whiskey, vermouth and Campari) and a cafe brulot (cognac or brandy, coffee, warm spices and a citrus peel).
“Drink it before dinner, drink it after dinner—it was kind of an experiment to see what coffee and Campari would do,” he said.
More Top Picks Best Memory Foam Pillows
The combination enhances the sweet, chocolatey flavors of the coffee with only subtle hints of bitterness. Shay thought Copper & Kings brandy from Louisville, Ky., would fit the restaurant’s Southern roots and was excited to play with brandy, which he feels has been “neglected” in the U.S. beverage scene.
He named it Arcades Project after German author Walter Benjamin’s collection of unfinished essays by the same title. The author used literary collage techniques to chronicle Paris city living and socialites passing through the glass-covered arcades. “It was a way to reference that there’s a boulevardier in it and the collage aspect,” Shay said.
Essentially, this one is meant to be sipped with pinkies out.
For more eat & drink news, click here.