Chicago, get ready to raise your glass: The inaugural Chicago Cocktail Classic is landing Sunday, June 15, and it’s bringing some serious international flavor with it.
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Running from 4 pm to 8 pm, this one-night-only event is less bar crawl, more passport-required tasting tour (minus the jet lag). Spread across Three Dots and a Dash, Gus’ Sip & Dip and Salon 61, the Classic is pouring up mini-sized cocktails from over 20 elite bar programs, including global heavyweights like The American Bar (London), BKK Social Club (Bangkok) and Panda & Sons (Edinburgh), alongside local legends like Bisous and Truce.
Early bird tickets are on sale now for $89 via Tock, which includes 10 drink tokens, each good for a perfectly portioned cocktail and access to all three venues. Consider it your all-inclusive boarding pass to a globe-trotting happy hour.
“The Chicago Cocktail Classic offers the perfect opportunity to immerse guests in world-class mixology, all in one unforgettable evening,” said Kevin Beary, the drink wizard behind Three Dots and a Dash and Gus’ Sip & Dip. “Collaborating with some of the top bars around the globe is always an incredible experience.” Beary hopes to make the Classic an annual staple for serious sippers and curious cocktail enthusiasts alike.
Confirmed talent includes a who’s-who of the mixology world: from NYC’s Sip & Guzzle and Angel’s Share to Paris’s Bar Nouveau and San Juan’s Identidad. Whether you’re into rum-forward tiki creations, high-concept martinis, or daring flavor experiments, chances are someone at the Classic is serving it.
Guests are encouraged to hop between the three venues at leisure, as each will host a rotating lineup of guest bars. Translation? If you want to say you’ve truly done the Cocktail Classic, you’d better pace yourself.
Pro tip: Wear your best bar-hopping shoes and maybe skip brunch that day. You’ve got a global tasting tour ahead of you. Cheers to that.