Now that we're living in a mostly homebound world dominated by quarantine memes, you might find yourself pining after life's little luxuries from a few weeks past, like a post-work cocktail or a night out at your favorite bar. The stay-at-home order persists for now, but luckily, plenty of local watering holes are offering prepackaged cocktail kits to help you make your favorite boozy bevies at home—an excellent way to both treat yourself and help support Chicago bars and restaurants during this uncertain time. Here's where you can find cocktail kits for delivery and takeout so that you can upgrade your bar cart.
Acadia
When you order pickup from this Michelin-starred spot in the South Loop, you can (and should) toss in some booze. Acadia is slinging everything from beer to bottles of tequila, but we have our eyes set on their two cocktail kits. The lime gin martini bundle ($60) includes a bottle of Malaysian lime gin, German dry vermouth and lemon-lime bitters, while the Old Fashioned kit ($70) comes with a bottle of bourbon and upgraded mix-ins like Demerara sugar infused with sour cherry and kola nut as well as 12 hand-cut ice cubes and French cherries.
The Aviary
One of Chicago's most upscale bars is peddling a kit ($72) with all the fixings to create tropical whiskey sours at home, including a bottle of bourbon and grenadine syrup infused with passionfruit, pomegranate, apple, cherry and spices. Each bundle prepares six to eight cocktails with a splash of bourbon left over to sample neat. To get yours, you'll have to order takeout service from Alinea, Roister or Next; once you select a pickup time, you can opt to toss in cocktails or wines.
Bar Biscay
The folks at this West Town restaurant are doing the most with their remixed concept, cleverly dubbed Bodega Biscay. In addition to selling to-go meals, pantry essentials and toilet paper, the online shop features three comprehensive at-home cocktail kits so that you can shake and stir Manhattans ($55), Negronis ($70) or mimosas ($25) in your kitchen. Toss in a porrón to really liven up your next virtual happy hour.
Estereo
It's hard to beat the easygoing vibes of Estereo's all-day bar, but you can approximate the fun at home with some Latin American tunes and batched versions of the bar's signature cocktail mixes ($20), like the refreshing mate-and-falernum infused Breezy mix. Pair with a bottle of your choice spirit (available for various prices) and it'll be almost like you're tapping your toes at the bar's triangle-shaped counter. The offerings are around for pickup in limited quantities throughout the week, so make sure you're plugged into Estereo's Instagram page for regular updates about when you can snag your preferred combo.
Gemini
You won't find them listed on Gemini's online menu, but call to inquire about the Lincoln Park restaurant's four cocktail kits available for pickup: the Cadillac Margarita kit ($75) comes with tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and limes; the Squirtsky kit ($75) includes grapefruit-infused vodka and secret "squirtsky" mix; the Gentleman's Martini kit ($75) features vodka, vermouth, glasses and martini fixings; and the tongue-in-cheek My Vacation Was Canceled kit ($40) is stocked with rum, ginger beer and limes.
il Porcellino
Fittingly, il Porcellino rounds out its lineup of pastas and antipasti with two Italian-approved cocktail collections. If you're looking for something stiff and bitter, go with the Negroni kit ($89.95), which comes with bottles of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. The lighter, bubblier spritz kit ($47.95) is perfect for at-home day drinking and includes bottles of prosecco, Aperol and soda. The best part? You can opt for delivery or takeout when you order through Grubhub.
Kumiko
Julia Momose, the mixologist behind Kumiko's elegant Japanese-inspired cocktails, recently launched a petition urging Illinois lawmakers to allow the sale of pre-mixed beverages for pickup and delivery—right now cocktail kits are kosher, but bars and restaurants can't offer prepared alcoholic drinks for delivery or to-go. Until that day comes, we recommend taking advantage of the mix-and-match possibilities of Kumiko's omochi-kaeri (translation: to pick up and take home) online store, ranging from a briny, tangerine Som vinegar cordial ($25) to limited edition spirits like El Dorado's caramel-scented Madeira dry cask-aged rum ($130).
Ramen-San
If you're seeking comfort food during this truly weird time (who isn't?), consider a big bowl of soul-soothing, belly-warming ramen. If you'd rather turn your next meal into a wild night in, consider adding a sake bomb kit for two ($20) to your delivery order. Each kit includes mugs, shot glasses, chopsticks, beers and sake so you can bomb in style. Just be sure to clear off your kitchen counter before you start pounding.
Summer House Santa Monica
Head to DoorDash to browse Summer House Santa Monica's six cocktail kits available for delivery, including the cleverly-named Can't Travel to Manhattan bundle ($150), complete with enough bourbon, vermouth and Angostura bitters to make 16 cocktails. (You'll find similar options at fellow Lettuce Entertain You-owned joints like Stella Barra and RPM Italian.)
Three Dots and a Dash
As you might expect, this River North tiki den's to-go booze menu isn't lacking. At-home mix masters will geek out over the bar tool set ($40), housemade syrups ($10) and rare rums ($20–$175), but if you want to keep things simple, order the full cocktail kit ($45), which includes two Mai Tai glasses and enough booze to make four cocktails. After a few drinks, you might just go back to order Three Dots' funky tiki mugs ($40 each).