![]() ![]() I suppose Weather Up and Uncle Greg were my initiation.Īs with so many quality watering holes in this city, Weather Up does it right, from the selection of liquor to the technical precision and thoughtfully-curated menu. Until that particular Monday evening in June, I hadn’t quite had my eureka moment with spirits and cocktails. I love the story behind food the narrative of wine the generations of people before us perfecting the craft, shaping the art, and in some cases smuggling the goods (one of the many reasons I love Boardwalk Empire–that and my old-school gangster thing). I was seeing everything with fresh eyes.Īs I’ve moved out of my 20s and into my 30s, I’ve fallen deeply in love with food and wine: the history, the culture, the evolution, the practice. The early-evening atmosphere was such a change from our previous visits, with time to notice and savor the cocktails at hand. As my uncle talked shop with the bartender, checking out the extensive bar selection, Robby and I admired the display of fresh juices, syrups and condiments and the fantastic ice-making and breaking process up close. Unlike our past visits, this time we arrived one minute after the 7:00 pm opening and had the place to ourselves. His wealth of knowledge covers rums, ryes, syrups, and sodas, he makes his own grenadine and accurately recites the history of the Sazerac. Greg–my dad’s brother, an amateur mixologist and a jolly drinking companion–knows a thing or two (or twenty) about spirits and the art of the cocktail. The atmosphere was great and we still kept coming back, but I realize now that we just didn’t get it. Our orders took a long time and our off-menu requests were not easily met. ![]() Our first few visits to Weather Up took place late at night as part of a group of friends, giving us the impression that it was a beautiful but stuffy, crowded, and loud setting. We were familiar with the speakeasy craze from Manhattan hotspots like Little Branch and The Back Room, so the sign-less, sleek, white-tiled entrance of Weather Up had the subtle, cool vibe to match our expectations. Some might bristle at our glee for gentrification, but for us, it just means more cool things within walking distance of our place. Since moving to Prospect Heights three years, ago, my husband Robby and I have watched excitedly as new and noteworthy bars popped up all around us. Sigh, kids grow up so fast these days with their rye liquors and their retro coupe glassware, don’t they? Today, contributor Natalie Hoch returns to tell us about her conversion to bespoke cocktail culture. ![]()
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