BY MARIS CALLAHAN
With August winding down, there is no such thing as spending too many evenings drinking cocktails on an outdoor patio, especially if said outdoor patio just so happens to be in the direct proximity of the Chicago River. Bridge Bar blends traditional culinary techniques with ingredient inspired concoctions and cuisines. In honor of August 16th’s National Rum Month, the cocktail kitchen is celebrating all month long with cocktails on tap including Head Bar Chef Kevin Schulz’s Draft Dodger.
If you’ve had your fill of mojitos for the season, the Draft Dodger is made with light and dark rums, fresh lemon juice, house simple syrup, agave nectar, black stripe bitters, Jamaican bitters and Peychaud bitters. The name of the cocktail might sound like a nod to military terminology, but the cocktail is actually served “on draft” from a tap at the bar.
Bridge Bar offers a full wine and beer list, as well as a variety of craft cocktails to pair with its innovative menu, billed as “classic bar food with a twist.” Alongside standard offerings like fresh oysters and beer mussels are tater tots topped with crisp bacon and maple chili sauce, as well as grilled octopus in a spinach white wine sauce.
Enjoy the Draft Dodger at Bridge Bar for half-price on Tuesdays ($3.50) or make your own at home with Schulz’s very own recipe, adapted to scale for home mixologists. You can use your favorite rum of choice. Bridge Bar’s rum list for the month of August includes:
- Angostura old oak
- Rhum barbancourt
- Ron matusalem platino
- El dorado 5yr
- Ron zacapa
- Oronoco fazenda reserva
Perfect for a summer party or at-home happy hour, this uniquely Chicago cocktail is sure to liven any happy hour, through the end of the summer…and even beyond.
Draft Dodger
2 parts rum (dark, light, pineapple, etc)
1 part of vodka
1 part of lemon juice
Drop of Bitter Cube Jamaican bitters
1 part of simple syrup
Combine all ingredients and garnish with mint, if desired.
