Featured Cocktail of the Week: Bad Hunter’s The One in Front of the Gun
This week’s featured cocktail comes from Bad Hunter in the West Loop.
Making a mark as a restaurant or bar in the West Loop is hard. Doing it on the vaunted Restaurant Row (where Bad Hunter is located), is daunting. To stick out in the ever competitive neighborhood, your product and establishment must be truly one of a kind with excellent quality and execution.
In six months, Bad Hunter has carved out its place on Randolph street and made a name as a dining establishment focused on vegetables. Sitting less than 20 feet away from Au Cheval and all their juicy, fatty burger gloriousness, Bad Hunter has been able to lure guests and tantalize them with a bevy of delicious healthy food options.
Following the lead of the food program, the seasonal cocktail menu features drinks low in alcohol meant to keep you on your feet having a great time, rather than hunched over the toilet calling it an early night. Bar Manager Josh Fossitt may have said it best, “Something I learned early on is that you don’t want to drink so much that you lose your sexy.”
And on that note, your featured cocktail of the week is the The One in Front of the Gun. The drink is presented in a wine glass and garnished with orange slices. The first thing guests will notice is the color of the cocktail, a vivid bright red.
The drink invokes memories of slushies in the summer, with its light and refreshing base made from Aperol, Tromba blanco tequila, and an elderflower liqueur; St. Germaine. The creative base is perfectly complimented by the subtle tanginess of sumac, refreshing sweetness of Leopold blackberry liqueur, and a slightly lingering heat left behind from Thai chilis used in the cocktail. Together, these elements create an incredibly well balanced and crisp cocktail.
And thats before The One in Front of the Gun is topped with crémant of bordeaux (sparkling French Wine) to give it a little fizz. The drink is served over crushed ice ensuring each sip is as icy and stimulating as the last.
The cocktail list is full of intriguing drinks with playful names such as the Black Andalusian Turf (made with Yzaguirre Rojo Vermouth and Diplomatico Añejo), the Green Eyed Mutiny (made with Cocci Americano, Zubrowa Vodka, and jalapeños), and the Mermaid Water (made with Dolin Blanc and Tanqueray No. 10).
The beer list consists of a collection of craft beers highlighted by the Le Tub, an exquisite saison from local brewery, Whiner Beer Company. One of the few restaurants, and even bars for that matter, to carry the cult favorite.
If you’re not in the mood for an alcoholic beverage (or maybe you’re shaking off that Tuesday night summer hangover), a homemade cherry cola awaits you as well as kombucha on draft.
Yup, kombucha on draft. Gotta love Chicago.
Gone are the days where your vegetarians and vegan friends are limited to two or three items on a menu when dining out. Most of the menu consists of vegetarian options and an entirely separate menu is available for Vegans.
Although the menu is veggie-centric, carnivores are welcome and will definitely find food options to satisfy their cravings, starting with Bad Hunter’s simple yet extremely tender and cooked to perfection, sirloin skewers.
Make sure to visit as often as possible seeing as to how their menu sometimes changes as often as daily!
Bad Hunter is located at 802 W Randolph St and is open:
Lunch / 11 am — 2 pm (Mon — Fri)
Mid Day / 2 pm — 5 pm (Mon — Fri)
Dinner / 5 pm — 10:30 pm (Sun — Thurs)
5 pm — 11:30 pm (Fri — Sat)
Brunch / 10 am — 2 pm (Sat — Sun)
Bar / till 12 am (Sun — Thurs) till 1 am (Fri-Sat)