Featured Cocktail of the Week: Billy Sunday’s Can I Kick It?
This week’s featured cocktail of the week takes us to craft cocktail bar, Billy Sunday in Logan Square.
Opening in 2013, Billy Sunday established itself early by pushing out a dizzying array of craft cocktails, draft cocktails, local craft beer, and home made tonic sodas.
Today, not much has changed.
While a number of their cocktails could be featured this week, it’s the Can I Kick It? which stood out the most.
While the cocktail is delicious and layered in flavor, it’s the presentation that immediately catches the eye. Served in a small sake can, and topped with egg whites, the cocktail is hidden from initial view. Throw in the dim lighting of the bar and it’s hard to see what you’re even drinking.
The first sip lends itself to the egg whites with a delicate foamy texture presenting itself right from the jump. As one continues to sip the drink, the foam from the egg white slowly starts to fade and a yellowish-green hued drink starts to appear.
What starts as a creamy drink turns into a smooth tasting cocktail. Consisting of a London dry gin base, Yusho Nama genshu sake, kiwi, persimmon, mastiha (a Mediterranean liqueur made from mastic), lime and a homemade vegetal elixir; the kiwi, lime and vegetal elixir shine brightest.
The gin and sake are apparent early on but once four or five sips have been taken, a herbal and fruity taste come to the forefront. The most intriguing part of the drink is definitely the vegetal elixir. Made from vegetal chartreuse and multiple botanicals, it gives the drink a needed source to take the edge off of the gin and sake and pairs nicely with the fruitiness of the kiwi and sour taste of the lime.
The Can I Kick It? is a lovely blend of multiple cultures as well, with the gin being London dry, the sake being Japanese inspired and the mastiha coming from the Mediterranean.
It is a combination of flavors that is as creative as it is surprising.
Inside the bar, the decor is reminiscent of a 1940’s or 50’s location. Vintage art hangs on every wall while antique lamps dangle from the ceiling. High concept cocktails are simply the cherry on top.
The menu changes often but remains insulated from the seasons, allowing the bar to put out whatever tastes good, regardless of weather.
A quick glance over the drink menu may be overwhelming and may call for an explanation from the wait staff; especially with listed ingredients such as essential oils, vegetal elixir, wormwood bitters, oatmeal spices and fennel pollen tincture.
The interior of the bar only adds to the complexity and laid back aura surrounding Billy Sunday and its exotic cocktails.
This attention to detail and the dedication to creating craft cocktails that can’t be found or duplicated anywhere else has cultivated Billy Sunday into one of Chicago’s most popular bars in a neighborhood seemingly popping up with new ones every week.
Billy Sunday is open:
MON — FRI: 5PM- 2AM
SAT: 3PM- 3AM
SUN: 3PM- 2AM
