The Violet Hour, an elegant Chicago mixology mecca and our 2015 Outstanding Bar Program award winner, beckons discerning clientele with many luxuries: a romantic, serene space with floor-to-ceiling curtains, high-backed blue leather chairs, flickering candles and chandeliers; fine-tuned volume levels and elbow room; and an eclectic selection of artisanal cocktails made with painstaking precision. One shining example is the Stone Cold Fox, a vernal marriage between a Pisco punch and a Mai Tai. As bartender Alyssa Heidt puts it, "Carefree and whimsical, she's the kind of girl who knows how to party." Get the recipe here.
Elena North-Kelly is senior editor at the James Beard Foundation. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.
