Winter may have brought in brisk days and snowy nights, but things are anything but cold at The Barrelhouse Flat, Lincoln Park’s hot new cocktail joint. Named after the 1930s Mary Johnson blues song, “Barrel House Flat Blues,” about the type of saloons at the turn of the century that used to serve alcohol straight out of the barrel, the two-story bar—situated in a century-old building—is reminiscent of 1920s Chicago, thanks to its classic cocktail menu, vintage-inspired décor, and a cozy, hunker-down atmosphere.
The Barrelhouse Flat is the brainchild of Stephen Cole, a veteran of the award-winning cocktail lounge The Violet Hour who also serves as head bartender, and who brings his mixology background to a cocktail menu that showcases classic drinks like mint juleps and Ford Cocktails, made with locally sourced ingredients and mixed with Cole’s homemade sodas, juices, and bitters. Also look for other vintage elements, including an extensive punch menu with both standard and rotating options.
A selection of small plates and easily shared dishes keeps revelers nourished, while a vintage jukebox—which plays vinyl records in a range of genres, including jazz, rockabilly, and soul—provides the soundtrack. And if it’s the right night, you might just find the lounge’s upright piano in use, with traditional barrelhouse tunes filling the rooms, raising the heat index so high you’ll forget that winter’s only just begun. 2624 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-857-0421;
