March 11--"I wanted to create a cocktail that evoked feelings of winter, with the promise of spring on the horizon," says Atwood bartender Ryan Burns of the Ides of March ($14), a drink that's just right for this temperature-fluctuating time of year.
Burns chose bright and herbal flavors for the cocktail -- Hendrick's gin, Aquavit, yellow Chartreuse, absinthe -- to create a refreshing switch from the dark, rich and spicy drinks we've been downing all winter. Cocchi Americano and orange bitters add balance.
Even the gorgeous ice garnish toes the line between winter and spring. It's inspired by an icy Lake Michigan, but the flavors frozen within -- cucumber and mint -- promise warmer days ahead. 1 W. Washington St., 312-368-1900, www.atwoodrestaurant.com.
Pickett is a freelance writer.
