José Andrés' Chicago Speakeasy Dares You To Drink Your Ham
Chicago might be famous for its beef, but Chef José Andrés is bringing another beloved meat front and center at his new River North speakeasy: ham. And not just any ham, but the exquisite jamón ibérico. This fresh spot is mixing things up by serving the iconic delicacy in a surprising way, urging you to both eat and drink your ham.
Also known as Iberian ham, jamón ibérico is made from special Black Iberian pigs, found predominantly in Spain and Portugal. It's the crème de la crème of ham, beloved for its melt-in-your-mouth fattiness and sweet, nutty flavor, which it gets from the acorn diet these extremely fancy pigs are reared on.
The Spanish-American chef, who has restaurants across the United States, decided to bestow the charming name Pigtail on his new cocktail bar, which celebrates all things made with pig. This should be no surprise, given Andrés' affinity for ham — each of his restaurants has its own "Meat Bar," after all, serving up Spanish specialties to American foodies.
Pigtail cocktails
As one would expect from the bar, there are classic cocktails and drinks inspired by Andrés' Spanish background, with plenty of amontillado sherry to go around. But the real treats are the ibérico-inspired cocktails.
Pigtail's "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Andrés & Cooper" cocktails are both made with a mezcal infused with ibérico ham, while the "Consomé Cocktail" actually contains ibérico pork consomé made in-house and paired with two types of sherry. The opportunity for a good fat wash couldn't be ignored, of course, so there's also the "Negroni Cristal," made with gin, blanc vermouth, and Luxardo bitters, which is batched and then fat washed.
Savory cocktails have been hitting the scene lately, and even bone broth cocktails, like the classic Bloody Bull, have been making the rounds. But the idea of taking a consomé, which requires a painstaking commitment to make, and drinking it in a cocktail? That's hardcore.
What to eat at Pigtail
It's hard to make a pig-themed speakeasy without being a little tongue-in-cheek. The basement space, just below Andrés' fine dining Spanish restaurant Jaleo, is an intimate cocktail bar with a sassy signature, as it is decorated with curlicue neon pink lights reminiscent of a pig's tail. And if you've ever said you'll drink a consomé cocktail when pigs fly, be warned: They've got flying pig decorations, too, to top it all off.
Limited seating and Spanish jazz set the scene for a tapas bar that will transport you to an upscale, idealized version of Spain, where you can spend hours snacking on juicy orange-marinated olives, tangy boquerones, and a shrimp crudo. But of course, the jamón ibérico charcuterie tasting board is a must, as are the ibérico croquetas. You can even get a burger made with an ibérico pork patty, or snack on crispy fried pig ears if the mood suits you.