Review: Tippling Hall 646 N. Franklin St. 312-448-9922
Rating: 3 (out of four) Off to a good start
"It's going to be the culmination of everything the Tippling Bros. likes to do with beverages, but times 10." That's how Tad Carducci of cocktail consultants Tippling Bros. described Tippling Hall to me-in January 2012. Yes, it took him and business partner Paul Tanguay nearly three years to open this cocktail bar with Mercadito Hospitality (Mercadito, Mercadito Fish, Mercadito Counter), and all parties involved have invested a lot-literally-in the project. Years later, Tanguay echoes Carducci's original vision for the bar: "[It's] a kind of culmination of what Tad and I have been working on for years in terms of draft cocktails and shaken and stirred cocktails, but wanting to bring in a fun element, a sort of low-key, low-brow approach." That loosen-your-mixology-bowtie attitude is partially inspired by the bar's 4 a.m. license, which was one of the initial reasons the crew snapped up the former Hop Haus space under the Brown Line "L" tracks. I stopped in twice during opening week to find out whether Tippling Hall was ready for its big reveal.
Looks count
The interior, which includes a full dining room as well as a bar seating area, is a huge improvement on Hop Haus' dated plastic tablecloths and striped vinyl booths. All the River North fixtures are there-wood beams, industrial-funky light fixtures, a handful of unobtrusive TVs-but it was hard to even notice them given the post-work crowd on a Friday evening. A hostess told my friend and me that all the tables were full with reservations, but she put our name on a waiting list with a look that told me I should probably abandon all hope. We ordered our drinks and stalked bar stools like they're the last gazelles on the Serengeti, but after nearly two hours, we were still standing. Other people in the bar area seemed confused by whether the bar area tables are first-come, first-served-one of many details Tippling Hall is still working out. "The bar area is still a work in progress," Tanguay said. "We're setting it for dinner, but we're not sure if it should just be a walk-in space. A lot of elements in that space are a work in progress." A Monday night proved more manageable and I quickly found a few comfortable bar stools. Over the course of a couple of hours, a lively crowd gathered, but drinkers weren't two-deep at the bar this time. Early in the night, the gender ratio skewed noticeably toward the button-down-and-khaki male.
... and so do cocktails
Holy booze, Batman. The cleverly designed, 24-page drink menu reads like a comic book, with tons of graphics and even some goofy jokes. I could have spent upward of 15 minutes poring over the whole thing, but if you don't want to ignore your companions while you read, it might help to know what you're in the mood for. My friend was eager to try one of two "Sloshees" frozen cocktails, but was bummed to hear that the frozen cocktail machines haven't been installed yet. Ditto on the nitro draft system that will dispense the Ronzio coffee cocktail. Instead, I zeroed in on the six draft cocktails, a Tippling Bros. signature, which are made in batches and poured through draft lines. My clear favorite was the Misty in the Mountains ($12), a vibrant and refreshing mezcal-based drink that delicately toes the line between smoky and sweet thanks to pineapple juice and honey. A "Spinal Tap" draft cocktail-dispensed with the pull of a huge guitar fretboard-will rotate seasonally. Until December, it's The Derek Smalls ($11), which Tanguay described as "a cucumber cocktail that has some fall qualities" thanks to its base spirit, Zubrowka bison grass vodka. Aromatic and vegetal, this Polish vodka is actually grass-flavored, which might intrigue fans of bolder-style gins. Shaken and stirred cocktails, of which there are ten, arrived nearly as swiftly as a the draft ones, which impressed me on a busy night. Tanguay said he's been surprised by how many strong, dark drinks the bar has sold in its opening week. He cited the popularity of the Deep Dish Manhattan ($13), a riff on the classic that includes Koval four-grain whiskey, Jeppson's malort and a salty pizza crust garnish. I found the malort a bit jarring in this classic cocktail, but I guess I'm in the minority.
Attention beer and wine drinkers
While cocktails are front and center on the menu, the Bros. haven't forgotten about the rest. "Tippling Hall is just a drinking hall," said Tanguay. "It's where you can bring your geeky cocktail friend, your cousin from Detroit who's a beer drinking guy and maybe somebody else who's a wine drinker." Draft beers are refreshingly varied, from Bud Light to Penrose P2 Belgian pale ale to Founders All Day IPA, all available in 8-, 20- or 34-ounce pours. Wine, too, is available by the inch (pay for how much you drink) or by the traditional glass and bottle. If you're still not convinced this menu is huge, consider this: Even after two visits, I didn't even scratch the surface of the seven bloody marys, four boilermakers or any of the canned and bottled beer. The something-for-everyone approach extends to the food menu, where "global comfort food" includes bar bites, flatbreads, sandwiches and entrees as far-ranging as guacamole ($8.50), bacon-wrapped dates ($10.50), a wedge salad ($12.50), roasted chicken tagine ($20.50) and a seven-grain Thai bowl ($14.50).
Bottom line
The Tippling Bros. have serious cocktail chops, but it's fun to see them shake off the high-brow mantle a bit-these days, a drink made with blue curacao (like the Curly & The Turk draft cocktail) is gutsier than a speakeasy-style bourbon blah blah blah. Once some pesky logistical dust settles, I expect this place to be just the fun, late-night spot the city has waited so long for.
Reporters visit bars unannounced and food and drinks are paid for by RedEye. kbernot@tribune.com | @redeyeeatdrink