Classic cocktails reign supreme at suburban steakhouses

As beverage director for Gibsons Restaurant Group, Lawrence Kobesky keeps up with the latest drink trends to design the menu at Luxbar in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. But when it comes to the group's namesake restaurant, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Kobesky sticks to the classics.

"It's an 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' mentality," he said. "I'm involved in that nerdy world of mixology and smoke, but you have to know where to apply that."

The Manhattan and Old Fashioned are the most ordered cocktails at Gibsons' Oak Brook location.

"It's as classic steakhouse as you get," Kobesky said. "People are very comfortable with those drinks. They just want to stick with what they know and what they love."

Whiskey cocktails have been associated with steakhouses since the days of the Rat Pack, in part because the drinks and food complement each other.

"When you're looking at whiskeys and bourbons, they're aged and they have tannins in them like wine," said Morton's The Steakhouse vice president of wine and spirits Tylor Field. "What the tannins do is cut the marbling in the steak so it creates balance in your mouth. These classic cocktails serve the same purpose because they're barrel-aged. Whiskey's a great pairing with a steak."

Morton's, which has locations in Naperville, Northbrook, Rosemont and Schaumburg, launched a new State Street Manhattan in October that celebrates the combination by including an ounce of New York prime sirloin as a garnish. Named for the chain's original location on Chicago's State Street, the drink also features Woodford Reserve bourbon, Carpano Antica vermouth, luxardo cherries, orange zest and a mist of Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select whiskey.

The Manhattan and Old Fashioned are also popular at Shaw's Crab House in Schaumburg, where they fit in with the '40s-style dining room. The restaurant expanded on its menu of classic cocktails this fall by adding a gimlet and French 75.

"We just really wanted to bring back traditional classic cocktails to our menu," manager Stephanie Schwarz said. "They're approachable, no-nonsense cocktails that our guests enjoy."

James Sweeney, beverage manager of Gene & Georgetti in Rosemont, said that sometimes people who have never tried a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned order one for the first time when they visit the restaurant because they're as closely associated with a steakhouse as a margarita is with a Mexican restaurant. The whiskey drinks have gotten new competition from the Cool Mule, a twist on the classic Moscow Mule made with passion fruit and mango liqueur, Absolut Mandarin, ginger beer and a splash of pineapple juice that launched four months ago.

Sweeney said the Moscow Mule has seen a resurgence in the past four to five years and has led to numerous variations that replace its signature vodka with other spirits such as tequila, rum or whiskey.

"I think ginger beer has become a dominant mixer now," Sweeney said. "It's a little spicier than ginger ale. The spice really brings out the flavor in the liquor."

Beverage directors agree that the key to making a great classic cocktail is using high-quality ingredients. Morton's incorporates locally made spirits into their cocktails and uses tonic and ginger beer from British company Fever-Tree for mixed drinks.

"It's very expensive, but we believe it makes a better product," Field said. "Even if you're having a gin and tonic, spend a little money and you'll be amazed. Any mixer or additive like vermouth or bitters or juice needs to be fresh or homemade."

Gibsons provides unique versions of the classics by working with distilleries to create custom bourbons. Last year they also started creating Old Fashioned and Manhattan cocktails by the batch, pre-measuring and mixing the ingredients.

"You're getting a very, very consistent product and a better one since the ingredients have had some time to get to know each other," Kobesky said.

Gibsons has made other changes as well, including serving Luxardo cherries instead of the standard bright red maraschino variety and using large ice cubes that keep the drink from diluting.

"The clientele has really loved it," Kobesky said. "Gibsons is something that is so classic, but at the same time we want to always be bettering the beverage program. These little touches are showing them the classics are classic for a reason."