Delilah's - Chicago

This week, I'll revisit some of the Whisky bar reviews I've done.

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Whisky Week: Not your Daddy's Whisky Bar

(originally published March 24, 2006)

Chicago. February. Delilah's.

The Cashed Johnnies are on the small stage belting out a speed-freak, rock-a-billy version of Johnny Cash's "Cocaine Blues". Mike Miller, the owner, has just put a glass of Scotch in front of me - one that I can't identify.

It's a Wednesday night, but the place is packed with an interesting selection of hipsters, rockers, mods, punks, Bettie Page look-a-likes, and members of various other counter-culture sub-groups. Most of them are here to celebrate Johnny Cash's birthday, listen to the band, and take advantage of the $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon special.

I'm here to celebrate Johnny Cash's birthday, listen to the band, talk to Mike and bask in the glow of an incredible Scotch selection.

"What was that Scotch, Mike?" I ask.
"Sheep Dip" is the reply, as Mike smiles, turns, and walks over to fill the order of a girl with dyed dreads and her pierced male friend.

Mike returns and gleefully starts pulling bottles off the shelves and placing them in front of me for comment. I uncork a bottle of Ardbeg Very Young and take a big whiff. I get some strange looks as other patrons lean over me to place empty bottles of PBR on the bar and signal the bartender for yet another round.

Mike and I start to shout over the music of the band about the upcoming Whisky show season, and I discover that he'll also be at Whisky Live London - Delilah's has been nominated as one of the Great Whisky Bars of the World by Whisky Magazine.

That's awesome. As you might have surmised, Delilah's is not your average whisky bar. It's not a Scottish/English pub. It's not Brandy Library-type upscale lounge. This is what I lovingly refer to as a "dive bar". And coming from me, that's not a disparaging remark - some of my favorite bars are dive bars. Most of them however specialize in cheap beer and well drinks.

Delilah's is no slouch when it comes to tossing cheap beer and shooters down the throats of  Generation X - but they also cater to the tastes of good beer lovers, rum snobs, and oh yeah, Scotch drinkers.

A girl in fish net stockings, pancake make-up and pony-tails slams into my bar stool, careens into a group of people finishing a round of mixed drinks, and stumbles off into the frigid Chicago night.

The next bottle Mike hands me is a Lagavulin Distiller's edition. Meanwhile, a particularly attractive girl sitting next to me deftly deflects the advances of two drunk English guys while simultaneously (and surprisingly) ordering a La Fin Du Monde.

The Miller Lite drinking English guys don't have a chance.

Comments

[Derek]

Someone bought me a bottle of SheepDip for my birthday...I was pleasantly surprised. I'm definitely buying a bottle for myself.