Eat, Drink, Celebrate Local at the Green City Market Chef BBQ

Jul. 18, 2016

At Breakthru, we don’t just embrace local, we celebrate it. As a sponsor of the Green City Market Chef BBQ, we have an exciting opportunity to support our city. Featuring more than 100 of Chicago’s top restaurants, the Chef BBQ fare focuses on local produce and meat sourced from Green City Market farmers. Join us at the Breakthru Beverage tent where we’ll be serving up innovative local craft-inspired cocktails and craft beers from our partners.

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“If you visit the farmers market, you can source the freshest, most local ingredients for your cocktails like berries, fruits, vegetables and herbs.” - Eric Hay, Breakthru IL Beverage Development Manager

Check out these quick tips from Eric Hay on how to incorporate local ingredients into your cocktails.

Muddle
Muddle fruits like berries or sliced melon to get a fresh pop of flavor in your cocktail. 

Juice
Send vegetables like cucumber or celery through a juice extractor or food processor and use the liquid to make a simple syrup or a cordial. Substitute the extracted juice for the water in the syrup.

Directions for a quick simple syrup: Equal parts sugar and water.

• Tip: Before juicing cucumbers, make sure to remove the green skin. It contains bitter agents and chlorophyll that will affect the cocktail’s flavor. 
• Tip: Try adding a pinch of sea salt to your juices or syrups for extra flavor.
• Tip: If you’re using naturally sweet items like watermelon or honeydew, use ¾ the amount of sugar.

Slap
Herbs like basil and mint don’t require much muddling. Giving their leaves a quick slap will break up the delicate veins to release their natural oils and aroma. Drop those into a cocktail shaker with the rest of your ingredients, and just by shaking it up, the flavor will infuse the cocktail.

• Tip: Eighty percent of taste is smell. Once your cocktail is made, take a rosemary stem, give it a quick slap and throw it in your drink. Just the mere action of smelling it and then drinking will allow you to taste the flavor.

A devotion to craft is at the heart of what we do. We are proud to feature these craft beers and craft spirits in this year’s Green City Market Chef BBQ.

Death’s Door Gin

In the spirit of celebrating local, Death’s Door fits well within the theme. Distilled in Wisconsin, Death’s Door Gin showcases a botanic mix of locally-sourced juniper berries, coriander and fennel. With spicy, citrusy notes followed by a soft, cooling finish, Death’s Door describes this craft spirit as the “’utility’ gin of our time.” 

 

Sunshine Daydream  Death's Door Gin Grapefruit orange cordial Lemon balm Bitters

Bols Genever

Crafted from the original 1820 Lucas Bols recipe, Bols Genever offers a smooth, subtle, malty flavor. The flavor results from using more than 50% malt wine that is triple-distilled in copper pot stills. Following distillation, the malt wine is infused with botanicals and brought to 42% alcohol, a percentage that Bols Genevrer’s master distiller says offers the “perfect combination of aroma and mouth-feel.”

 

Summer Lovin’ Bols Genever Salted watermelon cordial Fresh lemon Basil Unsweetened green tea

Suerte Tequila

Suerte Tequila uniquely maintains its authenticity, while simultaneously appealing to the modern tequila drinker. Using traditional methods including slow cooking at a low temperature, and the use of a Tahona, Suerte provides a “true artisanal Tequila experience.” Suerte Blanco consists of 100% Tahona-crushed Blue Weber Agave and boasts herbal, citrus and sweet notes with a smooth finish. Rested in stainless steel tanks for at least two months prior to bottling, Suerte is made to sip straight, to enjoy on the rocks or to mix into a cocktail.

Lucky Break Suerte Blanco Tequila Verdita (pineapple, lime, mint, cilantro)

 

Clyde May’s Whiskey

Described as a “moonshiner by trade, but a craftsman by heart,” Clyde May was never much of a follower. Famous for his “Alabama Style” Whiskey, he aged small moonshine batches in charred oak barrels, adding oven-dried apples to offer a unique, smoother finish than other whiskeys. Today Clyde May’s continues to keep with the tradition of the “Alabama style,” bourbons.

Cherry Bomb Clyde May's Whiskey Door County Montmorency tart cherry syrup Fresh lemon

Templeton Rye

Coined “The Good Stuff,” Templeton Rye started in the small town of Templeton, IA. When federal agents raided Templeton during prohibition, locals stood together to protect their trade. And thanks to them, we’re still able to enjoy Templeton Rye nearly 100 years later. Templeton has a spicy, grassy aroma and subtle tasting notes of caramel, butterscotch, toffee and allspice. It’s well balanced with a clean and smooth finish.

Blueberry Hill Templeton Rye Blueberry/lemon cordial Green tea

 

Campo de Encanto Pisco

The full name of this craft spirit is Campo de Encanto Pisco; campo de encanto translates into “field of enchantment” in Spanish. Encanto Pisco is a tropical, fresh and rich pure grape spirit. Encanto Pisco Grand & Noble offers tasting notes of plums, peaches, almonds and chocolate, with hints of peppermint and honeysuckle.

Huacachina Punch Encanto Pisco Grand & Noble Strawberry/lime/rosemary cordial Soda

 

Ballast Point
Ballast Point began with a group of homebrewers venturing to make a better beer than what they’d experienced. At Ballast Point, they consider brewing beer to be more art than science, and they work by that mantra as they attempt to reinterpret beer. Some of their creations include a hopped-up porter and an IPA with habanero peppers.  Browse Ballast Point beers.

BuckleDown Brewing
BuckleDown Brewing considers the two most important qualities for greatness to be creativity and determination. That’s exactly what its two founders exemplified when they started BuckleDown Brewing in Lyons, IL. Brewing small-batch craft beer, BuckleDown’s founders make flavorful beers that they enjoy drinking. Browse BuckleDown beers.

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