Death to the $20 Cocktail: The Bars Bringing Back Cheaper Drinks
A group of enterprising bar operators are lowering drink prices and reaping the returns.
At the Chicago bar Radicle, cocktails cost an eye-opening $10.
Photographer: Neil BurgerWhen Gus’ Sip & Dip opened on New Year’s Eve in Chicago in 2024, it didn't intend to spark a revolution. Instead, the team behind it — the city’s largest restaurant group, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc. — wanted a space offering good-quality cocktails that didn’t break the bank. So it created a 30-drink list featuring classics, each costing an affordable $12.
A $12 cocktail seems surprising at a swanky boite where bartenders don crisp white jackets and the restaurant serves $23 shrimp cocktails and $26 wagyu beef dip sandwiches. But when Gus’ Sip & Dip opened, lines stretched down the street and haven’t subsided much since. In late April, the bar landed at No. 27 on North America’s 50 Best Bars list.