by Jim Janesheski0 comments

13Aug

Cocktail Cheat Sheet | Valpo’s Restaurants with Bars [2024]

2024 is a great year for fans of Valpo’s Restaurants with Bars. The Valpo Restaurant Group is again collaborating to bring Happy Hour back to Valparaiso. Veleros is excited to re-open in a new location in downtown Valpo, armed with a new 3-way liquor license. Pikk’s has brought in top-shelf whiskey that is generally only available to top chefs in the big city. Martinis remains one of Northwest Indiana’s biggest & best outdoor patios for outdoor drinking, and Don Quijote and McGowan & Sons continue to set the standards for wine and sangria.

Of course, what list is complete without the sibling rivalry over which has the best bloody mary, Radius, or Maple + Bacon?

Pikk’s Tavern brings world-class spirits to Valpo.

Restaurant with Bars: 101

In this 2024 edition of the Valpo Cocktail Cheat Sheet, you’ll discover 23 great cocktails, the ingredients, and what alcohol goes into them.

In Valparaiso, cocktails and drinks come in many flavours and combinations. This guide will help you expand your knowledge of mixed drinks. It will also be a benchmark for ordering some of Valpo’s most innovative and exciting concoctions. Have fun reading through it. When you are finished, visit the Valpo Restaurants Happy Hour Page. You’ll discover the best Valpo offers and where you’ll find them. Of course, the best thing about restaurants with bars is the food. Below are the links to this summer’s best summer food specials.

LINKS

Happy Hour in Valparaiso
Summer Specials at the Valpo Restaurants

Cheat Sheet- Cocktails
Cheat Sheet | Guide to Alcohol & Drinks
Gallery- Featured Valpo Cocktails
Tutorial Videos | Confessions of a Chef

Photo by Martinis-Valpo

Margarita

Photos contributed by Veleros Mexican Restaurant

For good reason, this tequila-based cocktail is a classic. The combination of sweet and sour flavors, combined with the distinct flavor of the tequila, results in a refreshing and satisfying drink. Veleros will offer an assortment of authentic bloody marys on a flight!

1 1/2 shots blanco tequila
1 shot triple sec
3/4 shot of fresh lime juice
Half salt rim

Balero-Cocktail

Image from Don Quijote-Valpo

One of the best-kept secrets in Valparaiso is that Don Quijote has amazing culinary cocktails. Often overshadowed by the remarkable Don Q wine cellar, the mixed drinks and cocktails live up to the culinary standards of Valpo’s original white-cloth restaurant. Many of these cocktails were transported from the Iberian peninsula, where Carlos learned these recipes from his celebrity chef father. The bolero lives up to the hype.

Bacardi Rum
Apple Brandy
Sweet Vermouth

Bloody Mary

The Radius Bloody Mary

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique flavor combination. Vodka, tomato juice, and various spices combine to create a savory and satisfying drink ideal for breakfast, brunch, or a jump-start to the weekend. In Valpo, you’ll even see a complete meal stacked on top.

Sibling Rivalries. Maple+Bacon and Radius compete for Bloody Mary bragging rights.

The battle for Valpo’s best bloody mary drives greatness among restaurants with bars. It even causes sibling rivalries. Radius and Maple + Bacon might be sister restaurants, but when it comes to the title, of best Bloody Mary, the rivalry is fierce!

2 shots Vodka
4 shots of Tomato Juice
3/4 shot Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Dashes of Tobasco
3 Dashes of Worcester Sauce
1/4 of a Teaspoon of Horseradish (optional if available)
Salt & Pepper to Taste (celery salt works best)

Deep Eddy (Sophies Choice)

Image from Martinis-Valpo

Everything tastes better when you celebrate with friends, especially when meeting friends at Martinis-Valpo.

Maybe that’s why the deep eddy mix is so popular with Martinis outdoor dining fans. With an assortment of mixers, this vodka drink has almost as many variations as the martini menu at Martinis-Valpo—well, maybe a distant second. Martinis offers 40 variations of the martini.

Your Choice of Deep Eddy Vodka
Your Choice of Mixer

Sangria Martini

Photo by Don Quijote

One of the best-kept secrets in Valpo is that Don Quijote Restaurant has a complete bar with Mediterranean cocktails and liquor, including imported brandy, grappa, and port. Perhaps the best mixed drink is a Spanish one called a Sangria Martini. Chef Carlos describes the sangria martini as the perfect cocktail for wine lovers who, on occasion, want a bit more kick.

How much kick? Just watch our sangria martini tutorial below. After two takes, you can see Carlos slurring and butchering the English language. Salud!

2 oz. Red Wine
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. Brandy
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz. Seltzer Water
Ice/Fruit/Shake/Strain

Old-Fashioned

Photo from Pikk’s Tavern

A perfect blend of whisky, sugar, and bitters, this classic cocktail has been around since the late 1800s. Its simplicity allows the whiskey’s flavours to shine through, making it a favourite among whisky connoisseurs. Watch Pikk’s Paul Loduca tutorial at the bottom of this article for a special treat.

Paul shares the secrets to making an old fashion the way his father taught him. Loduca’s father was a legendary Chicago chef who inspired Pikk’s Tavern.

4 Dashes of Orange Bitters
1 Sugar Cube
1 Orange Wheel
2 Masasschino Cheeries
1 Splash Club Soda
2 oz. Bourbon

Martini

Photo of Esspresso Martini by Martinis-Valpo

For decades, this iconic cocktail has been a favorite, and it is the epitome of sophistication. Combining gin and vermouth produces a crisp, clean flavor appropriate for any occasion. For Martinis fans, you’ll want to try one of the 40 Martinis at Martinis-Valpo.

This restaurant takes its namesake seriously and even employs a full-time mixologist. At Martinis, you can have any martini you want. Check out the Martinis martinis page. Just make sure mine is shaken, not stirred!

1 1/2 shots vodka
1/2 shot coffee liqueur (like Kahlua)
1 shot of freshly brewed espresso
1/2 shot vanilla syrup

Daiquiri

Daquari from Veleros, a restaurant with a bar and mexican food!

Photo by Veleros Mexican

This rum-based cocktail is refreshing and simple to make. The combination of rum, lime juice, and sugar creates a pleasing balance of sweet and sour flavours.

2 shots white rum
1 shot fresh lime juice
3/4 shot simple syrup

Manhattan

Manhattan

This traditional whiskey-based cocktail is known for its flavor balance. The blend of whisky, sweet vermouth, and bitters produces a smooth, complex flavour that is ideal for sipping.

2 shots bourbon or rye whiskey
1 shot sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

SO COOL SOJU

Maple + Bacon has quickly become the choice for power lunches and a place to celebrate closing the big deal. It doesn’t hurt that the breakfast/brunch/lunch restaurant runs Happy Hour every Monday through Thursday from 12 to 3. Typically, the mimosas and bloody marys garner all the attention, and why not? They are that good!

This brunch restaurant offers numerous dining options, including a coffee bar, dining room, bar space, and private conference rooms. The mimosas and bloody marys garner most of the attention, and why not?
Many consider them to be Valpo’s best! But for fans of the unconventional, try the So Cool SoJu. It’s refreshing and, oh, so cool!

Lychee Soju // Cointreau // vanilla

+ rose simple
+ splash lime soda

Negroni

Photo from McGowan & Sons

This gin-based cocktail has a distinct flavor profile, making it a favorite among gin connoisseurs. The combination of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth yields a bittersweet flavor that is sure to please. The Negroni was once described as the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter.

1 shot gin
1 shot Campari
1 shot sweet vermouth

Aperol Spritz

Photo by Jano-Digital

The Aperol Spritz has taken Valpo by storm, and many credit Pikk’s Tavern. It’s a fan favourite with Pikk’s outdoor dining crowd, especially around sunset. The cocktail is stunning and a perfect complement to a night out with friends.

A spritz is an Italian wine-based cocktail commonly served as an aperitif in Northeast Italy. It consists of prosecco, digestive bitters and soda water.

2 shots Aperol
2 shots prosecco
2 shots soda

Mojito

The Mojito has taken Valparaiso’s restaurants and bars by storm. You’ll find people drinking them with burgers, steaks, and seafood ordering them at almost every bar, restaurant,
4-6 lime wedges
6-8 fresh mint leaves
2 shots white rum
2-3 teaspoons of granulated white sugar
Top with soda

Whiskey Sour

Photo from Jano-Digital

This traditional cocktail is a favorite among whisky connoisseurs. Whisky, lemon juice, and sugar combine to create a refreshing and satisfying drink.

2 shots bourbon (or pisco, or amaretto)
1 shot fresh lemon juice
3/4 shot simple syrup
1/2 an egg white

Mai Tai

The tropical Mai Tai makes it a popular choice for outdoor dining at Valpo’s restaurants with bars. The combination of rum, lime juice, and various syrups results in a sweet and fruity flavour that is ideal for sipping on a hot day in the Vale of Paradise.

1 shot dark rum
1 shot white rum
1/2 shot triple sec
3/4 shot orgeat syrup
1 shot fresh lime juice

Irish Coffee

Maple and Bacon coffee is Valpo’s best

Irish coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic drink consisting of Irish whiskey, hot coffee and sugar, which has been stirred and topped with cream.

Our Valpo Restaurants with Bars are always creating culinary cocktails inspired by their menus. Maple + Bacon is a shining example of this. They combined their coffee bar with their liquor bar to create Irish Coffee, which is made from their M+B Blend 210 coffee beans and Irish Whiskey.

It was an instant hit, and now their Maple Room is Valpo’s hottest venue for meetings and social clubs. Now, that’s what we call a meeting with perks!

1 1/3 oz (2 parts) Irish whiskey
1 oz (1½ parts)
Fresh cream, 1 tsp.
Brown sugar, 2 2/3 oz (4 parts)
Hot coffee

Pina Colada

This traditional tropical cocktail is a fan favorite with Valpo’s outdoor dining crowd for its sweet and creamy flavor. Combining pineapple juice, coconut cream, and rum creates a refreshing and satisfying drink.

2 shots white rum
2 shots pineapple juice
1 1/2 shots coconut cream

Long Island Iced Tea

long island ice tea on the list for valpo restaurants with bars

Photo by Pikks Tavern

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique blend of flavors. The combination of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and triple sec sets a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavours.

1/2 shot vodka
1/2 shot of white rum
1/2 shot blanco tequila
1/2 shot gin
1/2 shot triple sec
1/2 shot of fresh lemon juice
1/2 shot of simple syrup
Top with cola

Moscow Mule

Photo by Radius

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique flavour combination. It combines vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice to create a refreshing and satisfying drink.

2 shots vodka
1/2 shot fresh lime juice
Top with ginger beer

Champagne Cocktail

Photo by McGowan & Sons

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique flavour combination. Champagne, sugar, and bitters produce a refreshing and bubbly drink ideal for celebrations.

The Champagne cocktail has been popular since the mid-1800s, but Chef Rob McGowan of McGowan & Sons has turned it into a culinary experience by serving it at his catering events- where guests can choose fruits and other ingredients to create their own concoctions. The social media posts after a McGowan catering event speak volumes for people’s fun creating their culinary cocktails.

1 sugar cube
Angostura bitters
Top with champagne

Sangria

Photo by Don Quijote

Sangria is an alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal. Under EU regulations, only those two Iberian nations can label their product as Sangria. But in Valparaiso, Sangria is served by everyone. But while everyone has their own Sangria recipe, the Sangria of Don Quijote helped spark the outdoor dining movement.

The red sangria is legendary at Valpo’s longest-running restaurant, but more and more people are ordering the Lemonade Sangria. Here is a link to learn more.

Red Wine
Brandy
Triple Sec
Fruit Juice
Soda or Carbonated Water
Fruit

Black Russian

The Black Russian is a simple yet tasty coffee cocktail. Add Kahlúa coffee liqueur and Absolut Vodka to a glass with ice and stir. Each of our featured restaurants with bars serves this fan favorite!

2 shots vodka
1 shot of coffee liqueur

Cosmopolitan (Cosmo)

A cosmopolitan, or informally, a cosmo is a cocktail made with vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed or sweetened lime juice. Made famous by Madonna and Sex in the City, this cocktail is a popular choice at Martinis. Martinis has 40 martinis made by a mixologist, making the popular Scratch Kitchen one of Valpo’s best restaurants with bars.

1 1/2 shots citrus vodka
1/2 shot triple sec
1/4 shot simple syrup
1/2 shot fresh lime juice
3/4 shot cranberry juice

Kids Happy Hour | Frozen Slushies

Happy Hour for kids

Great culinary towns have a kids’ drink, and the Sandwich City Slushy does the trick. Every Monday through Thursday, Sandwich City has Kids Happy Hour Slushies. Located next to Central Park, we think Sandwich City’s Chris Pavlou must be a genius to have come up with such a remarkable special. We hope he knocks it out of the park!

More Reading | 10 Valpo Cocktails & Drinks You Need to Try in 2023