The Aqua Velva is named after a brand of aftershave that has a similar hue and was apparently consumed by sailors for its high alcohol content. It was also the signature drink of one of coolest, eclectic bars in Chicago - The Artful Dodger. The Aqua Velva is not the greatest tasting drink by any means but it did get you "gooned" and it came with one of the best props possible for a dark and dingy dance bar - The Glow Stick!!
The Artful Dodger, named after the pickpocket in the Dickens novel Oliver Twist, was like two bars in one. The front room contained a long antique bar along with 5 or 6 booths. The room was decorated like New Orleans with beads hanging from the ceiling and there was also a mural of jazz musicians and instruments. The bar would even have a Cajun buffet on Fat Tuesday with beans and rice, gumbo, and jambalaya. Hurricanes were also available at the bar. On normal nights, however, this room was more like a traditional Chicago neighborhood corner bar. The drinks were affordable and the beer selection was superb.
At the back of the room was a set of swinging wooden doors like you see in an old-west saloon. On the other side of these doors was a small dance floor with DJ. The walls in this room were painted black with strange Day-Glo Murals. If you can picture this room packed with an eclectic crowd clutching their Aqua Velvas and dancing to some of the best dance music of the day, you can understand some of this bar's appeal. There was no pretension, everyone was just having a great time!!
Unfortunately, the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods in Chicago have changed dramatically since I lived in Chicago in the 1990s. One of the victims of the gentrification was the Artful Dodger and the building that it occupied at the corner of Wabansia and Wood. A modern McMansion now stands on this corner. But on days like Mardi Gras or when I'm buying aftershave, I often find myself reminiscing about all the great times that we had at the Artful Dodger.
Recommended Equipment:cocktail shaker
2 pint glasses
Ingredients:3 shots vodka
3 shots gin
1 shot Sprite
2 shots Blue Curaçao
2 glow sticks
+ additional Sprite to top off drinks
Preparation:- Add the shots of vodka, gin, Sprite, and Blue Curaçao to a cocktail shaker. Add crushed ice and shake until your arm hurts.
- Strain equally among the two pint glasses. Top off with additional Sprite.
- Add a glow stick to each glass and serve.
Makes 2 Aqua Velvas
United States
Chicago [
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