Chicago's gin bar, full stop. Scofflaw opened on Armitage in Logan Square with a gin-focused programme that treated the spirit with the same reverence bourbon bars lavish on whiskey, and the neighbourhood responded by making it a permanent fixture. The room is dark, warm, and wood-heavy, with a garden patio that triples the capacity in summer and hosts one of the best outdoor drinking experiences on the northwest side. The name means 'one who drinks illegally' — coined during Prohibition — and the spirit of cheerful defiance permeates the place.
Location
Logan Square, Chicago
Map
Insider Intel
The gin and tonic menu alone runs a dozen variations, each built with a specific gin-and-tonic-water pairing and garnish that changes the drink entirely. The Scofflaw cocktail itself — rye, dry vermouth, grenadine, lemon, orange bitters — is a Prohibition-era classic revived here with house-made grenadine. The garden cocktails in summer lean lighter and more refreshing. If you drink gin, tell them what you like and let them choose the bottle.
Summer weeknight from 6pm for the garden patio at its best — warm air, string lights, the particular pleasure of outdoor drinking in a city that spends five months unable to do it. Winter weeknights for the dark, cozy interior. Weekend evenings are popular and the garden fills by 7pm in season.
No reservations. The Armitage Avenue location is deep Logan Square, a short walk from the Blue Line but easier by rideshare from the Loop. The garden is seasonal (roughly May through October) and weather-dependent. Cocktails run $14-17. The gin selection behind the bar numbers in the hundreds and the bartenders have genuine expertise. Kitchen serves elevated bar food — the burger is excellent and the menu is more ambitious than most cocktail bars attempt.