The Story Behind The Winter Mist

Chase Bracamontes, the beverage director at Chicago’s newly opened Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar, discovered her passion for the hospitality industry while teaching English in Spain. Her interests brought her to NYC’s The Dutch, where she worked as the bar manager, while also honing her wine expertise. Eventually, she returned home to the Windy City, where she managed the beverage programs at The Publican and, most recently, Giant.

At Chef’s Special, Bracamontes’s cocktail menu is divided into three drink categories: “Spritz,” “Mixed,” and “Stirred.” The drinks are designed to complement the restaurant’s Chinese-American cuisine, with a focus on tropical fruit and botanicals.

While spritz cocktails aren’t typically the first thing to come to mind when seeking out a winter drink, Bracamontes’s Winter Mist adds a touch of spice and dark berries, perfect for warming up on a chilly evening. Opting to use the rhubarb-based Amaro Sfumato for its rustic appeal and smoky notes, Bracamontes says, "I wanted a spritz that wasn’t too delicate.”