Tippling trends

Cucumber
Trend: We always knew cukes were cool, but now they're way popular, too.
Where to try it:
Wave makes a Cucumber Fresco (Pimm's No. 1, cubed cuke, lemon juice and Hendrick's gin, for which one of the botanicals is cucumber). In the W Hotel, 644 N Lake Shore Dr at Ontario St, 312-255-4460.
Suite Lounge's G Cu is a martini-like concoction composed of cucumber puree, Hendrick's gin and dry vermouth, served in a celery-salt–rimmed glass. 1446 N Wells St between Burton Pl and Schiller St, 312-787-6103.
Landmark's Q-cumber, is the ultimate unpickled pickle. Everything in it but the Hendrick's gin and white cranberry juice is cucumber. 1633 N Halsted Ave at North Ave, 312-587-1600.

Try it at home:
Cucumber agua fresca: In a food processor or blender, puree one large English cucumber, peeled and seeded, two cups of cold water and a cup of ice. Add three tablespoons sugar and the juice of one lime. Finish with a shot—or two—of silver tequila.

Beer as a mixer
Trend: Mark these words: Beer is the new soda.
Where to try it:
Rockit adds a dram of Kahlua to amp up the hints of coffee in Guinness Stout (above). 22 W Hubbard St at State St, 312-645-6000.
At Crew Bar and Grill, don't miss the
Beergarita (sweet and sour, tequila and light beer). 4804 N Broadway at Lawrence Ave, 773-784-2739.
If nothing else, you gotta love the names of Elm Street Liquors' brew-based beverages: Trophy Wife (Guinness and champagne) and Pretty Pink Thing (PBR and pink lemonade). 12 W Elm St between State and Dearborn Sts, 312-337-3200.

Try it at home:
Beer cocktails: Make a shandy with equal parts ale and ginger ale; a Snakebite with equal measures stout and cider; a Red Eye with three-quarters beer to one-quarter tomato juice; or a Depth Charge, which is shot of whiskey dropped into a beer—shot glass and all.

Fruit purees
Trend: Indulge your sweet tooth with fruit instead of phony syrups or liqueurs.
Where to try it:
Get your FDA-recommended daily dosage of fruit at Spring, where the bar mixes passion fruit puree, a house-made ginger-and-curry–infused simple syrup and 42 Below vodka, into its Ginger Spice cocktail. 2039 W North Ave at Damen and Milwaukee Aves, 773-395-7100.
Landmark's Peach Pit is a juicy jumble of vodka, rum and mango puree, with toppers of Moscato d'Asti and—watch those crowns—a peach pit. 1633 N Halsted St at North Ave, 312-587-1600.
The highlight of HotChocolate's seasonal drink Black Magic is fresh fruit: this cold tipple combines Grand Marnier, Prosecco and strained Concord grapes. 1747 N Damen Ave at St. Paul Ave, 773-489-1747.

Try it at home:
Fruit puree: To make about half a cup of puree, use a food processor or blender to process four ounces of fresh berries or ripe, juicy fruit. Use it in place of fruit juice or syrups in your favorite recipe.

Fancy garnishes
Trend: Fold up your paper umbrella—garnishes are moving on up.
Where to try it:
To style up its exceptionally crafted drinks, the Matchbox drops a cornichon (a tiny, tart gherkin pickle) and a few pickled green beans into its Bloody Mary, and rolls some brandy-soaked cherries into the house Manhattan. 770 N Milwaukee Ave at Ogden Ave, 312-666-9292.
Cerise's Raspberry Lavender Margarita is worth the wait (the drink is seasonal, only available in the summer)—Patron silver, Grand Marnier and raspberry puree mingle with muddled sprigs of lavender, and the whole thing is topped off with raspberries skewered on a lavender sprig. 521 N Rush St between Grand Ave and Illinois St, fifth floor; 312-327-0564.
The Floating Orchid at Japonais is just that: an edible flower set atop a mix of vodka, Cointreau, and fresh pear and lemon juices. 600 W Chicago Ave at Larrabee St, 312-822-9600.

Try it at home:
Flower garnishes: Edible flowers include cucumber-flavored borage; calendula; chrysanthemum; nasturtium; green bean–like daylily; and the oniony chive flower. To make sure you're not drinking actual poison with your poison of choice, only eat flowers that have been grown organically. Treasure Island and Whole Foods (multiple locations) both offer snackable blooms for $1-$5 a pack.

Sophisticated sweeteners
Trend: Infused simple syrups sweeten the pot.
Where to try it:
In a major yum run, Moto rims the glass for its Autumn Spice in caramel. The drink itself? Knob Creek Bourbon infused with pumpkin-pie spices, served hot over a dollop of apple butter in a martini glass and topped with a slice of green apple. 945 Fulton Mkt at Morgan St, 312-491-0058.
Bartender John Kinder at Moxie uses a star-anise–infused syrup and mixes it with mango rum, mango and fresh lime juice to create the Mango Moxie. 3517 N Clark St between Eddy St and Cornelia Ave, 773-935-6694.
Lula Café poaches fruit—quince, in the case of its Quince Cocktail—in sugar water, then sweetens drinks with the fruity syrup that results. 2537 N Kedzie Blvd at Logan Blvd, 773-489-9554.
Buzz over to Green Zebra for the lavender-laden honey in its terrifically named libation, Bees Knees. 1460 W Chicago Ave at Greenview Ave, 312-243-7100.

Try it at home:
Herbed honey: To make a pint of herbed honey, use about one tablespoon of a fresh herb (leaves of thyme, lavender, mint, rosemary or organic rose petals). Add the honey and heat very slowly over low heat until just heated through. Set it aside to steep for half an hour, and then strain.

Infused spirits
Trend: Go beyond Citron with fresh fruits and herbs.
Where to try it:
Add some magic to your martini at Fulton Lounge, where they shake 14 different martinis—one made with rosemary-infused vodka. 955 W Fulton Mkt at Morgan St, 312-942-9500.
Nine serves up 15 of its own infusions, including drinks made with papaya and another with cranberry. 440 W Randolph St at Canal St, 312-575-9900.
Boystown's minibar bases its killer Long Island Iced Tea on a tasty four-spirit blend of rum, vodka, gin and tequila, all infused together with orange slices. 3341 N Halsted St at Buckingham Pl, 773-871-6227.

Try it at home:
Flavored vodka: Soak in grain-based vodka for three to four days: vanilla beans (slit open); thick-sliced lemons, oranges, grapefruit or limes; mint, tarragon, basil, oregano, dill or thyme.
Soak in grain-based vodka for one week: chunks of peeled cantaloupe, peach or mango; pitted cherries; whole strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.