North America’s No. 1 Bar Is Now in Chicago, but Only for a Limited Time

Photograph: Courtesy Sip & Guzzle | Sip & Guzzle

GOLD COAST— One of North America’s most acclaimed cocktail bars has temporarily traded New York’s West Village for a perch 46 floors above Chicago.

Sip & Guzzle, ranked No. 1 on the 2026 North America’s 50 Best Bars list, is now hosting an exclusive residency at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago’s Mile High Cocktail Club. The experience opened October 15 and runs through March 14, 2027, giving Chicagoans several months to experience the award-winning bar without booking a flight to Manhattan.

The residency operates Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. and costs $85 per person, which includes two curated cocktails. The setting adds another reason to go: panoramic views of the Gold Coast and Downtown skyline from one of the hotel’s highest floors.

For anyone looking for a different date-night idea this fall or winter, this is less about simply ordering a drink and more about experiencing one of the country’s most talked-about cocktail programs in a distinctly Chicago setting.

What Makes Sip & Guzzle the No. 1 Bar in North America?

Sip & Guzzle is built around two different personalities.

At its original New York location, Sip focuses on precise, Japanese-influenced cocktails and more technical preparations. Guzzle takes a looser approach, reworking familiar drinks and flavors into something more playful and approachable.

The concept was created by bartenders Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider, along with operating partner Justin Weitz. That two-part experience helped Sip & Guzzle claim the No. 1 position on North America’s 50 Best Bars in 2026. It was also ranked No. 39 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2025.

Photograph: Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel ChicagoMile High Cocktail Club at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

Chicago visitors get elements of both sides.

The current Four Seasons menu includes three “Sip” selections, including Drunk Grandma’s Apple Pie, Dirty Mango and Tomato Tree, alongside three “Guzzle” options such as the Mint 75, Rum & Cola and Miami Vice Negroni. Guests choose two cocktails as part of the $85 experience.

Executive Chef Isaac Leidenfrost has also developed Japanese-inspired bar food to accompany the cocktail program.

So you do not have to choose between the more technical Sip side and the more relaxed Guzzle side before booking.

The Chicago residency is designed to let you try both.

The Setting Might Be Almost as Memorable as the Drinks

Sip & Guzzle is taking over the Mile High Cocktail Club on the 46th floor of Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, at 120 E. Delaware Place in the Gold Coast.

Four Seasons describes the space as an intimate speakeasy with panoramic skyline views. Unlike the hotel’s larger restaurants and lounges, Mile High Cocktail Club is intended to feel more secluded and destination-driven.

You also do not need to be staying at the hotel to visit. The cocktail club is open to outside guests, although it is restricted to those 21 and older.

That makes this an easy centerpiece for a Gold Coast date night.

You could spend the afternoon around Michigan Avenue, walk the neighborhood before sunset and then head upstairs for cocktails as the Downtown lights come on.

And unlike a one-night bar takeover, there is no need to squeeze this into a single weekend.

The residency continues through March 14, making it a possible fall date night, holiday-season outing, Valentine’s plan or winter excuse to go Downtown.

Four Seasons Is Making the Entire Hotel More of a Food-and-Drink Destination

Sip & Guzzle is not the only change happening inside the hotel.

Four Seasons also recently introduced a new seasonal direction at Adorn, its seventh-floor restaurant and bar. The updated menu includes a raw bar, steaks, seafood and cocktails inspired by Chicago landmarks and architecture.

The hotel also launched Tasse, a new daytime coffee and pastry concept serving drinks including a Chicago Latte, Gold Coast Latte and Ube Cloud Latte.

That gives visitors several reasons to experience the hotel beyond an overnight stay.

But Mile High Cocktail Club remains the most limited of the experiences.

Sip & Guzzle is not permanently relocating to Chicago. When March 14, 2027 arrives, the current residency is scheduled to end.

That limited window is a large part of the appeal.

Know Before You Go

The Mile High Cocktail Club is located on the 46th floor of Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, 120 E. Delaware Place.

The Sip & Guzzle residency runs October 15, 2026 through March 14, 2027, with service Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.

The experience is $85 per guest and includes two curated cocktails. Guests must be 21 or older, and you do not need to be a Four Seasons hotel guest to book.

Reservations can be made through the Four Seasons’ Mile High Cocktail Club page.

If trying North America’s current No. 1-ranked bar has been on your list, Chicago now offers a much shorter trip.

Just take the elevator to the 46th floor.

Exploring What It’s Like to Live Near Chicago’s Best Dining and Nightlife?

The Cory Tanzer Group at Option Premier helps buyers and relocation clients compare Gold Coast, River North, Streeterville and other Downtown Chicago neighborhoods based on more than the home itself.

Building amenities, restaurants, walkability, transit, lakefront access and what you can actually do within a few blocks all contribute to the experience of living Downtown.

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