The Great Grampa

According to voters in the 2019 Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll, these craft cocktail conquerors make happy hour a whole lot happier.

1. The Great Grampa 

The Lakely, 516 Galloway St., Eau Claire

The Great Grampa served by The Lakely at the Oxbow Hotel is sure to bring bliss to your palate and nostalgia to your heart. This updated take on the classic Old-Fashioned – perhaps Wisconsin’s all-time most-beloved cocktail – is mixed with Overholt rye, brown sugar lemon, and Angostura bitters, garnished with a lemon peel, and poured atop the largest ice cube you’ve ever seen.

2. Summer Heat 

Infinity Beverages, 3460 Mall Drive, Eau Claire

Summer Heat lives up to its name with hints of jalapeño that are balanced with the refreshing flavors of cucumber and lime. They’ll mix you up one at Infinity Beverages’s tasting lounge, or you buy pre-mixed Summer Heat to take home at select retailers seasonally.

3. The Agave Maria

Dive, 333 Gibson St., Eau Claire

The Agave Maria served at Dive inside The Lismore Hotel has locals buzzing in more ways than one. The cleverly-named cocktail contains Smoky Tequila, agave juice, lime juice, and salt. Is it truly a religious experience? Order one and find out!

Want to vote for your favorite craft cocktail? The 2020 Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll opens at volumeone.org/bestof on Wednesday, Nov. 27!