A combination upscale liquor store and mixology classroom planned in downtown Arlington Heights received liquor licenses from the village board Monday night.
The approvals pave the way for an anticipated early November opening of Bitter & Sweet Cocktail Boutique, 157 N. Evergreen Ave.
“We are a new concept here in the Chicago suburbs,” co-owner Janine Durbin told board members. “We’re basically an upscale boutique centered around cocktails.”
Two-thirds of the 1,600-square-foot store will be devoted to the retail sale of premium spirits from craft distilleries that aren’t present in big box liquor stores, Durbin said, along with bitters, mixers and syrups made by small businesses.
The other part of the store will host mixology classes where people will receive guided instruction of how to mix, shake and stir up everything from Bloody Mary’s to mocktails.
“The whole goal is to bring back the at-home cocktail party by giving our guests the knowledge, the equipment and the ingredients to make unique cocktails at home,” Durbin said.
Renovations are underway at this downtown Arlington Heights storefront ahead of the opening of Bitter & Sweet Cocktail Boutique.
Christopher Placek/cplacek@dailyherald.com
Anyone interested in taking a mixology class can sign up on the business’ website, bitterandsweetcocktails.com, but Durbin and co-owner Scott Sanaghan assured Mayor Tom Hayes — the local liquor commissioner — that it’ll be their policy to “card everybody” before sitting for a class.
They will also have charcuterie boards to pair with customers’ cocktail creations, and partner with nearby restaurants to offer food depending on the theme of the classes.
“If we do a Mexican theme, then we would ask one of the local Mexican restaurants to cater in the food, and we just build that into the price of the class,” Durbin said. “We all rise up if we can help the local restaurants too.”
Bitter & Sweet will also offer “cocktail catering” for private events and at-home cocktail parties, she said.
Durbin and Sanaghan are still interviewing prospective employees, with plans to hire about 10.
When it opens next month, the store will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days, the owners said.