Events

The Martini Chronicles

Friday, April 1, 2022
7 p.m. CDT

via Zoom

For the second straight year, the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, with hosts Michael Burke and Robert Charles, put on a virtual cocktail clinic and party featuring Chicago literary-themed drinks. After the great success of last year’s Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, we were inspired to dust off the blenders and shakers and have another round.

We encouraged guests to coordinate small pods for the program—assign a bartender and a designated driver so that they were able to assemble the various cocktails and are assured safe passage to and from your Martini Chronicles pod.

April 1 is not just April Fool’s Day, it’s the day in 2031 when Ray Bradbury’s story, “The Third Expedition,” takes place. In this story, featured in The Martian Chronicles, a third rocket lands on Mars. Mars’ landscape has changed from a desert to Green Bluff, Illinois. At first, the men suspect the Mars town is earth-like from the first expeditions, until they learn that their travels took them not to Mars but back in time to 1956 Illinois.

Ace mixologist Ryan Prindle will be back behind the bar to teach us Chicago literary-themed drinks such as Dandelion Wine, Farenheit 451, the Lena Younger Cocktail, and the Goat-Milk Cocktail.

This was a fundraiser to support the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, but donations were entirely optional. Stay tuned for a list of special literary, alcoholic and musical guests. For those putting together their own pods for the evening, we hope you’ll agree to visit us on camera to comment on activities at your house.