Cocktail bar
Unclaimed profileThe Hi-Lo
Chicago, IL · $$$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
The Hi-Lo's beverage program covers more ground than its cocktail-bar label suggests. Frozen cocktails like the Naked & Famous and Corpse Reviver #2 anchor the list at $14, while a five-item non-alcoholic cocktail section matches that price. Wine spans red, white, orange/rosé, and sparkling by glass and bottle, with house pours at $10. Beer is limited to High Life and Hamm's but priced for volume-free easy drinking. Happy hour rotates daily specials, including Tuesday martinis and Wednesday half-off bottles.
- What should I order?
- Start with the frozen Naked & Famous, built on Union Mezcal, Cappelletti, and Dolin Genepy. If you want wine, the De Forville Dolcetto d'Alba is $14 by glass. For a non-alcoholic option, the Masala Spritz uses Martini & Rossi N/A Vermouth Bianco with masala and lemon.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Drinkers who want a defined cocktail list, a real non-alcoholic section, and wine by the glass without a full dinner commitment. The beer selection is narrow but deliberately cheap.
- When should I go?
- Happy hour is the obvious draw: Tuesday for $10 martinis, Wednesday for half-off wine bottles, Monday for $3 High Life, and a late-night $2 Hamm's special every night.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails are $14. Wine by the glass runs $10–$15, bottles $48–$56. Beer specials are $2–$3 during their respective windows.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- A cocktail bar with frozen drinks, a five-option non-alcoholic cocktail list, and a wine program that includes orange/rosé and sparkling by the glass and bottle. The beer list is short and cheap rather than broad.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
The cocktail list includes frozen Naked & Famous and Corpse Reviver #2, each $14, plus a dedicated non-alcoholic section. Happy hour adds Tuesday $10 martinis and a Thursday rotating cocktail. The program is specific but not sprawling.
Menu strengths
- — Frozen cocktails with named spirits and modifiers, not generic slush
- — Tuesday $10 martinis and Thursday rotating cocktail give the list a weekly rhythm
Standout selections
- — Naked & Famous: frozen with Union Mezcal, Cappelletti, Dolin Genepy, chamomile and peach teas, lime
- — Corpse Reviver #2: frozen with Still Gin, Hendrick's Blood Orange, Method Vermouth, Magdala Orange Liqueur, absinthe, lemon
Pricing: $14 frozen cocktails; $10 martinis on Tuesday happy hour; Thursday rotating cocktail
Wine
Red, white, orange/rosé, and sparkling wines are available by glass and bottle. House pours are $10, and listed wines run $13–$15 by glass and $48–$56 by bottle. Wednesday happy hour takes half off bottles.
Menu strengths
- — Four wine styles represented by the glass and bottle
- — House wines at $10 and Wednesday half-off bottles lower the entry point
Standout selections
- — De Forville Dolcetto d'Alba DOC: red from Piemonte, $14 by glass or $52 by bottle
- — Evesham Wood Blanc du Puits Sec: Pinot Gris from Oregon, $14 by glass or $52 by bottle
Pricing: $10 house wines by the glass; $13–$15 by glass and $48–$56 by bottle; Wednesday half-off bottles
Beer
This is a cheap, narrow selection rather than a broad beer list.; Two clearly priced beer specials tied to specific days and times
Menu strengths
- — Two clearly priced beer specials tied to specific days and times
- — Late-night Hamm's at $2 is an unusually low entry point
Standout selections
- — High Life: $3 on Mondays; Hamm's: $2 during the late-night special every night
- — High Life — 3 — Happy hour beer special, Monday.
Pricing: $3 High Life on Monday; $2 Hamm's late-night every night
Nonalcoholic
A dedicated N/A Cocktails section lists five non-alcoholic cocktails at $14 each, including spritz variations and a carrot-and-ginger option. This is a full parallel section, not a single token drink.
Menu strengths
- — Five non-alcoholic cocktails, each $14, spanning spritz and non-spritz formats
- — Ingredients include Giffard N/A liqueur and Martini & Rossi N/A Vermouth Bianco
Standout selections
- — N/Aperol Spritz: Giffard Spritz N/A Liqueur, Mionetto Sparkling N/A, strawberry/vanilla infused, fresh lime
- — Silly Wabbit: Martini & Rossi N/A Vermouth Bianco, carrot juice, honey ginger, fresh lemon
Pricing: $14 each
Community reviews
Anyone with a free Inebrious account can rate the drinks here. Community ratings are kept entirely separate from the Inebrious editorial score above.
No community reviews yet. Be the first to write one.