There Are Hundreds of Whiskeys Out There—But I Only Make Old Fashioneds With This Cheap Bourbon

Ten minutes after I finished moving into my first Chicago apartment on a brisk day in May, I was talked into taking a shot of Malört. It was three in the afternoon, and as anyone who has tasted the stuff knows, the city’s iconic liquor is basically a hangover in shot form.

After I was handed a beer to chase with (the “Chicago handshake”), I was ready to declare the city’s drink scene a wash. Eventually, other local spirits changed my mind, as I was introduced to a bourbon that stacks up against any on our best bourbons for an old fashioned list: Clark & Sheffield Bottled-In-Bond.

A $30 price point for any bourbon bottled in bond—guaranteeing a minimum of 100 proof, aged at least four years—is a strong start. Still, the ultimate test is the taste, and Clark & Sheffield absolutely shines when mixed into a cocktail. Thanks to that high proof, the bourbon makes a strong and bold base for your old fashioned, while its sweetness helps elevate the citrus elements. A subtle spice finish will leave anybody lucky enough to sample it at your cocktail party with a pleasant tingle.

Clark & Sheffield is a high-quality bourbon that sells for a reasonable price. I love using it to make an old fashioned.

Andy Vasoyan

The only drawback to this perfect daily-driver bourbon is that you can pretty much only find it at Binny’s Beverage Depot. Affectionately known as Binny’s, this iconic chain of stores is basically Chicago’s Sheetz for liquor, or an Illinois booze version of In-N-Out, if you will. Celebrities like Bryan Cranston, Jamie Foxx, and William H. Macy have worked directly with the store to promote their liquor brands in the region.

The company started with a single store, a quick walk from the one and only Wrigley Field, at the corner of Clark and Sheffield, which is where their store-brand liquor gets its name. Binny’s recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, now with more than 40 stores across the state. It’s a thing.

At this point, a skeptic might ask if a store brand bourbon can really deliver. Binny’s has that taken care of by sourcing their bourbon from Kentucky’s Barton distillery. Now owned by the Sazerac company, which also owns the Buffalo Trace distillery, the Barton distillery has been in operation since the 19th century, so they’ve got a history and pedigree to compete with the best. They also produce 1792, a great set of bourbon offerings, but one that lives at a measurably higher price point.

For Binny’s, a quality bourbon at a reasonable price is exactly the idea. Sure, you can shell out a few hundred bucks for Blanton’s (if you can find it) or even drop a few thousand for some Pappy Van Winkle—but are you really going to be happy splashing it into an old fashioned? Clark & Sheffield is under $30 with a free Binny’s account, so if a clunky hand leads to a heavy pour, it’s easy on your wallet. If you don’t have a Binny’s account, you’re probably not in the right area to buy the bourbon anyway.

More important, for me at least, is the intangible joy of mixing a bit of Chicago history into my cocktails. If anyone wants to know where I got the tasty bourbon, I tell them that I got it down the street from where the Cubs play, up the street from the hotdog place where they’ll yell at you for adding ketchup, and two blocks away in either direction from some deep dish pizza. If I ever leave the city, it’ll be one of the flavors I will definitely miss. But for now, any time someone visits, I’ll be making them a Clark & Sheffield old fashioned. Hopefully before someone hits them with Malört.

Clark and Sheffield Bottled-In-Bond

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