Elixir

I’ve only been twice but both times I was impressed with quality of their cocktails! If you’re in the area and looking for top notch cocktails this is a great spot to start!

Great atmosphere. Grapefruit basil martini. Just. Order. It. It won’t disappoint. Or anything else.

great bar, great management, and great cocktails.

«A-​OK» is definitely the right way of putting it. Cocktails are good. Ambiance is nice. But I can’t really think of when I would ever particularly want to go to Elixir. I used to go when I knew one of the bartenders, and usually got to try out some really interesting cocktails I never would have otherwise. But now I repeatedly hear the bartenders have gotten a bit too pretentious and aren’t the best and I never feel a compelling enough reason to go verify those claims.
It doesn’t have a wow factor to it. I can get amazing cocktails at many other locations in the city and nothing particularly compels me to visit Elixir. If/​when I’m in the area there are many other bars I’d rather go to.

Great lounge in Boystown for those looking for something more bougie and upscale but not too elitist.
I was looking for a nice lounge with good seating and environment and came across Elixir which had rave reviews. It’s a small lounge with room for only maybe 20 – 25 people I would say. I came out here on a Wednesday with a friend, and shockingly the room was packed already by 9pm!
I ordered their mint cucumber Martini — super delicious and super refreshing! Would definitely come back here for the great ambiance. I wouldn’t say it’s the best place to meet new people as groups tend to form here but I could be wrong.

I went here with a visit friend a few years ago and loved it. But I don’t really drink… thus I don’t go out too often, so several years had passed, but it always stuck in my mind as my favorite lounge.
Last night, two friends from out of town visited me and wanted to go have drinks for one of their birthdays. I suggested Elixir… and THEY LOVED IT just as much as I had years before.
We all hung out there for hours, sampling the gourmet concoctions, catching up, enjoying the atmosphere (especially the eclectic mix of music).
I must also hand it up to our bartender, Neil, who took very good care of us. We love you, Neil.
:-)
My friends and I look forward to returning to Elixir next time we’re able!

The Elixir is a very cool lounge with a great vibe. The drink selection is awesome and the quality, art of the drink mixing is something to be reckoned with.
The Good:
— Fun laid back atmosphere
— Good music — not at the forefront where you can’t hear each other — a great backdrop
— At the bar, fresh mint leaves and basil leaves sat in water — they take their drink flavors seriously
— The cucumber mint martini — to die for
— Steady number of patrons but never too crowded — very comfortable
No negatives here from my experience. Loved it!

Stopped by and what could I say? The drinks here are unbelievable. You will not find many of the drinks anywhere else because they are house specialties. They have the standard and then have their rotating menu which changes often. Me and the wife were awed by how amazing the drinks were. Drew the bartender is a wonderful bartender and highly recommend going to him. Had a old fashioned for the first time and it was great, the wife had a crisp apple martini which was insanely good. Then we both had the pineapple infused tequila drinks. Which is a must try some of the best tequila I’ve had outside of Mexico. I had the Rosemary infused pineapple margaritas which was great and I could have had many more of those through the night. If you are looking for a spot to have extremely wonderful drinks this is the place. Great drinks made by a great bartender what else could you ask for.

Blah. Servers were friendly fake & snobby.
At least they made a delicious moscow mule :)

Pretty classy place — a nice little gem in this area. Very well crafted cocktails and friendly bartender. I hear it can get busy at certain times, but we came on a weeknight and the scene was a nice calm place for a chilly evening.
Their craft cocktail list is pretty extensive and they can make you something depending on what you feel. Their quality and craftsmanship is as high as some of the pretentious speakeasy that proliferate most urban areas nowadays.
The music selection was top notch, and even occasional outliers worked well for the space and time.

Our friend brought us to Elixir and without great disappointment.
The staff was really good and on-​top-​of-​it. The décor is really upscale and while it might be clique-​y it’s not pretentious. We’d come back here again!

I went after work. I bought two drinks, not knowing the price. I put sixty on the bar. The tender grouped it together with my co workers. Two drinks cost $ 60. I said something and they said you only gave me twenty. Im out forty something. Done with this place after work.

Vlad!!! Chad!!!
These boys are the most talented (and damn good-​looking!) mixologists in Chicago, and they know to pour and mix some amazing drinks. Their styles are a bit different — Vlad prefers a more scientific approach leading to a balanced mouthfeel, while Chad is the more improvisational type who prefers fun and fruity flavors — but they’re both fantastic.
And they’re both at Elixir, my favorite little cocktail lounge in Chicago.
Unlike the rest of the divey Boystown bars along that particular stretch of North Halsted — where the standard operating procedure is slamming Miller Lites and Vodka Red Bulls while listening to Kylie remixes and carefully avoiding puddles of puke — Elixir is a classy and elegant little spot. At Elixir, you can chitchat, mingle, or simply enjoy world-​class cocktails in a laid-​back atmosphere, featuring a sleek, black-​and-​white color scheme.
I enjoyed it so much, I came back several times during my Chicago trip. I tasted a number of cocktails, but my favorite was a classic Aviation. Other highlights include the classic Eastside and Daiquiri, as well as numerous not-​so-​classic options that rotate in and out of the menu on a regular basis.
If I lived in Chicago, Elixir would be my regular spot. Enough said.

What a nice little find inside Boystown… Wonderful atmosphere and friendly servers. We got there to begin a birthday celebration at 6:30 on Sat. And we were a little worried because only one table had people and no bartender or servers were around for a good 5 minutes. But after that we had knowledgable and friendly service and the place filled up by 7.
I had an Apple Crisp Martini and the rest had Mostly the French ones… another had a Pimms Cup #1 and a grapefruit and Basil Martini… A cute ginger bartender who made a better French Martini with triple sec — the difference was noticeably better although both versions were good.
There was a minor hiccup with the clientele and someone who clearly should not have been served… Actually the whole table as it was quite noticeable when they walked in, but they did get them out of there pretty quickl.
A great place for small gatherings in general.

Great drinks. My mojito was delicious. I was introduced to the Moscow Mule. Loved it. The bartender, Vlad, is sexy and friendly. Very posh setting to drink and lounge.

I loved this place. We came with a friend around 8 pm on a Saturday and it was quiet enough that we could have a conversation and not have to shout. The drinks were delicious and service was friendly. The atmosphere was relaxed but sophisticated. Would definitely come back if I was in the area.

Chad, Vlad, Keith and the rest of the boys are great bartenders that run Elixir. They’re doing great things with cocktails here and I always give them a challenge in asking them to make me a cocktail off the cuff. I come in here so often that Chad already knows that I prefer sweet herbal-​y or a balanced fruity herbal cocktail. The guys are great here and I’m gonna miss this as my neighborhood haunt :(

All you need for a good night out is to be with good people, but a great place can make that good night awesome.
I went to Elixir around 9:30 Friday with some lady friends and got really lucky because there was a group just heading out. The table was small, but all six of us were able to sit/​share seats/​stand around comfortably while sipping on some delicious cocktails made by a friendly bartender. The lighting was perfect and the bathrooms were clean. The only thing that would have made it awesome is if they served a little something something to satisfy our munchies.
I don’t recommend coming with a large group (like we did… oops), but it can be hard to find a fancy lounge that’s not pretentious so elixir is worth your visit. You might even call it a respite from everything else that’s going on in the neighborhood– that is, until you have had enough happy juice to join them.

How have I always missed this place?! It’s a nice break from the usual busy dance-​oriented bars of the area, and it’s where you go when you just want to sit and have a fancy-​ass cocktail. It’s cozy, hip and the bartenders are great.
The Bourbon shrub definitely deserves a try. Just watching the bartender make it is fun enough. The Apple Crisp Martini is also good, but dangerous because you can’t even taste the alcohol. Next thing you know: you’re tipsy.
I’ll definitely be back.

If you want a good, hand-​crafted cocktail, go to Violet Hour, Tiny Lounge, Barrelhouse Flat or Drawing Room (all very good places, by the way). If you want a good, hand-​crafted cocktail made by attractive, muscley men in tight black v-​neck shirts, go to Elixir!
I have been here a few times and the drinks and service have always been excellent. No attitude here. Last night I tried the strawberry basil lemonade and the green something. The lemonade was very refreshing and the basil added an interesting flavor. I don’t remember exactly what was in the green drink but I loved it! I enjoy trying new and different drinks, especially ones with unique flavor combinations and Elixir doesn’t disappoint. This is a great place to have drinks with friends or a date.