Chicago is noted for the amazing variety of outdoor, rooftop patios in the summer. Everywhere you go during the warmer months, there are options for spectacular views and balmy breezes while enjoying your favorite food and drink. Sadly, once the weather turns cold there is a collective sad sigh from everyone who loves the energy of a good rooftop bar.
If you’re one of those who long for warmer months so you can enjoy your favorite adult beverage under the stars, don’t despair! Chicago has one intrepid, year-round, outdoor rooftop bar and I had the pleasure of attending a kick-off event to help celebrate that fact.
Vertigo Sky Lounge recently celebrated their reign as the only outdoor winter patio in the city with the return of their steadfastly popular Fire & Ice concept at a kick-off party on Friday January 18th, 2013. Chicago winters are typically associated with the bitter cold and thoughts of hibernation, leaving many venues yearning for the warmer months. Rather than hide from the wrath, the dana hotel and spa’s rooftop lounge celebrates this stretch as the premier time to party.
Fire & Ice transforms the 1,000 square foot patio into the ultimate snow globe oasis. The comfort of a conventional indoor setting will be left behind as guests line up alongside the 12ft. custom carved ice bar and dive into the fully stocked bar and menu of sizzling flame shots. Choose from crowd favorites like the Flaming Dr. Pepper (a mixture of amaretto and 151 dropped into a pint of Guinness), the especially bold Flaming Irishman or the Burning Jaeger Bomb. Book an outdoor table reservation and enjoy the sounds of Vertigo’s resident DJ amidst a garden of assorted frozen sculptures. When the temperature drops, patrons raise the heat by donning one of the patio’s plush robes or fur blankets and cozy up to the crystallized fire when nights hit that otherwise arctic low.
Now going into its fourth year, Fire & Ice at Vertigo Sky Lounge continues to be an annual winter tradition, giving Chicago’s stylish residents a reason to get excited about winter. Guests are invited to visit Vertigo Sky Lounge and experience the Fire & Ice patio nightly, until midnight, throughout the duration of the winter season.
Vertigo Sky Lounge, occupying the 26th floor of the dana hotel and spa, gives Chicago a taste of the high life in an exclusive penthouse environment, featuring wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows with gorgeous views, an expansive outdoor patio with open fire pit and an array of seating options. Vertigo Sky Lounge is open Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 12 midnight; Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Valet service is available during all hours of operations. For more information please visit Vertigo Sky Lounge at 2 W. Erie Street, Chicago, IL or www.vertigoskylounge.com.
NOTE: Photos courtesy of Danny Gerhardt
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