The ACME Hotel sits on Ohio Street in River North, and The Berkshire Room is in the back of it. The bar is named after the Berkshire Hotel that once occupied the area and had a reputation as a mob hangout. The dim lighting and leather furnishings nod in that direction without being theatrical about it.

The thing most people come back for is the Dealer's Choice. You pick a base spirit, describe a flavor profile, choose your glass, and the bartender builds something specifically for you. With over 400 spirits behind the bar, they're rarely stuck. The process takes a few minutes but it's the kind of thing that makes the drinks feel like they belong to you.

On Friday and Saturday nights a second space opens upstairs called the Bodega Bar, also known as The Study. It runs as a private speakeasy-style room above the main bar. It's the quieter, more exclusive version of an already pretty quiet evening.

Pricing is on the higher end for Chicago, but the craft is there to justify it. The bourbon and Scotch tastings are worth asking about if you're interested.