From vintage wine pairings to intricate seasonal cocktail lists, spirit-free libations and a full bar program for all night celebrations, Vendador is Chicago’s leading licensed bar service for those seeking premium beverage experiences at private events, weddings, and corporate celebrations throughout Chicagoland.
Vendador’s Premium Open Bar showcases exceptional craft distilleries alongside artisanal liqueurs, creating a sophisticated foundation for over 28 expertly crafted cocktails. From a French 75 to a Negroni, Ranch Water to an Oaxacan Old Fashioned, every drink is prepared with the same precision and premium ingredients that define everything we do.
Our cocktail program follows the same hyperseasonal philosophy that drives our culinary partnerships, capturing ingredients at their peak and transforming them into drinks that evolve with the calendar. Each cocktail represents a precise intersection of terroir, technique, and timing, where early summer stone fruit or the earthy depth of autumn roots becomes the foundation for something unexpected.
Elevate your Private Dining Experience with Vendador’s expertly curated wine pairings and premium wine packages. Our sommelier-selected wine collections feature both innovative New World producers and timeless Old World vineyards, designed to complement any celebration from intimate gatherings to corporate events.
The innovative spirit of modern winemaking: dynamic New World producers redefining their regions with fresh perspectives, sustainable practices, and bold creativity. For adventurous palates seeking contemporary excellence.
The timeless elegance of global winemaking traditions: exceptional Old World vineyards alongside small-production wineries that honor these classic techniques. Each bottle carries generations of expertise and terroir-driven character.
The collector’s pairing, curated from the world’s best wineries. A one-on-one consultation with our Wine Director shapes a personalized menu, with a heavy emphasis on wines aged to perfection.
Learn Premium Mixology with Vendador’s Private Cocktail Classes
Master the art of craft cocktails with our customizable mixology classes in Chicago. Learn to create 3 professional-level cocktails while our chef prepares perfectly paired small bites. Choose your experience: focus on a specific spirit, explore themed collections like Tropical or Classic Cocktails, or discover regional specialties like Italian aperitivo culture. Our expert bartenders teach professional techniques using the same premium ingredients featured in our seasonal cocktail program.
Perfect for corporate team building, bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, or date nights. Available as an add-on experience or standalone private event throughout Chicagoland.
Prefer a seated evening? Our sommelier hosts private tastings of five carefully selected wines with a charcuterie grazing board, from Old World classics to New World innovations, for parties who want the cellar brought to the table.
Prefer to provide your own wine for your dining experience? Our sommeliers ensure your personal selections receive the same meticulous attention as our curated collections.
Private Collection Pairings
Our sommelier creates detailed pairing recommendations by analyzing your wine collection alongside your menu. We review your list in advance, suggesting optimal wine-to-course matches to transform your personal bottles into a sophisticated pairing that rivals any restaurant wine program.
Includes sommelier tasting notes presented with each course and premium crystal pairing stemware. Priced per course. Wine list preferred at least 72 hours prior to dinner.
Corkage
For clients providing their own wine. Your bottles are opened, decanted when appropriate, and served with care throughout the evening. Priced per person.
Red Cedar Rye, Dry Vermouth, Red Cordial, Sumac, Star Anise
Layered with a bitter aperitivo, our red cedar and house-made red cordial create the canvas for this rye forward beauty. This drink knows what sailors know: red sky at night is nature’s promise that tomorrow will be kind.
Glasgow Blend Scotch, Toasted Ginger, Allspice, Bolivar Bitters
Enter stage right this beastie in sheep’s clothing: a smoky scotch cloaked in toasted ginger and allspice, perfumed by floral plums and light grapefruit zest.
Blue Corn, Winter Melon, Briny Caper Leaf (Spirit Free)
At once rich and briny, this spirit-free sipper offers seemingly-familiar earthy and robust flavors of blue corn with an underlying sweetness of soft melon and lingering salinity.
Genepy, Dry Vermouth, Tonka Bean, Rosemary + Cherries
A dry low-abv alpine frappe built on genepy and dried botanicals with subtle notes of marzipan and vanilla. Less singing, more sipping, equally transcendent.
Black Rose and Coffee-soaked Verjus, Coconut Palm Syrup, Plum, Carbonated (Spirit Free)
Melding dark fruit, bright acidity, and savory sweetness, this effervescent dreamboat combines the richness of coffee beans with the bright floral notes of rose noir tea.
Amara Della Sacra, Rhubarb, Champagne Acid, Tonic
An elegant digestif composed of a spice-forward amaro, sweet-tart rhubarb syrup, and fortified with champagne acid and tonic. A toast: To what has been, To what is, and To what may be.
Local Gin, White Vermouth, Maraschino, Absinthe, Sage
Chicago-made gin fortified by bright cherry, cooling fennel, and a whisper of crisp citrus: as icy and bracing as its namesake, embracing the lake effect with big shoulders.
Mezcal, Tequila, Elsewhere Aperitif, Blood Orange, Allium Ash
Like a road trip across a sun-scorched stretch of desert highway. Merging mezcal, reposado tequila, dry orange, and burnt allium syrup, the only question left is: which Queens of the Stone Age album to play next?
Vanilla Vodka, Citrus Oleo, Green Cardamom, Pear
Akin to strolling through an orchard on a crisp autumn evening: refreshing minerality, orchard fruits, and subtle floral spice from green cardamom, with the bright effervescence of fruit plucked by hand.
Bourbon, Bordiga Aperitivo, Hibiscus, Maple, Nutmeg
A whiskey sour full of body and nuance. Grounded by bourbon and elevated by an italian aperitivo, tart hibiscus, and rich maple, this cocktail doesn’t need the attention... but it certainly gets it.
Word of Mouth
five stars & over 300 reviews on Google
“Chef Francis and his team helped us to host a dinner party with friends. His sommelier helped to pick out wines from our cellar and put together some amazing pre-dinner cocktails. Everything was beautiful and delicious. Our guests were thrilled with each course.”
“The most amazing experience! Chef Francis and Kimberley were absolutely fantastic. The food was divine, the wine pairing absolutely exceptional, and the overall experience of the evening beyond expectations. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a private chef experience.”
“Incredible experience and wonderfully prepared dinner. Hosted at my friends’ house and the sommelier chose from the in-house wine cellar for an extra personal touch.”
Yes. Vendador is a fully licensed bar service, pouring at private events, weddings, and corporate celebrations throughout Chicagoland.
Always. Every seasonal menu carries spirit-free cocktails built with the same care as the rest of the list, and they change with the season just as the rest of the menu does.
Our Premium Open Bar runs a minimum of two hours and a maximum of five, with wine, beer, and soft drinks included alongside everything needed to create more than 28 expertly crafted cocktails.
Yes. Through our Personal Wine Pairing Services, your bottles are opened, decanted when appropriate, and served through the evening, with a simple corkage arrangement or full sommelier pairing notes.
Every pour arrives in the right glass. Proper stemware and curated barware come with us, so you never need to worry about having the right amount of anything.
Both. Bar and sommelier services pair naturally with our private dining experiences, and they also stand alone for cocktail hours, showers, galas, and garden parties.