Unless you’ve been living in a hole, you knew that once the Next craze calmed down with a few weeks under it’s belt, the obvious next logical Grant Achatz obsession would be the much anticipated opening of Aviary. With no tickets and no reservations, the line started forming at noon for the 6 pm cocktail lounge’s first night and was more reasonable today with the Easter holiday.

The opening video showcases the true mastery of drinks in art form. From an old fashioned served in the rocks to deconstructed hurricanes showcasing all seven layers, these cocktails go way beyond the bar. Past the mixologist. This is part science, part artistry, and 100% a molecular gastronomy chef’s creations. Served in thirty different custom made glasses to highlight distinct flavor combinations in specific ways with nearly twenty custom variations of artistry ice, each cocktail has been meticulously perfected to bring out it’s unique flavor combination that has been painstakingly paired with sweets, savories, bitters, and completely reimagined.

Their youtube channel shows the fascinating process of creating the masterful concoctions from the “painkillers” made of liquid nitrogen to the frozen water balloons used to infuse in the rocks. Bottom’s up- or maybe down in the Bunsen burners.

955 W. Fulton Market. Aviary Facebook page