Christmas in Your Mouth: The Story Behind Chicago's Most Famous Holiday Cocktail

Ask anyone who's spent a December at Butch's about Christmas in Your Mouth and you'll get the same reaction: a grin, and a warning that one is never quite enough.

The name says it all — it's built to taste like the holidays in a glass, sweet, festive, and instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up coming to Butch's for Christmas. It's become such a fixture of the season that it's grown into its own brand alongside the bar (christmasinyourmouth.net carries the name into merchandise and beyond), but the drink itself has always belonged right here, on our own cocktail menu at 20 W Division.

It shows up right around the same time the trains start running through the bar and the ornaments go up — Christmas in Your Mouth isn't a special, it's a season. Order one at the bar starting in late November and it'll be there through New Year's.

Come try it under the lights. It's Chicago's most famous holiday cocktail for a reason, and it's only ever been made one place first.