Wilco - ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ + Chicago Cocktail
Ingredients: 2 ounces brandy, 1 dash aromatic bitters, 1/4 ounce orange curacao
Mixing Instructions: Rub the rim of a glass with lemon and dip in powdered sugar. Stir ingredients together in mixing glass with ice, pour into prepared glass.
Notes: By now many have heard the legendary tale surrounding the release of the Chicago-based rock group’s fourth album. After spending a grueling year in the studio brewing up their most ambitious album to date they handed it over to Reprise Records, a Warner Music Group label, only to have them send it right back, refusing to release it without major changes. Rightly trusting their artistic instincts, the band gave the corporate execs the middle finger and were released by the label along with the album to go where they pleased.
In the meantime they streamed the entire album on their website for free allowing both fans and critics to confirm what the band already suspected, the album was special. It was finally released in April of 2002 after the band signed with Nonesuch Records. The success of the album was immediate and substantial. Both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork gave it perfect scores. Few disagreed then or now, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a stunning piece of American rock that will far outlive the band. It is one of those albums you must listen to before you die…just do yourself the favor of making a decent cocktail first.