At Nine Bar, their lauded spot in Chinatown, Joe Briglio and Lily Wang found success tapping Asian ingredients in novel ways. Now at the new Cara Cara Club, a bright, airy space on the corner of Logan and Kedzie in Logan Square, they’ve applied that same strategy to Italian drinks.

A collaboration between the duo and Wade Hall McElroy and Jeff Donahue (both of Ludlow Liquors and Big Kids, which was in this space previously), Cara Cara Club offers cocktails like the Slim Aarons, a savory gin and tonic with dill aquavit, tomato water, and MSG, and the Canary Islands, a tropical drink with tequila, bergamot liqueur, mango, and St. Agrestis Paradiso, which Briglio says lends “a bitter backbone.”

Bitter flavors offer a through line here. In addition to the house drinks, there are takes on Negroni, Manhattan, martini, and frizzante cocktails. “We wanted to incorporate our approach while leaning into the Italian,” Wang says. That meant creating red bitter and vermouth blends. Briglio and bar manager Olven Yu tried various combinations until they found ones that had a nice balance, and they layered the flavors by incorporating both European and American bitters. Take the Americano, which uses two red bitters and two vermouths.

Ludlow chef Jordan Ross serves snacks here like Greek fries, tinned fish, and charcuterie. It’s not a spot for a complete meal, but that’s the point. “In Logan, especially with Lula Cafe next door, we knew most people would come for drinks and not a full dinner,” Wang says. It makes the bar just right to start your night in the neighborhood.