Blue Max Coffee Now Serving Craft Cocktails

With handmade coffee drinks, friendly service and a from-scratch kitchen, Blue Max is the type of place that makes you feel cozy and lets you linger for awhile.

But with later hours and the addition of cocktails to the menu, will guests ever leave?

That's right. The coffee shop at 26 Lathrop Ave. in Forest Park will now stay open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with an evening food menu that borrows from the kitchen's lunch offerings.

But the big news here is that Blue Max has a liquor license, and they're planning to make full use of it, starting with beer, wine and craft cocktails. A couple of the drinks will be mixed with "Hum," a creation by Nacional 27 mixologist Adam Seger and London's Joe McCanta that infuses rum with hibiscus, ginger root, green cardamom and kaffir lime. Here's a look at what's on tap.

Cocktails:

• Babalu – fresh-squeezed lime juice, raspberry syrup, club soda and hum with a fresh spearmint garnish. Served frozen or on-the-rocks.

• SerenaTea – Serena Williams iced tea combined with hum, cucumber and basil.

• Letherbee Lemonade – local gin paired with fresh-squeezed lemonade. Served frozen or on-the-rocks.

• Not Your Momma’s Mimosa – in-house, fresh-squeezed orange or strawberry orange juice topped off with hum and house bubbles.

Coffee Cocktail:

• SegerSway – a spirited iced coffee drink featuring 48-hour cold-brewed, house-roasted Italian roast coffee mixed with hum, coconut Italian syrup, club soda and topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce

Locally brewed beer:

• Seasonal selection from Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, IL.

Wine:

• Selection includes house bubbles, a white blend, pinot grigio, rosé and red blend.

All of the drinks will be priced between $5-$9.

“Adding a specialized drink menu is a natural next step for Blue Max,” owner Terry Griffin said in a news release. “Many of my regular customers have been requesting we add wine and cocktails, and they are impressed we’ve gone to this upscale level. Plus, it’s summertime and we have a beautiful patio with outdoor seating that opens to the yard and herb garden. I can’t imagine a more serene setting. The drinks we’ve selected really complement our food and our atmosphere. We’re now calling ourselves Chicago’s spirited barista.”