Inside Chicago’s Most Unexpected Cocktail: The Cheeseburger Martini at Sepia

A martini that tastes like a cheeseburger isn’t exactly standard bar fare, but at Sepia, it’s quickly become one of the most talked-about cocktails in the city.

Head Bartender Keith Meicher’s “World Famous” Cheeseburger Martini leans fully into the unexpected, blending technique, creativity, and just the right amount of surprise.

The drink starts with cornichon-infused gin, fat-washed with roasted beef tallow sourced directly from the restaurant’s kitchen. From there, it’s built out with tomato water, dry vermouth, and a splash of pickled ramp vinegar, adding brightness to balance the rich, umami-driven base. Stirred and served in a chilled coupe, it’s finished with drops of dill oil and a “charcutini” skewer of cornichon and cheddar—an intentionally playful garnish.

The idea came together organically, sparked by two unlikely ingredients: leftover cornichon gin from a spirits dinner and a surplus of beef fat from the kitchen. Combined, they set off a chain reaction that resulted in one of the city’s most inventive cocktails—one that manages to be both technically precise and genuinely fun to drink.

As savory cocktails continue to gain traction, drinks like this are pushing the category into new territory, proving that umami-driven builds can be just as compelling (and craveable) as their citrus-forward counterparts. To understand how a cocktail like this comes to life (and why it works so well), we caught up with Meicher to talk inspiration, technique, and the growing appeal of savory drinks.

What was the “aha” moment that led you to create a cheeseburger-inspired martini? Did the leftover beef fat immediately spark the idea, or was it a longer experiment in the kitchen?

First, it came from having some Citadelle Cornichon Gin leftover from our Maison Ferrand spirits dinner. I had a few bottles in our liquor cage that I didn’t know what to do with. And then, unrelatedly, chef asked me if I had any use for some excess beef fat that they had available. Whenever chef asks me if I can use anything he’s trying to get rid of, I ALWAYS say yes. And then, once I thought to combine the pickle gin with the beef fat, then we were off to the races…

Fat-washing gin with roasted beef tallow isn’t something you see every day. How did you decide that would work with Citadelle’s cornichon-infused gin, and what flavors were you hoping to highlight?

The fact that it isn’t something you see every day was half the reason I wanted to do it. Very often when I’m writing a menu at Sepia, I’ll ask myself “What have I simply never seen before?”, and try to go with that. As for flavors I’m trying to highlight, my intent is to make a stirred drink that tastes as much like a smashburger as I can.

 

The dill oil and charcutini skewer are visually amazing. How do these final touches elevate the drinking experience (beyond flavor)?

Well of course there’s that old saying: you taste first with your eyes. When someone first sees this drink, and it comes to them with what looks like a bloody mary garnish on it, and four drops of brilliant green dill oil, they probably don’t know what they’re in for. I’m really interested in the ‘surprise’ of it all. 

Savory cocktails are definitely having a moment – how do you see this cheeseburger martini fitting into the larger movement of umami-forward drinks?

I *love* savory cocktails. For years, I’d put just a single savory drink on a Sepia menu for the season. But, after a trip to Mexico where I saw cocktail menus that were dominated by savory style drinks, I was inspired to really lean into that instinct. Now, on this current menu, there are drinks that feature roasted scallions, beets, carrots, and this cheeseburger martini. I hope that everyone gets as much of a thrill out of this style as I do. 

This seems like the perfect drink for summer cookouts. How would you suggest pairing it with grilled foods, or is it bold enough to stand on its own?

I had a bar guest a few weeks ago that was in from out of town, mostly to check out Chicago’s food scene. She was telling her friend that the cheeseburger martini was the best burger she had on her visit! I thought that was exceptionally cool of her to say, and appreciated that the drink can hold its own all by itself. 

What’s the next adventurous cocktail you’d love to experiment with? Any wild ideas brewing for summer?

I’ve been fooling around with making a carrot orgeat for a shaken sake cocktail, but you’ll have to come in to Sepia to see how it turns out!